How Much Does the Cheapest Knife Cost?
The lowest price among the options listed is $33.36 for Survival Knife | Safari Mesh with StatTrak in Battle-Scarred. This is the seven-day Steam sales median as of October 1, 2026, based on just one sale that week. It does not guarantee that you can find a listing at the same price now.
Comparing regular versions without StatTrak only, the cheapest option on October 1, 2026, was Shadow Daggers | Safari Mesh in Battle-Scarred, starting at $42.00. Next came Navaja Knife | Safari Mesh in Well-Worn, starting at $43.13, followed by Paracord Knife | Forest DDPAT in the same condition, starting at $44.94.
Don't confuse the sales median with the price of an available listing. All prices here are for Steam on the stated date and can change; be especially cautious when comparing options with only one sale.
Cheap CS2 Knives: The Cheapest Finish for Each Model
The table covers regular versions without StatTrak and shows their seven-day Steam sales median; prices in the table are updated daily. The cheapest finish and wear for each model were selected based on prices on October 1, 2026. This is a comparison of models, not a list of current listings. Field-Tested is referred to below without its English name.
| Model | Cheapest Finish | Wear | Steam Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 Shadow Daggers | Safari Mesh | Battle-Scarred | from $42 |
 Navaja Knife | Safari Mesh | Well-Worn | from $41 |
 Paracord Knife | Forest DDPAT | Well-Worn | from $49 |
 Kukri Knife | Boreal Forest | Field-Tested | from $48 |
 Survival Knife | Safari Mesh | Field-Tested | from $46 |
 Gut Knife | Forest DDPAT | Well-Worn | from $47 |
 Bowie Knife | Forest DDPAT | Well-Worn | from $48 |
 Huntsman Knife | Safari Mesh | Battle-Scarred | from $59 |
 Ursus Knife | Safari Mesh | Well-Worn | from $57 |
 Falchion Knife | Scorched | Battle-Scarred | from $65 |
 Classic Knife | Forest DDPAT | Well-Worn | from $67 |
 Nomad Knife | Safari Mesh | Battle-Scarred | from $82 |
 Flip Knife | Forest DDPAT | Battle-Scarred | from $130 |
 Skeleton Knife | Boreal Forest | Battle-Scarred | from $130 |
 Bayonet | Scorched | Battle-Scarred | from $148 |
 Stiletto Knife | Boreal Forest | Battle-Scarred | from $146 |
 Talon Knife | Safari Mesh | Field-Tested | from $240 |
 M9 Bayonet | Boreal Forest | Field-Tested | from $323 |
 Karambit | Safari Mesh | Field-Tested | from $464 |
 Butterfly Knife | Safari Mesh | Field-Tested | from $500 |
Many of the cheapest options had only 3–10 sales over the week. With so few sales, the median can change considerably from week to week. For comparison, Kukri Knife | Boreal Forest in Field-Tested had 206 sales, while Survival Knife | Safari Mesh in the same condition had 92. Check prices and sales volumes in the CS2 Skins Wiki.
Why Safari Mesh, Forest DDPAT, and Boreal Forest Are at the Bottom of the List
In this selection, the cheapest knives have camouflage finishes such as Safari Mesh, Forest DDPAT, and Boreal Forest, mostly in higher-wear conditions. But the rule that worse wear means a lower price does not always apply: Kukri Knife | Boreal Forest is cheapest in Field-Tested, not Battle-Scarred.
The price also depends on the knife model. Safari Mesh is available on Shadow Daggers | Safari Mesh starting at $42.00, Karambit | Safari Mesh starting at $466.44, and Butterfly Knife | Safari Mesh starting at $559.52. So choosing a cheap finish does not automatically make every model budget-friendly. This comparison does not include prices for vanilla versions without a finish.
Which Knife Should You Buy in CS2? What to Compare Before Choosing
Wear, Float, and StatTrak Versions
Check the full item name, wear, and whether it has StatTrak. Don't assume that a StatTrak version will cost more: Battle-Scarred Survival Knife | Safari Mesh is priced at $48.95 without StatTrak and $33.36 with it. However, the regular version had 22 sales that week, compared with one for the StatTrak version.
Float is the numerical value that determines an item's wear. Kukri Knife | Boreal Forest and Survival Knife | Safari Mesh have a Float range of 0.06–0.80. Check the specific item's Float and how it looks in-game, and compare prices for the same version: the same finish name does not necessarily mean the listings are directly comparable.
Below are the prices for regular Kukri Knife | Boreal Forest by wear; prices are updated daily. On October 1, 2026, Factory New was significantly more expensive than the other options, but its median was based on just one sale, and Minimal Wear was more expensive than Field-Tested.
| Wear | Steam Price | Sales in the Past Seven Days |
|---|---|---|
| Factory New | from $131 | 0 |
| Minimal Wear | from $56 | 37 |
| Field-Tested | from $48 | 236 |
| Well-Worn | from $47 | 50 |
| Battle-Scarred | from $46 | 67 |
Compare adjacent wear conditions before limiting your search to the worst wear. In this example, Kukri Knife | Boreal Forest in Field-Tested is cheaper than in Battle-Scarred or Well-Worn.
Model and Animations
For your first knife, compare the models that fit your budget and check their animations before choosing a finish. It comes down to personal preference: the lowest price does not tell you which knife you will enjoy using in-game. You can start by comparing the Shadow Daggers and Kukri Knife pages.
Where to Check CS2 Knife Prices
Use Steam prices as a reference, not as the universal cost of a knife. Listings on trusted third-party marketplaces are usually cheaper: Steam adds a fee of about 15%, and Steam Wallet funds cannot be withdrawn. When comparing prices, make sure the finish, wear, and version match. For more details on items and prices, see the Wiki.
Getting a Knife Through a Contract: Can You Save Money?
Since October 22, 2025, five Covert skins from cases can be traded up for a knife or gloves from those cases. This lets you obtain a knife without buying one directly, but the result is not guaranteed to be the item you want: you could get gloves instead.
To see whether a trade-up contract could cost less than buying your chosen knife, add the options to the CS2 Trade Up Contract Calculator and compare the cost of the input items with the possible outcomes. A lower entry cost does not guarantee savings. If you want a specific knife, treat a contract as a risky option, not a substitute for a purchase with a known outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Cheapest Knife in CS2?
The lowest price among the options listed is $33.36 for Survival Knife | Safari Mesh with StatTrak in Battle-Scarred, as of October 1, 2026, but there was only one sale that week. Among regular versions, the cheapest on October 1, 2026, was Shadow Daggers | Safari Mesh in Battle-Scarred, starting at $42.00. Both figures are Steam medians, not guaranteed prices for available listings.
Can You Buy a Knife for Less Than $50?
The table includes several regular versions with a sales median below $50: Shadow Daggers | Safari Mesh, Navaja Knife | Safari Mesh, Paracord Knife | Forest DDPAT, Kukri Knife | Boreal Forest, Survival Knife | Safari Mesh, and Gut Knife | Forest DDPAT. Their Steam medians for the listed wear conditions were below $50 on October 1, 2026. Check separately whether a listing is available at that price.
Why Are Karambit and Butterfly Knives So Expensive?
The higher prices are not just down to the choice of finish: even Karambit | Safari Mesh starts at $466.44, while Butterfly Knife | Safari Mesh starts at $559.52. These are the most expensive models in this comparison of their cheapest options, as of October 1, 2026. The prices alone do not explain the difference, so attributing it solely to animations or appearance would be speculation.
Where Can You Check Knife Prices?
Use the Caseway Wiki to check Steam prices and compare items. Look beyond the price: check the wear, whether the item has StatTrak, and the number of sales over the past week. With rare sales, the median is less reliable and may change considerably by the next check.
