CS2/CSGO Knife Tier List

Though all Counter-Strike knives fall under the “Exceedingly Rare” category, we can all agree that some are better than others. 

When ranking knives into the different tier categories, we’ve taken into account our own opinions and also considered general community preferences based on their aesthetic values, pull-out and inspect animations, and overall popularity. We will be dividing these knives into six tiers, ranging from S (best) to F (worst). 

Here is a an overview of how we have ranked the 20 Counter-Strike knives available in the game:

• S Tier: Karambit, Butterfly Knife
• A Tier: M9 Bayonet, Talon Knife, Skeleton Knife
• B Tier: Bayonet, Stiletto Knife, Huntsman Knife, Nomad Knife, Classic Knife
• C Tier: Kukri Knife, Paracord Knife, Survival Knife, Ursus Knife
• D Tier: Falchion Knife, Flip Knife, Bowie Knife
• F Tier: Gut Knife, Shadow Daggers, Navaja Knife

Now that this list is clear, let’s dive into each tier category and discuss what is so special about each unique Counter-Strike knife. 

S Tier knives are the cream of the crop, and we can only award it to two knives in the game. These knives are the most sought after in the game. 

Butterfly Knife

The Butterfly Knife is hands down the most iconic knife in Counter-Strike. It was added to the game on July 1, 2014 as a part of the Operation Breakout update. 

The Butterfly Knife is based on the Terry Guinn Gargoyle V2, which is a real-life Balisong knife. The defining characteristic of this knife is the fan-like opening of a freely pivoting blade, allowing players to perform all sorts of tricks using it. 

It gained so much popularity during its initial launch due to its eye-catching animations, especially when inspected. The character will start spinning the knife in freestyle, which is one of the biggest flexes you can have in Counter-Strike.

Butterfly Knives have become incredibly pricey because Operation Breakout Cases were discontinued, making the supply more scarce. 

Karambit

For the longest time, the Karambit remains one of the most sought after knives in the game thanks to its sleek and curvy design. It is one of the five original knives released on August 14, 2013. 

This knife is inspired by the real-life United Cutlery Honshu Karambit, which looks exactly the same as the Karambit available in the game. The Karambit features a curved blade mimicking a tiger’s claw, and is typically wielded with a reverse grip.

Counter-Strike fans will never get bored of the Karambit’s pull-out animation, and they can also constantly spin the knife by spamming its inspect animation. Overall, the Karambit easily has some of the most alluring knife animations in the game. 

Karambits have always been one of the most expensive knife types in Counter-Strike, so you’ll have to break the bank if you want to get your hands on one. 

Knives in the A Tier are still very popular choices for their sleek designs and addicting animations. There are several high-quality choices among this category.

M9 Bayonet

The M9 Bayonet is on the verge of breaking into the S Tier, but the Karambit and Butterfly Knife are just on another level. The M9 was released in the same update as the Karambit on August 14, 2013. 

The Counter-Strike developers essentially copied the real-life Smith & Wesson knife to design the M9 Bayonet, as the two look nearly identical. The serrated blade also gives the M9 Bayonet a nice touch.

The M9 Bayonet has a simple, yet addicting pull-out animation. Though the character isn’t doing anything special, there’s something about it that makes you constantly pull the M9 out. The inspect animation isn’t the best, but it’s not too bad either. 

The M9 Bayonet is still considered a premium knife, so you will have to spend close to a thousand dollars to bag one with a good skin. 

Talon Knife

The Talon Knife is one of the newer additions to the game, only being introduced on August 3, 2018 along with three other knives. When it was first released, everyone was calling it the “Budget Karambit,” but for good reason.

This small pull-out knife is based on a modified version of the KIASLORE Tiger Claw, but Valve decided to change its grip material to ivory panels. The miniature Karambit features brass rivets and saw-tooth ridges to give the Talon Knife its own identity. 

When pulling out the Talon Knife, the character will flip the blade out, similar to the Flip Knife. The Talon Knife also shares one of its inspect animations with the Karambit, allowing players to spin it in circles when the inspect button is spammed. 

At first, the Talon Knife received a lot of hate for being a copy of the most popular knife, but it started to grow on people and rose to become a top choice. 

Skeleton Knife

The Skeleton Knife has one of the most unique knife designs in the game. Valve added it into the game on November 18, 2019 as a part of the Operation Shattered Web update.

This knife closely resembles the real-life Renegade G4 Stryker, which are meant to be throwing knives. One of the coolest features of the Skeleton Knife is the tape wrapping the handle, making it look like something a real Terrorist agent would use. 

The Skeleton Knife has two pull-out animations, one in which the character will twirl it around their hand. There is also a rare inspect animation where the character puts their finger into the gap and starts spinning the knife around. 

Overall, the Skeleton Knife is a welcomed addition to the A Tier, and has already become one of the top choices of knives despite only being five years old. 

The knives in the B Tier category are very solid choices that have distinct designs and decent animations. They just needed a little more oomph to be pushed to the A Tier. 

Bayonet

The first knife in the B Tier is the Bayonet, one of the first knives released in the game as a part of the Arms Deal update on August 14, 2013. The Bayonet was first seen in Counter-Strike in the beta versions of Global Offensive as the default knife for Counter-Terrorists. 

The Bayonet knife is inspired by the 1993 Buck M9 Bayonet which shouldn’t be confused with the M9 Bayonet in the game. In real life, Bayonets were prevalent in World War II, and the design remains unchanged for the most part. 

Despite being a B Tier knife, the Bayonet has a relatively sleek pull-out animation where the character throws the knife off their hand and catches it as it is landing. Still, we’ll give the Bayonet minus points for its boring inspect animation. 

Overall, the Bayonet is an amazing choice for players looking for a mid-ranged knife. 

Stiletto Knife

The “Toothpick Knife,” better known as the Stiletto Knife, doesn’t get enough credit as it is pretty underrated. It was released with the Talon Knife in the August 3, 2018 update. 

The Stiletto Knife is an Italian-style knife inspired by the Frank Beltrame 9” Stiletto in real life. It is a switchblade knife that features a spring-loaded blade that can be pulled out almost immediately. 

The pull-out animation of the Stiletto Knife is quite unique, as the character pushes the knife out and catches it. The regular inspect animations are okay, but there is a rare one where the knife is being tossed around. 

Overall, the Stiletto Knife isn’t for everyone, but a decent margin of community members have begun appreciating it more throughout the years. 

Huntsman Knife

The Huntsman Knife is another one of the earlier knives in the game and had an entire weapon case dedicated to itself on May 1, 2014. It is one of the best budget knives in the mid-range.

This knife is based on the real-life MTECH USA XTREME MX-8054 Tactical Fixed Blade Knife, a knife popularly used in the States. It is designed for modern tactical uses and can essentially cut through anything. 

The Huntsman Knife has a decent pull-out animation where the character tosses it in the air with a little spin and catches it. Unfortunately, the inspect animation is extremely dull, and follows the animations of the default knives. 

Still, Huntsman Knives aren’t too expensive, making it a fantastic choice for a player’s first knife. You can get a Huntsman Knife with a premium skin for less than $300. 

Nomad Knife

At first, the Nomad Knife received a ton of hate when it was released on November 18, 2019. However, the greatest player of all time, s1mple, started using the Nomad Knife as his main knife, and the prices for it skyrocketed. 

The Nomad Knife is modeled after the Strider B46, which is almost a 1:1 copy of the real-life knife except for slight changes on the grip. It is one of the smaller-sized models in the Counter-Strike knife lineup.

The pull-out animation for the Nomad Knife isn’t too bad, but the knife does have a rare animation where the character accidentally injures themself while pulling out the knife. Other than that, the inspect animation isn’t too interesting. 

Thanks to the s1mple effect, the prices of Nomad Knives have increased throughout the years, and more people have developed a sweet spot for it. 

Classic Knife

The Classic Knife surely deserves a slot in the B Tier for its historical relevance on Counter-Strike. It was reintroduced to the game on October 18, 2019 as a part of the CS20 case. 

The Classic Knife was modeled after the old-school knife features in previous Counter-Strike games decades ago. It is the perfect knife for Counter-Strike veterans who spent years of their childhood playing Counter-Strike Source and 1.6. 

Counter-Strike integrated the Classic Knife’s old pull-out animation with a little fine-tuning. Overall, it’s not the best, but definitely gives the oldies some nostalgia. Additionally, the inspect animation features the character throwing it into the air and catching it.

Unfortunately, Counter-Strike changed the way the knife is held. Back in the old days, the Classic Knife was held vertically, but now, it is tilted 45 degrees. 

The C Tier is for mid-ranged knives that have several unique characteristics, but still aren’t as popular as the knives featured above. 

Kukri Knife

We’ll start off the C Tier with the Kukri Knife, the most recent addition to the Counter-Strike knife lineup. It was released on February 6, 2024, as a part of the Kilowatt Case, the first case since we entered the new game. 

This bulky knife was modeled after the Elite Tactical Kukri Machete and closely resembles its real-life version. For now, the Kukri Knife can only be found in a Kilowatt Case, making it pretty scarce in the market. 

We’ll give plus points for the Kukri Knife’s pull-out animation, as it involves the player spinning it and catching it from the side. The Kukri Knife has a better inspect animation than every knife in the C Tier and below.

Being a new knife, the Kukri Knife hasn’t grown on most members of the Counter-Strike community yet. Over time, the Kukri knife might gain or lose popularity, but C Tier should be a fair placement for now.

Paracord Knife

Players who prefer simple and clean designs love the Paracord Knife. It was added into the game during the Operation Shattered Web update on November 18, 2019.

The Paracord Knife was designed based on models of the Linton Cutlery Seal Tactical knives, perfect for conducting real-life operations. The Counter-Strike version has been designed to be used as both a weapon and tool for hunting animals or cutting foliage.

The animations of the Paracord Knife are basically glorified versions of the default animations, which isn’t bad for a lower-mid tier knife. There are rare animations such as the character pulling it out on one hand and flipping it to the other, which adds some variations.

The handle being wrapped in paracord is the most prominent detail about this knife, making it stand out among its peers. Overall, the Paracord Knife is very decent for an affordable knife. 

Survival Knife

Next on the list is the Survival Knife, which was released in the same batch as the other Operation Shattered Web knives on November 18, 2019. It has quickly become one of the best budget-friendly knives in the game. 

The Survival Knife has been modelled after the WEYLAND Survival Knife. The design is very similar, and that’s also likely where Valve got the name for this knife from. The Skeleton Knife has a noticeable sharp gutting hook that gives it a distinct characteristic over other knives and also has a serrated edge. 

Honestly speaking, the animations for the Survival Knife aren’t too crazy, but they get the job done for a low-priced Counter-Strike knife. Several players are comparing it to the Paracord Knife, since they look very similar. However, the Survival Knife gets the shorter end of the stick and is considered slightly inferior. 

Ursus Knife

The last knife in the C Tier will be the Ursus Knife, which was released alongside the Talon and Stiletto Knives on August 3, 2018. 

The Ursus Knife is based on the real-life Gerber Prodigy Tanto Knife which features a stainless steel blade and is coated with ceramic for improved corrosion resistance. The Counter-Strike version displays a faceted blade along with a completed full tang pammel.

The Ursus Knife doesn’t have the most boring pull-out animation, as the character smoothly throws it to the air and catches it in position. However, we’ll give some props to its inspect animation, where the character plays around with the knife a lot, spinning it several times with their fingers.

It is safe to say that the Ursus Knife is a very decent choice considering its low price point. If you’re on a tight budget, you might still be able to squeeze in an Ursus Knife with a good skin. 

D Tier knives aren’t too popular in the community, but we can still see them getting picked up as budget choices. 

Falchion Knife

The Falchion Knife was introduced to the game with its very own case, the Falchion Case on May 27, 2015. Unfortunately, not many players are fans of this knife. 

The Falchion Knife is based on the Espada (Large) knife created by Cold Steel. However, Valve wasn’t too lazy with this one and made several changes to the knife’s appearance. This knife has a clip point blade and a curved edge.

Though the knife’s blade does look pretty unique, the Falchion Knife has very underwhelming animations for both the pull-out and inspect. The animations do not feel too smooth, and give an overall awkward impression.

Additionally, since Falchion Knives can only be obtained from the Falchion and Spectrum Cases, there aren’t too many Falchion Knife skins, giving players less variety to choose from. 

Flip Knife

The Flip Knife is another one of the five original Counter-Strike knives released on August 14, 2013. However, most players have gotten bored of it, which is why we’ve placed it on the D Tier. 

This small and practical knife had its design based on the Benchmade 860 Bedlam Folding Knife in real life. It follows a Persian-style back-swept blade with an acute point, making it a very popular choice for players who like compact designs. 

The Flip Knife had one of the coolest animations when Global Offensive was just released, where the character would flip the knife out. But, we now have access to more knives with better animations, so most players find it boring now. 

However, Flip Knives face a similar issue to the Falchion Knife where it has limited skins, making it even less popular over the years. 

Bowie Knife

The Bowie Knife is the bulkiest knife in the bunch, and was released alone on February 17, 2016, as a part of the Operation Wildfire update. With its size, the Bowie Knife has the ability to display the most out of any knife skin.

There is interesting trivia around the Bowie Knife in Counter-Strike. It was designed off of the real-life Bowie Knife that was created by James Black in the 1900s for his friend, Jim Bowie. Out of pure coincidence, Counter-Strike released this knife right after a rock star named David Bowie passed away. 

Overall, the Bowie Knife is designed for heavy use, which is easy to conclude after one glance at it. The animation of the knife is slower compared to others, as well. Sadly, there is nothing worth mentioning about its inspect animation.

Players who like large and bulky designs might prefer the Bowie Knife over better choices, but in general, this knife belongs in the D Tier.

Finally, we have the F Tier knives, which are the lowest of the family. These knives are overlooked due to their cheap designs and underwhelming animations.

Gut Knife

Released on August 14, 2013, the Gut Knife is one of the five oldest knives in the game, but has always been considered one of Valve’s worst products. 

The knife’s design is inspired by the real life Buck Knives Alpha Hunter Model 193 with an additional gut hook on the spine of the blade as its distinct characteristic. Unfortunately, the handle of the Gut Knife looks like it was made out of super cheap material, which is why most fans hate it. 

The pull-out animation for the Gut Knife isn’t terrible, as the player throws it into the air, giving it a nice little spin. However, the inspect animations are super dull, and the draw and stab animations aren’t too fluid either. 

The problem with the Gut Knife is that you can grab one of the best skins for it such as the Doppler, and it’ll still look cheap because of its handle. 

Shadow Daggers

The Shadow Daggers, released on September 14, 2017, are infamously known as the “b*ttplugs” within the Counter-Strike community, and for good reason. It is the goofiest knife Valve has ever released, and cannot be taken seriously. 

Though we’ve been clowning the knife, it does offer a unique approach and is the only dual-wielding knife in the game. It looks very similar to the real life Gerber Tactical Uppercut Push Dagger. 

Overall, the Shadow Daggers have a very clunky pull-out animation, and Valve received a lot of complaints that the animation would make players feel nauseous since it slightly shook your screen. The inspect animation also feels very awkward and bulky. 

Players who buy Shadow Daggers are usually buying it for the memes, or because they are dirt cheap on the marketplace.

Navaja Knife

Last but not least, we can all agree that the Navaja Knife is the worst knife in the entire game. This embarrassment of a knife was released on August 3, 2018, and quickly became the most-hated knife in the game. 

The Navaja Knife appears to be based on the Emerson Gypsy Jack Folding Knife, but Valve decided to make the knife look worse by adding scrappy metals for its blade and a handle that looks worn out. 

The animations for the Navaja Knife are extremely basic and unimpressive. Pulling out the knife  doesn’t even feel good. The inspect animation is super dull, and you don’t really want to be reminded of how cheap the handle looks when inspecting.

Overall, we would not recommend this knife to anyone. Only purchase it if you are seriously on a budget and desperately want a Counter-Strike knife. However, a knife like this wouldn’t be a flex to anyone.