The Cheapest CS2 Knife Skins

The Navaja Knife has always been a popular budget option for CS2 players since its addition to the game in 2018, alongside the release of the Horizon Case. While market prices will always fluctuate, this remains one of the all-time most inexpensive knives in the game. While it’s not necessarily the most vibrant of knife skins on its own, the Navaja Knife Safari Mesh pattern matches a variety of glove skins such as the “Hand Wraps | Desert Shamagh” for a budget combo, or the “Driver Gloves | Diamondback” for a more fancy combo option.

Shadow Daggers are one of the more unique knives in the game as they are the only knives with a viewable knife in each hand while playing. The shadow daggers feature a trademark slim look with a satisfying spinning animation and made their way into the game in 2015 with the “Shadow Case”, almost ten years ago now. While one of the less popular knife types, this means their price remains low, making it a perfect option for CS2 players on a budget. The boreal forest in particular features a green theme with a classic camouflage style pattern that you get with the Shadow Daggers Boreal Forest.

Next on the list is another Navaja Knife, namely the Navaja Knife Night Stripe. This knife features a more charred look and has subtle dark stripes across the entire skin, with an overall dark color and texture. This knife skin is a great fit for those who want a darker vibe for their skin setup while on a tight budget.

At number 4, a new knife type enters the list. This is the Paracord Knife Safari Mesh. This survival-style knife features a handle wrapped in rope and a blade style designed for hunting animals and cutting foliage. The safari mesh remains one of the more affordable knife finishes, but the Paracord knife makes this choice an often overlooked option for all CS2 knife collectors on a budget.

The Gut Knife Night is popular for many CS2 players on a budget. It’s affordable and comes in many different finishes, such as the Night finish featured here on this list. The knife features a signature hooked blade that is frequently used to gut fish, or in this case, your opponents. This knife has a beautiful yet simple look, with an entirely dark finish making it a very versatile addition to your inventory. 

The Shadow Daggers return, this time with one of the very best budget finishes available in CS2 due to its flexibility. The Blue Steel Shadow Daggers are unique because the finish looks almost just as good in battle-scarred wear as it does in factory new, making it a fantastic choice for players on a budget who are looking for a new knife. While the Shadow Daggers knife type is one of the cheaper options, you can also get the same Blue Steel finish in a variety of knife types for a cheap price.

Here’s another great budget option for CS2 players on the lookout for their first knife. The Gut Knife Bright Water features a stunning blue finish with a fun and stylish camouflage pattern on the blade. This knife is a great addition to any player’s inventory and looks great even with the default gloves due to its contrasting appearance and vibrant colors.

The falchion knife is another popular budget knife for CS2 players. After its introduction in 2015 alongside Operation Bloodhound, the knife has made its way to many players’ inventories due to its affordable price and clean look. While it doesn’t feature anything too fancy when it comes to animations, it’s a nice-looking knife that won’t break the bank. The Forest DDPAT Falchion Knife can look quite good even in lower wears such as Field Tested and Well Worn.

Coming in at number 9 is the Bowie Knife Scorched in Field Tested wear. The Bowie Knife Scorched is one of the larger knives in the game and will surely stand out amongst your teammate’s knives. The Scorched pattern is a simple pattern designed to look like your knife was well burned by flames and charred from the fire. The knife has recently been patched to finally show the players second hand while wielding it too, after years of player outcry, which now makes it a more viable option than ever.

Our last entry on the list is the Shadow Daggers Lore. This knife skin is an amazing option for those looking for a very vibrant and unique knife, with its bright golden color scheme and resemblance to the famous Dragon Lore skin. While it’s the most expensive option on our list, it’s still very affordable coming in at under $100, and remains a fantastic choice for all budget CS2 players. It’s also another skin that isn’t too heavily affected by wear, meaning you can go for a lower-wear version to save some money.

While there are plenty of amazing budget CS2 knife options out there, we hope this list provides a good summary of your options. We did our best to pick out a selection of budget knives with different looks and styles while staying within our budget options and providing a varied outlook. Stay tuned for more CS content, and in the meantime, we look forward to seeing you rock your new knife skin on the server.