CS2 Case Hardened Skins: Guide & Most Valuable Patterns
The news about the release of Counter-Strike 2 made millions of people excited. The good old game on a new engine is now equipped with the latest features to improve gameplay and graphics. Such news made fans of interesting and rare skins, for whom skins sale is often a profitable business, especially thrilled. Indeed, with the change in the visual component and the news that all skins from CS:GO will be transferred to CS2, the owners of valuable skins realized that they had found a gold mine.
But who is the luckiest one, and which skins are recognized as the rarest and most valuable? This title rightfully belongs to skins with Case Hardened finish. Whenever you seek the list of the most expensive skins, you will definitely find something from this family, be it gloves, knives, or a shiny blue AK-47. So what are Case Hardened skins, and why is this exterior so expensive? In this article, we'll tell you all about case hardened skins and make a CS2 Case Hardened pattern guide while having a closer look at a few of the most interesting pieces.
What Are Case Hardened Skins, and What is Special About Them?
Let's break down what's so special about the CS2 Case Hardened pattern and where such a strange coloring scheme came from in the first place. Well, unlike skins with anime girls glued on the barrel, Case Hardened weapons refer to real gunsmithing practice. Valve took inspiration for Case Hardened Skins from real life, where this method has been successfully used for hundreds of years. Case Hardening or Surface Hardening is the chemical treatment of metal parts of the weapon. Everything that isn’t wood is placed in a special solution of concentrated carbohydrates. When this solution is heated, chemical magic occurs, and a layer of carbohydrate film adheres to the metal of the weapon. This film greatly improves the durability of the barrel and moving parts, protects it from rust and dirt, and looks simply gorgeous.
The final result is usually a rainbow-colored film. The color can range from gold to blue, in some cases giving rarer purple hues. Such weapons have another interesting characteristic to allure people with, as absolutely every pattern is unique because it is impossible to predict in advance exactly how the carbohydrate film will adhere. This feature has been partially transferred to the game, where all Case Hardened skins in CS2 are quite unique. To be exact, there are 1,000 different ways to apply the Case Hardened texture template to weapons, and each time it is determined randomly. It may not be an infinite number of options, but the probability that you will see two identical Case Hardened Skins is low.
What's Special About the Case Hardened Skin Patterns?
So what do Case Hardened skins mean, and why do players value them so highly? As it has already been said, Case Hardened Skins is just a square texture superimposed over the weapon in a random configuration. The game selects a value between 1 and 1000, which is called Pattern Index, and applies this value to the weapon, which determines which piece of the pattern depicted on the texture will appear on the metal parts. Despite the rarity, you can find Case Hardened skins for a reasonable price and enjoy the beautiful appearance of your favorite gun or knife.
However, it's not just Case Hardened Skins that get the most hype, but several variations of the pattern. The fact is that a gun can get a piece of pattern that contains mostly blue or cyan colors, making the pattern look monochromatic. These are the kinds of skins that can cost thousands of dollars, and in the community, they are called Golden Gems or Blue Gems. The probability of such a skin falling out is incredibly low, and its aesthetic superiority is undeniable.
One of the most prominent examples of the Blue Gem is the AK-47 with a pattern index of 661. There are just over 100 of them in the world, and their value can exceed 5 zeros. There are known cases when one of them was sold for around $400,000.
So, let's make the key CS2 Case Hardened skins overview. Remember that the prices for skins are listed at the time of writing and can change a lot by the time you are reading this.
1. AK-47
FN
BS
The good old AK-47 is probably the best weapon in the game. It’s quite anti-climactic, that the best Case Hardened skins for AK are the most desired among collectors and one of the most expensive as well. This skin appeared in the game back on August 14th, 2013, as part of the "The Arms Deal" update. Blue Gems of this coloring can number in hundreds, and Factory New Blue Gems can be counted in a handful of units all over the world. More details can be found in our ak-47 case hardened blue gem guide.
Most Valuable Patterns: #661, #321, #670, #219, #784
Popularity: 95%
Who has the skin: device, Happy, TaZ
Price:
$139.70 (BS) — $327.44 (FN)
ST:
$306.95 (BS) — $713.38 (FN)
#661
#321
#670
2. Five-SeveN
FN
BS
If you're going to go out on the battlefield in full Case Hardened gear, this is your only option for a pistol. This skin appeared shortly after the release on November 8th, 2013 as part of the "The Arms Deal 2" update. Even some of its rarest patterns can be acquired for a quite affordable price.
Most Valuable Patterns: #278, #690, #868
Popularity: 90%
Who has the skin: coldzera, FalleN, GeT_RiGhT
Price:
$9.26 (BS) — $17.32 (FN)
ST:
$18.92 (BS) — $62.76 (FN)
#278
#690
#868
3. Huntsman knife
FN
BS
It is not the most popular knife variation in СS2, yet the cost of Case Hardened patterns for it doesn’t fall below a few hundred dollars. However, this trend can be explained by the generally high cost of skins for knives, not to mention such rare specimens. This skin appeared in the game on May 1st, 2014, as part of the "The Hunt Begins" update.
Most Valuable Patterns: #618, #703, #510,
Popularity: 40%
Who has the skin: Pimp, daps
Price:
$190 (BS) — $381.32 (FN)
ST:
$249.68 (BS) — $380 (MW)
#618
#703
#510
4. MAC-10
FN
BS
And here comes the third representative of CS2 Case Hardened skins for firearms in our today's list. Collecting all three, you can literally shine on the battlefield regardless of the order of the round and your budget for purchases in it. This skin appeared relatively recently on September 21st, 2021, together with the big update "Operation Riptide".
Most Valuable Patterns: #667, #114, #406, #18, #546,
Popularity: 90%
Who has the skin: fer, rain, sdy
Price:
$67.37 (BS) — $69.87 (FN)
Souvenir:
$7.95 (BS) — $50.60 (FN)
#667
#114
#406
5. Karambit
FN
BS
One of the most coveted blades combined with one of the rarest skins can be a source of records. By some estimates, the Blue Gem version of this skin is worth about $1.4 million. This dream of any skin trader first glimmered in the light of the day on August 14th, 2013, as part of the "The Arms Deal" update. If this is your dream too, you can view more details about karambit blue gems.
Most Valuable Patterns: #387, #442, #269, #321
Popularity: 40%
Who has the skin: tarik, shroud
Price:
$565.13 (BS) — $1,450 (FN)
ST:
$579.11 (BS) — $2,232.89 (FN)
#387
#442
#269
6. Hydra Gloves
FN
BS
These are one-of-a-kind Case Hardened gloves, and their value only grows. The gloves were released as part of the "Welcome to the Clutch" update on February 14th, 2018. The design of the gloves was created by Valve themselves. While technically the gloves may have various patterns, in reality, all of them are exactly the same, and it is unknown why the developers made it that way.
Most Valuable Patterns: -
Popularity: 95%
Who has the skin: TaZ, electronic
Price:
$68.48 (BS) — $555.97 (FN)
7. Butterfly knife
FN
BS
Another great skin for a great knife. Depending on the state, getting such a knife automatically makes you a couple of hundred or even thousands of dollars richer. But do you really want to simply sell such cool skin for a weapon that will be with you literally in every match? Skins for knives have always been considered famous for their high cost, but Case Hardened skins in CS2 for Butterfly Knife will allow you to glitter on the battlefield. This skin appeared on July 1st, 2014, as part of "Operation Breakout" and since then, the demand and price have always remained high.
Most Valuable Patterns: #182, #652, #398
Popularity: 40%
Who has the skin: kennyS, WOOD7, History
Price:
$623.15 (BS) — $1,096.18 (FN)
ST:
$677.94 (BS) — $1,596.49 (FN)
#182
#652
#398
8. M9-Bayonet
FN
BS
The coloring of this knife is said to symbolize the oil and blood stains that a lone mercenary spilled in the fight for foreign interests on foreign soil. Jokes aside, the M9 is probably the most brutal-looking knife of all variations available in the game, and the unique skin only gives this weapon even more charm. This skin was released on August 14th, 2013, as part of "The Arms Deal" collection.
Most Valuable Patterns: #74, #601, #417
Popularity: 95%
Who has the skin: arya, kRYSTAL, kyxsan
Price:
$463.76 (BS) — $1,010 (FN)
ST:
$494.48 (BS) — $2,119.24 (FN)
#74
#601
#417
Are Other Weapons Available in a Case Hardened Finish?
In this CS2 Case Hardened guide, we had a look at the minimal amount of the most interesting Case Hardened pattern skins in CS2 for the most popular and running weapons. Nevertheless, this list is almost complete, as Case Hardened patterns in CS2 aren’t yet available for every weapon and equipment.
As for now, it’s all mostly about skins for the AK-47, MAC-10, and Five-Seven, as well as a couple of knives. Weapons like the UMP-45, the AWP, and the CZ75-Auto are long-awaited to have Case Hardened variants, but it’s unclear when Valve’s going to release them. Most likely, their value and rarity will also be determined by the percentage of blue and gold. In theory, you could even build a full Case Hardened set, but it's scary to imagine how much time and money that would cost. Nevertheless, a true CS2 connoisseur is unlikely to be deterred by this.
