Talon Case Hardened Blue Gem Patterns

Talon knife needs no introduction. This curved blade and its reverse grip are among the most recognizable symbols of elite-tier CS items. Did you know that Talon is a modified version of the famous Karambit with a beautiful ivory handle and a slightly redesigned blade?

The knife was first introduced to the game on August 3, 2018, with the release of the Horizon case. As befitting one of the game's most expensive skins, Talon has several unique inspection animations. But what’s even more important is that Talon has an assortment of mind-blowing skins, and those skins cost money—lots of money. For instance, when it comes to Case Hardened patterns, the prices break through the ceiling.

Imagine dipping a knife’s blade or the body of a machine gun into a vat of chemicals at high temperatures. This is what case-hardening means, and it's a common way of processing materials today. The goal of this process is to make a metal surface more scratch-resistant by creating a protective coating layer.

However, in addition to its protective qualities, case-hardening also creates unique and visually striking patterns, which shimmer in various tones of blue and gold. The name and design of the CS Case Hardened skin family are derived from this phenomenon.

But what makes some patterns of this skin family so special? Let's take a look at what Talon Knife Case Hardened Blue Gem is and why some players are willing to spend crazy amounts of cash to get one.

What are the Differences Between Talon Case Hardened Patterns?

Besides float value and rarity, most skins in CS2 have a pattern index ranging from 1 to 999. The pattern seed selected randomly when opening the case determines how the weapon would look. Of course, it doesn't change the skin too much, but with Case Hardened skins it can make all the difference.

Each individual pattern for Case Hardened skins is “cut” from the sheet in the picture above and applied to knives and weapons players get from cases. Sometimes, a skin has more gold, sometimes more blue, and sometimes something in between. Specific patterns can be rare and fetch a high price in the community, and the absolute champions in terms of rarity and price are called Blue Gems. Those Case Hardened items have almost their entire surface covered in blue, granting them an especially stunning look.

Over the years, the community has managed to isolate the most valuable pattern seeds and rank them in 4 tiers depending on the amount of blue on the item. Talon Blue Gem patterns from the 1st tier will have blue color completely dominating one or both sides of the knife with almost no trace of gold, while patterns from the 4th tier may just have some blue elements on an otherwise golden surface. The general rule of thumb here is that the higher the tier, the rarer and more expensive the skin.

Talon Case Hardened Seeds

Now, let's take a closer look at the Tiers of Talon Blue Gem. It is worth noting that in the gaming community, Talon Blue Gems are generally considered to be a budget version of even more extraordinarily expensive Karambit Blue Gems. The Talon skins are, on average, three times cheaper.

1st Tier Talon Case Hardened Patterns (Blue Gem)

Let’s start with a very beautiful skin that is considered the best Blue Gem Talon among players. The front side of this knife is completely Blue from blade to hilt, while the reverse side is gold. On the market, it is players who negotiate the final price, and so the only publicly known deal involving this pattern had a modest value of $1,500. Realistically, getting this Blue Gem Talon will cost you $20,000 or more.

A Talon Blue Gem pattern 602 is somewhat easier to find on the market. While having more flecks of yellow and brown on its playside compared to the previous example, you can buy this beauty for “only” $9,000. What a steal!

2nd Tier Patterns

Here’s another Talon knife Blue Gem pattern that you'll have to fork out a couple of months' paychecks for. It went into the second tier because there is no blue color on the handle, and the reverse side also has uneven coloring. However, you can barely tell that from the price. The best offer on the market right now is over $10,000, while the highest is over $13,000 for a Factory New one.

It might sound unfair that this incredibly beautiful Blue Gem costs less just because of some flecks of purple, but that's how the market works. Still, this knife can be found for the "low" price of $4,341 in higher-wear conditions, while the price tag of a FN one can easily reach $9,000.

3rd & 4-th Tier Patterns

Even though this Blue Gem Talon knife belongs to the third tier, it still looks juicy. You won't even notice the few purple spots on the blade as you rip and tear across the battlefield with this magnificent weapon. All you have to do is spend around $5,000.

Up to this point, you may have wondered why we're posting photos of nearly identical knives with widely different price tags. In this case, the difference finally becomes visible to the naked eye, and you can clearly see the gold spot on the tip. On the other hand, it has its own aesthetics. The knife resembles an animal’s fang or a talon of a bird of prey. Got it, Talon? Some people will even prefer this option, especially when the price varies around $1,000. Just think about it! A single fleck of gold means the price difference of thousands of dollars. And some people still say that PC games are just for children.

Here, we have finally reached the 4th tier of Talon Case Hardened Blue Gem patterns, but the price for this specimen is somehow higher than the previous 3rd tier one. By now, you might have already realized that you should not look for logic in Blue Gem price formation. It all depends on the seller and the market state at the moment. Still, this is an excellent Talon Case Hardened Blue Gem for a very reasonable price.

Another great example of a valuable Talon Case Hardened Blue Gem seed. Players usually appreciate patterns that are as uniform as possible on both sides. The 55 pattern is considered one of the most valuable 1st-tiers precisely because it is completely blue on one side and completely gold on the other. In this case, however, we are dealing with a different situation. Yes, there are flecks of purple on the combat side of the blade. But it's almost completely blue on both sides! This is a great choice for those who want a true Blue Gem that will shine with an azure edge no matter how you turn it.

Conclusion

Perhaps you've seen enough to whet your appetite. If you want to own a Talon knife Case Hardened Blue Gem pattern, you have two options: try to get it out of the Danger Zone and Horizon cases, which is close to impossible, or buy it on trading platforms, which is extremely expensive. You can think of it as an investment, as rare skins are steadily increasing in value, and you can theoretically get your money back if you get tired of the skin and decide to sell it (don’t count on it, though — this is an option for those already well-versed in the CS secondary market). And if you still want some more blue in your life, check out our article on AK-47 Blue Gem patterns.