The 20 Best CS:GO Knife Skins in 2023

Killing an enemy with a knife has always been considered a reason for a hat’s off to a Counter-Strike player. Sending gaping campers to rest without a single gunshot is a sure way to earn the team's respect. And if you manage to beat your opponent in close-quarters combat at a tournament, it's entirely possible to win a standing ovation and make the commentator squeal like a kid their first time at Disneyland. CS:GO developers are well aware of all of the above and therefore give players the opportunity not just to demonstrate the roof-breaking level of skill but also to do it in style.

To date, we have as many as 19 different types of CS:GO knives, and each type is accompanied by a great many beautiful skins. Sapphire karambits, blood-red bayonets, emerald butterflies, all of them perfectly gnaw into enemy flesh and emphasize your personality. Not to mention that some knife skins cost a crazy amount of money. So let's take a look at the 20 best knife skins and try to answer the question of what is the best knife skin in CS:GO.

20. Bayonet | Freehand

The Freehand for Bayonet opens our list of the best CS:GO knife skins. What can we say, it's a pretty cute skin for a pretty popular knife, which will look great in the hands of a skilled player. The knife blade is decorated with all sorts of drawings similar to sketches in a notebook: lines, arrows, and people. Depending on the pattern-index, the pattern can change, while the handle always remains standard.

Price: $281.65 – $485.00

19. Bowie Knife | Night

This is just an elegant Bowie Knife with a black handle and dark blue blade. Its Factory New version is quite rare and priced correspondingly, but the value drops sharply by $500-$300, beginning with minimal wear. This skin is a great replacement for the vanilla one if you're generally happy with it but want to add a pinch of individuality. We all know that black makes everything look cooler and more solid, and what else is needed for a knife but to be solid?

Owning the rarest CS:GO knife can elevate your prestige and distinguish you from other players in the game.

Price: $131.13 – $960.00

18. Falchion Knife | Damascus Steel

The Damascus Steel skin family looks equally good on almost any knife — just look at that white cast and elegant curves. We chose Falchion Knife specifically to add some diversity to our ranking, and also because of the fact that the average player will at least be able to afford it. A worthy representative of the best knife skins in CS:GO.

Price: $149.34 – $149.34

17. Navaja Knife | Ultraviolet

Many players note that they like the look of Navaja Knife and its animations but don’t like the vanilla design. Well, for them, there is a great option of Ultraviolet skin. As in the case of ‘Night’, this skin combines strict design and affordable price.

Price: $86.36 – $232.71

16. Paracord Knife | Stained

Not all Paracord Knives look equally good, but in this case, we have a direct hit. The blindingly white blade, coated with a layer of acid for patina stains, contrasts nicely with the intricate handle. It's an amazing knife skin in CS:GO and a great way to deliver a lethal blow.

Price: $138.34 – $388.97

15. Shadow Daggers | Tiger Tooth

Players have very different attitudes toward Shadow Daggers. Some think their appearance is goofy and the animations are lame, while others are just excited about kunai-like knives that can be used in both hands. But one thing is for sure, they look really cool with the Tiger Tooth skin. What could be more awesome than a ninja fighting with two golden kunai? Only a ninja with an AWP, but that's a whole different story…

Price: $158.10 – $161.04

14. M9 Bayonet | Marble Fade

Our ranking of the top knife skins in CS:GO is starting to gain traction, both in terms of community love and price. The M9 Bayonet Marble Fade is indeed a very beautiful and quite rare skin, which is in the inventory of several pro players and has already managed to show up in a number of significant tournaments. Is $1,100+ really too much for such a handsome fellow?

Checking your steam inventory value gives you a clear picture of how much you've invested in your in-game items.

Price: $1,109.33 – $1,564.35

13. Stiletto Knife | Crimson Web

If you're a fan of Stiletto and the Crimson Web family of skins, this one was created specifically for you. The stylish red knife fully justifies its high price, as a bunch of pro players have it as well. This knife also has a pattern-index that determines the pattern of the web on the blade, which will help make your sneaky murder weapon really unique.

Price: $279.57 – $1,993.64

12. M9 Bayonet | Autotronic

Perhaps the most beautiful skin for the M9 Bayonet, and all thanks to the elaborate design of the blade. The red color makes the already massive weapon look even more intimidating, but the real topping on this bloody cake is the metallic mesh on the groove and hilt. In fact, this is the only M9 skin where the groove is a distinctive and unique design element, making it a well-deserved top 12 skin.

Price: $1,220.15 – $1,954.57

11. Nomad Knife | Blue Steel

If you look at this skin in Factory New state, you can hardly understand why it is so coveted in the community. But take a look at its Well-Worn version, and it all starts to make sense. The cracks and scuffs give this Nomad Knife a terrific look. The Blue Steel Nomad Knife is also present in Team Liquid's Twistzz inventory in the Well-Worn version, which may be the reason why the price difference for this option compared to its counterparts in other conditions (both better and worse) is as much as $1,100.

Price: $333.98 – $1,466.51

10. Flip Knife | Gamma Doppler Emerald

It's emerald, it looks like a little saber, and Device has one of these. What else do you need for the perfect knife? Can you already imagine how you’ll feel when this acid blade corrodes the bodies of your opponents? An amazing piece of 3D design and probably one of the best-looking CS:GO knives ever.

Price: $3,202.80 – $3,898.95

9. Ursus Knife | Crimson Web

Why do both casual players and professional cyber athletes love red colors for knives so much? Because they look more threatening? So the opponent knows it's his scarlet blood when he watches the replay? Anyway, here we have another one of the beautiful red knives that ropz of the FaZe Clan likes to use.

Price: $281.98 – $1,868.17 

8. Butterfly Knife | Fade

This skin appeared back in 2014 and still remains an object of desire for many players. Maybe it's because of its rarity, its high price, or the general weakness of the community to the Butterfly Knife animation. Either way, Brollan from Ninjas in Pyjamas and a couple of others get a lot of respect just by pulling out a knife with this skin during a match.

Price: $2,900

7. Karambit | Lore

A skin for Karambit, based on Dragon Lore. A true legend in our ranking. Speaking of legends, this was the knife JW wielded in his best days. Undoubtedly one of the best CS:GO skins for knives.

Price: $876.14 – $3,471.89

6. Flip Knife | Crimson Web

This is the 3rd time Crimson Web skins appear in our rating of the best CS:GO knife skins, and maybe we would have avoided this knife, but s1mple has it, which automatically makes it one of the most desirable skins. It is true that sometimes s1mple's desire to show off with the knife compromised his whole team, but who are we to judge him? What else could one do with this webbed wonder in his hands?

Price: $277.99 – $2,637.05

5. Bowie Knife | Doppler Ruby

The Doppler family of skins is generally quite highly regarded by players. In this case, we are dealing with a rare ruby phase. Of notable pro players, the Ukrainian cyber athlete Zeus, former captain of NaVi and Gambit Esports, has one in his inventory.

Price: $957.00 – $1,039.60

4. Butterfly Knife | Slaughter

Another legendary skin owes its popularity to its no less legendary owner. It is one of KennyS' favorite knives. But even if you turn a blind eye to all the accompanying regalia, this knife still has a stunning design that gets 4th place in the ranking of the coolest CS:GO knife skins.

Price: $1,611.90 – $1,979.37

3. Karambit | Gamma Doppler

Now let's move on from good to best. The Karambit Gamma Doppler opens our top three. One of the most beautiful skins, highly appreciated by the community. However, it's the variations that players strive for the most. The Emerald variant costs a staggering $11,000+.

Price:  $1,407.91 – $11,746.40

2. Talon Knife | Doppler Phase 2

The mesmerizing blade on the exquisite white hilt emphasizes the deadliness of this skin. Device has one of these in his inventory and loves to put it to good use.

Price: $967.78 – $1,071.26

1.  Karambit | Doppler Sapphire

Well, here we are up to the top. Karambit Doppler Sapphire is indeed very beautiful, rare, and expensive skin. A bunch of pro players are lucky owners of this blue piercer, and it often makes an appearance at various major championships. The best knife skin in CS:GO and worthy finishing of our list.

Discover the most expensive knives in CS:GO to understand what makes them so sought-after by the community

Price: $9,180.63 – $12,932.80

Conclusion

Well, here we have answered the question of what is the best CS:GO knife skin. But what if you have a different opinion? Let's just agree to disagree because we know very well that there are a lot of decent designs that didn't make it into our ranking. We only tried to be objective and used the opinion of the community, as well as the preferences of pro players, who, for most, are the authorities in this matter. After all, it's not just the look of the skin that determines how cool it actually is, but also its story. Skin that was used for the decisive kill on some Major is like a legendary sword that infuses you with the power of the best when you hold it in your hand.

But keep in mind that the best skin for a knife in CS:GO is the one that you personally like. It doesn't matter how rare it is or how much it costs. It's much more important how many kills you make with it and how cool you feel during this process.

Consider investing in the best cheap CS:GO knives to enhance your in-game aesthetics without breaking the bank.

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