Cheapest CS2 Knives: Falchion vs Kukri
OCTOBER 17, 2026
#guide 10 min read
The cheapest CS2 knives start at about $33, with the Shadow Daggers and Navaja, and the Kukri follows at about $35. Against the Falchion, the Kukri costs less on every shared finish, from about $35 versus $47. The Falchion costs more but adds Doppler, Marble Fade and Tiger Tooth. All prices are as of October 2026.
The Kukri Knife is the cheaper way in, with finishes starting around $35 and a Fade at about $140. The Falchion Knife costs a little more at the bottom end (from about $47) but carries far more finishes, including Doppler, Gamma Doppler, Marble Fade and Tiger Tooth, which the Kukri does not have. Pick the Kukri for the biggest blade for the least money. Pick the Falchion for finish choice and its quick one-handed flip. Both deal identical damage, so the choice is purely cosmetic.
The Falchion Knife is a curved, single-edged knife added with the Falchion Case in 2015, known for a spring-assisted flip on draw and inspect. The Kukri Knife is a forward-curved chopping blade modelled on the Nepalese kukri, added with the Kilowatt Case in February 2024 as the first new knife of the CS2 era.
Cheapest Knives in CS2 Right Now
Knife prices fell sharply after Valve's October 2025 trade-up update, and the entry point now sits around $33. The table shows the cheapest listing for any finish and wear, in approximate US dollars, across tracked marketplaces in October 2026. Prices move daily, so check live listings before you buy.
Knife | Cheapest finish | Approx. price |
$33 | ||
$33 | ||
$35 | ||
$35 | ||
$36 | ||
$37 | ||
$40 | ||
$45 | ||
$45 | ||
$47 | ||
$55 | ||
$59 |
Two knife families start at about $33, the Shadow Daggers and the Navaja, and the Kukri, Paracord and Survival knives follow at about $35 to $36. The Falchion sits mid-table at about $47, while the Flip, Skeleton, Bayonet and Stiletto start around $100 or more. The rest of this guide compares the Kukri and the Falchion in detail.
Cheapest Kukri and Falchion Finishes
On every finish both knives share, the Kukri is cheaper, by roughly 15% to 40%. The Falchion has 25 finishes against the Kukri's 13, and its extra options are where the premium finishes live.
Shared finishes, side by side
Cheapest listing for any wear, in approximate US dollars, across tracked marketplaces in October 2026. Prices move daily, so check live listings before you buy.
Finish | Kukri Knife | Falchion Knife |
Fade | ||
Slaughter | ||
Vanilla | ||
Case Hardened | ||
Blue Steel | ||
Crimson Web | ||
Stained | ||
Night Stripe (Kukri) / Night (Falchion) | ||
Scorched | ||
Urban Masked | ||
Forest DDPAT | ||
Boreal Forest | ||
Safari Mesh |
Falchion-only finishes
The Kukri uses the classic knife finish set only. It has no Doppler, Gamma Doppler, Marble Fade or Tiger Tooth. The Falchion carries all of these, plus the Spectrum and Riptide finishes:
Under $80: Rust Coat (47), BlackLaminate, BrightWater, Ultraviolet, Freehand, DamascusSteel, LoreandAutotronic (78)
Over $100: Tiger Tooth (115), MarbleFade (149), Gamma Doppler (from $182), Doppler (from $252)
Rare phases: Gamma Doppler Emerald (434), DopplerSapphire (461), Doppler Ruby (598), DopplerBlackPearl (880)
Where Pattern and Float Matter
On the Kukri, value beyond the base price comes from three finishes: Case Hardened blue gem seeds, Fade percentage and Crimson Web placement. A Factory New Kukri Crimson Web starts at about $330 as of October 2026, and well-centred copies sell for more. The Falchion adds Doppler phases and Fire & Ice Marble Fades to those chases. For everything else, float drives price; our CS2 float values guide explains how wear tiers work, and our skin inspect guide shows how to check a knife’s pattern and wear before you buy.
Where Each Knife Comes From
The Falchion is a CS:GO veteran with five source cases; the Kukri is a CS2 original with two. That difference shapes everything else, from finish choice to how you can craft one.
Falchion Knife: a 2015 classic
The Falchion Knife arrived with the Falchion Case during Operation Bloodhound in 2015. It later returned in the Spectrum, Spectrum 2, Operation Riptide and Dreams & Nightmares cases. Those later cases share their knife pool with the Bowie, Butterfly, Huntsman and Shadow Daggers, so an unbox there rolls across five models.
Image: Falchion Knife | Gamma Doppler (Emerald)
Kukri Knife: CS2's first new blade
The Kukri Knife launched on 6 February 2024 in the Kilowatt Case, CS2's first weapon case. It was the first new knife in Counter-Strike since Operation Shattered Web in 2019. It came back in the Gallery Case in October 2024. In both cases it is the only knife, so every gold roll is a Kukri.
Image: Kukri Knife | Fade
Unbox, Buy or Trade Up
There are three routes to either knife:
Unbox it. The rare special item tier drops at about 0.26% per case, roughly 1 in 385 openings. At around $2.50 a key, buying outright is almost always cheaper.
Buy it. Purchase the exact finish, float and pattern you want on Steam or a third-party marketplace.
Trade up. Since Valve's October 2025 update, five Covert skins from one collection can be traded up into a knife from that collection. Kilowatt Coverts such as the AWP | Chrome Cannon and AK-47 | Inheritance can only produce a Kukri. For the Falchion, Falchion Collection Coverts guarantee the model, while Spectrum or Riptide Coverts roll across that case's five-knife pool.
A trade-up picks the knife model by collection, but the finish is random. You cannot target a Fade, a Doppler phase or a blue gem pattern.
Look and Animations
The Falchion is quick and flashy; the Kukri is big and heavy. Neither changes gameplay, because every CS2 knife has the same hitbox and damage.
Design | Falchion Knife | Kukri Knife |
Blade Shape | Short, curved, clipped point; based on the medieval falchion | Large, forward-curved chopping blade; based on the Nepalese kukri |
Handle | Plain straight grip | Long grip with a pronounced curve |
Draw & Inspect | Fast one-handed forward flip, caught back in the hand | Weighty chopping motions and a slow flat spin |
Rare & Inspect | Yes, a 'standing' inspect many players rate highly | No widely noted rare inspect |
Screen Presence | Moderate; broad flat face shows gradients well | Large; the wide blade fills more of the screen |
If you want a knife that feels snappy every time you pull it out, the Falchion's flip is the main draw at its price. If you want the most visible metal on screen for the money, the Kukri wins. Opinion on the Kukri's shape is split: some players love the silhouette, others find it awkward.
Which Holds Value Better After the Trade-Up Crash?
Neither knife is a safe store of value in 2026, but the Falchion's rare finishes are better protected than anything on the Kukri.
In October 2025, Valve let players trade five Covert skins into a knife or gloves from the same collection. Knife supply, once limited to 0.26% case drops, could suddenly grow. An estimated $1.7 to $3 billion in market value was wiped out within 48 hours, as covered in our CS2 marketplace comparison after the trade-up crash, and knife prices fell sharply as the new supply arrived. Entry-level knives that sat around $100 to $130 before the crash now start at about $33 to $60, which is why both of these models are so affordable today.
A trade-up decides the knife model but cannot target a pattern, Doppler phase or exact float. That splits each knife's market in two:
Common finishes on both knives now track the price of the Covert skins that can craft them. When Coverts get cheaper, these knives follow.
Rare rolls such as high-blue Case Hardened seeds, 100% Fades, Doppler Ruby and Sapphire, and Gamma Doppler Emerald still depend on collector demand, because no contract can aim at them.
The Kukri's craft route is especially direct: Kilowatt and Gallery Coverts can only produce a Kukri, so its price floor is closely tied to those inputs. The Falchion's deeper range of rare finishes gives it more of the collector-driven upside. For how the wider market has moved since, see our report on the CS2 skin economy in 2026.
Which One Should You Buy?
For most first-knife buyers on a tight budget, the Kukri gives more for less. The Falchion is the better pick once you care about a specific premium finish.
If you are... | Pick | Why |
Buying your first knife for under $50 | Kukri | Six finishes start below $45, led by Forest DDPAT at about $35 |
Chasing a Fade on a budget | Kukri | A Kukri Fade costs about $31 less than a Falchion Fade |
Wanting a Doppler or Marble Fade | Falchion | The Kukri has no gem finishes at all |
Choosing on animation | Falchion | The one-handed flip and rare standing inspect are its signature |
Hunting a blue gem cheaply | Kukri | Case Hardened starts at about $73, against $113 on the Falchion, though a true blue gem seed costs far more than the cheapest listing |
Running trade-ups | Kukri | Kilowatt and Gallery Coverts always land a Kukri, so there is no model lottery |
How to Find the Cheapest Falchion or Kukri With Skinscanner
The same knife can be listed at very different prices across marketplaces. Skinscanner brings those listings into one search so you can see the gap before you pay.
Search the exact item. Type the knife and finish into the Skinscanner search, for example "Kukri Knife Fade" or "Falchion Knife Case Hardened".
Pick your wear. Choose the condition you want, from Factory New to Battle-Scarred, so you compare like with like.
Compare live prices across marketplaces. Check the listings side by side and factor in each site's fees and trade holds.
Click through or add it to your Watchlist. Buy on the marketplace with the best deal, or save the knife to your Watchlist and come back when the price moves.
Not sure which marketplace to trust? Our guide to where to buy CS2 skins covers fees, trade holds and how each platform works.
Is It Safe to Buy a CS2 Knife on a Third-Party Marketplace?
Yes, if you stick to established platforms and check a few things first. A knife is a high-value item, so it attracts scams.
Use known marketplaces. Buy through established sites rather than private deals in Discord or Steam chats.
Never share your Steam API key or login. No legitimate marketplace needs your password, and a leaked API key lets scammers redirect trades.
Check every trade offer. Confirm the item name, wear, float and pattern in the Steam trade window before accepting.
Understand trade holds. Valve applies a 7-day trade hold to many newly acquired items, so factor in when the knife is truly yours.
Ignore guaranteed knife trade-up offers. The only real Trade Up Contract is the one inside CS2 itself.
Compare before you pay. A price far below every other listing is a warning sign, not a bargain.
Ready to Find the Cheapest Knife?
Want to see where a knife costs least before you buy? Compare live CS2 skin prices across every major marketplace on Skinscanner and spot the best deal in seconds.
Want to earn skins while you hunt for deals? Join the Skinscanner Discord and earn SSG Points through daily tasks and weekly tournaments, redeemable for skins straight from the community database.