CS2 Knife Cases: Which Case Drops Each Knife
Updated · Steam Community Market prices as of · methodology
20 knife types can drop from CS2 weapon cases today, across 35 cases. Every case has the same 0.26% chance of a gold item (1 in 385), but each case only drops its own knives: cases released together share a knife pool, and opening any case of a pool gives exactly the same knives and finishes. So the question "which case should I open for a Karambit?" has a precise answer, and this guide gives it for every knife.
Every knife and the cases that drop it
One row per knife type. The cases are listed oldest first; the last column is the average spend to unbox that knife type through its cheapest case, which is the opening cost divided by the chance of that type per opening. The cheapest knife skin on the market today is the ★ Stiletto Knife | Urban Masked at $20.67, which shows how far unboxing usually is from buying.
The Bayonet is the most widespread knife, in 16 cases. The Classic Knife drops from a single case only, the CS20 Case. Knife types that sit in several pools can come with different finishes depending on the case: the original pool, first released in 2013, has the classic finishes, while later pools brought Doppler, Marble Fade, Lore or Gamma Doppler. Each knife page lists every finish by price and wear.
Knife pools: cases that share the same knives
A knife pool is a set of cases with exactly the same gold items. Inside a pool, the only differences between cases are their price and their regular skins, so the cheapest case of a pool is the cheapest way to that pool's knives. The pool with the most knife types is the CS:GO Weapon Case knife pool, with 5.
| Pool | Knives | Cases |
|---|---|---|
| CS:GO Weapon Case knife pool | Bayonet, Flip Knife, Gut Knife, Karambit, M9 Bayonet | 11 |
| Huntsman Weapon Case knife pool | Huntsman Knife | 1 |
| Operation Breakout Weapon Case knife pool | Butterfly Knife | 1 |
| Chroma Case knife pool | Bayonet, Flip Knife, Gut Knife, Karambit, M9 Bayonet | 3 |
| Falchion Case knife pool | Falchion Knife | 1 |
| Shadow Case knife pool | Shadow Daggers | 1 |
| Operation Wildfire Case knife pool | Bowie Knife | 1 |
| Gamma Case knife pool | Bayonet, Flip Knife, Gut Knife, Karambit, M9 Bayonet | 2 |
| Spectrum Case knife pool | Bowie Knife, Butterfly Knife, Falchion Knife, Huntsman Knife, Shadow Daggers | 2 |
| Horizon Case knife pool | Navaja Knife, Stiletto Knife, Talon Knife, Ursus Knife | 2 |
| Prisma Case knife pool | Navaja Knife, Stiletto Knife, Talon Knife, Ursus Knife | 2 |
| Shattered Web Case knife pool | Nomad Knife, Paracord Knife, Skeleton Knife, Survival Knife | 2 |
| CS20 Case knife pool | Classic Knife | 1 |
| Operation Riptide Case knife pool | Bowie Knife, Butterfly Knife, Falchion Knife, Huntsman Knife, Shadow Daggers | 2 |
| Kilowatt Case knife pool | Kukri Knife | 2 |
| Fever Case knife pool | Nomad Knife, Paracord Knife, Skeleton Knife, Survival Knife | 1 |
The cheapest ways to unbox any knife
If any knife will do, what matters is the cost of one opening divided by the chance of a knife. Case prices range from a few cents to dozens of dollars, while the key always costs the same, so the cheapest cases, today mostly recent ones, are usually the cheapest route. These are the five cheapest routes today:
| Case | Cost with key | Chance of a knife | Average cost per knife |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kilowatt Case | $2.74 | 0.26% | $1,053.85 |
| Fracture Case | $3.27 | 0.26% | $1,257.69 |
| Fever Case | $3.38 | 0.26% | $1,300.00 |
| Gallery Case | $3.74 | 0.26% | $1,438.46 |
| CS20 Case | $4.13 | 0.26% | $1,588.46 |
An average cost is not a price you pay once. It is what a very large number of openings costs per knife, and any single run can land far above or below it. It also says nothing about which knife you get: the cheapest route usually drops the cheapest finishes too. Compare it with the market price of the knife you want before deciding, and use the best cases ranking to see what each case returns on average across all its skins. The rarity odds behind these figures are explained in the CS2 case odds guide.
Try the odds for free
Every case above can be opened in the simulator with the real drop rates and its real knife pool. Nothing is bought or won: it is a way to see how often a knife actually shows up before spending money on keys. Start with the weapon case list, or browse the knife types and, for the other gold items, the cases with gloves.
Frequently asked questions
- Which CS2 cases have knives?
- 35 weapon cases drop a knife, grouped in 16 pools that share the same knives. The table above lists every knife type with the cases that drop it.
- Which case has the Karambit?
- 16 cases: CS:GO Weapon Case, CS:GO Weapon Case 2, CS:GO Weapon Case 3, Operation Bravo Case, Winter Offensive Weapon Case, Operation Phoenix Weapon Case, eSports 2013 Case, eSports 2013 Winter Case, eSports 2014 Summer Case, Operation Vanguard Weapon Case, Chroma Case, Chroma 2 Case, Revolver Case, Chroma 3 Case, Gamma Case, Gamma 2 Case. The cheapest route on average is the Revolver Case.
- Which case has the Butterfly Knife?
- 5 cases: Operation Breakout Weapon Case, Spectrum Case, Spectrum 2 Case, Operation Riptide Case, Dreams & Nightmares Case.
- Which case has the Kukri Knife?
- 2 cases: Kilowatt Case, Gallery Case.
- What is the cheapest case to get a knife?
- On average the Kilowatt Case: at $2.74 per opening with the key, a knife costs about $1,053.85 to unbox. Prices move daily, so this can change.
- Are knife odds the same in every case?
- Yes, 0.26% (1 in 385) for the gold tier in every weapon case. The chance of one given knife type depends on how many types share the pool, and a StatTrak™ knife is 10% of those drops.