Unlike games such as Valorant, where skins are bought directly from a store and are infinite, in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive knives and many other items are only created when players open cases. This causes real-money skin prices to reflect supply and demand. This means knives can be a costly purchase. According to Skincashier, the most expensive known knife sale was a StatTrak M9 Bayonet, Crimson Web, Factory New, which cost in excess of $60,000.
Not all of us have $60,000 to spend on knives, of course, so it can be difficult to find nice-looking but cheap ones. You don't need to worry about spending hours searching, though, as that has been done for you. These are not simply the cheapest knives, as that would result in the list being comprised of just Navaja Knife entries. Instead, the list only features good-looking knives priced at $350 or below, as this is cheap by CS:GO standards. The prices used were the steam community market prices at the time of writing.
10 Navaja Knife, Ultraviolet, Factory New: $222.89
The Navaja is a fairly unpopular knife in the CS:GO community, which is no exaggeration. CS:GO skin YouTuber TDM_Heyzeus used community votes from nearly 3,000 people to rank the knives from best to worst, and the Navaja was voted the worst by a considerable margin.
This aside, the Navaja Knife, Ultraviolet, Factory New is a good-looking knife. Ultraviolet finishes look good on pretty much anything, so it's no surprise that the best-looking Navaja knife uses it. The simple colours and minimalist design make it look clean and sleek whilst also hiding the base appearance, which leaves much to be desired. The unsightly wooden handle in most Navaja knives is replaced with a solid colour of purple, which pairs perfectly with the black blade.
9 StatTrak Shadow Daggers, Crimson Web, Field-Tested: $183.85
Crimson Webs are among the favorite finishes in the game, with some collectors even specializing in them. As such, it's not hard to see why the Crimson Web is a popular skin. The dark red of the skin combined with the black lines crawling over the knife, creating a spiderweb, is a visually striking image. In addition, it is easily recognizable, making it great to show off.
For less than the Navaja Knife entry, you can not only get yourself a Crimson Web knife but also get it in StatTrak, so you can keep track of all those you have embarrassed in-game.
8 Skeleton Knife, Urban Masked, Field-Tested: $345
This entry comes in very close to the price limit for cheap knives, but with good reason. The Skeleton Knife is one of the most unique and visually striking items in CS:GO.
The Skeleton Knife in Urban Masked looks simple and allows you to appreciate the design and shape of the knife itself. The knife has a hole in the middle of it between the handle and blade, making it one of the most interesting weapon designs to date. Urban Masked is a skin that looks almost the same in all conditions besides Battle-Scarred, so you can opt for a cheaper version and be largely unable to tell the difference.
7 Paracord Knife, Night Stripe, Minimal Wear: $217.92
It's not common for skins to look good in every condition. Usually, skins will look their best at the Factory New side of the spectrum (or the Battle-Scarred depending on the skin). Unfortunately, people tend to go for either of the extremes, and other conditions are overlooked. This knife is one of the few exceptions. It's simple and minimalist and looks great in all conditions, so if you want to save some money, it doesn't matter too much if you buy a more worn and cheaper variant.
The Paracord Knife itself is a great knife with an interesting blade design with two slits, but the main attraction is the handle. The handle is wrapped in paracord, which is a general-purpose utility cord useful for survival situations. It's a nice design that stands out from the other knife handles and this certainly sets it apart from the rest.
6 Karamit, Scorched, Field-Tested: $297.13
Karambits are one of the most iconic knives in gaming, thanks to CS:GO. The Karambit was one of the five knives first introduced in The Arms Deal update. The Karambit is easily recognizable, thanks to its signature curved shape. It is also unique because the blade is positioned to the right of the default view model instead of the left like every other knife (besides the Talon).
Scorched skins make the weapon look like it has seen heavy action, which is why, currently, the conditions below Field-Tested are more expensive. However, if you want to get one of the most iconic weapons in gaming, this is a good place to start.
5 M9 Bayonet, Night, Field-Tested: $266.89
The M9 Bayonet is a great looking knife with beautiful animations to go with it. This version is plain and effortlessly elegant. Sometimes a simple black item is needed for special occasions. For formal events, you have a black tie dress code. For matchmaking, you have the M9 Bayonet Night.
This one is for those that don't want anything too flashy or distracting, as it's an extremely stylish black bayonet with no intricate designs or patterns. In Field-Tested, the knife displays a few scratches, which give the weapon a more realistic look.
4 Classic Knife, Case Hardened, Well-Worn: $162.30
Over 20 years ago, Counter-Strike started as a mod for Half-Life (a revolutionary FPS itself), before becoming a standalone game and developing into the series fans know and love today.
In previous instalments of the series, everyone had the same knife, and there was no way to change its design without risking a VAC ban. The Classic Knife is a large part of the history of Counter-Strike for this reason. The Case Hardened skin has many different patterns available, with different variants of each color, making each example of it rather unique. Case Hardened skins are great for those that want something colorful, as they replicate the harsh rainbow of spilt oil.
3 Bayonet, Damascus Steel, Minimal Wear: $324.99
The Damascus Steel finish is one of the most beautiful in the game and not one you see all too often, which is great if you want to stand out on a budget. Unlike the M9 Bayonet, the Bayonet does not have a serrated edge on the back and instead has a straight edge. The intricate ripple-like patterns of the Damascus Steel finish are unlike anything else in the game. However, it can be difficult to see the pattern without going into a sheltered area on some of the brighter offerings from CS:GO's range of maps.
Inspect it with caution when playing, as you may find yourself mesmerized by it and unable to pay attention to anything else.
2 Gut Knife, Freehand, Battle-Scarred: $98.47
The Gut Knife is a somewhat polarising knife within the community. However, Gut Knives are typically cheaper than other knives, even in good conditions with rare finishes.
The Freehand finish is similar to the Damascus Steel, because it has very intricate and elegant patterns inside the skin. The Freehand uses ancient-looking inscription designs on the blade, which also has an otherworldly feel to it. The knife's condition will determine how much of the pattern is on the blade and not scratched off, so if you particularly like the pattern, it may be worth paying extra for a better condition version.
1 Ursus Knife, Slaughter, Minimal Wear: $332.94
A Slaughter entry was surely inevitable. This unique pattern remains a fan favorite. Although you could have two people with the same Slaughter knife in the same wear value, almost every knife will look unique because of each patterns' different stripes. You won't have to worry about clashing with your teammates and one of you having to change.
The Ursus blade is an interesting survival knife that can look great depending on which finish it uses. Ursus knives also have a chance of playing an animation in which the player throws the weapon up into the air before catching it, which is a nice touch. Fans of this ever-popular title go wild for this one.