CS2 Knife Contract Guide 2025 - Complete Trade-Up Calculator for Every Knife

The CS2 trading landscape experienced a revolutionary shift when Valve introduced knife trade-up contracts. Previously, acquiring premium knives required either massive financial investment or exceptional unboxing luck. Now, strategic players can obtain their dream knife through calculated trade-ups using Covert-tier skins. This guide breaks down the entire system, showing you exactly which skins unlock specific knives.

Understanding the Knife Trade-Up System

The knife contract mechanism follows a straightforward principle: every knife and glove pair belongs to specific weapon cases in Counter-Strike 2. When you trade five Covert skins from those cases, you receive a rare item from the same collection. This predictability allows players to target specific knives rather than relying purely on chance.

Critical requirements for successful knife contracts include five Covert-rarity skins of matching type. You cannot combine standard and StatTrak versions in the same contract. Additionally, gloves don't exist in StatTrak variants, making StatTrak Covert skins unsuitable for glove contracts. Understanding these fundamentals prevents costly mistakes during the trade-up process.

Strategic Case Selection Matters

Some weapon cases contain only one knife type, guaranteeing that specific knife when you trade five Covert skins from that collection. Other cases include multiple knife varieties, introducing randomness to your results. Smart traders identify guaranteed contracts before investing in more expensive mixed-result trade-ups.

Butterfly Knife Contracts - Complete Covert List

The Butterfly Knife stands as one of CS2's most coveted items, recognized for its distinctive animation and premium status. This knife appears in five distinct weapon cases, with two Covert skins offering guaranteed Butterfly results.

Karambit Trade-Up Strategy

The Karambit represents CS2's most iconic blade, sharing case pools with four other classic knives: M9 Bayonet, Gut Knife, Flip Knife, and standard Bayonet. As original Counter-Strike knives, these appear across numerous weapon cases, providing extensive Covert skin options for traders.

Important consideration: Karambit contracts carry inherent randomness since multiple knives share the same cases. Your trade-up might yield any of the five classic knives. Budget-conscious players should evaluate whether they'd be satisfied with alternative results before committing valuable Covert skins.

Specialized Knife Contracts

Classic Knife - Easiest Guaranteed Contract

The Classic Knife offers the simplest guaranteed contract in CS2. This blade exclusively drops from the CS20 Case, meaning only two Covert skins can produce it. Trading five of either skin guarantees a Classic Knife with zero randomness.

Kukri Knife Contracts

As CS2's newest knife addition, the Kukri maintains exclusivity through limited case availability. Only two weapon cases contain this blade, simplifying contract planning for traders seeking this distinctive knife.

Falchion Knife Trade-Up Path

The Falchion Knife enjoys popularity for its unique blade design and engaging inspection animation. This knife appears in five different cases, with two Covert skins from the dedicated Falchion Case guaranteeing this blade.

Shadow Daggers and Bowie Knife Contracts

Both Shadow Daggers and Bowie Knife feature dedicated weapon cases containing guaranteed contract skins. Alternatively, these blades also appear in several shared cases with other knife types, offering flexibility for budget-conscious traders.

Four-Knife Collections: Maximizing Options

Stiletto, Navaja, Talon, and Ursus Collection

These four distinctive knives share four specific weapon cases with no other blade types mixed in. Using Covert skins from these cases guarantees one of these four knives, making it a strategic choice for players satisfied with any result from this collection.

Modern Collection: Paracord, Survival, Nomad, and Skeleton

This newer four-knife collection operates identically to the previous group. These knives exclusively drop from three specific cases: Fracture, Shattered Web, and Fever Dream. The relatively limited Covert pool makes these contracts easier to plan.

Glove Contracts - Complete Trading Guide

Glove contracts follow the same fundamental principles as knife trade-ups with one critical difference: gloves never exist in StatTrak variants. This means StatTrak Covert skins are completely unusable for glove contracts, a crucial detail preventing expensive mistakes.

Glove Series Collections

CS2 divides gloves into three distinct series, each associated with specific weapon cases. Understanding these categories helps traders target desired glove styles through strategic skin selection.

Strategic Contract Planning Tips

Common Contract Mistakes to Avoid

Future of Knife Contracts

The knife contract system continues evolving as Valve releases new weapon cases and adjusts game mechanics. New knife varieties added to CS2 automatically become available through trade-up contracts, expanding possibilities for strategic traders.

Market dynamics shift constantly as more players discover optimal contract strategies. Early adopters of new knife contracts often find better profit margins before markets adjust to increased knife supply. Staying informed about case releases and Covert skin prices gives traders competitive advantages.

Community tools and calculators continue improving, making contract planning increasingly accessible. These resources help traders quickly evaluate potential contracts, compare investment options, and maximize returns on their Covert skin collections.