As we all remember, the last time Valve pleased us with fresh knives was in November 2019 — it’s been more than 500 days since then. The last drop brought the CS:GO community a big addition: the devs introduced 4 knives at once, which were all, in one way or another, associated with survival in the wilderness.
Skeleton Knife
Normally, skeleton knives are used by chefs. The special holes in the knife prevent the ingredients being cut from sticking to the blade and enable chefs to cut, say, cheese or fruit with less effort.
However, in the game, Skeleton Knife is used for quite different purposes. The knife has a hole designed to shift the center of gravity to the blade. This design feature is part and parcel of throwing knives. In real life, such models come bundled with a cord that makes the grip firmer.
Rather than taking an existing knife as a prototype, the devs created their own design based on the appearance of various real models. Its general outline bears a resemblance to the United Cutlery GH2033 Gil Hibben Throwing Knife. And the hole in the center is the same as in, say, the Smith & Wesson SWK8CP Throwing Knife. Interestingly, the handle of Skeleton Knife is wrapped with a special sticky tape to improve grip, not with the usual cord.
Skeleton Knife Crimson Web is an uncommonly beautiful and expensive option. Crimson Web is a rather old coloring, but it’s unlikely to ever lose its popularity. Due to the restriction in float values, the factory-new version of Skeleton Knife Crimson Web is a surprisingly rare skin — hence the $8,000 price tag.
Survival Knife
Just like the previous knife on the list, Survival Knife has no real-life counterpart and is a hybrid of many models. Many players have pointed out that Survival Knife bears a stronger resemblance to a multi-tool than to an actual combat weapon.
See for yourself: you can use it as a saw, key, or even as a bottle opener. With the right knack and strength, you could use it to hammer nails. In the game, you can draw a parallel with M9 Bayonet, and in real life, with AK bayonet knife. Perhaps the devs drew inspiration from the ALBATROSS 6-in-1. Anyway, we’ll hardly ever find out.
With its smooth transitions and memorable appearance, the beautiful, vibrant, colorful Survival Knife Fade will unfailingly appeal to many players. Minimal-wear copies of this Fade skin cost around $750; factory-new specimens can be bought for $614. The price of the StatTrak™ edition ranges between $665 and $920.
Paracord Knife
In case someone didn’t know: Paracord is badass lightweight and, most importantly, durable polymer cord. Paracord was even used to make parachute slings — and later gained its popularity among civilians and the military.
The name Paracord Knife comes from its grip, with this strong cord wrapped around it on a special notch in the blade. We must say that in real life, it’s not quite as comfortable as it might seem. This handle would make your grip uncomfortable, and the cord wouldn’t be long enough for anything serious, while holding the knife without it would be even less convenient.
Like the previous models in our selection, Paracord Knife has no real analogue and is basically a mix of real blades. For example, it might be described as something in between Rtek Tactical Combat Paracord and Strider Knives DB-L Tanto Knife Black Paracord. Its blade holes and overall shape make it similar to the first one, whereas the rough outlines and, partly, the grip lend it a resemblance to the second one.
The blade looks amazing in the Case Hardened version. There are some similarities to the Fade skin series — but only at first glance. The Case Hardened edition boasts sharper color transitions and a rougher general look. The regular version costs $210–$655, and the StatTrak™ item $310–$770.
Nomad Knife
The last item in our selection of knives is Nomad Knife. Like all the others, it has no real counterpart. What it has, however, is an interesting ergonomic look with a fairly wide blade.
What makes the Nomad particularly cool is that you can cut yourself with it! That’s right, when selecting the knife in-game, there’s a rare animation where the character accidentally gets cut by this knife. Fortunately, this doesn’t affect your health in any way.
Also, while searching for the ancestors of Nomad Knife, we came across two potential candidates. Kershaw Blur Black Nomad could’ve inspired its curves and overall shape, and Gerber Freeman Guide the ergonomics of the grip and the width of the blade.
Be sure to consider getting a Nomad Knife Slaughter. If you ask me, the abstract pattern covered with red polish is a perfect match for the ergonomics of the grip and the blade’s geometry. Also, the pattern changes with the increase of wear. To become a proud owner of a Nomad Knife Slaughter, you’ll have to pay between $300 and $380. The counter version costs $400 to $515.
For over five hundred days, we haven’t seen any knife additions, and we can only hope that Valve are developing a batch of new blades to present us with in the near future. In the meantime, we’ll have to pick our knife from what we have — luckily, we have as many as 19 models to choose from as of 2021.
