How to Get CS Knives After Valve's October 23 Update

The latest major update from Valve for CS2 introduced a number of changes that affected maps, gameplay, and overall performance. However, the most significant and groundbreaking addition was the trading update, which now allows players to craft knives or gloves directly in the game. In this article, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of how to get a knife or gloves in CS2.

How the Trade Up Contract Appeared in CS:GO

The Trade Up Contract (previously known as the “Arms Deal Contract”) was introduced in August 2013, along with the “Arms Deal Update,” which officially brought weapon skins into CS:GO.

• Update date: August 13, 2013
• Update name: The Arms Deal Update
• What was added: Skins, collections, cases, keys, and the ability to trade 10 skins of the same rarity for 1 skin of a higher rarity using the Trade Up Contract.

This contract became the first way for players to obtain rare skins without opening cases — allowing them to combine items to create a desired weapon from a specific collection.

Step-by-Step: How to Get a Knife or Gloves

Step 1

First, launch CS2, open your inventory, and select “Trade Up Contract.” Unlike before, it now supports Covert-tier items.

Step 2

To craft, you’ll need 5 Covert-tier items:

• 5 StatTrak™ Covert items → exchanged for 1 StatTrak™ knife from one of the collections included in the trade.
• 5 regular Covert items → exchanged for 1 regular knife or a pair of gloves from one of the selected collections.

For example, if you add weapons from the Recoil Case and Prisma Collection, after completing the contract you’ll receive a knife or gloves from one of those collections.

If all the items you added are StatTrak™, the resulting knife will also be StatTrak™.

Step 3

After adding 5 items to the contract, click “Submit Contract” and wait for the result.

Once completed, you can receive either a knife or gloves — their value may exceed the total cost of your input items, or, conversely, be worth less depending on your luck.

Trading and Market Rules

As with any other CS2 item, Steam’s 7-day trade hold rule applies. This means that if you obtained items through trade, you’ll be able to use them in a contract after 7 days. However, if you purchased the items on the Steam Market, they become immediately available. Because of this, prices for certain items — for example, P90 | Asiimov — have increased tenfold. The same rule applies to items you receive from the contract — they can be traded or sold only after 7 days. So be mindful of how you acquire your trade-up items.

Impact on the Market

A massive number of players started buying Covert-tier items, which led to a sharp rise in their prices. After all, there’s a chance to receive a skin worth several times more than the total cost of the trade-up. However, there’s also a downside. Because of the mass crafting of knives and gloves, the prices of many knives dropped by 50–70%. For instance, the ★ Gut Knife | Fade (Factory New) lost 55% of its value within just a few hours — falling from $301 to $159. This can be called a “Black Thursday” for CS2 collectors who own large inventories of rare knives, gloves, and skins — many of which represent hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in investments.

Risk and Reward

With this update, Valve expanded the possibilities of the Trade Up Contract. Now, in addition to weapons, you can craft knives or gloves through in-game contracts. However, keep in mind that the outcome can go both ways: you might end up with a cheaper, lower-quality item, or, if you’re lucky, an incredibly rare and valuable one.

This update has also shaken up the CS2 item market. Some items, such as P90 | Asiimov, have skyrocketed in price, while knives that once held high value among collectors and regular players are now gradually losing their worth.