Knife and glove cases are built around the items every CS2 player wants: a ★ knife or a pair of gloves. They are exciting, and they are also among the riskiest cases you can open. The knife in the picture is usually the item with the smallest chance in the table. This guide explains what to look at before you open one.
Where to find them
On CSVOLT the case list has a Knives tab and a Gloves tab. Every case there has a knife or gloves inside, but each case is different. Some put a cheap knife in with a decent chance, others put an expensive knife in with a tiny one. You can sort by price and by volatility, and search by name.
How knife odds look in a table
Open the case page and find the knife or gloves in the contents. Each line shows the item, its wear, its value and its drop chance. Click it to see its ticket range out of 10,000,000.
A typical pattern:
- The most expensive knife or gloves sits at the top with the smallest chance.
- Cheaper knives or gloves sit lower with bigger chances.
- Most of the table is weapon skins worth less than the case price.
Turn the knife's chance into "1 in N". A 0.5% knife is about 1 in 200 openings on average, and even after 200 openings a fair share of players will not have hit it. See CS2 case odds explained for how streaks work.
Check the volatility letter
Many knife and glove cases carry an H or I volatility letter, though some are L or M. H and I mean many results well below the price and a rare big hit. If you open these cases, plan your budget for the common results, not the knife. If you prefer steadier play, a Low or Medium case with a cheaper knife line may suit you better.
Knife types you will see
Knives come in many shapes. Some of the most wanted are the Karambit, Butterfly Knife, M9 Bayonet and Bayonet. Others include the Flip, Gut, Huntsman, Falchion, Bowie, Shadow Daggers, Navaja, Stiletto, Talon, Ursus, Classic, Paracord, Survival, Nomad, Skeleton and Kukri knives. The same finish can be worth very different amounts on different knife types.
Knife finishes
The finish is the paint. Popular ones include Fade, Doppler, Gamma Doppler, Marble Fade, Tiger Tooth, Lore, Slaughter, Crimson Web and Case Hardened. A vanilla knife has no paint and no wear. Patterns matter a lot on some finishes, see CS2 skin wear and float explained.
Glove types
Gloves come as Sport Gloves, Specialist Gloves, Driver Gloves, Hand Wraps, Moto Gloves, Hydra Gloves, Bloodhound Gloves and Broken Fang Gloves. Gloves never come in StatTrak, and their prices swing a lot with wear.
Other ways to aim for a knife
Opening knife cases is only one way to chase a knife.
Buy it
If you want one exact knife, the marketplace sells skins for coins. You pay the listed price and get that item. No chance involved.
Upgrade into it
The Upgrader lets you put skins or coins in and pick the knife as a target. The chance is shown before you roll and follows the value you put in compared with the knife's value. See the Upgrader guide.
Battle for it
In a case battle everyone opens the same knife cases and the winners take the whole pot. Shared battles split everything equally, which can be a calmer way to open expensive cases with friends.
A knife plan that keeps it fun
- Decide your knife budget before you start. Treat it as spent.
- Read the table: knife chance, common results, volatility.
- Try a demo spin to see the case.
- Open within your budget. Stop when it is gone, whatever happened.
- If you hit, think about selling or redeeming before rolling it again.
Common mistakes with knife cases
- Counting openings until the knife is due. Every opening is independent. A knife is never due.
- Reading only the picture. The case art shows the best item, not the likely one.
- Ignoring the knife type and finish. Two knives in the same case can differ in value by a lot. Read each line.
- Raising the budget after a miss. Plan the session before you start and keep to it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best knife case to open?
There is no case that pays for everyone. Pick one whose price fits your budget and whose knife chance and common results you have read.
What are the odds of getting a knife?
They are shown for every case on its page. On Valve's own cases the published chance of a rare special item is about 0.26%.
Are cheap knife cases worth it?
They let you try for a knife for little, but the knife chance is usually very small. Check the table before you open.
Can I get gloves in StatTrak?
No. Gloves never come in StatTrak.
Can I redeem a knife to Steam?
Yes. Knives and gloves in your inventory can be redeemed to your Steam trade URL once the playthrough rules are met.
18+ only. CSVOLT uses virtual coins and every case is a game of chance. Set limits in responsible gaming.