About the Gut Knife
The Gut Knife is one of the original knives in Counter-Strike. It was added to CS:GO in August 2013 alongside the Bayonet, Flip Knife, Karambit, and M9 Bayonet, and it is still in CS2 today. Of the five, it is usually the most affordable, which makes it one of the easiest ways to own a knife.
This page covers the standard Gut Knife, usually called the vanilla. It has no paint finish, just the bare knife. It trades often, with listings on most marketplaces at any time.
If you are looking for a painted version such as a Doppler, Fade, or Rust Coat, each finish has its own page. The most popular are linked below, and you can browse all Gut Knife skins in one place.
Design
The Gut Knife takes its name from the gut hook on the spine of the blade. On a real hunting knife, that hook is used for field dressing and for cutting rope or webbing. In CS2 it gives the knife a shape no other model has: a compact fixed blade with a wide belly and a hook cut in behind the tip.
The vanilla version shows that shape with no paint finish. There is no pattern to check, so every vanilla Gut Knife looks the same.
How to Get a Gut Knife
There are three ways to get a Gut Knife in CS2.
- Buy it from a marketplace. This is the route most players take, because it is the only one with a certain result. The offers at the top of this page show every marketplace with a listing.
- Open a case. The Gut Knife is a rare special item in the original run of CS:GO weapon cases, including the CS:GO Weapon Case series, the eSports cases, and the Operation Bravo, Phoenix, and Vanguard cases. It also appears in the Revolver Case and in the Chroma and Gamma cases, which carry their own sets of finishes. In every one of them it shares the pool with the Bayonet, Flip Knife, Karambit, and M9 Bayonet. The cases linked on this page are the ones that can drop the vanilla. Knife drops are rare, at around 0.26% per case.
- Trade up to it. Since October 2025, a trade-up contract using Covert skins can produce a knife from an eligible case.
Gut Knife Finishes
The vanilla is one of many Gut Knife skins. Finishes came in three waves, and each has its own page with live prices.
- Original finishes. The first set, from the early cases. Includes the Gut Knife | Fade, Slaughter, Case Hardened, Crimson Web, and Safari Mesh.
- Chroma finishes. Added with the Chroma cases. Includes the Gut Knife | Doppler, with its Ruby, Sapphire, and Black Pearl phases, plus the Marble Fade, Tiger Tooth, and Rust Coat.
- Gamma finishes. Added with the Gamma cases. Includes the Gamma Doppler, with its Emerald phase, the Lore, Autotronic, and Black Laminate.
Vanilla, Wear, and StatTrak™
The vanilla Gut Knife is not sold by wear condition. There is no Factory New or Battle-Scarred version to choose between, which makes it simpler to buy than a painted knife: one item, one market price.
It comes in two versions, standard and StatTrak™. The StatTrak™ version counts your kills with the knife and is listed separately, so you can compare the two using the toggle above. There is no Souvenir Gut Knife.
What Drives the Price of a Gut Knife
- The knife itself. The Gut Knife is one of the lower-priced knife models in CS2, so every version, the vanilla included, sits toward the affordable end of the knife market.
- Finish. Across the range, the finish matters more than anything else. Doppler and Gamma Doppler gem phases, Fades, and rare Case Hardened patterns sit well above the vanilla, while worn Safari Mesh or Boreal Forest copies are usually among the lowest-priced knives in the game.
- StatTrak™. The StatTrak™ vanilla is scarcer than the standard one and priced separately.
- Case supply. Most of the cases that drop it are no longer in the active drop pool, so few new knives enter the market.
- The wider knife market. Because the vanilla has no float or pattern, its price moves with demand for knives in general. That makes its price history a useful read on the Gut Knife range as a whole.
The vanilla trades often, so prices between marketplaces stay closer together than they do on rare skins. It is still worth comparing the offers above, and setting a price alert if you are waiting for a level.
Similar Knives
- Flip Knife. The closest alternative. A folding blade from the same cases, and usually the next step up in price.
- Bayonet, M9 Bayonet, and Karambit. The other three original knives, all from the same cases and all priced higher.
- Navaja Knife and Shadow Daggers. Later releases that also sit at the affordable end of the knife market.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a vanilla Gut Knife?
It is the Gut Knife with no paint finish applied. In CS2 it is listed simply as ★ Gut Knife. It is not sold by wear condition.
What cases have the Gut Knife in CS2?
The Gut Knife drops from the original CS:GO weapon cases, the eSports cases, several Operation cases, the Revolver Case, and the Chroma and Gamma cases. Each group of cases carries a different set of finishes. The cases shown on this page can drop the vanilla.
Is the Gut Knife the cheapest knife in CS2?
It is usually one of the cheapest. Which knife is lowest at any moment depends on the finish and wear, so check the live prices on each finish page before you buy.
What is the hook on a Gut Knife for?
It is a gut hook, a feature of real hunting knives used for field dressing and for cutting rope or webbing. In CS2 it is purely part of the knife's look.
When was the Gut Knife released?
August 2013, in CS:GO, as one of the first five knives in the game. It is still available in CS2.
Does the Gut Knife come in StatTrak™?
Yes. A StatTrak™ Gut Knife exists and is listed separately on this page. There is no Souvenir version.
What are the best Gut Knife skins?
The Doppler, Gamma Doppler, Lore, Autotronic, Marble Fade, and Tiger Tooth are among the most popular Gut Knife finishes. The vanilla has its own following among players who prefer a clean look.
Can you trade up to a Gut Knife?
Yes. Since October 2025, trade-up contracts using Covert skins can produce a knife from an eligible case.
Where can I buy a Gut Knife?
The offers at the top of this page list every marketplace with a Gut Knife for sale, starting with the lowest price.