Butterfly Knife | Case Hardened

Origin Story

The Butterfly Knife | Case Hardened is a highly sought-after knife skin, released on July 1, 2014, as part of Operation Breakout. Its visual identity is defined by the iridescent blues, purples, and golds of its color case-hardened blade, a process achieved through the application of wood charcoal at high temperatures. This finish is renowned for its "blue gem" patterns, where large, continuous areas of deep blue on the blade are highly prized by collectors. The knife's distinct appearance, particularly the visible play side of the blade in first-person view, makes it a prestige item in the CS2 economy. Its appeal is primarily aesthetic and driven by the rarity of specific pattern indexes.

Drop Chance

Butterfly Knife | Case Hardened is a knife-tier skin, so standard Valve rarity odds don't apply. Knives drop at a combined rate of approximately 0.26% from supported cases before accounting for which knife type and finish you get. Valve doesn't publish individual knife or phase probabilities.

Skin Condition

Float range 0 to 1. Exteriors: Factory New, Minimal Wear, Field-Tested, Well-Worn, Battle-Scarred. StatTrak is available in FN, MW, FT, WW, BS.

• Factory New ($1,571.76): The blade shows maximum color vibrancy, with the case-hardened blues, purples, and golds at their brightest and most reflective, making this the premium tier for pattern collectors.
• Minimal Wear ($1,782.50): Visual condition is very clean, with most of the patina color intact and bright, though reflectivity may be slightly less than Factory New.
• Field-Tested ($1,075.12): Colors start to look noticeably more muted, with the hardened pattern less vivid and some sections appearing more grayish or brownish, especially along edges and the tip.
• Well-Worn ($1,075.00): Patina colors become substantially duller, with more of the raw or discolored metal tone visible on blade edges and prominent contact areas.
• Battle-Scarred ($1,208.84): The blade exhibits the heaviest dulling, with much of the color-case pattern appearing washed out or overlaid by grayish/brownish metal tones, emphasizing a heavily used aesthetic.

Model

Case Hardened uses the legacy Butterfly Knife model, introduced with Operation Breakout on July 1, 2014. The inspect animation and third-person appearance match the original CS:GO version.

How to Obtain

The Butterfly Knife | Case Hardened is primarily obtained as a rare special item from opening the Operation Breakout Weapon Case. This case is still available as a rare drop in CS2, meaning new copies of the knife can slowly enter circulation. For immediate acquisition, players can purchase the knife directly from the Steam Community Market, various third-party marketplaces, or specialized case-opening and skin-trading sites. A StatTrak version is also available for kill tracking.

Price Range

Butterfly Knife | Case Hardened ranges from $1,208.84 (Battle-Scarred) to $1,782.50 (Minimal Wear). StatTrak versions carry a premium at every wear tier.


The current 7-day median is No Recent Price. The 90-day median is $1,077.12. The all-time median is $236.70. Volume averages 0 trades per day.

Visual Theme

Patina: It has been color case-hardened through the application of wood charcoal at high temperatures. This process results in iridescent blues, purples, and golds over a steel base, with the exact distribution varying by pattern index. In first-person, the blade's play side is the most visible element, showcasing the mottled color-case surface. Case Hardened finishes are frequently grouped across weapons and discussed in terms of blue gem versus mixed or golden patterns.

Player Rating

Rating: 4.25 / 5
Votes: 4

Sticker Compatibility

Stickers cannot be applied to the Butterfly Knife | Case Hardened, as knives do not have sticker slots in CS2. While no stickers can be placed directly on the knife, collectors often pair Case Hardened knives with blue or gold accented sticker crafts on other weapons to complement the knife's palette.