Skeleton Knife Fade Patterns: How They Influence Pricing and Rarity
In the world of CS2, there are many different knives, but some truly deserve your attention. One of them is the Skeleton Knife | Fade. This knife, with its interesting shape and visually appealing design, features the well-known “Fade” finish, which is highly valued among players.
Today, we’ll explore everything that makes the Skeleton Knife | Fade special, including its rare patterns, and find out just how much the most expensive one can cost!
What Is the Skeleton Knife Fade?
The Skeleton Knife | Fade is one of the knives you can obtain in CS2 by opening cases. The knife itself has a very interesting design. It doesn’t have a wooden or any other kind of handle. Instead, the handle is formed from the same piece of metal as the blade, though this part is wrapped with fabric tape for comfort and a better grip.
The knife was added to the game on November 18, 2019, along with three other knives (the Nomad, Paracord, and Survival). However, the Skeleton Knife quickly became a fan favorite among players, which is no surprise given its truly unique appearance.
It’s interesting that the Skeleton Knife in CS2 doesn’t look like anything you would see in real life. It was inspired by similar models whose primary purpose is to be lightweight, balanced, and have holes that allow a rope to be tied to them, thereby turning the knife into a throwable weapon.
The Skeleton Knife | Fade is one of the skins available for this knife, and this skin was also introduced in 2019. However, don’t confuse it with the Skeleton Knife | Marble Fade, as they are completely different skins. The Marble Fade was introduced much later, in 2025.
If you’ve never seen a Skeleton Knife | Fade, it’s hard to describe with words, but it’s possible. Imagine a rainbow made of three colors: purple, pink, and yellow (or gold), and apply that rainbow onto the knife. That’s what the Skeleton Knife | Fade looks like.
Skeleton Knife Fade Patterns (Seeds): What You Need to Know
The Skeleton Knife | Fade features a blend of pink, purple, and yellow—but the way these colors appear varies with each knife. That’s because the fade pattern (or gradient) is applied differently on every blade, making each knife visually unique.
Each variation is assigned a pattern ID, also called a seed, ranging from 0 to 999. Some patterns are more desirable than others, especially those with full or near-full color coverage—these are known as Full Fades.
In addition to Full Fade, there are other grades like 99%, 98%, and down to 80% Fade. To help visualize how pattern numbers correspond to these percentages, see the table below.
| Fade | Patterns |
| 100% | 41 87 93 205 326 341 348 403 468 520 527 575 583 601 636 651 742 763 807 892 897 910 911 961 |
| 99% | 34 84 105 107 147 150 201 256 345 375 380 396 399 422 428 449 486 494 517 521 550 571 576 577 639 648 664 668 714 745 747 754 793 800 824 825 834 848 856 872 914 925 936 943 944 968 975 981 |
| 98% | 11 29 43 46 64 80 136 137 141 172 173 224 229 236 249 278 308 313 314 358 395 401 435 447 455 462 465 482 572 597 599 608 640 657 690 703 712 726 751 781 789 827 838 840 849 881 917 956 |
| 97% | 6 12 21 30 73 76 89 94 103 130 145 168 181 211 223 260 282 283 295 302 377 381 430 440 458 466 488 508 511 514 525 536 564 566 568 665 677 686 749 759 790 798 813 887 891 915 940 |
| 96% | 22 33 37 47 109 154 155 157 161 191 210 212 227 276 285 293 324 336 361 392 424 429 433 442 446 481 487 513 538 586 587 612 687 698 719 752 762 782 811 815 860 863 875 878 898 953 960 979 |
Float Value & Condition of the Skeleton Knife Fade
Of course, the amount of color on your Skeleton Knife | Fade significantly impacts its price. However, before we get to the price of the Skeleton Knife | Fade, it’s worth mentioning another factor that also affects the knife’s price. This is the Float Value, or in other words, the condition of the knife.
Float Range for the Skeleton Knife Fade
You’re probably familiar with skin conditions like Factory New (FN) and Battle-Scarred (BS). But what really determines a skin’s appearance is a specific value called “Float.”
In CS2, every skin’s condition is dictated by its float value – a number between 0.00 and 1.00. A 0.00 float gives you that perfect, factory-fresh look without a single scratch. At the other extreme, a 1.00 float is as battle-scarred as it gets, with the pattern almost completely scraped off. You can basically treat it as a percentage of wear: 0.12 is 12% worn, and 0.50 is halfway to the worst possible condition. The golden rule is simple: the lower the float, the better the skin looks!
However, the Skeleton Knife | Fade is special because its float value has a limit. It cannot have a float higher than 0.08, which makes things much simpler, as the knife always looks great. But, there’s a catch.
This brings us to the price of the Skeleton Knife | Fade in its Factory New and Minimal Wear versions. You might notice that the Minimal Wear version can be more expensive, which leads to the question: why would a skin with more wear cost more?
It all comes down to the float ranges. Factory New skins are available with a float from 0.00 to 0.07, while Minimal Wear skins range from 0.07 to 0.15. Since the maximum possible float for this knife is 0.08, the window to unbox a Minimal Wear version is incredibly small (only 0.07 to 0.08). This makes the Minimal Wear variant significantly rarer than the Factory New one. Due to this rarity, they are highly valued by collectors, which drives their price up.
Fade Price Analysis of the Skeleton Knife Fade
Currently, the market is in a rather strange situation, as the price for the Skeleton Knife | Fade is nearly identical for both the StatTrak and the regular versions. The difference between Factory New and Minimal Wear is also negligible, so you can pick up any variation for around $1,300.
However, this only applies to standard knives without a Full Fade pattern. If you’re looking to get one of those, you’ll have to shell out at least $1,800 – if you’re lucky enough to find one at that price. More commonly, a 100% Full Fade knife will run you about $2,000.
The prices for 99%, 98%, and lower fade variations are cheaper, with the price dropping by about $50 for each percentage point.
How to Choose the Right Skeleton Knife Fade?
First, you’ll need to decide whether you simply want the knife itself or if you’re specifically seeking a Full Fade variation. A standard fade is a good option because you can enjoy a beautiful knife in-game without having to pay an extra $600 to $700 for the Full Fade pattern.
However, the Full Fade has its own advantages, namely its rarity and potential as an investment. These kinds of skins often get more valuable over time. For example, a skin that used to cost $50 can now be worth $200, $400, or more. Ultimately, the choice is yours.
Wrapping Up!
The Skeleton Knife | Fade is a fantastic knife. It boasts an appealing design, cool animations, and a wide variety of patterns. Crucially, it comes at a more accessible price point, making it an ideal choice if you want a premium knife without paying the extra for a Karambit, Bayonet, or Butterfly Knife.
If you’re interested in more content about skins and the world of CS2, be sure to stay with us and keep reading our blog.
How much is a Skeleton Knife Fade worth?
Currently, a Skeleton Knife | Fade is valued at around $1,300. It doesn’t matter much which version you choose, StatTrak or not, because the price is usually only $20 to $30 different.
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