The Cheapest Butterfly Knives in CS2: August 2026 Price List

Even nowadays, one trend still holds true in CS2: the cheapest Butterfly Knife on the market still costs more than most skins. Highly coveted for their unusual shape and draw animation, it’s not unusual why for many players owning one is considered to be their dream item. The appeal, popularity, and limited supply have resulted in even the cheapest butterfly knives costing upwards of $500.

What Is the Cheapest Butterfly Knife in CS2?

As we previously mentioned, don’t expect even the cheapest butterfly knife to be cheap. All of this has resulted in the price of cases containing butterfly knives skyrocketing in the last couple of years.

People might assume that the original vanilla finish would be the cheapest option, but that would be far from the truth. Truth be told, certain skin patterns are just less popular with CS2 players, which in turn drives their price even below the plain vanilla version.

So, what is the cheapest butterfly knife in CS2 currently? Numbers on both the Steam Community Market, as well as third-party sites point to the Butterfly Knife | Safari Mesh, as the cheapest option in CS2 currently.

Butterfly Knife | Safari Mesh

Starting price: $405 (FT)

Safari Mesh finishes consistently rank among the cheapest CS2 skins, and the Butterfly Knife is no exception. In fact, the Safari Mesh has long held the title of the cheapest Butterfly Knife skin in CS:GO and CS2.

A graph showing the lifetime price increase of Butterfly Knife | Safari Mesh

Before the knife trade-up update late last year, the Safari Mesh was commonly sold for between $600 and $700. Since then, Butterfly Knife prices have dropped significantly, with the price of a Field-Tested Safari Mesh starting at around $410.

Other Cheap Butterfly Knife Skins in CS2

While the Safari Mesh is the cheapest Butterfly Knife in CS2, there are several other affordable finishes that are in a similar ballpark.

If the Safari Mesh isn’t your style, here are a couple of other affordable options currently on the market:

Butterfly Knife | Forest DDPAT

Starting price: $410 (BS)

Coming in at just a few dollars above the Safari Mesh is the Butterfly Knife | Forest DDPAT, which currently starts at around $410 in Battle-Scarred condition and was also introduced with the Operation Breakout Weapon Case in July 2014.

Forest DDPAT covers the blade in a pixelated green and brown camouflage pattern. Like the Safari Mesh, it is also one of the cheapest finishes across many CS2 skins.

Butterfly Knife | Scorched

Starting price: $430 (BS)

Another cheap option sitting just above the $400 mark is the Battle-Scarred Butterfly Knife | Scorched, currently priced at around $430.

The Scorched finish gives the Butterfly Knife a dark, heavily worn appearance, with blackened, burn-like marks covering the blade. Like with the other knives previously mentioned, its price dropped significantly following the knife trade-up update, making it one of the most affordable Butterfly Knife skins in CS2 right now.

Butterfly Knife | Urban Masked

Starting price: $430 (FT)

The Urban Masked finish covers the blade in a gray urban camouflage pattern that mimics concrete and city structures. The price gap between Field-Tested and Battle-Scarred is small here, so Field-Tested is the better value since it also looks cleaner.

Butterfly Knife | Ultraviolet

Starting Price: $450 (BS)

The Ultraviolet ranks among the most popular options on this list. With its clean black-and-purple design that easily pairs with many gloves, it is the knife of choice used by several pro players.

Furthermore, it is one of the cheapest Butterfly Knife finishes available, starting at about $450 in Battle-Scarred condition.

Standing among the cheapest CS2 Butterfly Knives, you can find Ultraviolet nearly in a number of purple loadouts.

Butterfly Knife | Night

Starting price: $470 (BS)

The Night skin pattern on the Butterfly Knife is a more expensive option for those who aim for a minimalistic vibe. The sleek black blade combined with greyish-blue ornaments on the handle makes for a very clean finish. For the price of $470, you can find a pretty decent Butterfly Knife | Night in Battle-Scarred condition.

Ultimately the decision on which of the affordable Butterfly Knives to get rests with the individual buyer. Whether you’re a fan of simple, clean designs that complement your loadout, or just want the flashiest option you can get, the Butterfly Knife is the perfect vessel to adapt to your desires.

FAQs

How to Trade Up to a Butterfly Knife?

Although some cases contain Butterfly Knives, only one of them is Butterfly Knife-exclusive: the Operation Breakout Weapon Case. So, by using five P90 | Asiimov or five M4A1-S | Cyrex skins, you can trade up to a Butterfly Knife with a 100% chance.

Why Are Butterfly Knives So Expensive?

Butterfly Knives are expensive because of their rare drop rate, cool animations, and consistently high player demand.

Is It Cheaper to Buy or Unbox a Butterfly Knife?

Buying a Butterfly Knife directly is normally cheaper and far more predictable than trying to unbox one. Cases only have around a 0.26% chance of dropping any rare special item, and most Butterfly Knife cases contain several possible knife types and finishes.