How CS2 Knife/Glove Trade Up Works: 2026 Guide

In the realm of in-game cosmetics, CS2 knives and gloves sit atop the throne of the most valuable pixels money can buy. The prices of these sought-after digital items start at ~$50 and can reach as high as ~$100k. A recorded asking price for a rare Karambit | Case Hardened Blue Gem reached as high as $2M.

These establish the CS2 Golds as a very expensive jackpot. As of October 22, they can be accessed either via case opening or trade up contracts. We will cover the opening odds in another article; for this, let’s deep dive into how to get a Knife/Glove from trade up contracts.

What is CS2 Knife/Glove Trade Up?

As the name suggests, the CS2 Knife/Glove or Gold Trade Up allows players to exchange 5 Covert skins for a Knife/Glove skin.

The pattern, wear rating, and collection of the traded-up skin are determined by the following:

• The Knife/Glove will belong to the same collection as the Coverts used in the contract.
• The probability of hitting a particular collection is based on the number of coverts used in the contract that belong to the said collection.
• The probability of hitting a particular Knife/Glove is: Probability of hitting the collection/Number of skins in that collection of that quality.
• For special finishes like Gamma Dopplers or Dopplers, additional probabilities apply to variants such as Black Pearl.
• The Wear Rating, or float value, of the traded-up skin will be the average float of the 5 skins used in the contract. In case the Knife/Glove is float-capped, the float would be adjusted accordingly.
• Patterns for finishes like Case Hardened, Marble Fade, Fade, etc are randomized.
• Players can only use Coverts from collections that feature a Gold item — meaning collections like Genesis or Overpass cannot be used.

To better understand this, consider the following example:

If you use the following Coverts for trade up:

• AK-47 | Inheritance (Kilowatt)
• AWP | Printstream (Fever)
• AK-47 | Nightwish x2 (Dreams and Nightmare)
• Galil AR | Chatterbox (Chroma)

The probability of hitting the collections would be

• 20% for Kilowatt, Fever, and Chroma
• 40% for Dreams and Nightmare

The probability of hitting a Butterfly Gamma Doppler then becomes 40%/30 (total knife skins in the collection), i.e., 1.33%

The chance of it being an Emerald is roughly 10%, so approximately 0.13%. The float will depend on the inputs but will be adjusted since Gamma Dopplers are float-capped. 

How to Trade Up for a Knife/Glove in CS2?

The prerequisites for trading up in CS2 are simple: You need 5 coverts(reds) of a collection that has a knife/glove (gold).

Once the requirement is met, you follow the steps to trade up:

• Navigate to Inventory > Trade Up
• Choose the 5 Covert skins you want to trade up
• Confirm the exchange by checking “Ready for Trade Up”
• Click Proceed to get your traded-up item. 

As mentioned earlier, the collection and wear rating of the skin will be based on the contract inputs, whilst the pattern will be randomized. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Do I have to Trade Up skins?

You do not have to trade up skins; it's a functionality and not an obligation.

Q. Can I reverse a Trade Up Contract?

You cannot reverse the Trade Up Contract at this moment in-game.

Q. Can I use the Souvenir Red Skins for Trade Up?

Since the Souvenir collections do not feature a Gold item, they cannot be used for Trade Up.

Q. Can I  get a Factory New Skin from a 5 Field-Tested Coverts

Not in most cases, but if the higher quality/traded-up Gold is float-capped, you can get an FN Gold from an FT contract. Usually, the float value is the average float value of the 10 skins used.

Q. Can I use different float value skins in a knife/glove trade up contract?

Yes, you can use skins with different float values as long as they are coverts.

Q. Can I get gold from any collection after a trade up?

No, you can only get the gold from the collection used in the contract.

Q. How to buy a Trade Up Contract?

Trade Up contracts are free and available in-game for everyone.

Q. How many skins do I need for a Trade Up contract?

You need 10 skins of the same quality for Trade Up Contract. 5 for a Knife/Glove trade up. 

 

Also checkout our normal trade up contract guide here.

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Featured Image Credits: Valve