Valve’s latest 1.3 GB CS2 update has changed everything. For the first time in Counter-Strike history, players can craft knives and gloves through the Trade Up Contract. This means that now a knife can be crafted at a lower price than purchasing it. The feature instantly exploded in popularity, flooding the market with new crafts and record-high skin prices. Here’s a clear guide on how it works.
Step 1: Open the Trade Up Contract
Go to your Inventory, Trade Up Contract. You’ll see the usual interface for skin exchanges, but now it supports Covert-tier items (red rarity).
Step 2: Choose Your Items
You need 5 Covert-quality items from any collection:
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5 regular Covert skins craft one regular knife or gloves from the same collections.
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5 StatTrak™ Covert skins craft one StatTrak™ knife.
Important: The crafted item’s collection is selected randomly from the ones you used. It means if you mix skins from the Fracture and Prisma 2 collections, your knife will come from one of these two.
Step 3: Confirm the Contract
Click “Submit” and wait for the result. You’ll receive your knife or gloves instantly. Each craft costs the total value of your 5 Covert items, but the outcome can easily exceed that price on the market.
Example of how a knife trade works!
‼️Importantly, remember: crafted knives cannot be traded ‼️ pic.twitter.com/30XVD8jUn8— SKIN.CLUB (@skinclubmedia) October 22, 2025
Step 4: Trade or Sell
All crafted items are fully tradeable and marketable. That’s what triggered the current market rush, as players are already reselling freshly crafted knives for massive profits.
ATTENTION NOW ITS TRADABLE https://t.co/pqV8XSwmMk pic.twitter.com/ABF5fSZtL6
— SKIN.CLUB (@skinclubmedia) October 23, 2025
Tips and Warnings
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You can’t choose the exact knife model or finish, so it’s random.
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StatTrak™ items only produce StatTrak™ knives.
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Use skins from collections that contain the knives you want (Fracture, Revolution, Dreams & Nightmares).
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Market prices are volatile, so craft carefully and watch trends.
Best Covert Skins to Craft Knives
To maximize your chances of crafting a rare and valuable knife, use Covert skins from collections that contain high-demand knives. The most recommended collections for knife crafting in the new CS2 Trade Up system are Fracture, Dreams & Nightmares, Prisma 2, Revolution, and Recoil. These collections are popular as they include expensive knives such as the Butterfly Knife, Skeleton Knife, and Karambit. For example, mixing 5 Covert skins from the Fracture and Prisma 2 collections guarantees your crafted knife will come from one of those two, and both are known for their premium results.
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| Skins for craft | Knives |
| M4A1-S Cyrex, P90 Asiimov | Butterfly Knife |
| AK-47 Bloodsport, USP-S Neo-Noir, P250 See Ya Later, AK-47 The Empress | Butterfly Knife / Falchion Knife |
| AK-47 Nightwish, MP9 Starlight Protector, Desert Eagle Ocean Drive, AK-47 Leet Museo | Butterfly Knife / Falchion Knife / Shadow Daggers / Bowie Knife |
| AWP Hyper Beast, AK-47 Aquamarine Revenge | Falchion Knife |
| FAMAS Commemoration, AWP Wildfire | Classic Knife |
| AWP Chrome Cannon, AK-47 Inheritance, Glock-18 Gold Toof, M4A1-S Vaporwave | Kukri Knife |
| M4A1-S Golden Coil, USP-S Kill Confirmed | Shadow Daggers |
| M4A4 The Battlestar, AK-47 Fuel Injector | Bowie Knife |
| AK-47 Neon Rider, Glock-18 Bullet Queen, M4A1-S Player Two, Five-SeveN Angry Mob, M4A4 The Emperor, AWP Neo-Noir, Desert Eagle Code Red, AK-47 Asiimov | Stiletto / Navaja / Talon / Ursus |
| FAMAS Bad Trip, AWP Printstream, MAC-10 Stalker, AWP Containment Breach, AK-47 Legion of Anubis, Desert Eagle Printstream | Paracord / Survival / Nomad / Skeleton |
Always check the Steam Market before crafting, as the prices for these skins fluctuate sharply after each major update. Using these specific skins can significantly increase your chances of pulling knives like the Butterfly Gamma Doppler, Skeleton Lore, or Karambit Emerald, which are currently among the most valuable items in CS2.
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How to Craft Gloves
Besides knives, you can also craft gloves. To craft gloves in CS2, simply select red skins from collections with gloves. StatTrak gloves don’t exist, so StatTrak inputs can’t produce gloves.
| Skins for craft | Gloves |
| SSG 08 Dragonfire, M4A4 Buzz Kill, Five-SeveN Hyper Beast, AWP Oni Taiji | First Series gloves (from the Glove Case or Operation Hydra Case) |
| AK-47 Head Shot, M4A4 Temukau, MP7 Bloodsport, M4A4 Neo-Noir | Second Series gloves (from the Clutch Case or Revolution Case) |
| Glock-18 Neo-Noir, M4A1-S Printstream, AWP Chromatic Aberration, USP-S Printstream, USP-S The Traitor, M4A4 In Living Color | Third Series gloves (from the Operation Broken Fang, Recoil, or Snakebite Case) |
Trade Cooldown Rules
If you receive a skin via trade, it will have a 7-day trade hold. You won’t be able to use it in contracts or trade it again during that period. However, if you buy an item directly from the Steam Market, no cooldown applies, so you can instantly use it in a Trade Up Contract or sell it again. This distinction is crucial for anyone planning quick flips or mass crafting – always check how you got your items before using them.
New Crafting Economy in CS2
The new Trade Up Contract turned every player into a crafter, and every Covert skin into potential gold. Knives have become cheaper, and it seems they will continue to fall in price. Red skins, on the other hand, are becoming more expensive. The community calls it the biggest CS2 economy update. Now, apparently, cheap CS2 knives will become more common, making it easier to find affordable options.
