CS2 Knife Crafting Explained: How New Trade Up System Works After the Update

For years, Counter-Strike 2 players have dreamed about crafting knives through trade-ups — and now, that dream is finally real. The latest CS2 update introduces a historic shift: you can now use the Trade Up Contract to craft Knives and Gloves.

It’s a massive shake-up for the skin economy, and traders are already reshaping strategies to take advantage of it. Here’s everything you need to know to navigate this new meta, from how the mechanic works to how to maximize your odds and avoid burning your balance.

What Changed: Knife & Gloves Crafting Basics

Before this update, Trade Up Contracts only supported lower-tier skins — up to Covert (red rarity).

Now, that limitation is gone. Here’s what’s new:

• You can now use 5 Covert-tier skins to craft a Knife or Gloves.
• StatTrak™ Covert skins produce StatTrak™ knives.
• The resulting item is random and was chosen from one of the input collections.
• Crafted knives and gloves are tradeable and marketable immediately.
• Trade cooldowns apply to items obtained via trade (7 days), but not to those bought from the Steam Market.

This change means the Trade Up Contract has become one of the highest-risk, high-reward systems in CS2 history.

How to Craft a Knife in CS2: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Open the Trade Up Contract

Open your CS2 inventory and navigate to the Trade Up Contract menu.
You’ll now see that Covert (red) skins can be chosen as input items — a new addition that unlocks knife and glove crafting.

Step 2: Choose Your Inputs

Choose 5 Covert skins from any combination of collections to begin the crafting process.

• Regular → regular Knife or Gloves
• StatTrak™ → StatTrak™ Knife or Gloves

If you include items from different collections, the outcome will be randomly selected from one of those collections — so mixing lowers your chances of hitting a specific knife.

Step 3: Confirm the Contract

Once you’re done with your selection, confirm the Trade Up Contract by clicking Submit.
Your new knife or gloves will be created instantly — no animation or waiting required. Remember, the outcome is final and can’t be reversed.

Step 4: Trade or Sell

After crafting, your new knife or gloves are instantly available for trade or sale.
You can list them on the Steam Market or trusted third-party trading platforms right away.

Just remember — market prices can swing fast after big updates. If you’re aiming for profit, consider selling early while demand (and hype) are peaking.

Pro Tips: Maximizing Your Crafting Potential

Focus on High-Value Collections

If you want the best shot at a premium knife, stick to collections known for top-tier designs — like Fracture, Prisma 2, Dreams & Nightmares, or Revolution.
These sets contain some of the most valuable and visually popular knives in CS2, giving you better odds of crafting something worth keeping (or selling).

Avoid Mixing Too Many Collections

Every extra collection you include expands the possible outcome pool.
That means your chances of landing a specific knife drop sharply — so focus on one or two collections for a more predictable result.

Keep StatTrak Consistent

To craft a StatTrak™ Knife or Gloves, all five input skins must also be StatTrak™.
Mixing regular and StatTrak items defaults the result to non-StatTrak™, wasting valuable inputs.

Watch Trade Cooldowns

Items received through trades have a 7-day cooldown before they can be used in contracts.
If you want to craft immediately, buy your skins directly from the Steam Market — those don’t have a waiting period.

Monitor Market Fluctuations

Prices for Covert skins have surged since the knife crafting update, but hype can fade fast.
Keep an eye on market trackers and analytics sites to spot price drops or rising trends early.

Risk Management: Don’t Go All In

Let’s be real — crafting knives isn’t a guaranteed profit. You’re gambling with high-value skins, and the results can swing wildly.

Here’s what to watch out for:

• Random outcomes: You might end up with a low-tier knife.
• Market saturation: Everyone’s crafting right now; supply spikes can tank prices.
• High entry costs: 5 Covert skins can easily cost hundreds.
• Speculative hype: Don’t assume knife prices will keep rising indefinitely.

For more insight into knife values and designs, check out our guide on the Top 10 Best Bowie Knife Skins in CS2.

The Bottom Line: Strategy Over Luck

The new knife crafting update is one of the biggest game-changers CS2 has ever seen.

It adds depth, strategy, and a whole new layer of risk to the economy — but for those who play it smart, it’s an exciting opportunity to profit and experiment.

Understand the mechanics, pick collections wisely, and follow real-time market data — and your next Trade Up Contract might just land that dream Butterfly Knife.