The Case Hardened is a special type of CS2 skin that isn’t just worth what it’s worth based on its wear and the weapon it’s applied to alone, but also on its randomized seed. This seed creates various patterns that give weapons rare and valuable finishes. In this article, we’ll explore how the Case Hardened works and the skins that define its expensive nature.

Contents

• Where Does the Inspiration Come From?
• But How Does it Work in CS2?
• How Much Are Case Hardened Skins Worth?
• Case Hardened Patterns
  • The Blue Gem
  • Are There Any Other Premium Patterns?
  • How Do I Check the Pattern?
• Conclusion

Where Does the Inspiration Come From?

Case-hardening is a real life process in which carbon is introduced to a low carbon object, usually steel. This creates a unique look on the meta, giving it a patina finish.

But How Does it Work in CS2?

In Counter-Strike, nobody needs to use complex chemical processes to create the skins, you simply need a random seed that applies a given part of a large bitmap to the gun. That in turn means that different weapons will have different colors and different patterns applied to them. The available tints are blue, gold, silver, and purple.

Case Hardened skins exist for the following items:

• All Knives
• AK-47
• Five-SeveN
• MAC-10
• Hydra Gloves

How Much Are Case Hardened Skins Worth?

That depends on the item and the pattern. The cheapest Case Hardened is the $11-ish Five-SeveN, while the most expensive one is the Karambit clocking in at up to $2500 for the less valuable patterns and up to a whopping $1.2 million, which is the estimate for a so-called “Blue Gem”!

Case Hardened Patterns

Okay, so what’s a Blue Gem and how do these patterns work and look like? Let’s see!

The Blue Gem

The Blue Gem is a type of Case Hardened skin that’s virtually all blue. They are among some of the rarest skins. Each of them are far more expensive than the “base” Case Hardened for their weapon. You can find the specific seed patterns for each knife in this Steam Guide.

Note that when it comes to the gun skins like the AK-47, Blue Gems aren’t quite all blue, but some extremely blue skins are considered Gems based on their heavily blue exterior. For example, here:

As you can see, the entire skin isn’t blue, but the main part around the body of the gun is. This skin can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars just based on that weird patina pattern.

Are There Any Other Premium Patterns?

Of course. There’s also the Blue Scar, a special type of Blue Gem for the AK-47, based on the 661 seed where the blue streak runs across the top of the gun’s body. This particular skin can be worth upwards of $1 million.

How Do I Check the Pattern?

Simply inspect the skin through Steam, and the seed will be contained in the info box you see when you click the “i” button in the lower part of your screen. That way, you’ll see the pattern of the skin, and if you’re extremely lucky, you might find somebody unaware giving you the deal of a lifetime. Do know that this is extremely unlikely, though. But hey, still worth a shot.

Conclusion

We could discuss the various patterns for hours, but we believe you get the gist. If you go Case Hardened hunting you’ll probably end up spending a lot of time, but hey, you never know when you get lucky. If you unbox one… remember to check it across the list to make sure you’re not the one bringing someone their lucky day. Good luck on Key-Drop, and check out our guide to the most expensive skins in CS2 next!