5 Profitable CS2 Knife Trade-Ups for 2026 (Ft. AK-47 | Nightwish & AWP | Queen's Gambit)

Looking for profitable CS2 knife trade-ups and glove trade-ups in 2026? This guide lists five live Covert contracts across collections. The prose keeps skin names, collections, and optimal float bands stable. Cost, expected value, and profit stay live on each TradeUpContainer card from the Trade-Up Database. Each card deep-links into the Trade-Up Calculator.

Since the crafting update, five Covert weapon skins trade into gold from those collections. Some collections are knife-only. Others like the Dead Hand Collection are gloves-only. StatTrak entries stay on knife-only pools because gloves cannot be StatTrak.

For weapon ladder guides, see Ascent Collection trade-ups and Kilowatt Collection trade-ups. For Souvenir ladders, see profitable CS2 souvenir trade-ups.

Selection rules for this post

1. Screened at publish for positive live expected profit, fully priced outcomes, and float span at least 0.03
2. StatTrak picks from knife-only collections (no glove outcomes)
3. Normal Covert picks may target gloves-only pools such as Dead Hand
4. Distinct Covert wear and input bases across collections
5. Prose lists skins, collections, float bands, and pool notes only
6. Live cards show current cost, EV, and profit

Five picks at a glance

1. StatTrak™ AK-47 | Nightwish (Battle-Scarred) from Dreams & Nightmares (knife-only), optimal float 0.9411 to 1.0000
2. AWP | Queen's Gambit (Battle-Scarred) from Dead Hand (gloves-only), optimal float 0.4500 to 0.5237
3. Glock-18 | Fully Tuned (Minimal Wear) from Dead Hand (gloves-only), optimal float 0.0700 to 0.1214
4. StatTrak™ M4A4 | Desert-Strike (Well-Worn) from Huntsman (knife-only), optimal float 0.3925 to 0.4500
5. StatTrak™ AK-47 | Neon Revolution (Field-Tested) from Gamma 2 (knife-only), optimal float 0.1500 to 0.1829

How Covert to knife and glove trade-ups work

1. Add 5 Covert skins (all StatTrak or all normal).
2. Collection odds: each input contributes 20% toward that collection’s gold pool.
3. That pool can be knives only, gloves only, or mixed, depending on the collection.
4. Outcome float follows the average float of your five inputs and the outcome float range.
5. Buy inside the printed optimal float range on the live card, then set your sell fee before trusting profit.

How to run the contract

1. Confirm cost, expected value, and expected profit after your fee on the live card.
2. Stay inside the optimal float range. Wide spans are safer when prices move.
3. Sort outcomes by High Price on the card to compare highest-value and worst outcomes quickly.
4. Recheck prices right before you commit. Covert input costs and gold outcome prices both move fast.

1. StatTrak™ AK-47 | Nightwish (Battle-Scarred)

Five StatTrak AK-47 | Nightwish (Battle-Scarred) Coverts into a knife-only Dreams & Nightmares gold pool. Optimal float 0.9411 to 1.0000. Highest-value outcome: Emerald Butterfly. Worst outcome: Black Lam daggers. Common finishes: Freehand Huntsman, Freehand Falchion, and Autotronic Butterfly.

2. AWP | Queen's Gambit (Battle-Scarred)

Five Dead Hand Coverts into a gloves-only gold pool (AWP | Queen's Gambit, Battle-Scarred). Dead Hand does not return knives. Optimal float 0.4500 to 0.5237. Highest-value outcome: Ultra Violent Sports. Worst outcome: Seigaiha Drivers. Common finishes: Ultra Violent Sports, Occult Sports, and Cloud Chaser Specialists.

3. Glock-18 | Fully Tuned (Minimal Wear)

Five Dead Hand Coverts into a gloves-only gold pool (Glock-18 | Fully Tuned, Minimal Wear). Dead Hand does not return knives. Optimal float 0.0700 to 0.1214. Highest-value outcome: Ultra Violent Sports. Worst outcome: Seigaiha Drivers. Common finishes: Ultra Violent Sports, Pillow Punchers Specialists, and Occult Sports.

4. StatTrak™ M4A4 | Desert-Strike (Well-Worn)

Five StatTrak M4A4 | Desert-Strike (Well-Worn) Coverts into a knife-only Huntsman gold pool. Optimal float 0.3925 to 0.4500. Highest-value outcome: CW Huntsman. Worst outcome: Safari Mesh Huntsman. Common finishes: CW Huntsman, Fade Huntsman, and CH Huntsman.

5. StatTrak™ AK-47 | Neon Revolution (Field-Tested)

Five StatTrak AK-47 | Neon Revolution (Field-Tested) Coverts into a knife-only Gamma 2 gold pool. Optimal float 0.1500 to 0.1829. Highest-value outcome: Emerald Karambit. Worst outcome: Black Lam Gut. Common finishes: Autotronic Karambit, Lore Karambit, and Lore M9 Bayonet.

FAQ

How do CS2 knife and glove trade-ups work?

You trade five Covert weapon skins for one gold item from the input collections. Each input is a 20% collection share. Some collections are knife-only. The Dead Hand Collection is gloves-only. Float still uses the average of your five inputs.

How do you pick these five trade-ups?

Picks were screened for fully priced outcomes, float span at least 0.03, and positive live expected profit at publish time. StatTrak contracts must come from knife-only outcome pools. Normal Covert picks can use gloves-only pools such as Dead Hand. Always recheck the live card.

Where do I see live cost, EV, and profit?

On each TradeUpContainer card below, or by opening the same recipe in the Trade-Up Calculator. This article does not freeze dollar costs or profit percents in the prose because those move with the market.

Do StatTrak Coverts return StatTrak knives?

Yes when the pool is knife-only. All five inputs must be StatTrak or all five normal. Gloves do not have StatTrak versions, so glove collections like Dead Hand only work as normal Covert contracts.

Does Dead Hand mix knives and gloves?

No. Dead Hand is a gloves-only gold pool. Five Coverts from Dead Hand always craft into gloves.

Where else should I look?

Trade-Up Calculator, Trade-Up Database, Profitable CS2 Trade-Up Guide, plus our Ascent, Kilowatt, and Souvenir guides.

Keep checking live prices

Covert input costs and gold outcome prices shift. Re-open each card before you buy, set the fee for where you sell, and stay inside the float band. Build or tweak any of these crafts in the Trade-Up Calculator, or browse more contracts in the Trade-Up Database.