The falchion knife CS2 players own is known for one trick: a rare inspect where the blade balances upright on the hand. The knife arrived with Operation Bloodhound in May 2015, inside the Falchion Case. This guide covers its history, its animations, the cases that drop it and its finishes.
Falchion knife CS2 history and design
The Counter-Strike Wiki says the Falchion is modelled on the Espada (Large) by Cold Steel, a big folding knife. In game it shows a long, slightly curved blade with a large handle.
At launch, the Falchion Case was the only way to unbox it. That case belonged to Operation Bloodhound, which ran in 2015. Later the knife joined a shared pool with the Bowie Knife, Butterfly Knife, Huntsman Knife and Shadow Daggers.
There is one odd piece of history. The wiki notes that the Falchion once drew slightly faster than other knives, at 0.97 seconds instead of 1 second. Valve fixed that in the 20 April 2017 update. Since then it has matched every other knife, and it remains cosmetic in Counter-Strike 2. Our knife damage guide covers how knives actually perform.
What is the rare Falchion inspect?
The Falchion has two inspect animations. The normal one spins the knife on your palm. The rare one, which plays only some of the time, has your character balance the knife vertically on the hand for a few seconds.
Hotspawn's May 2026 rundown of knife animations also calls its animations unique and highlights the rare palm balance. Few knives have a rare inspect at all, which is a big part of the Falchion's appeal.
You cannot choose which inspect plays. Keep inspecting and the rare version will show up eventually. Our inspect animation guide explains how inspecting works, and inspect links let you preview a listed Falchion in game.
Which cases drop the Falchion Knife?
csdb.gg lists five cases. The finish set depends on the case.
| Case | Released | Finish set |
|---|---|---|
| Falchion Case | May 2015 | Original finishes |
| Spectrum Case | March 2017 | Chroma finishes |
| Spectrum 2 Case | September 2017 | Chroma finishes |
| Operation Riptide Case | September 2021 | Gamma finishes |
| Dreams and Nightmares Case | January 2022 | Gamma finishes |
A Fade, Slaughter or Case Hardened Falchion therefore came from the original Falchion Case. Doppler and Marble Fade copies came from the Spectrum cases. Lore, Autotronic and Gamma Doppler came from Riptide or Dreams and Nightmares. Our cases and collections guide explains how pools work.
Knife drops are extremely rare, so never open cases expecting one. See our case odds post. Trade-up contracts can also produce knives since October 2025, as our trade-up guide explains.
Falchion Knife finishes
Our Falchion Knife catalogue lists 25 finish names, or 35 entries with every Doppler and Gamma Doppler phase counted separately.
Original finishes
Vanilla, Fade, Slaughter, Case Hardened, Crimson Web, Blue Steel, Night, Stained, Forest DDPAT, Boreal Forest, Safari Mesh, Scorched and Urban Masked.
Chroma finishes
Doppler, Marble Fade, Tiger Tooth, Damascus Steel, Rust Coat and Ultraviolet. Read our Doppler phases guide and Marble Fade guide for pattern differences.
Gamma finishes
Gamma Doppler, Lore, Autotronic, Black Laminate, Bright Water and Freehand.
How to choose a Falchion
- Finish first. Pick a colour you will enjoy seeing every round.
- Wear second. Check the float, explained in our float values guide.
- Pattern third. Fade, Marble Fade, Doppler and Case Hardened vary by pattern seed.
- StatTrak last. It adds a kill counter and usually costs more, as our StatTrak guide explains.
A price note. On 2 November 2026 the cheapest Falchion on the Steam Community Market was a Rust Coat in Battle-Scarred at $65.83. Most of the ten cheapest items were worn camo finishes under $72. Prices change daily, so treat that as a snapshot. Never buy a knife as an investment.
Is the Falchion worth it?
It is a good middle ground. You get a unique inspect and a rare animation for far less than a Butterfly, whose cheapest listing that day was about $531. If simple looks suit you better, compare it with the other models in our CS2 knife types guide.
Sources and checks
Design, inspects and the 2017 draw-time fix checked on 2 November 2026 against the Counter-Strike Wiki. Case list from csdb.gg. Animation notes from Hotspawn. Price snapshot from the Steam Community Market.
Frequently asked questions
What is the rare Falchion inspect?
A rare version of the inspect where your character balances the knife upright on the hand for a few seconds. The normal inspect spins it on the palm.
When was the Falchion Knife added?
In May 2015, with Operation Bloodhound and the Falchion Case.
Is the Falchion faster than other knives?
Not any more. It once drew in 0.97 seconds instead of 1 second, but Valve fixed that in April 2017. All knives now perform the same.
