Talon Knife Blue Gem Guide: Case Hardened Talon Knife Patterns & Prices

The Talon Knife is already one of the most popular knife types among collectors – combine it with the Case Hardened skin, and you have one of the rarest and most desired skins in the entire game. It’s a pattern-based skin, meaning not all Talon Knife Case Hardened skins are equally as valuable. That’s exactly why traders don’t mind dropping thousands of dollars on the rarest patterns, which are known as Talon Knife Blue Gems. 

In this Talon Knife Blue Gem guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Talon Knife Blue Gem and its best possible patterns. 

What Is the Talon Knife Case Hardened?

The Talon Knife Case Hardened is a Counter-Strike 2 knife skin that was released on August 1, 2018. It was initially launched as a part of the Horizon Collection, but is now also available in the Danger Zone Collection, so if you want to get your hands on this beauty, those are the two cases you’re looking for. 

Like every other Case Hardened skin, the Talon Knife Case Hardened primarily features a combination of three colors: blue, gold, and purple. However, being one of the few pattern-based skins in the game, each copy of the knife can look slightly different.

This is because the Case Hardened Talon Knife has 1,000 different patterns that alter its look, and it’s very important to know what these patterns mean before you invest money into one. That’s exactly what we’re going to explain in this Talon Knife Blue Gem guide, so stay tuned!

What Is a Talon Knife Blue Gem?

So, among the 1,000 possible Talon Knife Case Hardened patterns, some of them end up much rarer than others.

Instead of displaying a mix of blue, gold, and purple colors, some Talon Knife Case Hardened knives display an abnormal amount of only blue, taking up the majority of the knife skin. As a result, these are what you call CS2 (CS:GO) Blue Gem Patterns. 

And keep in mind – we’re only looking at the amount of blue on the playside, which is what you’ll always see in-game. If a Talon Knife is completely blue on the backside and normal on the playside – it’s not going to be worth too much more. 

Not all Talon Knife Case Hardened skins end up as a Blue Gem, and as a matter of fact, only a small percentage of them do. That’s why it’s considered a rare pattern and the main reason why people are always willing to overpay for them. 

How Rare Is a Talon Knife Blue Gem?

The chances of unboxing a Blue Gem Talon Knife are extremely rare. To get one, you’ll have to fight through all of these odds:

• Unboxing a knife from a weapon case
• Having that unboxed knife be a Talon Knife with the Case Hardened skin specifically
• Going through 1,000 possible patterns and landing a Blue Gem variant

There are around 120 Case Hardened Talon Knife patterns that qualify as a Blue Gem, so you don’t need to be a mathematician to realize how rare getting one is. 

That’s exactly why Talon Knife Blue Gem patterns are extremely scarce in the market, and due to its rarity and appeal, there’s always going to be collector demand for it. 

How Talon Knife Case Hardened Pattern Seeds Work

So, now you understand the rarity of Blue Gems, but how do these pattern seeds actually work?

For starters, every Counter-Strike skin has a pattern seed assigned to it after you unbox it, which is a random number between 0 and 999 – so 1,000 patterns in total. 

Now, the Case Hardened skin has this huge canvas, where all of its textures are painted. Each pattern seed is pretty much the game putting the Talon Knife on a different location on that canvas. 

So, this is exactly why CS2 Talon Knife Case Hardened skins can look different. Most of them will end up looking normal with all three base colors on the knife, but there are rare cases where the Talon Knife only takes up blue colors and nothing much else. That’s why and how Blue Gems exist. 

This means a Case Hardened Talon Knife with pattern #55 will look different from one with pattern #193. However, a pattern #55 will always look identical to another #55. 

So, you should always inspect a Talon Knife Case Hardened Blue Gem in game and check for its pattern seed before you make any purchases – don’t make the rookie mistake of ignoring them!

Talon Knife Blue Gem Tier List

Now that we’ve gotten an idea of how Talon Knife Case Hardened patterns work, let’s take a look at the rare variants, which are known as the Talon Knife Blue Gems. 

There are 129 pattern seeds that qualify as a Blue Gem, but not all of them are equal. They are ranked with a tiering system, and are grouped based on the percentage of blue on the knife.

Here are all the Talon Knife Blue Gem patterns worth taking note of: 

Tier 1 Blue Gem	3, 10, 55, 185, 222, 241, 311, 528, 602, 805, 819, 837, 899, 923
Tier 2 Blue Gem	14, 56, 80, 114, 170, 176, 180, 186, 199, 283, 293, 299, 316, 351, 357, 365, 379, 468, 473, 501, 505, 506, 570, 576, 609, 621, 657, 707, 805, 815, 866, 873, 960, 976
Tier 3 Blue Gem	18, 19, 46, 58, 95, 111, 116, 130, 137, 203, 291, 328, 345, 367, 374, 488, 491, 533, 583, 599, 658, 660, 669, 693, 749, 761, 798, 807, 830, 883, 891, 941
Tier 4 Blue Gem	59, 70, 72, 75, 76, 77, 100, 115, 138, 168, 188, 218, 248, 255, 280, 292, 313, 342, 347, 372, 381, 383, 391, 404, 411, 431, 458, 481, 504, 507, 547, 552, 557, 598, 607, 618, 633, 702, 730, 780, 820, 835, 838, 881, 890, 917, 927, 933, 956

Best Talon Knife Blue Gem Patterns

Now, let’s take a look at some of the best Talon Knife Blue Gem patterns for every tier, and they get lower in price as we go down. This will let you decide which one you want based on your budget. 

#55 Pattern — Tier 1 

The Holy Grail of the CS2 Talon Knife Case Hardened is pattern #55, which is considered the number one Blue Gem pattern – it’s quite literally the best possible one you can get. 

This specific pattern is approximately 98.59% blue on its playside, which is completely off the charts. The backside looks extremely golden, which is actually a nice touch – you have blue on one side and gold on the other. 

If we’re forced to nitpick, Pattern #55’s only flaw is that you can see a little touch of gold at the very tip of the playside, but it’s barely noticeable in game. 

Of course, since it’s the absolute best pattern, #55s are exceptionally rare in the market, making it one of the most expensive CS2 (CS:GO) knives in the game. So, if you’re an absolute baller and have tons of money to drop on Counter-Strike skins – this skin in Factory New is one of your best options. 

#923 Pattern — Tier 1

Unfortunately, the pattern #55 Blue Gem will always be gatekept with extreme prices, so if you’re looking for another Tier 1 Blue Gem Talon Knife, we’ll point you to pattern #923. 

This pattern isn’t far off, and is within the top three Talon Knife Blue Gem patterns, so the quality is still there. It has approximately 97.49% blue on the playside, which is still significantly higher than most Blue Gems. However, the backside doesn’t look too aesthetically pleasing, but you won’t see that often when you’re in game.

Being one of the best patterns you can get, pattern #923 Talon Knife Blue Gems are being sold at astronomical prices, so we recommend beefing up your wallet before looking to purchase one. 

#528 Pattern — Tier 1

If you just want a regular Tier 1 Talon Knife Blue Gem without needing the top three patterns, #528 is a solid choice. 

It features 94.71% blue on the playside and is considered one of the lower-ranked Tier 1 Blue Gems. This pattern will absolutely do the trick if you want to spend as little as possible for a top-tier Talon Knife Blue Gem skin.

The gold hues on its playside are mostly at the bottom of the blade, so it’s not even that noticeable. 

#316 Pattern — Tier 2 

Moving down the list, we have our first Tier 2 pattern in our Talon Knife Blue Gem guide – pattern #316. As you’d expect from a lower tier, this Blue Gem Talon Knife isn’t as blue as the previous ones we featured.

Pattern #316 has approximately 89.94% blue on the playside, which falls below the 90% mark but is still a pretty solid alternative.

The main issue is that #316’s tip is very visibly golden, which can be a big turnoff to many collectors. 

#180 Pattern — Tier 2 

A second Tier 2 pattern to keep an eye on is #180, which has 88.38% blue on the playside.

The cool part about this specific pattern is that, though it has a golden tip on its playside, it also has a blue tip on its backside. Pattern #180 really looks like Yin and Yang on its two sides. 

So, if you don’t want to pay for a Tier 1 Blue Gem, you can look at this one to add a little bit of meaning to your skin. 

#95 Pattern — Tier 3

If you don’t mind working with a Tier 3 Blue Gem, pattern #95 is one to take note of. This tier does mean we’re dropping down to 71.47% blue on the playside, but it still qualifies as a solid Blue Gem.

For the most part, the CS2 Talon Knife Case Hardened pattern #95’s blue colors take up the entire top of the blade, and you’ll only see gold at the bottom. So, even though the blue percentage isn’t too high – they’re definitely going to the right spots. 

#203 Pattern — Tier 3

Pattern #203 still has a fairly high amount of blue on the playside despite being all the way down in Tier 3, as it stands strong at 78.1%.

However, the main issue is that we’re looking at a very visible golden tip. Most of the blue goes to the bottom portion of the blade, while all of the gold goes to the top.

Not to mention, the entire backside is almost completely gold. So, despite the high playside blue percentage, the color placements might make you think twice. 

#618 Pattern — Tier 4

The lowest Talon Knife Blue Gem tier goes to Tier 4, so these bad boys are relatively affordable. Pattern #618 is one of the best ones in this category, even though it’s only 62.3% blue on the playside.

The best part about pattern #618 is its blue placement. This skin features a beautiful, full-blue tip, which is what many collectors are mainly looking for. You’ll still see a large chunk of gold on its playside, but it’s still one of the better Tier 4 Talon Knife Blue Gems out there. 

#917 Pattern — Tier 4

The final Blue Gem Talon Knife pattern we’ll feature is #917, which is also a Tier 4 Blue Gem. The playside only features 58.98% blue, but it’s worth noting that the backside has a much higher blue percentage at 75.46%.

So, pattern #917 is a great option if you want Blue Gems on both sides of the knife – especially the back. 

Explaining the Talon Knife Case Hardened: Float and Wear Values

Blue Gem patterns are one thing, but float and wear values are another. Just like every other skin and CS2 (CS:GO) knife types, the wear condition on the Talon Knife Blue Gem also plays a role in how the knife ends up looking.

As you go higher in float value, the Talon Knife Case Hardened Blue Gem will start losing its shine. You won’t necessarily see scratches like many other skins, but it will look more rusted and cracked. 

Factory New Blue Gems are still the crème de la crème – most high-end collectors will only look for the best. Minimal Wear isn’t too bad, as many traders don’t mind buying a Blue Gem since the difference isn’t too noticeable between it and Factory New. 

However, when you go down to Field-Tested, Well-Worn, or Battle Scarred, it’s going to be pretty hard to find a buyer when you decide to sell CS2 (CS:GO) skins. 

So yes, float value does affect how desirable a specific Talon Knife Blue Gem is to collectors, but as we’ve learned in this Talon Knife Blue Gem guide, rare patterns will still take first priority. 

How to Check Your Talon Knife Pattern Seed

As we’ve discussed above, patterns play an extremely important role in valuing your Talon Knife Case Hardened Blue Gem, so it’s important to know how to check a pattern seed.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to checking your Talon Knife pattern seed:

1. Inspect the knife in Counter-Strike 2. 
2. In the inspect menu, look for the “i” icon at the bottom and hover your mouse over it.
3. Here, you’ll see additional details. Look for “Pattern Index.”
4. You should see a number between 0 to 999 – this is your knife’s pattern index.
5. Once you have the pattern, compare it with our table above. Check to see whether it’s a Blue Gem or a regular pattern. 

After verifying your skin’s pattern, you can also check its float value. Once you have all of this information, you can start comparing it with recent market sales to get a rough idea of your Case Hardened Talon Knife’s value. 

Is the Talon Knife Blue Gem a Good Investment?

Whether the Blue Gem Talon Knife is a good investment really depends. For starters, these knives can get really expensive, so it really depends on your risk tolerance and understanding of the CS2 skin market. So, before you invest in anything, make sure you’ve understood this Talon Knife Blue Gem guide.

Talon Knife Blue Gems are extremely rare and have a limited supply, which means it holds very strong long-term value. However, their prices can still be volatile, and it’ll take time to find buyers, especially if you have expensive patterns.

If you’re starting out, we recommend going for lower-tier Blue Gems, as they’re generally easier to sell and won’t require as big of an investment as a Tier 1 Blue Gem.

Where to Buy a Talon Knife Case Hardened Blue Gem

So, if you’ve made up your mind and want your own Talon Knife Blue Gem, the next step is figuring out where you can buy it.

Of course, there’s always the Steam Community Market, which is Valve’s official marketplace platform. However, we highly recommend against it, as not only are prices there inflated, but it doesn’t have the technology to track and support Talon Knife Blue Gem patterns. 

So, the best alternative is to use third-party marketplaces like Skin.Place. These trading sites are equipped with built-in features that let you check the pattern of a Talon Knife Case Hardened skin, so you know exactly what pattern you’re looking at – you can always compare the patterns to the ones listed in this Talon Knife Blue Gem guide. 

The prices are also generally lower than the Steam Market, so you can save a decent chunk of money whenever you buy (CS2) CS:GO skins. 

Just make sure to always do your due diligence. Verify the pattern seed and inspect it in-game if you have to – especially the playside. Then, also check the skin’s float value so you know exactly what you’re getting. Finally, make sure to compare prices between sites so you end up with the best one. 

Conclusion

So, if there’s one thing we’ve learned from this Talon Knife Blue Gem guide, it’s that patterns play an important role in determining your Talon Knife Case Hardened Blue Gem skin’s value. The rarest patterns are called Blue Gems, but even those are sorted into tiers based on their blue percentage. 

If you want to get your hands on a Blue Gem Talon Knife, make sure to verify the pattern seed before anything, and only transact on trusted marketplace platforms with good reputations.