Entry blades judged by inspect clarity and wear forgiveness — not scraped price boards.
Skin images via Steam Community Market CDN.
Cheap is fine if it is proud
A clean cheap knife you inspect beats an ugly “investment” you hide.
What we optimize
Readable finish at FT, animation you enjoy, and a color that matches gloves you already own or can afford next.
Model expectations
Gut and Navaja save money; Falchion and Shadow Daggers trade prestige for price. Own the tradeoff openly.
Skip criteria
If the play-side is scratched into mud at the float you can afford, wait. Patience is part of the budget.