Introduction
The Dead Hand Collection brought a whole new set of gloves to CS2, and with new gloves comes the obvious question: what knives actually look good with them?
In this guide I've put together a cheap and an expensive knife option for each and every glove in the Dead Hand Collection — all 8 Driver Gloves, 7 Specialist Gloves and 7 Sport Gloves.
For every glove you'll see two screenshots. The first is the Cheap Option, an affordable way to complete the combo. The second is the Expensive Option, a premium pairing for players who want to take the loadout to the next level. From clean, understated setups to flashy endgame combos, here are the best knife pairings for the Dead Hand gloves.
All 22 Combos at a Glance
| Glove | Cheap Option | Expensive Option |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | Brocade Crane | Survival Knife | Slaughter | Skeleton Knife | Ruby |
| Driver | Brocade Flowers | Gut Knife | Gamma Doppler Phase 1 | Karambit | Doppler Phase 3 |
| Driver | Dragon Fists | Bowie Knife | Slaughter | Karambit | Ruby |
| Driver | Garden | Gut Knife | Gamma Doppler Phase 1 | Bayonet | Gamma Doppler Phase 1 |
| Driver | Hand Sweaters | Gut Knife | Lore | M9 Bayonet | Lore |
| Driver | Plum Quill | Flip Knife | Ultraviolet | Karambit | Ultraviolet |
| Driver | Seigaiha | Paracord Knife | Night Stripe | Bayonet | Gamma Doppler Phase 1 |
| Driver | Wave Chaser | Gut Knife | Freehand | M9 Bayonet | Doppler Phase 4 |
| Specialist | Big Swell | Flip Knife | Case Hardened | Butterfly Knife | Case Hardened |
| Specialist | Blackbook | Flip Knife | Black Laminate | M9 Bayonet | Black Laminate |
| Specialist | Chocolate Chesterfield | Flip Knife | Lore | Butterfly Knife | Lore |
| Specialist | Cloud Chaser | Gut Knife | Doppler Phase 4 | Karambit | Doppler Phase 4 |
| Specialist | Lime Polycam | Falchion Knife | Lore | M9 Bayonet | Lore |
| Specialist | Pillow Punchers | Kukri Knife | Urban Masked | Skeleton Knife | Urban Masked |
| Specialist | Sunburst | Huntsman Knife | Marble Fade | Bayonet | Marble Fade |
| Sport | Blaze | Paracord Knife | Fade | Stiletto Knife | Fade |
| Sport | Creme Pinstripe | Gut Knife | Black Laminate | Butterfly Knife | Black Laminate |
| Sport | Frosty | Gut Knife | Gamma Doppler Phase 1 | Karambit | Gamma Doppler Phase 1 |
| Sport | Occult | Bowie Knife | Lore | Skeleton Knife | Ruby |
| Sport | Red Racer | Falchion Knife | Autotronic | Butterfly Knife | Ruby |
| Sport | Ultra Violent | Gut Knife | Doppler Phase 2 | Karambit | Doppler Phase 2 |
| Sport | Violet Beadwork | Nomad Knife | Ultraviolet | Butterfly Knife | Black Pearl |
Driver Gloves (8)
Driver Gloves make up the biggest part of the collection with eight finishes, from the red Dragon Fists to the floral Brocade Flowers.
★ Driver Gloves | Brocade Crane
The deep red of the Brocade Crane is the whole combo. Survival Knife Slaughter keeps the red-and-pink tones on a budget, while the Skeleton Ruby turns it into a full solid-red loadout.
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Driver Gloves | Brocade Flowers
The mint base and floral detail need a colorful blade. Gamma Doppler Phase 1 picks up the green-blue tones on a cheap Gut, and the Karambit Doppler Phase 3 brings the same vibe to the most popular knife model.
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Driver Gloves | Dragon Fists
Dragon Fists is all about red, so both picks stay in that lane. Bowie Slaughter is the affordable version, Karambit Ruby is the dream version.
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Driver Gloves | Garden
Garden has a lot going on, so a Gamma Doppler Phase 1 blade ties it together without clashing. Gut is the budget route, Bayonet gives the same finish on a cleaner, longer model.
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Driver Gloves | Hand Sweaters
The knit pattern on Hand Sweaters works best with Lore's gold and olive tones. Gut Lore is one of the cheapest ways into the finish, M9 Lore is the premium upgrade.
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Driver Gloves | Plum Quill
Plum Quill is purple, so Ultraviolet is the obvious match. Flip Ultraviolet keeps it cheap, the Karambit Ultraviolet makes it a statement.
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Driver Gloves | Seigaiha
Seigaiha's dark wave pattern works with a dark budget blade like Paracord Night Stripe, or a Bayonet Gamma Doppler Phase 1 if you want the blue-green shine.
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Driver Gloves | Wave Chaser
Wave Chaser's pale tones pair nicely with the hand-drawn Freehand finish on a budget, while M9 Bayonet Doppler Phase 4 adds the blue that makes the gloves pop. See our Wave Chaser pattern guide →
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
Specialist Gloves (7)
The seven Specialist Gloves lean toward cleaner, sportier designs — perfect for Lore, Black Laminate and Doppler finishes.
★ Specialist Gloves | Big Swell
Big Swell's blue and yellow tones are basically a Case Hardened color palette. Flip Case Hardened is the budget option, Butterfly Case Hardened is the endgame.
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Specialist Gloves | Blackbook
Blackbook is black and white, so Black Laminate is a perfect match. Flip keeps it affordable, M9 Black Laminate is the premium version. See our Blackbook pattern guide →
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Specialist Gloves | Chocolate Chesterfield
Brown leather and gold is a classic look. Flip Lore gets you there cheaply, Butterfly Lore is one of the cleanest premium combos on this list.
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Specialist Gloves | Cloud Chaser
Cloud Chaser's blue tones line up with the blue-purple of Doppler Phase 4. Gut is the budget pick, Karambit is the premium one. See our Cloud Chaser pattern guide →
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Specialist Gloves | Lime Polycam
Lime Polycam's green pairs well with Lore's gold and green. Falchion Lore is the cheap route, M9 Lore is the upgrade.
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Specialist Gloves | Pillow Punchers
Pillow Punchers is mostly white and grey, so a clean Urban Masked finish fits. Kukri for budget, Skeleton for premium.
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Specialist Gloves | Sunburst
Sunburst mixes warm and cool colors, which is exactly what Marble Fade does. Huntsman is the affordable pick, Bayonet Marble Fade is the flashy one.
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
Sport Gloves (7)
Sport Gloves are usually the most popular glove type, and the seven Dead Hand Sport Gloves have some of the loudest colors in the collection.
★ Sport Gloves | Blaze
Blaze is fire colors, so Fade is the natural match. Paracord Fade keeps it cheap, Stiletto Fade is the premium version.
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Sport Gloves | Creme Pinstripe
Creme Pinstripe's cream and dark tones look great with the subtle Black Laminate. Gut for budget, Butterfly for premium.
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Sport Gloves | Frosty
Frosty's icy blue works with the cool tones of Gamma Doppler Phase 1. Gut is the cheap pick, Karambit is the premium pick.
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Sport Gloves | Occult
Occult is red and gold. Bowie Lore matches the gold on a budget, while Skeleton Ruby leans into the red for the premium version. See our Occult pattern guide →
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Sport Gloves | Red Racer
Red Racer is a race-car red, so Falchion Autotronic is a solid cheap match and the Butterfly Ruby is the premium one.
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Sport Gloves | Ultra Violent
Ultra Violent's pink and purple scream Doppler Phase 2. Gut Doppler P2 is the budget route, Karambit Doppler P2 is the endgame. See our Ultra Violent pattern guide →
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
★ Sport Gloves | Violet Beadwork
Violet Beadwork pairs with purple: Nomad Ultraviolet on a budget, or a Butterfly Black Pearl for a premium dark-purple combo.
⤢ Full size
⤢ Full size
FAQ
How many gloves are in the CS2 Dead Hand Collection?
The Dead Hand Collection has 22 gloves: 8 Driver Gloves, 7 Specialist Gloves and 7 Sport Gloves.
What is the best knife for Dead Hand gloves?
It depends on the glove's colors. Doppler and Gamma Doppler phases work with the blue, green and purple gloves, Lore suits gold and brown gloves, Ruby and Slaughter fit the red ones, and Black Laminate fits black-and-white gloves like Blackbook and Creme Pinstripe.
What is the cheapest way to build a Dead Hand glove combo?
Pick the same knife finish on a cheaper knife model. Gut, Flip, Falchion, Bowie, Paracord and Kukri knives usually cost far less than a Karambit, Butterfly or M9 Bayonet with the same finish.
Which Dead Hand glove combo looks the most premium?
Standouts include Sport Gloves Ultra Violent with a Karambit Doppler Phase 2, Driver Gloves Dragon Fists with a Karambit Ruby and Specialist Gloves Chocolate Chesterfield with a Butterfly Lore.
Conclusion
Whether you're on a budget or going all out, every Dead Hand glove has a knife that makes it look complete. The easiest rule: match the main color of the glove, then pick the knife model your budget allows.
Got a combo you think looks even better? Drop it in the comments below.