CS2 Float Value Guide: Complete 0.00-1.00 Spectrum Analysis (2026)
Mission Briefing
- 1Understanding Float Value
- 2The Five Wear Conditions
- 3The Two Wear Types (Critical Difference)
- 4High Float Collecting: The Blackiimov Phenomenon
🔬 THE FLOAT SPECTRUM
The DNA of Every Skin: Float value is a permanent number between 0.00 and 1.00 assigned when a skin is created. It determines wear condition, visual appearance, and can create 300%+ price differences between otherwise identical skins. Understanding float is essential for profitable trading.
#Understanding Float Value
What is Float Value?
Float value is a decimal number between 0.00000 and 1.00000 that determines a skin's wear condition. This value:
- Is assigned randomly when the skin is created (drop, unbox, trade up)
- Cannot be changed after creation
- Determines which wear category the skin falls into
- Affects visual appearance (scratches, darkness, shine)
- Creates significant price variations
Example:
- AK-47 Redline with 0.15 float = $12 (Field-Tested)
- AK-47 Redline with 0.069 float = $45 (Factory New)
- Same skin, 275% price difference based solely on float!
#The Five Wear Conditions
Factory New (FN) - 0.00 to 0.07
Visual: Pristine, minimal to no scratches, maximum shine
Market Reality: Most expensive condition. 0.00x floats command 50-100% premiums
Sweet Spot: 0.00-0.03 for collectors, 0.03-0.06 for players
Trap: 0.069 FN looks worse than 0.07 MW but costs 2x more
Liquidity: Excellent - easy to sell
Minimal Wear (MW) - 0.07 to 0.15
Visual: Very slight wear, minimal scratches, still looks clean
Market Reality: Best value - 0.07-0.08 looks identical to FN for 30-50% less
Sweet Spot: 0.070-0.080 (the "low float MW" strategy)
Strategy: Buy low float MW, list as "clean MW", profit from visual quality
Liquidity: Excellent - very popular condition
Field-Tested (FT) - 0.15 to 0.38
Visual: Noticeable wear, visible scratches, but still presentable
Market Reality: Most liquid condition globally. 0.15-0.18 "low float FT" is king
Sweet Spot: 0.150-0.179 - looks MW, costs FT price
Strategy: The 0.15 skins are the MOST TRADED items in CS2
Liquidity: Maximum - fastest sell times
Well-Worn (WW) - 0.38 to 0.45
Visual: Heavy wear, significant scratches, noticeably damaged
Market Reality: The "awkward middle child" - neither cheap nor clean
Problem: Too expensive for budget buyers, too scratched for quality seekers
Recommendation: Generally avoid unless 50%+ discount vs FT
Liquidity: Poor - takes longest to sell
Battle-Scarred (BS) - 0.45 to 1.00
Visual: Extreme wear, paint missing, very damaged appearance
Market Reality: Cheapest condition - BUT high float BS can be valuable!
Special Market: 0.95-0.99 "Blackiimovs" and high-float collectors
Strategy: Ignore unless hunting specific high-float patterns
Liquidity: Moderate for cheap skins, excellent for rare high-floats
Float Value Price Impact
| Float Range | Condition | Typical Price | Best Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00-0.01 | Factory New | +50-100% | Collectors only |
| 0.03-0.06 | Factory New | Baseline FN | ✅ Good |
| 0.07-0.08 | Minimal Wear | -30-40% | ✅ Best Value! |
| 0.15-0.17 | Field-Tested | -50-60% | ✅ Max Liquidity |
| 0.38-0.45 | Well-Worn | -70-75% | ❌ Avoid |
| 0.95-0.99 | Battle-Scarred | +20-200%* | *Special cases |
#The Two Wear Types (Critical Difference)
Not all skins wear the same way. Understanding this is crucial for trading.
Type A: Scratch Wear (Paint Removal)
🔨 Scratch-Based Wear
As float increases, paint physically chips off, revealing base metal underneath.
Valve's algorithm removes paint from specific areas (corners, edges) as float increases.
- M4A4 | Howl (scratches severely at 0.04+)
- AK-47 | Vulcan (corners chip first)
- Karambit | Fade (corner wear is everything)
- AWP | Dragon Lore (scope area shows wear)
- Glock-18 | Fade (grip scratches heavily)
Trading Strategy: Always buy lowest float possible (0.00-0.03). Each 0.01 increase = visible degradation.
Type B: Brightness Wear (Color Change)
🎨 Brightness-Based Wear
As float increases, skin gets darker/color shifts. Paint doesn't chip off.
Valve's algorithm reduces brightness/changes hue without removing paint texture.
- AWP | Asiimov (scope goes from orange to black)
- AWP | Medusa (green to dark evil green)
- Knives | Blue Steel (bright blue to dark navy)
- M4A1-S | Dark Water (gets progressively darker)
- AK-47 | Black Laminate (subtle darkening)
Trading Strategy: Sometimes HIGH float is MORE valuable (Blackiimovs). Unique aesthetic created by darkness.
How to Identify Wear Type
#High Float Collecting: The Blackiimov Phenomenon
Some Battle-Scarred skins are worth MORE than Factory New due to unique high-float aesthetics.
The Blackiimov (AWP | Asiimov 0.90+)
💀 The Blackiimov
What It Is: AWP | Asiimov with 0.90-0.99 float. Scope becomes completely black.
Why It's Valuable:
- Extremely rare (< 1% of all Asiimovs)
- Unique "murdered out" black aesthetic
- Streamer/pro player preference
- Cannot be achieved artificially
Price Comparison:
- Regular BS (0.45-0.89): $60-80
- Blackiimov (0.90-0.94): $100-140
- True Blackiimov (0.95-0.99): $150-250+
- 0.999+ Blackiimov: $300-500 (collector item)
For Comparison: AWP Asiimov FN doesn't exist (float capped at 0.18). So 0.99 BS is rarer than FN would be!
Other Valuable High-Float Skins
AWP | Medusa (0.90+)
Blue Steel Knives (0.99)
AK-47 | Black Laminate (0.99)
M4A1-S | Dark Water (0.99)
Hunting Strategy:
- Filter CSFloat/Buff163 for target skin
- Sort by float: highest first
- Look for 0.95+ floats listed at regular BS prices
- Buy immediately if underpriced
- Relist with "Blackiimov" or "High Float" tags
#Float Caps: The Hidden Trap
⚠️ CRITICAL: Not all skins can exist across the full 0.00-1.00 float range.
What Are Float Caps?
Some skins have minimum and maximum float limits hardcoded by Valve. This creates several issues:
❌ The Trade-Up Disaster
Scenario: You want Factory New AWP | Asiimov
- Buy 10x Classified skins with 0.00-0.01 float
- Cost: $200
- Expected output: 0.0133 float (Factory New)
AWP Asiimov is FLOAT CAPPED at 0.18 minimum. You get 0.18 Field-Tested output. Your 0.00 inputs were wasted. You lost $150.
Common Float-Capped Skins
| Skin | Min Float | Max Float | Missing Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWP | Asiimov | 0.18 | 1.00 | No FN or MW |
| AK-47 | Slate | 0.00 | 0.26 | No FT, WW, BS |
| Crimson Web (knives) | 0.06 | 0.80 | FN always scratched |
| M4A4 | Desolate Space | 0.00 | 0.50 | No WW or BS |
| USP-S | Kill Confirmed | 0.00 | 0.68 | Limited BS range |
How to Check Float Caps:
- Visit CSFloat database
- Search for skin name
- View "Float Range" info
- Verify min/max before any trade up
Always Verify Before Trade Ups
#Float Trading Strategies
Strategy 1: The 0.15 Sweet Spot
Concept: Buy Field-Tested skins with 0.15-0.17 float. They look Minimal Wear but cost FT price.
Best Skins:
- AK-47 | Redline (0.15 looks nearly MW)
- M4A4 | Desolate Space (0.15 very clean)
- AWP | Hyper Beast (0.15-0.16 excellent)
- USP-S | Kill Confirmed (0.15 looks premium)
Profit Method:
- Filter CSFloat for target skin, FT condition
- Sort by float: lowest first
- Buy all 0.15-0.17 floats at regular FT price
- Relist as "Low Float FT" or "Clean FT"
- Sell for 10-20% premium
Example:
- Buy: AK-47 Redline FT 0.151 @ $12
- Sell: AK-47 Redline FT 0.151 "Clean" @ $14
- Profit: $2 per flip (16.7% ROI)
Strategy 2: The 0.07 Arbitrage
Concept: Buy Minimal Wear skins with 0.070-0.080 float. Look identical to FN.
Best Candidates:
- M4A1-S | Printstream MW (looks FN)
- Karambit | Doppler MW 0.07 (pristine)
- AK-47 | Vulcan MW 0.07 (no visible wear)
Profit Method:
- Find skins where FN is 2x+ price of MW
- Buy MW with 0.070-0.075 float
- Skins look 95% identical to FN
- Save 40-60% vs buying FN
- Sell easily as "Low Float MW"
Example:
- M4A1-S Printstream FN: $150
- M4A1-S Printstream MW 0.071: $50
- Visual difference: < 5%
- Savings: $100 (66%)
Strategy 3: Blackiimov Hunting
Concept: Find high-float skins (0.95+) listed at regular BS prices.
Method:
- Target brightness-wear skins only
- Filter for Battle-Scarred condition
- Sort by float descending
- Look for 0.95+ listed at normal BS price
- Buy immediately
- Relist with "Blackiimov" or "0.9X Float" tag
- Sell for 50-200% premium
Best Targets:
- AWP Asiimov (king of high-float)
- AWP Medusa (Green Witch)
- Blue Steel knives
- AK-47 Black Laminate
#Float Value in Trade Ups
Understanding float is CRITICAL for profitable trade ups.
The Float Formula (Reminder)
Output Float = (Average Input Float × Output Range) + Output Min Float
Real Example: Crafting Low Float Output
Goal: M4A1-S Printstream Factory New (< 0.07)
Target Skin Info:
- Float range: 0.00 - 0.70
- Range = 0.70
- Min = 0.00
Required Calculation:
Target: < 0.07
0.07 = (Avg Float × 0.70) + 0.00
Avg Float = 0.07 / 0.70 = 0.10
Strategy:
- Buy 9 filler skins @ 0.00-0.01 float
- Buy 1 target collection skin @ 0.10 float
- Average: (9×0.01 + 1×0.10) / 10 = 0.019
- Output: (0.019 × 0.70) + 0.00 = 0.0133
- Result: Factory New output!
Low Float Power
Float Cap Check
#Common Float Mistakes
0.069 is the WORST Factory New float. Looks worse than 0.07 MW but costs 2x more. Always avoid floats above 0.065 unless massive discount.
Only brightness-wear skins are valuable at high float. Scratch-wear high floats look terrible. Check wear type on CSFloat before buying 0.90+ floats.
This is the #1 way people lose money. ALWAYS check if your target skin has float caps before buying inputs. Use CSFloat database.
Unless you're a collector, 0.00-0.01 floats aren't worth 2x price. 0.03 looks 99% identical. Save money, buy 0.03-0.05.
0.15-0.17 FT skins are the best value in CS2. Look nearly MW, cost 50% less than MW, highest liquidity. Always filter for these first.
#Tools & Resources
CSFloat Database
Steam Inventory Helper
Float Calculator
Blackiimov Finder
#Summary: Quick Float Reference
Best Value Floats by Goal
For Players (Best Bang/Buck):
- FT: 0.150-0.170 (looks MW, costs FT)
- MW: 0.070-0.080 (looks FN, costs MW)
- FN: 0.030-0.050 (clean, not overpriced)
For Collectors:
- FN: 0.000-0.010 (pristine, premium)
- Special: 0.950-0.999 (Blackiimovs)
For Traders:
- Buy: 0.15-0.17 FT, 0.07-0.08 MW
- Avoid: 0.38-0.45 WW (worst liquidity)
- Hunt: 0.95+ BS brightness-wear skins
Float Cap Check Priority:
- AWP Asiimov (0.18 min)
- Crimson Web (0.06 min)
- Any trade up target (verify ALL)
🔬 Master Float Trading
Use our advanced float calculator to find profitable trade ups and float arbitrage opportunities.
Calculate Float Values →
Final Advice: Float value is the hidden variable that separates profitable traders from gamblers. Master the 0.15 sweet spot, avoid float caps, understand wear types, and always buy low float within each condition tier. The market rewards those who understand the math.
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