Knife

“

Let's settle this like gentlemen! Click to listen — The Spy on conflict resolution

”

The Knife (also known as Butterfly Knife or Balisong) is the melee weapon for the Spy class. It is a typical foldable Butterfly Knife.

This weapon serves as being the most responsible for player kills as a Spy. Once behind an enemy, a Spy may approach their back and observe an animation play where they hold the Knife aloft in a striking position. Pressing the correct bound key here will cause the player to stab the enemy, killing them in one hit. This backstab ability will only apply if the target is struck by the Knife in a radius of 180° behind them. Uniquely, Critical hits do not occur randomly with the Knife, but they do happen during humiliation and when Critboosted by The Kritzkrieg.

The Knife, when used from the side or front, is the fourth weakest melee weapon in the game, behind the Axtinguisher, GRU and the Equalizer at 200 Health or more. From this angle each hit is roughly as weak as the Scout's Baseball Bat, but the Spy lacks the Scout's movement speed to close in on a target and the Knife attacks at a slower rate than the Bat. Players are therefore better suited to using the Knife for its backstabbing feature.

Taunting with the Knife equipped makes the Spy perform a deadly Fencing maneuver.

Damage

See also: Damage

• Base: 40 (28-54 damage)
• Mini-Crit: 54
• Critical hit: 120, but only during Humiliation, charged via Kritzkrieg or during Crit boost given after capturing the Intelligence.
• Backstab: 600% of the enemy's current health resulting in an instant kill if stabbed in the back (An arc of approximately 180° behind the player model). This does not apply to the Horseless Headless Horsemann, where the weapon deals 1000 damage.

Note: Damages are approximate and determined by community testing.

Function times

• Attack Interval: 0.8

All times are in seconds. Times are approximate and determined by community testing.

Trivia

• The kill icon for the knife's backstab would seem to picture a steak knife being used as opposed to a butterfly knife.
• The Knife seems to be based on the Tach Bali SWAT butterfly knife. http://69.94.107.111/webcat/tachbaliswatspecial-2009.shtml
• One of the handles of the knife goes through the Spy's hand during the 'open' animation.

Related Achievements

Soldier

War Crime Spybunal Kill a Spy who just backstabbed a teammate.

Sniper

Shock Treatment Kill a spy whose backstab attempt was blocked by your Razorback.

Consolation Prize Get backstabbed 50 times.

Spy

A Cut Above Kill a gun-wielding Spy with your knife. Come in From the Cold Get a Revenge kill with a backstab. Die Another Way Kill a Sniper after your backstab breaks his Razorback. FYI I am a Spy Backstab a Medic who has healed you in the last 5 seconds. Identity Theft Backstab the enemy that you're currently disguised as. May I Cut In? Backstab an enemy and the Medic healing him within 10 seconds of each other. Slash and Burn Backstab an enemy, who then switches to Pyro before they respawn. The Man from P.U.N.C.T.U.R.E. Stab an enemy while fencing. Triplecrossed Backstab 3 Snipers in a single life. You Only Shiv Thrice Backstab 3 enemies within 10 seconds.

Agent Provocateur Backstab your Steam Community friends 10 times. Counter Espionage Backstab a disguised Spy. Dr. Nooooo Backstab a Medic that is ready to deploy an ÜberCharge. High Value Target Backstab an enemy who is dominating 3 or more of your teammates. Is It Safe? Backstab 50 enemies who are capturing control points. Sapsucker Sap an enemy building, then backstab the Engineer who built it within 5 seconds. Spymaster Backstab 1000 enemies. The Man with the Broken Guns Backstab an Engineer, then sap 3 of his buildings within 10 seconds. Wetwork Stab an enemy to death while under the influence of Jarate.

Gallery

• Knife 1st person red cropped.png

  RED 1st person view.

• 

  Full RED 1st person view.

• Knife ready to Backstab 1st person red cropped.png

  RED 1st person view ready to Backstab.

• 

  Full RED 1st person view ready to Backstab.

• Knife 1st person blu cropped.png

  BLU 1st person view.

• 

  Full BLU 1st person view.

• Knife ready to Backstab 1st person blu cropped.png

  BLU 1st person view ready to Backstab.

• 

  Full BLU 1st person view ready to Backstab.

See also

• Knife strategy
• Backstab