How to equip the ghost knife, CSGO’s forbidden melee weapon

The ghost knife isn’t meant to exist in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, but savvy players can summon it for themselves.

The ghost knife is one of a few hidden knife skins in CSGO. Instead of a Steam inventory item that can be used in-game, this skin is actually hidden in the files and not meant to be used by players. However, by using a special set of console commands, players can get a hold of it in-game. Here’s how to equip the ghost knife and what makes it special in CSGO.

The ghost knife is formally named the Special Shiv in the game’s files. The weapon was added to the game in 2018 as part of that year’s special Halloween event. The ghastly dagger doesn’t appear in any weapon cases, but there’s still a way to use it.

How to equip the ghost knife in CSGO

Here’s a quick list of instructions for how to equip the ghost knife in a private CSGO server.

Open up the developer console and type in the following commands.

• sv_cheats 1
• mp_drop_knife_enable 1
• mp_items_prohibited 0
• give weapon_knife_ghost
• Drop your knife!
• ent_fire weapon_knife addoutput “classname weapon_knifegg”

After putting in all these commands, you should notice that your normal knife is now replaced with a spectral version of the Flip Knife. 

As far as usability goes, the item is exactly the same as the normal knife. It takes two left clicks and one right click to kill and it even works for backstabs on helpless bots. 

Of course, since it requires the use of several console commands, it is not possible to equip the ghost knife in any public CSGO matches. It can only be done on private servers. While not the most useful thing to know in CSGO, it makes a good parlor trick during in-house games.