If you want a Bayonet that reads like a relic instead of a flat sticker job, Lore is the Gamma-line option people still recognize on sight. Legendary tier, custom hand-painted finish: knotwork wraps the blade, guard, and handle so the motif follows the curves instead of tiling across them.

Quick specs

• Category: Knife (Bayonet)
• Rarity: Legendary
• Finish: Custom hand-painted (rope / knot theme)
• Wear range: 0.00–0.65 (Factory New through Battle-Scarred)
• Drops from: Gamma Case, Gamma 2 Case
• Release: June 15, 2016 (Gamma Exposure)
• Lookup: cu_bayonet_lore, skin ID 411

Inspect checklist

Does the theme survive your viewmodel? Lore lives or dies in how much knot detail you see while holding and inspecting. Spin it in-game: front bevel, spine, and guard should still read as one continuous pattern, not random scraps.

Float is the price lever. At the low end, knot edges stay crisp and the steel feels “fresh.” Mid floats start to soften contrast; Battle-Scarred pushes a worn talisman look—some buyers prefer that patina, others treat it as a budget flex. Same skin, very different mood.

Market sanity. After you pick a wear band you like, compare same-float listings on C5GAME and the Steam Community Market. Lore has had years of Gamma-case supply, so pricing is usually transparent—but duplicate listings with better knot visibility still command a premium.

Shopping verdict

Buy if you want a classic Gamma Bayonet with strong identity, you will inspect before paying, and you are fine hunting a float that matches how you play (clean FN/FT for sharp lines, or BS if you like aged knotwork).

Pause if you need maximum “new knife” shine on a budget—low-float Lore is rarely the cheapest Legendary Bayonet path—or if knot detail in your preferred inspect angle looks muddy; pass and wait for the next listing.

Editor’s notes

Lore is one of those skins where the name and art actually agree: it feels like knot magic pressed into steel, not a generic texture slap. Valve’s hand-painted pipeline shows in how lines meet across faces— that is why it stayed a Gamma-era visual shorthand since 2016.

Do not treat float as a single number on a screenshot. Breaks in the rope, how much handle pattern survives, and whether the guard still “closes the loop” matter as much as the wear label. Tag 411 / cu_bayonet_lore when you search inventory tools so you are not comparing the wrong Bayonet finish.

For story-driven collectors who like skins that age with play, Lore remains a solid pick—as long as you buy the inspect, not the thumbnail.