If you want a purple knife without a busy print, Ultraviolet is the lane Valve picked: black and purple on separate parts, clean from a distance, sharper block-and-line contrast up close. Official copy is blunt—parts of the weapon got a black-and-purple paint job. The flavor line adds drama: nobility hiding something cruel. For loadouts that hate noisy skins, this often pairs better than pattern-heavy alternatives.

Release & pedigree

January 8, 2015. Paint kit so_purple (Ultraviolet, catalog 98) landed that day with Chroma Case, first on Bayonet and other knife shapes. In trade talk it’s still one of the go-to “purple knife” tags.

Designer: Valve — in-house, not a Workshop submission. If you care about “factory Valve vibe” over community skin lore, that matters for how the finish reads on your knife.

Source case: Chroma Case — same date, same case context if you’re aligning collection story with drop history.

What you’re buying (specs that affect price)

| Fact | Detail |
|------|--------|
| Category | Knife |
| Finish | Ultraviolet (so_purple) |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Style | Solid color |
| Wear | 0.06 – 0.8 |

Solid color means the “pattern” is mostly base coat + wear, not seed-driven artwork. Rare is common for knives but still worth arguing about in builds. That 0.06–0.8 window is wide: low float keeps purple tight and black edges crisp; higher wear pushes scratches and fade, with tip and edge stealing the frame. “Partial parts” coloring also means knife model changes how much purple vs black you see—same finish, different silhouette.

Shop inspect checklist (do this before you pay)

1. In-game inspect on the exact listing—screenshots lie.
2. On C5GAME or Steam Community Market, filter to the wear tier you’ll accept, then check whether purple looks muddy or black turns washed gray.
3. Zoom tip, guard, spine—that’s where float pain shows first on many models.
4. Cold-theme inventory (charcoal, navy, black rifles)? Ultraviolet usually sits cleanly. Bright, glossy stacks need FN/low FT to keep the purple feeling “premium.”

Buying conclusion

Worth it if you want a restrained purple knife, you’re willing to hunt float, and your play knife model shows purple where you care (inspect first). Skip or downgrade wear if you need a loud flex skin—this finish sells contrast and discipline, not meme patterns. Budget shoppers can find value in mid wear if the purple still reads strong on your chosen knife; perfectionists should budget for lower float or accept long search times.

Expert ramble

I’ve passed on “cheap Ultraviolet” listings that looked fine in thumbnails until inspect showed gray black and tired purple on the blade face—solid colors punish lazy shopping more than hyper-pattern skins where float hides in the noise. Chroma Case nostalgia doesn’t automatically tax every listing, but knife tax still applies: popular shapes carry premium regardless of how minimal the paint is. If you’re building one purple anchor piece, Ultraviolet is honest—it doesn’t pretend to be doppler drama. Just respect the 0.8 ceiling: near the top, you’re mostly buying shape and name, not color. Final rule: same as always—inspect on C5GAME, compare Steam when spreads matter, then buy the float you can live with flipping in third person.