Black Laminate on the Shadow Daggers (finish id gs_push_black_laminate) is a gunsmith skin built around restraint. It does not lean on loud prints or story art; the identity lives in how the steel is treated and how the grips are surfaced. If you want a close-quarters knife that reads tactical and stays visually quiet in first person, this one earns its place in a dark loadout without shouting over your rifle.

Release date

The skin entered the game on 21 September 2021, alongside Operation Riptide. Collectors who sort by update waves can file it with other Riptide-era cosmetics from that window, which makes timeline comparisons and “when did I pick this up?” checks straightforward.

Designer

Valve — in-house, aligned with the base weapon art direction. The brief is material honesty: brushed or matte metal on the blade, laminate texture on the handles, not a narrative decal layer.

What defines the skin

• Weapon: Knife — Shadow Daggers
• Finish: Black Laminate
• Rarity: Mythical
• Style: Gunsmith
• Wear range: 0.0–1.0

Valve’s line for the item: the weapon is matte and fitted with black laminate grips. In practice, your eye goes to the soft, non-gloss sheen on the blade and the darker, layered grip panels that frame it. Gunsmith work here is about metal finish plus grip facing, not paint masks. Mythical rarity gives it a clear spot in the dagger pool, yet the overall read stays disciplined rather than flashy.

Because wear spans the full float band, Factory New and Battle-Scarred are not cosmetic clones. Lower wear tends to keep the matte read crisp and the grip contrast sharp; higher wear pushes overall aging — blade tones flatten, grip edges pick up grime and rounding. Always confirm on inspect, not thumbnail alone.

What to look for when buying

Use in-game inspect as your main tool. There is no intricate pattern template to hunt; value and appeal hinge on float tier and how “clean” the knife feels in hand.

• Low wear: Matte blade looks tighter; laminate grips pop more against the steel.
• High wear: More battlefield patina — muted blacks, softer contrast, more edge wear on grips.

Competitive players often favor this kind of desaturated knife because it disappears next to HUD and crosshair clutter. If you care about flex in menus or screenshots, spin inspect under lighting similar to maps you play — reflections on matte metal and laminate grain show up differently than on glossy finishes.

Before checkout, verify on Steam Community Market or C5GAME that the item is Shadow Daggers with finish Black Laminate. For pairing, try deep-toned gloves and primary skins: the blade stays out of the way in motion, while laminate detail still rewards close camera angles.

Quick take

Operation Riptide-era, Valve gunsmith, mythical Shadow Daggers — matte steel, black laminate grips, full wear. No case name in the brief you are holding; treat release context as Riptide timing, inspect for float, and buy on verified marketplace listings.