Souvenir AK-47 | Cartel (Field-Tested)

Skin overview

Field-Tested is the grade where Cartel starts to look like a used, hand-engraved rifle rather than a fresh one. The dark coating thins on the edges and lighter metal shows through around the ornament, giving the receiver a lived-in look. The wood grain and the overall dark-and-brown scheme stay easy to recognise.

Item type: rifle. The weapon is available only on the Terrorist side. Classified is the second-rarest weapon tier, only Covert sits above it.

Patina: an aged metal surface; wear is part of the design, so the gap between qualities is less visible.

Other qualities of this skin: Factory New, Minimal Wear, Well-Worn and Battle-Scarred. The same quality also exists as the StatTrak™ version.

Appearance in Field-Tested

The receiver, dust cover and barrel area are finished in dark gunmetal with a fine engraved ornament of skeletons, flowers and serpents. The curved magazine carries the same dark engraved pattern along its length.

The dark coating thins visibly on the receiver edges, the top of the dust cover, the muzzle and the lower edge of the magazine, revealing lighter metal. The engraving is still readable but softer near the worn areas. The wood loses some gloss on its outer edges while the grain stays strong. In game the rifle looks slightly weathered, with the colour scheme fully intact.

Field-Tested quality — float range 0.15–0.38

The whole float range of Souvenir AK-47 | Cartel is 0–0.75; Field-Tested takes the 0.15–0.38 segment (31% of the scale). Within the range, copies with a lower float look cleaner and are valued higher.

Origin of the skin

Souvenir AK-47 | Cartel belongs to The Chroma Collection, which holds 14 skins.

It drops from Chroma Case (on sale since Jan 8, 2015).

What it costs in each quality

By price this skin is 4th of 14 skins Classified AK-47 in this quality (the first being the dearest).

Souvenir version

This is the Souvenir version: such copies dropped to tournament viewers in souvenir packages; the team stickers and signatures on them cannot be removed or chosen. Souvenir items never carry StatTrak™. There is also the regular version without tournament stickers.

Stickers and crafts

Gold, bronze and muted red stickers suit the dark engraved metal and warm wood. Placing them on the receiver above the magazine keeps them readable against the dark background, while busy multicolour stickers tend to compete with the ornament.

What to look at before you buy

• Check where the float sits within the wear grade, since lower values keep the dark coating on the edges noticeably longer.
• Inspect the receiver corners, muzzle and magazine base, as these lose the dark finish first.
• Look at how clearly the engraving reads on the receiver and magazine in the inspect view.
• Check applied stickers and the name tag, as they change how the dark receiver and wood combination looks.

Who should buy Field-Tested

• Players who use the rifle every day and want the full colour scheme at a lower cost.
• Those who like a slightly used look that suits an engraved weapon.
• Conclusion: the practical middle option for regular play.