Souvenir AK-47 | Cartel (Minimal Wear)

Skin overview

This copy keeps the look that defines Cartel: a classic AK silhouette with a dark ornamented receiver and magazine set against glossy reddish wood. In Minimal Wear the engraving still reads clearly. Any marks are limited to small points on the metal edges and rarely show outside close inspection.

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, Field-Tested, Well-Worn and Battle-Scarred. The same quality also exists as the StatTrak™ version.

How the skin looks in Minimal Wear

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.

Light rubbing can appear on the sharpest edges, such as the receiver corners and the muzzle. The engraving itself remains clear, and the magazine looks essentially untouched. The wood stays glossy. In game it is practically indistinguishable from Factory New.

Minimal Wear quality — float range 0.07–0.15

The whole float range of Souvenir AK-47 | Cartel is 0–0.75; Minimal Wear takes the 0.07–0.15 segment (11% 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.

The source is Chroma Case (on sale since Jan 8, 2015).

What it costs in each quality

Among 13 skins of the AK-47 in the Classified grade and this quality, this skin ranks 11th by price, counting from 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 the Minimal Wear quality suits

• Players who want a near-pristine look without paying for the top grade.
• Sticker crafters, since the difference from Factory New is hard to see in game.
• Conclusion: a sensible balance of clean appearance and value.