AK-47 | Cartel (Factory New)

The AK-47 | Cartel (Factory New) is a Classified rifle skin finished in dark, polished metal engraved with skulls, roses, and serpents in a gothic Day-of-the-Dead cartel style. Factory New is the cleanest grade it comes in, so the engraving reads at its sharpest and shows the design exactly as intended.

Design

Cartel covers the receiver and body in dark, polished metal etched with skulls, roses, and serpents — a gothic, Day-of-the-Dead cartel aesthetic in dark tones with red accents, while the natural wood stock and handguard are left in place. It's a community design by the artist Anders, and it carries a fitting in-game line: "One little squeeze turns every morning into the Day of the Dead."

AK-47 | Cartel (Factory New) Float and Wear

At Factory New the finish sits at the low end of the float scale, so the polished metal stays deep and glossy and the engraved skulls, roses, and serpents keep their fine detail. There's little to no scuffing on the receiver or the wood furniture. For the design at its most detailed — the tightest the engraving ever looks — this is the grade to chase.

AK-47 | Cartel Rarity

Rarity: Classified — the pink tier, second from the top of the standard weapon grades, just below Covert. It's a genuinely uncommon grade to pull from a case.

AK-47 | Cartel Case and Collection

The AK-47 | Cartel is part of The Chroma Collection and drops from the Chroma Case, released in January 2015. The Classified tier as a whole drops about 3.2% of the time from the case, and however many copies exist come from that same source — most are bought on the market rather than unboxed.

AK-47 | Cartel Patterns

The AK-47 | Cartel has no random pattern variation — the engraved skulls, roses, and serpents sit the same way on every copy, so there's no paint seed or "blue gem" to hunt. Wear and float are the only things that separate one Cartel from another.

StatTrak & Souvenir

A StatTrak™ AK-47 | Cartel exists and adds a confirmed-kill counter; it's a rarer, pricier drop than the standard skin, and the counter is permanent, carrying over when the item is traded or sold. There's no Souvenir version — Souvenir weapons come only from Major-tournament souvenir packages, and the Cartel was never part of a Major drop.

AK-47 | Cartel Price

Factory New sits at the top of the Cartel price ladder as the highest grade the skin comes in — a clear step above Minimal Wear and Field-Tested. It's an affordable mid-tier pick within the AK-47 lineup, so top condition comes without grail money. It's available to buy on Skin.Land with instant delivery and no hidden fees.

FAQ

What makes Factory New worth the premium?

It keeps the polished metal deepest and the engraved skulls, roses, and serpents at their sharpest, with essentially no visible wear on the body or the wood furniture. It's the top grade the Cartel comes in, which is why it commands the highest price in the finish's ladder over the more worn exteriors.

Does the AK-47 | Cartel have a Souvenir version?

No. Souvenir weapons are only handed out through Major-tournament souvenir packages, and the Cartel comes from the Chroma Case rather than a Major drop, so a Souvenir Cartel was never made. You can, however, find a StatTrak version, which adds a permanent confirmed-kill counter.

Which gloves go with the AK-47 | Cartel?

Its dark metal with red accents and natural wood suits a moody, high-contrast loadout, so black or red gloves work best — a red pair picks up the accent tones, while dark brown or black wraps echo the wood and the gothic feel. Warm-toned knife finishes round the set out nicely.