Any long-time Apex Legends player has seen that one teammate pull out a flashy, custom knife skin mid-match and felt a twinge of envy. These rare melee weapons, officially called Heirlooms, are some of the most sought-after cosmetics in the entire game, with unique animations, voice lines, and visual effects you can’t get anywhere else. If you’ve found yourself asking how do you get a knife in Apex Legends, you’re not alone — thousands of players search for legitimate ways to unlock these items every month, without falling for scam generators or fake giveaways that put your account at risk. I’ve unlocked three Heirloom knives myself over the past few years, so I’m breaking down every valid method you can use, plus tips to speed up the process without wasting real money on unnecessary purchases.
How Do You Get a Knife in Apex Legends Legitimately?
The primary way to unlock any knife skin in the game is through Heirloom Shards, a special currency that drops randomly from Apex Packs. Apex Packs are the game’s loot boxes, earned from leveling up, battle pass rewards, event challenges, or purchased directly with Apex Coins. The 500-pack pity timer is the most reliable part of this system: you are guaranteed to get a set of 150 Heirloom Shards if you open 500 Apex Packs without receiving any shards earlier. Most players actually get their first set of shards much earlier, usually between 150 and 300 packs, depending on luck.
When you get Heirloom Shards, you can exchange 150 of them for any knife skin available in the permanent Heirloom store, which includes every released Heirloom that is not part of an active limited event. You don’t have to take the knife for the character you get the shards on, a common misconception new players have. I got my first set of shards from a pack I earned while maining Bangalore, and I used them to unlock Wraith’s Kunai knife immediately, no restrictions.
Limited-Time Event Methods for Unlocking Knife Skins
If you want a specific character’s knife right when it releases, collection events are your best bet. Respawn runs 3 to 4 collection events per year, each tied to a new character Heirloom or Prestige skin. If you collect all 24 limited-edition cosmetics available during the event, you will receive the featured knife for free, no Heirloom Shards required. This is the fastest way to get a knife in Apex Legends if you want a specific character’s skin right when it releases.
Buying all 24 event items with Apex Coins will cost you roughly $160, but you don’t have to pay full price if you’re willing to grind. Most events let you earn 6 to 10 of the 24 items for free by completing daily and weekly event challenges, which cuts the total cost significantly. Prioritize free event challenge rewards first if you’re chasing an event-specific knife, as you can easily save $40 or more just by playing a few extra matches a week during the event run time. Once the event ends, the featured knife moves to the permanent Heirloom store, so you can still pick it up later with 150 Heirloom Shards if you can’t afford to unlock it during the event.
You can also occasionally earn knife skins for free by watching official Apex Legends esports events, though these giveaways are very rare. You’ll need to link your EA account to your Twitch account, watch the official broadcast for a set number of hours, and be one of a small number of random winners selected to receive the prize. It’s not a reliable method, but it’s worth turning on the stream in the background if you’re already a fan of competitive Apex play.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Chasing an Apex Knife
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of chasing a rare knife skin, but there are a lot of common pitfalls that can cost you money or even get your account banned permanently. I made almost every one of these mistakes when I first started playing, so I’m sharing them to help you avoid the same headaches I dealt with.
- Never use third-party "Heirloom generator" sites that ask for your account login info. These are all scams designed to steal your account, personal data, or payment information, and none of them actually give you free knife skins.
- Don’t spend real money on Apex Packs if you’re only a few dozen packs away from the 500-pack pity timer. You can easily earn enough free packs from battle passes, seasonal challenges, and level ups to hit the timer without extra spending.
- Avoid buying Apex Coins from unofficial resellers for cheaper rates. These coins are often purchased with stolen payment methods, and Respawn will ban your account permanently if they detect fraudulent currency on your profile.
- Don’t feel pressured to unlock a knife as fast as possible. These are cosmetic only items that give no competitive advantage, so there’s no rush to get one unless you truly want to support the game and have extra cash to spare.
Knife skins give no in-game gameplay advantage whatsoever, so you’re not missing out on any power if you take your time unlocking one. I used to waste $20 a month on Apex Packs chasing a Wraith knife when I first started playing, until I realized I was only 70 packs away from the 500-pack pity timer. I earned those 70 packs for free over two seasons by completing all battle pass challenges, and I got the shards I needed without spending any extra money.
Tips to Speed Up Your Knife Unlock for Free
You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to get a knife in Apex Legends. If you’re willing to play consistently and complete challenges, you can earn dozens of free Apex Packs every year, drastically increasing your chances of getting Heirloom Shards without spending any real money. If you play 3-4 matches a day, you can easily earn enough XP to level up multiple times a week, putting you closer to getting a knife in Apex Legends every time you hit a new level.
Completing every tier of the free battle pass gives you 5 Apex Packs per season, plus 10 more if you buy the premium battle pass. The premium pass costs 950 Apex Coins, which you can earn back by completing the full pass, so you can essentially get the premium pass for free forever if you finish it every season. You also get an Apex Pack every 2 levels from account level 1 to 500, and every 5 levels after you hit level 500 and enter the prestige track.
Twitch drops and Prime Gaming rewards are other easy free sources of Apex Packs. Respawn regularly runs Twitch drop events during new season launches and esports tournaments, where you can earn free packs just for watching official streams for a couple of hours. If you have an active Amazon Prime subscription, you also get 1 to 2 free Apex Packs every month through Prime Gaming, plus occasional exclusive cosmetics that count toward collection event progress when events are active.
At the end of the day, unlocking a knife in Apex Legends is all about patience and sticking to legitimate methods that keep your account safe. Whether you get lucky with a random Apex Pack drop, save up shards from the pity timer, or grind a collection event to get a limited-edition skin, the process is designed to feel rewarding when you finally get that first knife. If you’ve been asking how do you get a knife in Apex Legends, the best first step you can take right now is to track how many Apex Packs you’ve opened so far, and set small goals to earn free packs from weekly and seasonal challenges. You might be way closer to that shiny custom melee than you think.