This Viking Seax was made in collaboration with Arn Forge and its handcrafted blade with its vibrantly banded patterning was made with traditional pattern-welded bladesmithing techniques. The blade is a composite of 1060 and 15n20 high carbon steel to create a shock absorbing core and the harder and more resilient edge was forge-welded onto the blade body to complete the blade. The twisting of the steel bars to form the body of the blade creates the uniquely laddered banded patterning visible on the blade.
The burly grip is crafted from polished hardwood and fittings of fine brass and a brass lanyard ring complete this fighting seax.
The seax is matched with a sheath of thick and robust leather which is both stitched and copper-riveted for a solid construction. Two belt loops allow for it to be slung from a belt for wear.
Norse bladesmiths were masters of pattern welding and this forging technique was developed to make the most of the materials and metallurgy of the time. The bloomery steel making process of the time made steel with inconsistent carbon content, but the clever placement of steel in different carbon contents for various parts of the blade could ensure that no precious steel was wasted and when well-crafted it even could give the composite blade excellent properties; softer steels could be used to create a shock-absorbing core that was not brittle and overly hard whilst harder steel edges could be forge-welded onto the body to give it a resilient and durable edge. Skilled bladesmiths learned that twisting the steel and arranging the placement of individual bars of steel could create a final blade that had beautiful and skillfully wrought banded patterning. This was and continues to be a laborious technique, but its mastery is a testament to the skill of the smith and a homage to the bladesmithing traditions of the Norse.
Mike strait (verified owner) –
I bought the sharpened version and it was pretty sharp! It is light, but at least 3/16 thick. It did well with medium chopping on a 4 inch wide log. About 8 whacks to get through. Then I chopped hard into the top of some big logs about 10 times. It bit deep. It remained straight. I was concerned about the tang size but it remained tight. I know it is more of a fighter than a chopper, but I am very happy with this knife! Take a chance! P.s. it is more stabby than it looks on the website!!!
no96 (verified owner) –
Pros:
An absolutely STUNNING blade. The pattern welding is absolutely gorgeous, the fittings are all tight. It’s got some nice heft, but isn’t heavy or poorly-balanced. I didn’t get it sharpened, but it’s got a really nice wedge-shape to it that I feel will hold a nice edge very well if I do decide to sharpen it. It’s also got a THICK spine, so this thing isn’t bending easily, and that’ll work really nicely to keep it straight and absorb the impact using it as a tool. The scabbard is pretty simple and straightforward, but well-made and effective. The rivets reinforcing the stitching are well-done and don’t look like they’ll pop off at any time, and the leather itself is quality stuff.
Cons:
It’s got just the tiniest bit of wiggle in the blade. Not enough that that’s why I’m docking a point, but it’s not 100% straight. Two big reasons why I’m docking a point- first, it’s got deeper grooving from the etch than typical, to the point where you can feel little tiny sharp edges down the spin it you run your finger across it. I don’t THINK any of them are fractures, but I’m also not 100% certain. Second, and biggest reason, is the handle just doesn’t fit nicely in my hand. It’s a big, thick, clunky handle. I’ve got pretty large hands, and it’s just tough to hold onto in a way that feels both secure and like I won’t injure my wrist hitting something with any force.
Overall, nice blade, don’t regret the purchase, would recommend to others looking for a larger seax (and let’s be real- the blade is nearly 13″. This thing isn’t a small crafting tool, it’s basically a cross between a fighting knife and an axe).