Viking Seax with Damascus Steel Blade, Wood/Bone Handle

Viking Seax with Damascus Steel Blade and Wood-and-Bone Handle

This Viking Age knife based on a Baltic war knife / seax found in an 11 century burial mound in Priekuli-Gugeri, Latvia, features a sharpened 256-layer Damascus steel blade. The wooden handle terminates on both sides with bone and brass rings. It has an oval cross-section that ensures a solid grip on the knife. The brass butt cap is equipped with a convenient lanyard hole (leather lanyard is included in delivery).

The beautiful leather sheath with period brass fittings is equipped with three brass rings and leather belt loops for typical Viking-style horizontal carry. The loops are adorned with stylised animal-shaped heads modeled on finds from Björkö/Birka, Sweden.

Please note that, as the blade is sharp and fully functional, this scramasax is designed as a collector's or decoration piece and not suited for combat reenactment!

The terms Damascus steel, damascene or pattern welded designate a compound steel forged out of two or more different types of steel. It is named after its birthplace, the Syrian city of Damascus, a former stronghold of the patterned steel production. As a common practice, a harder high carbon steel and a milder low carbon steel are repeatedly forge welded and folded together. The high carbon steel ensures a higher hardness, a better temperability and longer lasting edge retention, whereas the milder steel confers greater blade flexibility and tensile strength. This procedure, which arose in a time where steel qualities were often low and inconsistent, enables to combine the positive attributes of the various steel grades. Besides, the different shadings generated by the varying carbon content of the alternating layers engender strikingly beautiful patterns, such as the twisted motif called Torsion Damascus pattern or the Rose Damascus pattern. Undoubtedly, these unusual patterns partly explain why inherent magical properties were attributed to the Damascus steel blades of the Middle Ages.

Details:
- Blade material: Damascus steel (256 layers), sharp edge
- Also available in a regular version with high carbon steel blade (Product no. 0164002481)
- Handle material: walnut wood, animal bone, brass
- Overall length: approx. 50 cm
- Blade length: approx. 32 cm
- Weight: approx. 440 g (approx. 640 g with sheath)
- Vegetable tanned leather sheath with brass fittings and carrying loops

Please note:
We do not sell this product to customers under the age of 18. Please provide your birth date when ordering. We'll also need a copy of your ID-card or passport by email, scan, fax or mail.