{"product_id":"langseax-viking-seax-knife-13-5-rune-etched-blade","title":"Langseax Viking Seax Knife – 13.5\" Rune-Etched Blade","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA hand-forged langseax — the long end of the seax family — with a band of Norse runes and beast-knotwork etched the length of the blade, a forged steel pommel and a hand-riveted leather sheath.\u003c\/strong\u003e At 13.5 inches this is the size where a belt knife stops being a knife and starts arguing that it is a short sword.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThis is a langseax\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeaxes run a long scale. At one end is a palm-length work knife; at the other is the langseax, long enough that graves containing them tend to contain no sword, because the langseax \u003cem\u003ewas\u003c\/em\u003e the sword. That is where this one sits. The blade is broad through most of its length and carries a straight spine that turns down hard at the tip — mass forward, weight behind the cut. Pick it up expecting a knife and it will surprise you. If you want the full picture of the family, we wrote a guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/norse-news\/what-is-a-seax\"\u003ewhat a seax actually is\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe runes and the beast\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe etching is the reason this one costs what it does. A band of angular runic characters runs the length of the blade, and at each end it resolves into a Norse beast — a gripping, coiling creature of the kind that runs across Urnes and Ringerike-style carving, all interlaced limbs and no clear beginning. It is etched into the steel rather than printed on it, so it catches light from the side and disappears when you turn the blade flat. Straight answer on the runes: they are decorative Elder Futhark characters, not a translated inscription, and we would rather tell you that than invent a saga line for them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA pommel that was forged, not cast\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe butt of this one is not a cast animal head like the smaller pieces in the range. It is a single lump of steel drawn out and flared into a broad T under the hammer, left with the tool marks still on it, then set against the leather. It gives the knife a real counterweight — the balance sits close to the hand instead of out at the tip — and it stops the grip dead. Different maker's answer to the same problem the raven pommels solve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTwo loops, not one\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sheath is thick leather closed with hammered rivets rather than stitching, and it carries two belt loops instead of one. Two loops let a long sheath sit flat against the hip instead of swinging off a single point, which matters a great deal more at thirteen inches than it does at five.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWho it's for\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the piece for someone who already owns a belt knife and wants the thing at the top of the range — serious collectors, reenactors building a full kit, and display buyers who want the blade to be the object people ask about. It is worked by hand, so no two etchings sit identically.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSee the rest of the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/viking-seax\"\u003eViking seax collection\u003c\/a\u003e, or start smaller with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/usa-shipping-only-boar-viking-knife-9-5-hand-forged-4-carbon-steel-blade-boars-head-hilt-and-leather-sheath\"\u003eBoar's Head seax\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis is a hunting and collector's knife. It is not intended for kitchen or cooking use — handle, store and carry it responsibly and in line with your local laws.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is a langseax?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe longest form of the seax. Where a common belt seax runs four to six inches of blade, a langseax is long enough to serve as a primary weapon — in some Viking-age graves a langseax appears in place of a sword rather than alongside one. This one measures 13.5 inches overall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat do the runes on the blade say?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNothing. They are decorative Elder Futhark characters etched as a band, along with interlaced Norse beast-knotwork at each end of the blade. We do not sell it as a translated inscription, because it isn't one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow big is the langseax?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt measures 13.5 inches (343 mm) overall, with a broad single-edged blade, a leather-wrapped grip and a forged steel pommel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow does the sheath carry?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn a belt. The sheath is thick genuine leather closed with hammered rivets and fitted with two belt loops rather than one, so a sheath this long sits flat against the hip instead of swinging from a single point.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow do I look after the blade?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is carbon steel, not stainless. Wipe it dry after handling, keep a light film of oil on it, and store it out of the sheath for the long term so moisture is not trapped against the steel. Take particular care around the etched band — the recessed lines hold moisture longer than the flats do.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yousaf","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42775345266773,"sku":"VB-YS-SX135LS","price":129.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0977\/2234\/files\/langseax-1-hero-white.jpg?v=1784825576","url":"https:\/\/vikingsbrand.co\/products\/langseax-viking-seax-knife-13-5-rune-etched-blade","provider":"VikingsBrand™","version":"1.0","type":"link"}