{"product_id":"viking-seax-knife-12-inch-forge-finished-blade","title":"Viking Seax Knife – 12\" Blade, Forge-Finished Steel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA hand-forged Viking seax knife with a 12-inch 1075 high-carbon blade, a rosewood handle and plain metal fittings.\u003c\/strong\u003e Seventeen inches overall, razor-sharp out of the box, carried in a hand-stitched cowhide sheath. The blade flat and the handle can both be engraved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTwelve inches is the large end of the form\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost excavated seaxes are short. The everyday ones run four to eight inches of blade, and only the largest, the langseax, gets past a foot. At 12 inches of blade and 17 overall this sits at the top of that range, closer to a short sword in the hand than to a belt knife. It is worth knowing before you buy: this is not a pocketable working seax, it is a statement piece with real reach.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe two-tone finish, and what it is\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blade reads as two clean bands. The flat along the spine is left dark from the forge and carries a run of short file marks across it; the lower half is ground and polished bright to the edge. The line between them is straight and deliberate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe would rather be plain about this: that dark band is a finish, not a structural feature, and the file marks are texture rather than evidence of anything. What they do is stop a 12-inch slab of steel reading as flat and dead, and they hide handling marks the way a mirror polish never will. It is a good-looking, practical choice, and that is the whole claim.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e1075, and what it costs you\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1075 is plain high-carbon steel: iron and about three quarters of one percent carbon, no chromium. It hardens predictably, takes a fine edge and sharpens back on an ordinary stone. It also rusts. On a blade this size that matters more than usual, because there is more surface to look after. Wipe it dry, keep a film of oil on it, and store it out of the leather.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eRosewood and metal\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe handle is rosewood, a dense oily hardwood that resists moisture and takes a soft satin sheen rather than a plastic shine. It runs deep reddish-brown with darker striping, different on every piece. A plain metal collar sits where the blade meets the handle and a matching cap closes the butt, both smooth and undecorated, with fine ribbing and honest working scuffs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMake it yours\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth the blade flat and the rosewood handle can be engraved. A name, a date, a short line in runes. Engraving is hand-etched to order and adds a few days to dispatch. Choose it in the configurator above.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe sheath\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHand-stitched cowhide, dyed dark brown, with a pressed decorative panel on the face, a riveted belt loop and a strap that studs shut over the handle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSee the rest of the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/viking-seax\"\u003eViking seax collection\u003c\/a\u003e, or start with our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/norse-news\/what-is-a-seax\"\u003ewhat a seax actually is\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSold to adults 18 and over. This is a hunting and collector's knife, not a kitchen knife. 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\u003eHow big is this Viking seax knife?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blade is 12 inches (305 mm) and the handle is 5 inches (127 mm), so the knife measures 17 inches (432 mm) overall. The blade is about 38 mm wide and 4 mm thick.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat steel is the blade?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHand-forged 1075 high-carbon steel. It is not stainless, so it takes a fine edge and sharpens easily, but it will spot if left wet and will darken to a patina over time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy is the blade two different colours?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe flat along the spine is left dark from the forge and carries a run of file marks, and the lower half is ground and polished bright to the edge. It is a finish rather than a structural feature, and it hides handling marks better than a full mirror polish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is the handle made of?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRosewood, with a plain metal collar at the blade and a matching plain metal cap at the butt. Rosewood is dense and oily, so it handles moisture well, and its grain and colour vary from piece to piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCan it be engraved?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. Both the blade flat and the rosewood handle can be engraved to order, hand-etched. Engraving adds a few days to dispatch.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VikingsBrand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42821701107797,"sku":"VB-SX120-RW","price":149.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0977\/2234\/files\/viking-seax-12-inch-knife-and-sheath.jpg?v=1785788239","url":"https:\/\/vikingsbrand.co\/products\/viking-seax-knife-12-inch-forge-finished-blade","provider":"VikingsBrand™","version":"1.0","type":"link"}