Viking Seax Knife – 8" Blade, Stacked Leather Grip
A hand-forged Viking seax knife with an 8-inch 1075 high-carbon steel blade, a stacked leather grip and plain brass bolster and pommel cap. It measures 13 inches overall, ships sharp with a tooled leather belt sheath, and both the blade flat and the sheath can be engraved to order.
PREVIEW · Latin ·
Illustration only — final size and placement follow the blade you choose. See all personalized Viking blades.
What 1075 actually gets you
1075 is plain high-carbon steel: iron and about three quarters of one percent carbon, with nothing else doing the work. No chromium, no alloying tricks. That is the whole point of it. It hardens predictably, takes a keen edge, and comes back to sharp on an ordinary stone in a few minutes rather than needing diamond plates and patience. The trade is rust. Leave it wet and it will spot. Wipe it dry, keep a film of oil on it, and it will go dark and handsome instead.
The blade is period. The handle is not.
The spine runs level out of the bolster, then falls away in one long straight clip to the point. Single-edged, no fuller, no etching. That is the seax silhouette, and it is why the knife reads as Norse from across a room.
The grip is a different story, and we would rather tell it than let you assume. It is built from stacked leather washers: dozens of thin leather discs threaded over the tang, compressed hard, then turned and sanded smooth. That construction is a twentieth-century military-knife idiom, not a Viking one. Excavated seax grips are wood, horn or bone. We use it here because it is genuinely excellent in the hand, it holds a grip when wet, and it takes weather far better than a period-correct handle would. It is a working choice, not a historical one.
Brass, and only brass
A plain polished brass bolster where the blade meets the grip, and a plain brass cap closing the butt. No carving, no lattice, no runes, no rivets on show. Brass darkens with handling, which is part of why it is used: the knife looks better in five years than it does out of the box, and a minute with a cloth brings it back bright whenever you want it.
Make it yours
Both the blade flat and the sheath 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.
The sheath
Brown genuine leather, stitched in cream thread with a scalloped border tooled inside both long edges. A snap strap closes over the grip and a wide belt loop on the back carries it on the hip. It is built to carry, not to sit on a shelf.
See the rest of the Viking seax collection, or start with our guide to what a seax actually is.
This 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.
Every part earns its place
Where the numbers land: 8 inches of single-edged 1075 on a 13-inch knife, and a 5-inch grip stacked from leather washers between a plain brass bolster and a brass pommel cap.
Carbon steel is alive — treat it so
High-carbon steel holds a keener edge than stainless, but it will spot with rust if left wet. Two minutes of care keeps this blade in the family for generations.
This is a working tool. It arrives sharp and can be re-sharpened like any carbon blade. Choose the Display edge if you want it purely for the wall — same steel, left unsharpened for safe handling.
Sold to adults 18+. A signature and ID may be required on delivery. Bladed goods can't ship to some regions — the cart flags restricted addresses at checkout.
Questions about this blade
Straight answers — the same ones we give over email.
What steel is the blade?
Hand-forged 1075 high-carbon steel. It is not stainless, so it takes a keener edge and sharpens more easily than stainless, but it will spot if left wet and will darken to a patina over time.
How big is this Viking seax knife?
The blade is 8 inches (203 mm) and the grip is 5 inches (127 mm), so the knife measures 13 inches (330 mm) overall.
What is the handle made of?
Stacked leather washers: thin leather discs threaded over the tang, compressed and turned smooth, held between a plain brass bolster and a plain brass pommel cap. It is a modern construction rather than a period one, chosen because it holds a grip in wet hands.
Can it be engraved?
Yes. Both the blade flat and the leather sheath can be engraved to order, hand-etched. Engraving adds a few days to dispatch.
Does it come with a sheath?
Yes. A tooled genuine leather belt sheath is included, with cream contrast stitching, a scalloped border, a snap strap over the grip and a belt loop on the back.