{"product_id":"broken-back-seax-knife-rosewood","title":"Broken Back Seax Knife, Hand Forged Carbon Steel with Rosewood Handle","description":"\u003cp\u003eA seax is the single edged Norse knife, and the broken back shape is the one most people mean. The spine runs level out of the handle, then breaks in a sharp angle down to the point. This one is a 12 inch blade in 5160 spring steel, 17 inches overall, with a rosewood handle between brass and a flat Norse sheath in tooled leather. Made by hand in High Point, North Carolina.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e12 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e17 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5160 spring steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDark gray forged, bright bevel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGuard\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNone\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePommel or collar\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBrass collar and butt cap\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOiled rosewood, hidden tang\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eScabbard\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTooled leather sheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEngraving\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e20 dollars per piece\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMade in\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eForged and finished by hand in High Point, North Carolina.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWarranty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLifetime warranty against defects, free sharpening for life.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe blade\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe steel is 5160 spring steel, tough under impact and easy to bring back on a stone. It is left dark gray from the forge with faint hammer marks across the flat, and the bevel is taken to a wide mirror bright band. The shape is the broken back one. The spine leaves the handle level, holds that line, then breaks in a sharp angle down to the point. The honest part is the steel. Carbon darkens as it is handled and rusts if it goes away wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe fittings\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere is no guard on this pattern. The blade runs into a brass collar at the front of the handle, which closes the joint between steel and wood and gives the grip a hard front edge. A brass cap covers the butt. The tang is hidden, so it runs inside the rosewood rather than showing along the sides, and collar and cap hold the wood tight at both ends. The brass is polished and left to darken.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe handle is oiled rosewood, turned slightly barrel shaped so it swells through the palm and narrows at each end. It measures 5 inches. Rosewood is dense and dark, the grain running in bands of red brown and near black, and the oil brings it up rather than covering it. Wood is a natural material, so the figure and the depth of color shift from one handle to the next.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe scabbard\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe sheath is the flat Norse style, cut for this blade and sewn along both edges with cream thread that shows against the dark leather. It hangs flat from two leather loops along the top edge rather than from a belt loop. Brass rivets sit at the throat where the leather takes the most pull. The face is hand tooled with Norse knotwork carved inside a carved border, cut and shaded by hand, not printed on. Most sellers stop at the words genuine leather.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is the seax people go looking for by name, and rosewood keeps it quiet enough to leave out on a shelf.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCollectors building a Norse shelf\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone buying a first seax\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuyers who prefer wood to horn or antler\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe broken back seax\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe tooled leather sheath\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach one is forged, ground and finished by hand, so runs stay small and no two come out alike. The hammer marks, the rosewood grain and the tooling will differ from the photographs. Yours will be its own piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWipe the blade dry after use and never put it away wet. The gray patina that builds on carbon steel is normal and protects the surface. A light coat of oil before storage is enough. Do not leave the blade in the sheath for months, and let leather dry slowly away from heat. Sharpen on a stone and strop. More sits on our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003eknife care and sharpening page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePut a name on it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLaser engraving is 20 dollars per piece and you add it here on the page. Around 30 characters fits on the blade or the handle. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Free on orders of 10 pieces or more. See the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is a broken back seax?\u003c\/strong\u003e A single edged Norse knife with a level spine that angles down to the point.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it have a guard?\u003c\/strong\u003e No, the blade meets a brass collar at the front of the handle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow does the sheath hang?\u003c\/strong\u003e Flat, from two loops along the top edge.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill this steel rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can, so dry it after use and oil it before storage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill mine look like the photo?\u003c\/strong\u003e Not exactly, the finish, wood and tooling differ on every piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it legal to own?\u003c\/strong\u003e Long blade laws vary by state, city and country, so check your local rules first.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor a longer blade try the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-langseax-buffalo-horn\"\u003eDamascus langseax in buffalo horn\u003c\/a\u003e, and for antler the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hand-forged-seax-knife-stag-antler\"\u003eseax in stag antler\u003c\/a\u003e. More sits in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/seax-knives\"\u003eseax knives\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/historical-blades\"\u003ehistorical blades\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/gifts-for-him\"\u003egifts for him\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44140308988022,"sku":"VEF-SAX-HC-BBK-608","price":149.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/broken-back-seax-knife-rosewood-handle_df66f12a-e904-43c5-b33a-a3eacb386258.jpg?v=1788792559","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/broken-back-seax-knife-rosewood","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}