{"product_id":"damascus-double-headed-viking-axe","title":"Damascus Double Headed Viking Axe with Ash Handle","description":"\u003cp\u003eA double headed axe carries two matching blades from one eye. It is not a historical Norse shape and we do not pretend otherwise. We make it because people ask for it, and because two edges are useful. Keep one for clean wood and let the other take rough work. This one is 24 inches overall in hand forged Damascus, with a 5 inch cutting edge each side and an ash handle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e7 inches edge to edge\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCutting edge\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5 inches each side\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e24 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e18 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle wood\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAsh\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDamascus over a high carbon core\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEtched pattern both cheeks, mirror bright bevels\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead cover\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTooled leather with snap strap\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 head\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe steel is Damascus, pattern welded over a high carbon core and etched so the light and dark layers show across both cheeks, with the bevels polished mirror bright. The head is 7 inches edge to edge and each side gives a 5 inch cutting edge. You can set them up differently, one kept fine for clean seasoned wood and one left coarser for bark and knots. The honest trade is that there is no poll, so nothing here drives pegs, and the core is carbon, so it darkens and rusts if left wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eAsh is the standard axe wood and the one most Norse axes are hung on. It grows straight grained and springy, so it takes the shock of a strike without passing all of it into your hands. At 18 inches there is room for two hands at the butt or a grip up close behind the head. The handle is driven through the eye and a wedge is driven into the top of it, spreading the wood tight against the steel.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe leather head cover\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe cover is cut for this head, and on a double headed axe that means it closes over both edges instead of sitting on one. The leather is vegetable tanned, with a belt loop stitched to the back, a strap and snap over the top, and a welt sewn into the edge so the stitching stays clear of the steel. All of the stitching is done by hand. The face is stamped in a basket weave inside a double border line, worked into the leather rather than printed on it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePeople buy this one knowing what it is. It hangs on a wall like nothing else, and the second edge earns its keep at the wood pile.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCollectors who want the shape in Damascus\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone who wants a fine edge and a rough edge together\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuyers furnishing a den or a shop wall\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSomeone shopping for a gift for a Damascus collector\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Damascus double headed axe\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe tooled leather head cover\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA free laser engraving quote on request\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach head is forged, ground and finished by hand, so runs stay small and no two come out the same. The Damascus pattern will not match the photographs, the ash grain runs its own way, and the depth of the tooling varies.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eDry the head after use and never put it away wet. The gray patina that builds on Damascus is normal and protects the steel. Sharpen both edges with a file and a puck or a stone, following the bevel. Oil the head before storage and the handle now and then, since a dry handle shrinks and a loose head is dangerous. Check the head is tight before every use. More in 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 on this page. Around 30 characters fits on a head or a handle, and since both cheeks here carry pattern, most names sit better on the ash. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. 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 double headed axe?\u003c\/strong\u003e Two matching blades forged from one eye.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this a historical Norse shape?\u003c\/strong\u003e No. We make it because buyers ask for it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy two edges?\u003c\/strong\u003e Keep one fine for clean wood and let the other take rough work.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it have a poll?\u003c\/strong\u003e No, both ends are blades, so there is no flat face.\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\u003eIs the head tight?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes, it is wedged into the eye. Check it before every use.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the traditional Norse shape, see the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hand-forged-viking-axe-rune-etched\"\u003ehand forged viking axe with a rune etched head\u003c\/a\u003e, and for a long haft the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hand-forged-dane-axe-rune-etched\"\u003ehand forged Dane axe in ash\u003c\/a\u003e. More sits in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/viking-axes\"\u003eviking axes\u003c\/a\u003e, in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/damascus-axes\"\u003eDamascus axes\u003c\/a\u003e, and in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/axes-hatchets\"\u003eaxes and hatchets\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44134763593846,"sku":"VEF-AXE-DAM-DBL-407","price":259.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/damascus-double-headed-viking-axe-ash-handle_a659ebd1-d6f1-4cdc-81c7-dda24405423f.jpg?v=1788742095","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/damascus-double-headed-viking-axe","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}