Damascus Double Headed Viking Axe with Ash Handle

A 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.

Specification

The head

The 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.

The handle

Ash 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.

The leather head cover

The 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.

Who it suits

People 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.

• Collectors who want the shape in Damascus
• Anyone who wants a fine edge and a rough edge together
• Buyers furnishing a den or a shop wall
• Someone shopping for a gift for a Damascus collector

What comes in the box

• The Damascus double headed axe
• The tooled leather head cover
• A care card
• A free laser engraving quote on request

Every piece is different

Each 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.

Looking after it

Dry 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 knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser 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 engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

What is a double headed axe? Two matching blades forged from one eye.

Is this a historical Norse shape? No. We make it because buyers ask for it.

Why two edges? Keep one fine for clean wood and let the other take rough work.

Does it have a poll? No, both ends are blades, so there is no flat face.

Will this steel rust? It can, so dry it after use and oil it before storage.

Is the head tight? Yes, it is wedged into the eye. Check it before every use.

For the traditional Norse shape, see the hand forged viking axe with a rune etched head, and for a long haft the hand forged Dane axe in ash. More sits in viking axes, in Damascus axes, and in axes and hatchets.