Damascus Langseax, Stag Antler Handle and Carved Sheath

This is the one at the far end of the bench. The blade is 11 inches of Damascus over a high carbon core, and the handle is stag antler, so it comes into the hand cool and a little uneven. There is weight out front. You feel it before you notice the pattern. All of it took longer to make than the plain version.

Specification

The blade

The steel is pattern welded over a high carbon core, etched until the ladder pattern lifts out. Straight bars across the flat, one after another, made by cutting grooves into the billet and forging it level. The bevel is etched to the edge too. The shape is a langseax, a long straight edged seax with a low point. An edge that straight pushes through a cut or runs along a board rather than rocking. The core does the cutting. It greys with use and will spot if you put it away wet.

The handle

Stag antler is dense outside and soft in the middle, so a piece gets picked before shaping. The tang is hidden, the steel running down inside the antler instead of showing as scales at the sides, with a brass ferrule closing the front and a brass cap the butt, so grit has no way in. At 5.5 inches there is room for a full hand. Slide back to the cap for a long pull, or up to the ferrule for close work.

The leather sheath

The sheath is vegetable tanned leather, cut to the outline of this blade and stitched by hand. The face is carved rather than stamped. The line goes in with a swivel knife, then the ground beside it is punched down until the design stands proud. A welt is sewn in so the stitching sits clear of the steel. Two loops run along the top edge, so it lies flat along a belt.

Who it suits

This is the expensive one. Most who buy it have owned a plain knife of ours and know what they are getting.

• Buyers who owned the plain version
• People marking a birthday or a wedding
• Collectors who want carved leather with the steel
• Anyone who would rather own one good thing than four

What comes in the box

• The Damascus langseax on stag antler
• The hand carved leather sheath
• A care card
• Free sharpening for life on anything sent back

Every piece is different

No two antler crowns grow alike, so colour and texture and the sweep of the handle move knife to knife. The etch shifts too, since the bars land where the steel moved. The carving is drawn freehand every time. Yours will not be the knife in the photograph. Take the picture as the shape.

Looking after it

Wipe it dry after use. Keep a thin film of oil on the blade, and a little more before it goes in a drawer for a season. Do not store it in the sheath for months, since leather holds damp against steel and you find the mark later. The antler needs nothing. Sharpen on a stone and finish on a strop. More sits on our care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per blade, added on this page. Around 30 characters fits, so a name or a date. We send a proof image before the laser runs so you can see the placing, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. It is free on orders of 10 or more. The rest is on the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

Why does this cost more than the plain one? Pattern welded steel takes far longer at the forge than a single bar, antler is fitted one at a time, and the carved sheath is hours of work.

What is a seax? An old northern European blade shape, single edged, with a straight or nearly straight cutting edge. A langseax is simply a longer one.

Will mine look like the photograph? No. The antler, the etch and the carving come out their own way.

Will it rust? It can. There is carbon steel under the pattern. Dry it, keep oil on it, and it greys rather than spots.

Is it legal for me to carry? Laws on carrying a fixed blade differ by state, city and country, so check your local rules before you carry it, and we cannot advise on that.

How long does delivery take? Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.

In plain steel there is the langseax on a stacked leather handle, and a shorter blade with the same sheath is the Damascus seax with a camel bone handle. The shape sits in seax knives, pattern welded blades in Damascus steel, older shapes in historical blades.