{"product_id":"damascus-langseax-stag-antler","title":"Damascus Langseax, Stag Antler Handle and Carved Sheath","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e11 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e16.5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5.5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDamascus, high carbon core\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEtched ladder pattern, bevel etched to the edge\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade shape\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLangseax, a long straight edged seax\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTang\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHidden tang\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eStag antler, brass ferrule and brass butt cap\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHand carved leather sheath, hangs flat from two top loops\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEngraving\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e20 dollars per blade\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 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eStag 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe leather sheath\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is the expensive one. Most who buy it have owned a plain knife of ours and know what they are getting.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuyers who owned the plain version\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople marking a birthday or a wedding\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCollectors who want carved leather with the steel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone who would rather own one good thing than four\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Damascus langseax on stag antler\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe hand carved leather sheath\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFree sharpening for life on anything sent back\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWipe 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 \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003ecare 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 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 \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/engraving\"\u003eengraving page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy does this cost more than the plain one?\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is a seax?\u003c\/strong\u003e An old northern European blade shape, single edged, with a straight or nearly straight cutting edge. A langseax is simply a longer one.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill mine look like the photograph?\u003c\/strong\u003e No. The antler, the etch and the carving come out their own way.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can. There is carbon steel under the pattern. Dry it, keep oil on it, and it greys rather than spots.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it legal for me to carry?\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow long does delivery take?\u003c\/strong\u003e Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn plain steel there is the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/langseax-hand-forged-stacked-leather\"\u003elangseax on a stacked leather handle\u003c\/a\u003e, and a shorter blade with the same sheath is the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-seax-knife-camel-bone\"\u003eDamascus seax with a camel bone handle\u003c\/a\u003e. The shape sits in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/seax-knives\"\u003eseax knives\u003c\/a\u003e, pattern welded blades in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/damascus-steel\"\u003eDamascus steel\u003c\/a\u003e, older shapes in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/historical-blades\"\u003ehistorical blades\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44144694034550,"sku":"VEF-SAX-DAM-1307","price":299.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/seax-07-damascus-stag-antler_38fcae2b-55e0-4e9e-be25-a0556c748a85.jpg?v=1788842101","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/damascus-langseax-stag-antler","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}