Damascus Viking Sword, Ladder Pattern with Carved Scabbard

Drawn, with the scabbard set down alongside, this one gives you two worked surfaces at once. The blade is 30 inches of Damascus over a high carbon core, etched so the ladder pattern crosses it in rungs. The scabbard is the other half of it. Every line of knotwork on that face was cut by hand with a swivel knife. A brass lobed pommel closes the back.

Specification

The blade

The steel is Damascus, layers forged together over a high carbon core, then etched so the acid eats the layers at different rates and the pattern comes up. The ladder is the rungs running across the width. The etch is taken down the bevels to the edge rather than stopping short. The shape is the Viking one, broad and even until the point. Down the middle of each face runs a wide shallow fuller, a groove that takes weight out of the centre without narrowing the blade. Carbon steel darkens and spots if left wet.

The hilt

The crossguard is straight brass, plain stock, picking up the brass at the throat of the scabbard. The grip is a wooden core wrapped in dark red leather cord. Red against brass is a loud choice and we are not pretending otherwise. The pommel is brass and lobed, a row of rounded lobes, its weight sitting behind your hand. The tang carries on through the grip and out of the top of the pommel, where the end is hammered until it spreads and pins the hilt together.

The scabbard

Tooled leather over a wooden core. The core holds the shape and keeps the edge off everything, and the leather is where the hours went. A stamp is one press. This face was cut line by line with a swivel knife, then beveled and backgrounded around every crossing. Brass at the throat, brass at the tip cap, hand stitched down the seam. It is not a storage case for a damp blade.

Who it suits

A good half of what this one costs is in the leather. If that sounds backwards, the plainer scabbards suit you better. It hangs on a wall, never with anybody who means to cut with it.

• Buyers who read a scabbard as closely as a blade
• People who want carving instead of a stamp
• Collectors after brass fittings and dark red cord
• Anyone who likes two patterns arguing on one piece

What comes in the box

• The sword
• The carved knotwork scabbard
• A care card
• No stand is included

Every piece is different

Pattern welded steel never repeats, so the rungs land where they land and yours will sit differently from the photograph. Carving is worse for that, or better, depending on how you see it. The knife is held by a person, so the lines wander and the depth changes across the face.

Looking after it

Wipe the blade with a soft cloth after handling it. Fingerprints show on etched steel more than they do on satin. A light film of oil before it goes up is enough. No abrasive polish, since the etch is shallow and polish lifts the pattern with the marks. If it has been anywhere wet, leave the blade out of the scabbard until both are dry. More on our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per piece and goes on the scabbard, not the blade. On a carved face we set it in a clear panel so it does not run through the knotwork. Around 30 characters fits. You get a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Free on orders of 10 or more. The engraving page has the rest.

Questions buyers ask

What is swivel knife carving? A blade in a spinning barrel, turned by a finger. Every line is cut by hand into damp leather.

Why does a carved scabbard cost more? Hours. A stamped face takes one press. A carved one takes a day of cutting.

What does the fuller do? It takes weight out of the centre and leaves the width alone.

Will it rust? It can. The core is carbon steel, so it darkens and spots if left wet.

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

Can I own one? Laws on owning and carrying a sword differ by state, city and country, so check your local rules before you buy, and we cannot advise on that.

Plain steel with iron fittings is the sword with a lobed pommel, and the other carved scabbard is on the twist pattern arming sword. Pattern welded steel sits in Damascus swords, the rest in hand forged swords and historical blades.