{"product_id":"hand-forged-dane-axe-rune-etched","title":"Hand Forged Dane Axe, Long Ash Haft with Rune Etched Head","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Dane axe is the two handed Norse pattern, a wide thin head on a long haft. This one is 34 inches overall with an 8 inch head and a 7 inch cutting edge, forged from 5160 spring steel and hung on straight grained ash. The length is the point of it. Two hands on a 26 inch haft give reach and leverage for felling and limbing, and for working rounds into firewood.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e8 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCutting edge\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e7 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e34 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e26 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\u003e5160 spring steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDark gray hand forged, mirror bright bevel, Elder Futhark runes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHead cover\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTooled leather head cover\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 5160 spring steel, what real axe makers use, tough under impact and easy to bring back on a stone. The head is 8 inches long with a 7 inch cutting edge, wide and thin in the Norse pattern, so it bites long across the grain. Elder Futhark runes are cut into the cheek, and the rest is dark gray off the hammer, forging marks showing. The honest trade is that a thin head is no splitting maul, so a knotty round can hold it. 5160 is carbon steel and wants drying.\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 is straight grained and springy, so it takes the shock of a heavy hit without sending all of it into your hands, which matters more on a 26 inch haft than a short one. There is room to slide the lower hand up for control and down for reach. The haft is driven through the eye with a wedge driven into the top, 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 head this wide that matters, since a loose cover works its way off. The leather is vegetable tanned. A belt loop is stitched to the back, a strap with a snap closes over the top, and a welt is sewn in so the stitching stays off the steel. The stitching is done by hand. The face is hand tooled with carved Norse knotwork running edge to edge, cut and shaded rather than printed. Most sellers stop at the words genuine leather.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eReach is what people come here for. This is the axe for anyone who wants the long Norse shape and who still expects it to cut when they take it outside.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone felling and limbing on their own land\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople cutting their own firewood\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCollectors of Norse patterns\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuyers who want a rune etched head\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGift buyers after something with presence\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Dane 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. The hammer marks, the cut of the runes and the grain of the ash change from one axe to the next, so yours will not match the photograph exactly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWipe the head dry after use and never store it wet. The gray patina that builds is normal and protects the steel. Oil the head before storage and oil the ash now and then, since a dry haft shrinks and a loose head is dangerous. Check the head is tight before every use. Sharpen with a file and a puck, following the bevel there. More in 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 piece and you add it on this page. Around 30 characters fits on a head or a haft, and clean line art engraves better than photographs. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Free on orders of 10 pieces or more. 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 Dane axe?\u003c\/strong\u003e The two handed Norse axe, a wide thin head on a long haft.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are the runes?\u003c\/strong\u003e They are Elder Futhark runes, cut into the cheek of the head.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy is the haft ash?\u003c\/strong\u003e Ash is straight grained and springy, so it takes shock without passing it to your hands.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill this steel rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can, so dry the head and oil it before storage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs the head tight?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes, the haft is wedged in the eye. Check it before use.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I return it?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes, within 30 days, unused and unsharpened in the original packaging.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the same runes on a Damascus head, see the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hand-forged-viking-axe-rune-etched\"\u003erune etched Damascus axe\u003c\/a\u003e, and for a one hand piece the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/viking-bearded-axe-carbon-steel-ash\"\u003ecarbon steel bearded axe on ash\u003c\/a\u003e. More sits in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/viking-axes\"\u003eviking axes\u003c\/a\u003e, in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/carbon-steel-axes\"\u003ecarbon steel 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":44134760153206,"sku":"VEF-AXE-HC-DAN-406","price":199.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/hand-forged-dane-axe-rune-etched-ash-haft_2cbcb860-1a7b-4d50-b589-a57a666286df.jpg?v=1788742095","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/hand-forged-dane-axe-rune-etched","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}