Hand Forged Seax Knife, Broken Back with Rosewood Handle

Pick this one up and your hand notices the weight sitting forward of the brass ferrule. The blade is 8 inches of 1095 high carbon, straight along the edge, the spine running flat out of the rosewood handle before it drops to the point. Then you look at the sheath and it hangs the wrong way round. That is on purpose.

Specification

The blade

1095 high carbon is plain steel that comes back on a stone quickly. The forge scale stays dark along the spine with the bevel ground bright underneath. The shape is a broken back seax. The spine leaves the handle straight, then breaks down at a sharp angle to meet the point. That gives you 8 inches of edge with no belly, which suits push cuts and slicing along a board, and a low flat point for close work. Carbon steel darkens to grey with use and spots if left wet.

The handle

Rosewood is dense and slightly oily, which is why it takes a polish and keeps it. The tang is hidden, so the steel runs inside the wood instead of showing as scales at the sides. A brass ferrule closes the front and a brass cap closes the butt, so grit has nowhere to get in. The handle is 5 inches, room to choke up against the ferrule or drop back to the cap when you want the whole blade out front.

The leather sheath

Vegetable tanned leather, cut to this blade's own outline and stitched by hand, with a welt in the seam so the thread sits in its channel and off the edge. The face is stamped while the leather is still damp. Then the part nobody expects. Two loops run along the top edge instead of one at the back, so the belt threads across the top and the sheath lies flat.

Who it suits

For the person who has worn a long knife off one hip and wanted it out of the way.

• People who sit and drive a lot while wearing a blade
• Anyone who wants 8 inches on a belt without it knocking a leg
• Cooks and campers who like a long straight edge
• Collectors who care how a piece rides

What comes in the box

• The 8 inch broken back seax
• The stamped leather sheath with its two top loops
• A care card
• A gift box

Every piece is different

Each one is forged and ground on its own, so no two match. The angle where the spine breaks sits a shade differently on every blade. Rosewood runs from red brown to nearly purple and the grain does what it wants. The photograph on this page is one of them, not yours.

Looking after it

Wipe it dry when you put it down. If it has been out in the rain, dry the sheath as well before the blade goes back in, because leather holds damp against steel. Oil the blade before it goes away for a season, and do not leave it sitting in the sheath for months. Sharpen on a stone, then strop it. More in our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per blade, added on this page. Around 30 characters fits, a name and a date, or a short line. You get a proof image back and nothing is cut until you say yes to it. Engraving adds 3 to 5 business days. Orders of 10 or more are engraved free. See the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

What is a seax? An old northern European blade shape. Single edged, with a straight or nearly straight edge. The broken back version angles the spine down to the point.

Why does the sheath hang flat? Two loops along the top edge instead of one at the back. The belt runs across the top and the blade lies along your waist, not down a leg.

Can I wear it on either hip? Yes. Nothing about the sheath is handed. Thread the belt so the handle lands where your hand does.

Will this steel rust? It can. Wipe it dry, keep it out of wet leather, oil it before storage. The grey it goes is the steel settling.

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

The same flat hanging sheath sits on the walnut handled seax and on the camel bone Damascus seax, which has a pattern welded blade and a carved face. The shape lives in seax knives, filed with our historical blades, and the steel runs through 1095 high carbon steel.