{"product_id":"hand-forged-seax-knife-rosewood-handle","title":"Hand Forged Seax Knife, Broken Back with Rosewood Handle","description":"\u003cp\u003ePick 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e8 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e13 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHandle length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade steel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1095 high carbon\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade finish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDark forged spine, bright bevel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade shape\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBroken back seax, straight edge with an angled spine\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\u003eRosewood, brass ferrule and brass butt cap\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSheath\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eStamped 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\u003e1095 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRosewood 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe leather sheath\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eVegetable 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the person who has worn a long knife off one hip and wanted it out of the way.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople who sit and drive a lot while wearing a blade\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone who wants 8 inches on a belt without it knocking a leg\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCooks and campers who like a long straight edge\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCollectors who care how a piece rides\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe 8 inch broken back seax\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe stamped leather sheath with its two top loops\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA gift box\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWipe 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 \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/knife-care-sharpening\"\u003eknife care 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, 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 \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 seax?\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy does the sheath hang flat?\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I wear it on either hip?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes. Nothing about the sheath is handed. Thread the belt so the handle lands where your hand does.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill this steel rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e It can. Wipe it dry, keep it out of wet leather, oil it before storage. The grey it goes is the steel settling.\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 shipping take?\u003c\/strong\u003e Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe same flat hanging sheath sits on the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/seax-knife-hand-forged-walnut\"\u003ewalnut handled seax\u003c\/a\u003e and on the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-seax-knife-camel-bone\"\u003ecamel bone Damascus seax\u003c\/a\u003e, which has a pattern welded blade and a carved face. The shape lives in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/seax-knives\"\u003eseax knives\u003c\/a\u003e, filed with our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/historical-blades\"\u003ehistorical blades\u003c\/a\u003e, and the steel runs through \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/high-carbon-1095\"\u003e1095 high carbon steel\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44144646291574,"sku":"VEF-SAX-HC-1301","price":159.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/seax-01-carbon-rosewood_ece4aa5c-4d7c-42ff-a6c3-19daa5a43e2f.jpg?v=1788841865","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/hand-forged-seax-knife-rosewood-handle","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}