Hand Forged Seax Knife with Stag Antler Handle and Tooled Leather Sheath

The seax is the single edged Norse knife, and this is that shape at its plainest. The spine leaves the handle level, then breaks in a clear angle down to the point. The blade is 10 inches in 5160 spring steel, 15 inches overall, and the handle is a stag antler crown with the bark texture left on. It ships in a flat Norse sheath of tooled leather. Made by hand in High Point, North Carolina.

Specification

The blade

The steel is 5160 spring steel, tough under impact and easy to bring back on a stone. It is left dark gray from the forge with faint hammer marks across the flat, and the bevel is taken to a wide mirror bright band, so the blade shows two surfaces rather than one. The outline is the seax one. A level spine, a clear angled break, then a straight run to the point. Carbon steel is what it is, so the blade darkens as it is handled and rusts if it goes away wet.

The fittings

There is no guard. A brass collar sits at the front of the handle where the blade enters, closing that joint and giving the antler a flat face to meet. The butt is the antler crown itself, so nothing is capped over it and the natural end of the material finishes the handle. The tang is hidden, running inside the antler rather than showing along the sides, bedded in and drawn tight against the collar.

The handle

The handle is a natural stag antler crown, pale cream and tan, with the knobbly bark left on rather than sanded flat. That texture is what the fingers find, and antler stays warm in the hand in a way steel and stone do not. The crown end gives the butt a wider flare. No two antlers are alike, so color, flare and roughness change from one to the next.

The scabbard

The sheath is the flat Norse style, cut for this blade and sewn along both edges with cream thread that reads plainly against the dark leather. It hangs flat from two leather loops along the top edge rather than from a belt loop. Brass rivets sit at the throat where the leather takes the most pull. The face is hand tooled with a knotwork center panel inside a carved runic border, cut and shaded by hand, not printed. Most sellers stop at the words genuine leather.

Who it suits

Antler is what people reach for when they want a handle that came from somewhere, and this is the smallest of our three seax.

• Anyone buying a first seax
• Collectors who want a natural handle
• Buyers who like a visible forged finish

What comes in the box

• The hand forged seax
• The tooled leather sheath
• A care card

Every piece is different

Each one is forged, ground and finished by hand, so runs stay small and no two come out alike. The antler, the hammer marks and the tooling differ from the photographs. Yours will be its own piece.

Looking after it

Wipe the blade dry after use and never put it away wet. The gray patina that builds on carbon steel is normal and protects the surface. A light coat of oil before storage is enough. Do not leave the blade in the sheath for months, and let leather dry slowly away from heat. More sits on our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per piece and you add it here on the page. Around 30 characters fits on the blade or the handle. 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 engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

What is a seax? The single edged Norse knife, here with a level spine that angles down to the point.

Does it have a guard? No, a brass collar sits at the front of the handle.

How does the sheath hang? Flat, from two loops along the top edge.

Will this steel rust? It can, so dry it after use and oil it before storage.

Will my antler match the photo? No, every crown is a different color and shape.

Is it legal to own? Long blade laws vary by state, city and country, so check your local rules first.

For this outline in wood try the broken back seax in rosewood, and for a longer blade the Damascus langseax in buffalo horn. More sits in seax knives, historical blades and all knives.