{"product_id":"seax-knife-buffalo-horn-handle","title":"Seax Knife, Hand Forged with Water Buffalo Horn Handle","description":"\u003cp\u003eHorn takes the cold better than steel and better than most wood, and on a January morning that counts for something. This handle is water buffalo horn, polished until it goes glassy under the thumb. The blade is 8.5 inches of 1095 high carbon, straight edged with a low point. Pick it up and the weight sits back in your palm rather than out at the tip.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e8.5 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOverall length\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e13.5 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 with hammer marks, bright bevel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlade shape\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLong seax with a straight edge and a low point\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\u003eWater buffalo horn, 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 is plain high carbon steel. It sharpens fast on a stone and asks for nothing special. The spine keeps its dark forge skin with the hammer marks still in it, and the bevel is taken back and polished bright. The shape is a long seax, straight edge, low point. A straight edge sits flat on a board and pushes through in one pass instead of rocking. The low point puts the tip near your knuckles for close work. Carbon steel goes grey with use and spots if you put it away wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe handle\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWater buffalo horn is not wood and does not behave like it. It sands and polishes rather than shows grain. It takes heat from a hand fast and keeps it. The tang is hidden. The steel runs down inside the horn instead of showing at the sides, with a brass ferrule at the front and a brass cap at the butt closing both ends against grit. Five inches of handle lets you slide back for reach or up against the ferrule for control.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe leather sheath\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe sheath is vegetable tanned leather, cut to the outline of this blade rather than to a size that roughly fits. A welt is sewn into the edge so the hand stitching sits clear of the steel. The face is stamped by hand, one panel at a time. Two loops run along the top edge, so the sheath hangs flat against a belt and the blade lies along you instead of pointing down a leg.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it suits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eHorn is a choice about feel, not looks. If you need every piece identical, wood is the safer buy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople who work outside in the cold\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCooks who want a long flat edge\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone who prefers horn to plastic\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuyers who like that no two match\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat comes in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe seax, sharpened by hand\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe stamped leather sheath\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA care card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFree sharpening for life, no form to fill in\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEvery piece is different\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eHorn is grown, not made. One handle comes out almost black and the next runs grey and cream. A few are pale enough to pass light at the thin end. We do not dye it or fill it. The hammer marks land where the hammer landed. Yours will not match the photograph.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLooking after it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWipe the blade dry and oil the steel before it goes away. Horn likes the odd rub of oil too, and it does not like dry heat, so keep it off radiators. Sharpen on a stone, then strop. The straight edge makes that easy, there is no belly to chase. Do not store it in the sheath for months, because leather holds damp against steel. More on 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 blade. Around 30 characters fits. It goes on the dark forged part of the spine, where a bright line shows against the skin, not on the horn. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Free on orders of 10 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 seax?\u003c\/strong\u003e An old northern European blade shape. One edge, a straight cut, and a spine that angles down to the point.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I choose the colour of the horn?\u003c\/strong\u003e No. We use the horn we have and the streaks fall where they fall.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes the horn need looking after?\u003c\/strong\u003e A rub of oil now and then, and keep it out of dry heat. Horn can split if it is baked.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it rust?\u003c\/strong\u003e Left wet, yes. It greys with use, which is normal, and pits if neglected, which is not.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it legal 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\u003eIf horn is not for you, the same shape sits in wood on the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hand-forged-seax-knife-rosewood-handle\"\u003ehand forged seax with a rosewood handle\u003c\/a\u003e, and the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/damascus-seax-knife-olive-wood\"\u003eDamascus seax with an olive wood handle\u003c\/a\u003e carries a raindrop etch. The rest are in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/seax-knives\"\u003eseax knives\u003c\/a\u003e, the plain steel in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/high-carbon-1095\"\u003e1095 high carbon steel\u003c\/a\u003e, and the whole shelf is \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/all-knives\"\u003eevery blade we make\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viper Edge USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44144660381814,"sku":"VEF-SAX-HC-1303","price":169.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/2427\/9670\/files\/seax-03-carbon-buffalo-horn_92425ed7-6880-41e2-b028-2efeebe0d7e4.jpg?v=1788841944","url":"https:\/\/viperedgeforge.com\/products\/seax-knife-buffalo-horn-handle","provider":"Viper Edge USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}