Viking Long Seax with Bone Grip in Jellinge Style, 10th c.

Viking Long Seax with Bone Grip in Jellinge Style, 10th c.

The eye-catching, gorgeous grip is made of polished bone. It is adorned with engravings in Jelling (also: Jellinge) style, a 10th century Norse art style typically characterized by intertwined, band-shaped / ribbon animals with striated bodies, usually depicted in profile. The motif (a pair of S-shaped, interlocked dragons or serpents) is based on the designs that can be seen on the famous 10th c. silver cup from Jelling, which gave its name to this particular Viking art style and is now part of the collection of the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen.

The long Viking seax comes with a beautiful sheath made of 3mm thick, vegetable tanned leather with antiqued brass fittings, including three hanging rings. The bottom metal strip that terminates with an animal (possibly a wolf’s) head finial is loosely based on an 8th c. Middle Anglo-Saxon find retrieved from the River Thames in London in the 19th c. and believed to have been part of a knife or seax scabbard mount. It also features a runic inscription that has not been satisfactorily interpreted to this day. The original piece is held in the British Museum (no. 1869.0610.1).

Please note that this Viking knife is primarily designed as a collectible, decoration piece or prop and by no means suited for combat Reenactment! The blade’s point is not rounded, and the edge is not sharpened, yet slightly ground (approx. 0.5 to 1mm thick).

Specifications:

• Blade material: EN45 spring steel (high carbon steel, not stainless)
• Handle material: animal bone grip, blackened steel guard and pommel
• Overall length: approx. 62.5cm
• Blade length: approx. 48cm
• Hilt length: approx. 14.5cm (grip approx. 10.5cm)
• Blade width: approx. 3.3cm at collar / 4cm at broadest point
• Blade thickness: approx. 4mm (approx. 2 to 2.5mm towards the point)
• Point of balance: approx. 10cm from the guard
• Weight: approx. 770 g (approx. 1155 g with sheath)
• Leather-and-brass sheath with carrying rings

Specs may slightly vary from piece to piece.

The steel used here is not rust-proof and might show slight surface tarnishing in places. We recommend you to maintain the blade on a regular basis, for example using Ballistol Universal Oil, which is ideally suited for steel care.

Please keep in mind that bone is a natural product and variations in colour and grain are quite normal. Besides, as the knife is fully hand-crafted, the ornaments may slightly vary from piece to piece. Each Viking seax has thus its own very unique handle and above pictures are for reference only.