What is the purpose of a seax?

The seax was mainly used for hunting and fighting. The blade was long and heavy enough to be larger than a traditional dagger but small enough to still be wielded with one hand. Most Viking warriors probably carried a seax in addition to their other weapons.

Is a seax a sword or a knife?

The Viking seax is a very large fighting knife which most warriors would have carried. Seax is a short sword that was used primarily during the early part of the Viking era. It’s a one handed single edged weapon. Hilts were made of wood, bone, or horn.

What makes a seax a seax?

Most Seax blades have a triangular cross section with the back edge being the widest, with a consistent taper to the cutting edge. Most period blades appear to have been made of a composite construction of pattern welded iron and steel, with fullers either symmetrical or asymmetrical as below.

When did the seax stop being used?

The seax remained in use in England well into the ninth century, after the traditional double-edged sword became the commonplace weapon in mainland Europe. The British Museum’s ‘Seax of Beagnoth,’ which dates to the tenth century, is the most famous of these weapons, excavated from the River Thames in 1857.

How big is a seax knife?

A large knife with a blade length of 18cm (7″) or longer possibly used in combat. For longer Seaxes over 30cm (12″) see Langseax and for Scandinavian combat knives see Norse Style Knives.

How big is a Viking seax?

3 inches to about 29.5 inches
Viking seax are sometimes also called hadseax, sax, seaxe, scramaseax and the scramsax. This Viking dagger possesses a single-edged blade with a length ranging from 3 inches to about 29.5 inches. The seax served as a status symbol as well, since only free people in Viking culture had the right to bear arms.

How long is a Viking seax?

25.1 Inches
Overall Length: 25.1 Inches. Blade Length: 19.1 Inches.

Where did the seax come from?

‘Seax’ is the generic Old English word for knife, but is used by archaeologists to describe the larger iron single-edged knives which first appear in Anglo-Saxon graves of the seventh century.

How was a seax carried?

The front side is invariably the one seen when the knife is worn edge up and the handle to the right. This side carries all or most of the decorations. Carrying the knife in the small of your back and the grip towards your right, means that the decorations would face towards your body.