Before you buy

Choosing a Viking axe

Four decisions: what it is for, the head shape, the haft length and the steel. Answer the first and the rest narrow fast.

4 min read

There are only four decisions here, and they are not equally important. Start with what the piece is for — everything else follows from that answer.

Start with the purpose

01Display & collectingAppearance leads. Damascus heads, rosewood or olive hafts, carved detail. Edge geometry matters less than how it hangs.
02ReenactmentPeriod-plausible shapes: bearded head, plain ash or birch haft, restrained decoration. Check your group’s rules before buying.
03Camp & outdoorsWeight, balance and steel outrank pattern. High-carbon over Damascus, ash over rosewood.
04GiftingEngraving turns a good object into a specific one. A name, a date or a rune cut into the finished steel.

Head shapes

Bearded

The head extends downward into a hook. Lengthens the cutting edge without much added mass, and lets a hand choke up behind the bit. The shape most people picture, and most of ours.

Standard

Compact, with more mass behind a shorter edge. Simpler, sturdier and usually less expensive.

Dane

Broad thin head on a long haft. Impressive mounted, and the least practical of the three to store.

Haft length

Under 15″One-handed. Shelf or small wall space.
15–20″Most of our Viking axes. Start here.
20–30″Two-handed reach. Needs real wall space.
Over 30″Dane territory. Plan the mount first.

Head weight matters more than total weight. A heavy head on a short haft feels unwieldy; the same head on a longer haft feels balanced.

Which steel

Short version: Damascus if it will be looked at, high-carbon if it will be used, stainless if it will live somewhere humid and you would rather not think about oiling it.

Before you buy, check

  • Overall length, and whether you have somewhere to put it
  • Whether a blade cover or sheath is included
  • Whether the piece can be engraved, if it is a gift
  • Handle material, if the recipient prefers pale or dark wood
542 hand-forged piecesShop Viking axes