Runeband Hand Made Bronze Tone Viking Ring Set with Valknut Bands & Twisted Open Cuffs | Six Piece Adjustable Gift | RK-1617

The Runeband is a six piece ring set, and every ring in it is open ended. Three are flat wide bands stamped with a Valknut, the gap at the back squared off cleanly. Three are twisted from round wire into a rope with the ends finished square. Because nothing is a closed circle, each ring adjusts across a range of finger sizes instead of fitting exactly one, which is the whole reason to buy a set like this rather than six sized rings.

The open ring is not a modern shortcut. Norse and Celtic metalwork is full of open ended rings and open ended arm rings, and the reason is economic as much as practical. A ring you can open slightly is a ring that can be given, traded, resized and passed on, and in a world where silver was weighed rather than counted, a ring was portable wealth first and jewellery second. Rings were cut down and pieces were traded by weight. An open ring survives being adjusted. A soldered closed one does not. Ours are formed, stamped and finished in the Czech Republic and arrive together in one pouch.

Specifications

Why an open ended ring is the practical choice

A closed ring has to be exactly right. Finger size changes through the day, changes with heat and cold, changes with salt and with altitude, and changes over the years. Anyone who has worn a wedding band in July and again in January knows the difference is real. A closed ring that fits at rest can be tight by evening and loose in the cold.

An open ring solves that by giving the metal somewhere to go. The gap at the back lets you spread the ring a fraction to slide it on over a knuckle and then close it down onto the finger behind the knuckle, which is the part of the finger that is actually thinner. That is why open rings sit comfortably on people who cannot get a closed ring past the joint. It also means one ring can be moved between fingers, and that a set of six can be arranged across both hands however you like rather than being locked to one digit each.

The limit is the number of times you flex it. Metal work hardens each time it bends, and any open ring will eventually fatigue if you open and close it daily. Set it once, wear it, and leave it alone.

The metal, the stamp and the twist

These are jewellery alloy with a bronze tone finish, polished on the raised faces and relieved in the recesses so the Valknut stays dark and readable. We are describing a finish rather than claiming bronze, gold or silver, because that is what these are, and a set of six at this price is not solid precious metal.

The Valknut on the flat bands is the three interlocked triangles that appear on Gotland picture stones and on the Oseberg ship burial, usually in scenes connected with Odin and with the dead. It is a real period symbol whose meaning was never written down, so treat the tidy modern explanations with a pinch of salt and enjoy it as what it is.

The twisted rings are made by twisting round wire into a rope and forming that into a ring. Twisting work hardens the wire, which is exactly what you want in an open ring, because the hardened rope resists spreading under everyday knocks while still allowing a deliberate adjustment.

Engraving, runes and your own design

Use the rune converter on this page to turn a name, a date or a short phrase into Elder Futhark and we will cut it into the steel, the leather or the wood. If you would rather have a Viking pattern than a rune line, choose your own design in the engraving option above the add to cart button and tell us where it goes. Where a piece already carries an engraved design, your chosen engraving replaces it rather than sitting alongside it. On this set the three flat bands take engraving well, on the outer face or on the inside of the band where only you will see it. Your rune line replaces the Valknut rather than sitting beside it. See the engraving page.

Fit and sizing

Do not order a size. Order the set and adjust it. Each ring covers a span of sizes rather than one, and the adjustment is done with your fingers rather than with pliers.

To size one, hold the ring with the gap facing you and spread it gently by pushing the two ends apart with your thumbs, evenly, in small increments. Slide it over the knuckle, then squeeze the ends together until the ring is snug behind the knuckle without pinching. If you use pliers, wrap the jaws in cloth first, because bare steel jaws will mark the finish in one squeeze.

Measure at the end of the day rather than first thing, when your hands are at their largest. If you are buying this as a gift and do not know a finger size, that is exactly what an adjustable set is for. A ring that is spread too wide will slide sideways on the finger, so aim for snug at the base and a small amount of resistance at the knuckle when it comes off.

Care

Rings live a harder life than any other jewellery because your hands go everywhere. Take them off for washing up, for the gym, for gardening and for swimming. Chlorine, salt water and hand sanitiser are the fastest way to dull a finished surface, and a barbell will flatten a ring band against a bone if you lift in it.

Wipe them with a soft dry cloth after wearing. If they need more, use a barely damp cloth and a soft brush in the twist, then dry them completely. Skip silver dip solutions and ultrasonic cleaners, which are made for solid precious metal and will lift a finish. Store the set in its pouch rather than loose in a drawer where the flat bands can scratch each other.

Made in the Czech Republic

Every piece we sell is made by hand in the Czech Republic. The smiths there work the way the trade has been worked for a long time, heating and hammering the steel, taking the bevels down by eye, and fitting the handle and the leather one at a time. There is no automated line anywhere in it, so small differences from one piece to the next are normal and expected.

Ransack Viking is a United States company based in Memphis, Tennessee. We bring the pieces in ourselves, inspect them on arrival and ship them from our own warehouse. If you add engraving, that is carried out here in the United States before your order goes out.

A note on handmade variation

This is hand made, not machine made and not bulk produced, so what arrives will not be a pixel for pixel copy of the photograph. Tone, polish, the exact width of the gap and the tightness of each twist all vary because every piece is worked by hand. The dimensions, the material and the build are the same every time. The character is not. Across your own six you will see small differences between the three twisted rings, which is what hand twisted wire looks like.

Frequently asked questions

How do I size a ring from this set

Spread the gap gently with your thumbs to get it over the knuckle, then squeeze it closed until it is snug behind the joint. No tools needed, and no size to choose at checkout.

Will the rings loosen with wear

They can settle slightly in the first weeks. Squeeze the gap in a fraction and they hold. Avoid adjusting them daily, because repeated flexing work hardens and eventually fatigues any open ring.

Are these solid bronze or gold

No. They are a jewellery alloy with a bronze tone finish, and we describe the finish rather than claiming a metal. If you want solid sterling, ask us first.

Can a woman wear these

Yes. Because every ring adjusts, the set works on a wide range of hands, and the slim twisted rings in particular sit well on smaller fingers.

Can I have runes instead of the Valknut

Yes, on the three flat bands. Your rune line replaces the Valknut rather than sitting alongside it, and it can go on the outside or hidden on the inside.

How long does shipping take

Processing is one to two weeks in the shop plus transit. Shipping within the United States is free.

What is in the box

• Three flat Valknut stamped open bands
• Three twisted wire open rings
• One soft drawstring pouch
• Care card covering adjustment and finish care
• Made and finished in the Czech Republic

Explore the range

See more in Viking rings and bracelets, arm rings and torcs, beard rings and beads and accessories, or read the guides.