What can be engraved?

Most of the catalogue: swords, axes, seax and hunting knives, kukris, katana, chef knives, folding knives, shields, helmets, drinking horns and Damascus jewellery. If a particular piece cannot take a mark, its own product page says so before you buy.

How many characters can I have?

Up to thirty for plain lettering. That is generous on a haft or a blade spine and tight on the ricasso of a small knife, so match the length of the line to the surface you are putting it on.

Can you cut my name in runes?

Yes. You type in English and the runes are cut from the transliteration, with both versions recorded on the order so the spelling can be proofread. Elder Futhark is phonetic, with twenty four staves and no rune for C, Q, V, X or Y, so those are cut as the nearest sound. TH, NG and EI are single staves.

Where on the piece does the mark go?

On a blade, the spine, the ricasso or the flat. On an axe, the cheek of the head or the haft. On a shield, a band inside the rim. On a helmet, the brow plate. You can say where you want it in the order notes, or leave it and it is placed where the piece reads best.

Can I send my own crest or logo?

Yes, uploaded at checkout. Line art or a solid silhouette reproduces in steel much better than a photograph, because engraving has no greyscale. Send the simplest version of the image you have.

Can an engraved piece be returned?

No. Personalised pieces are cut individually and cannot be returned or exchanged, so check the spelling, the capitalisation and the date format before you order. Everything unengraved is covered by the normal returns and warranty terms.

Does engraving weaken the blade?

Not at the depths used here. The mark is cut into the flat of a finished, hardened blade rather than into an edge or a load bearing section, and it is shallow relative to the thickness of the steel. It is also cut after heat treatment, so nothing moves afterwards.

Where is the engraving done?

In the United States. Pieces are made by hand in the Czech Republic, then imported and inspected by Ransack Viking in Chicago, Illinois, and the mark is cut there after arrival and before the piece is sheathed.

Any 2 pieces, 20% offSpend $250, get a free mystery bladeShips from the USAAny 2 pieces, 20% offSpend $250, get a free mystery bladeShips from the USA

This is every piece in the catalogue that can carry a mark, gathered in one place. Swords, axes, seax and hunting knives, kukris, katana, shields, helmets, drinking horns and Damascus steel jewellery all appear here, and each of them can take a name, a date, a rune line or a symbol cut into the steel, the wood, the horn or the leather.

Engraving is done in the United States after a piece has arrived from the workshop and passed inspection, and before it is sheathed. Three options are chosen on the product page before you add to cart: plain lettering, Elder Futhark runes transliterated from what you type, or your own crest or monogram uploaded at checkout. The charge is per piece, not per order, because three engraved axes are three lots of hand work.

This page sells the pieces. If you want the detail of the service itself, the full rune chart, the placements and what each option costs, that lives on the engraving page. Two guides help before you send a spelling. Viking names and what they meant covers how a Norse name is built, and Odin the All Father covers the god most often asked for by rune. For a run of branded pieces, see logo engraved knives for companies and groups. To design a single piece from the steel up, start at Design Your Own.

Buying for a wedding party? The groomsmen sets come as six matched knives, 15% less than buying them singly, and each one can carry its own engraved name.