A Damascus Viking sword puts a pattern welded blade in a Norse hilt, which is closer to the historical article than most buyers realise. Genuine Viking age blades were often made from twisted rods forge welded together, and the pattern that came out of that process was visible on the finished blade. What is sold here is the modern version of the same idea: 1095 and 15N20 folded, drawn out and etched.
Blades and hilts
Overall lengths run 28 to 37 inches, with the short sword at the bottom and most sitting at 36. The pommels are where the Norse character lives: five lobed, three lobed, trilobate, wheel and one cast as a Mjolnir. Several carry cut work on the guard, including an Elder Futhark row and a runic arched guard, and the blades take valknut inlays, vegvisir etching, triquetra engraving, Celtic knot panels and full rune rows. Two are described as pattern welded rather than layered, one with a chevron fuller and one with a genuine twisted core, which is the closest thing here to the historical method. Blades run 58 to 60 HRC. Grips are wrapped in brown, black, olive and blue leather, and scabbards are leather, steel mounted, wood cored or timber. Prices run from 469 dollars to 699 dollars.
Checking the steel and looking after it
Patterned blades attract imitations, and a printed or acid stencilled pattern is easy to spot once you know what to look for. Our page on real against fake Damascus covers the tells. Once it is yours, the etch makes surface spotting more visible rather than less, so it wants a wipe and a light film of oil: the care notes go through it. Two of these follow the Ulfberht pattern, and the story behind that name is the best one in Viking metallurgy. The full patterned range is in Damascus swords.
Ransack Viking is a US company based in North Babylon, New York. These pieces are handmade in the Czech Republic, then imported, inspected and shipped from New York. Engraving is done in the US after arrival: text 19 dollars, symbol 39 dollars, family crest 49 dollars.
Free US shipping
On most pieces. Heavier and oversized ones carry a flat charge.
Hand Forged
Heated, hammered and ground by hand.
Engraving available
Names, dates or Norse runes on most pieces.
