A Norse gift only works if the object is real. A printed mug with a valknut on it is a mug. A hammer with an Elder Futhark line cut into the shank is a tool that will outlive the person you gave it to, and the symbol on it means something in the same world the object comes from.
What is on this tag
Ball pein and cross pein blacksmith hammers with rune cut shanks and ash grips, war hammers with rune cut heads on ash hafts with steel collars, Mjolnir shaped hammer heads, throwing knife sets of three with etched blades and a leather sheath, axes, swords and pendants. Steel is plain 1095 high carbon at 54 to 58 HRC or Damascus of 1095 and 15N20, forge welded and acid etched, at 58 to 60 HRC. Hafts are ash and hickory, grips are wrapped leather, and fittings are steel or brass.
The hammer as an object
Thor’s hammer is the single most common Norse symbol in the archaeological record. Hammer pendants appear across Scandinavia in the tenth century, in graves, in hoards and on the same necklace as crosses in some cases, which tells you something about how conversion actually went. Putting that shape on a working hammer is not a novelty, it is the most literal object in the range. The Mjolnir article covers the myths and the finds, and the pendants are in the Thor’s hammers.
Practical notes
Hammers and tongs are in the blacksmith tools, and the throwing sets in the throwing knives. Throwing knives want a soft wood target and a great deal of space behind it. Rune engraving is 39 dollars and text is 19 dollars, done in the US after arrival, so a name can be added late without the piece crossing an ocean twice.
What arrives
Hammer heads come mounted and wedged on oiled hafts. Blades come with an edge and a sheath. Pendants come on a leather cord or a chain depending on the piece. Hafts are oil finished rather than lacquered, so they can be sanded back and reoiled after a few years instead of flaking apart under the hand.
Choosing between them
A hammer is the safest Norse gift because it is a tool and it will be used. A throwing set is the most fun and needs the most space. A pendant is the piece that gets worn every day and forgotten about in the best way. Buy for what the person already does rather than for the mythology, and the mythology takes care of itself.
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.
