Ragnar Lothbrok style axes and a sword to match
Ragnar Lothbrok is the legendary Danish king of the sagas, the father of Ivar the Boneless and Bjorn Ironside, whose story has been retold so often that his name now means a certain look: a bearded Viking axe with a Norse presence about it. This small archive holds our pieces made in that style. Three are Viking axes in plain high carbon steel or Damascus at 19 to 20 inches with hardwood hafts, and one is a 38 inch stainless steel Viking sword. They are our own designs made in the saga tradition. They are not connected to any television production.
It is for the fan who wants a real forged axe rather than a costume prop, the collector building a set of named Norse pieces, and anyone buying for a man who has watched the sagas retold and wants the axe from them in his hand.
What to look for
All four pieces are forged steel with a full tang, so the choice is between the axe and the sword and then, on the axes, between the two steels. A plain 1095 head at 54 to 58 HRC is tougher and will take a file; a 1095 and 15N20 Damascus head at 58 to 60 HRC holds an edge longer and shows the pattern. The sword is stainless, as its listing says, and is the display piece of the four. If you want the piece to carry a name or a line of runes, the axe heads have the room for it.
How the pieces are made and where
Ransack Viking is a Chicago, Illinois company. These axes and the sword are made by hand in the Czech Republic the old way, forged, ground, hardened and hafted or hilted in the same workshop. They are imported, inspected at our Chicago warehouse and shipped from Chicago. Engraving is done in the United States before dispatch.
Care is a wipe and a thin coat of oil on the steel after handling. Keep leather covers off the edge in long storage and give a wooden haft a rub of oil once a year.
Related archives
The full bearded pattern that these axes belong to is in bearded axes, and every axe on the site is in Viking axes. The sword sits with its kin in Viking swords, and a shield to complete the picture is in round shields. For what a ninth century axe would have looked like and why the bearded shape dominated the Viking Age, read our Viking axe history.
What is known about the man and the axe attached to his name is set out in the Ragnar Lothbrok axe, and how the show armed its cast is covered in the arms of Vikings and The Last Kingdom.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the axe from the television series?
No. These are our own hand forged pieces made in the Ragnar style of the sagas. They are not official or licensed items and are not connected to or endorsed by any studio or rights holder.
Was Ragnar Lothbrok a real person?
Possibly. He appears in Icelandic sagas and Danish chronicles as a ninth century king, and several real Viking leaders may have been folded into his story. His sons Ivar and Bjorn are better attested.
Are these axes sharp?
Yes. Each head is ground and sharpened by hand before shipping. They are working axes, not wall props.
Which steel is better?
Plain 1095 for an axe that will be used and resharpened. Damascus for the pattern and a harder edge on a piece that is mostly displayed.
Can I add a name or runes?
Yes. A name, a date or an Elder Futhark line is cut in the United States before the axe ships.
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.
