The spear was the Norse arm that mattered. It turns up in graves more than any sword, it was cheap enough for anyone to own, and it gave a man in a shieldwall reach he could not get any other way. If you are building a kit that reflects what was actually carried rather than what looks good on a poster, this is where to start.
Shafts, heads and sockets
Full spears here run 60 to 76 inches overall on ash shafts, with heads between 11 and 13 inches. There is a broad leaf head on a 60 inch haft with a brass butt spike, an 11 inch leaf blade on a 76 inch haft with a rune engraved socket, a 12 inch leaf blade on a 68 inch shaft with a riveted socket and a brass collar, a Damascus head at 74 inches overall with a leather grip wrap, a winged spear with a 12 inch head on a 72 inch haft, and an Elder Futhark spear at 72 inches with a red leather grip. The 7 foot piece has a knotwork cut socket and a steel butt ferrule. Boar spears are the specialist shape, with a swept crossbar or a curved steel bar behind the blade to stop an animal running up the shaft, one of them on a 30 inch olive and walnut haft with a 13 inch lugged head and a steel butt spike. Loose heads come as singles with knotwork engraving and a runed socket, and as a set of six from 5 to 9 inches with rune marked collars in a canvas roll. Steel is plain 1095 high carbon at 54 to 58 HRC or forge welded 1095 and 15N20 Damascus at 58 to 60 HRC. Almost all ship with a leather point cover. Prices run from 189 dollars to 429 dollars.
Before you buy a seven foot object
Measure your ceiling and your car. A 76 inch shaft is a different logistical problem from a sword, and most people only discover that after it arrives. Our piece on the Viking spear covers how the head, socket and ferrule went together and why it dominated the finds. If you are kitting out for an event, our notes on gear for reenactors are worth a look. The full range is in Viking spears, and the longer bladed staff arms are in glaives and polearms.
Ransack Viking is a US company based in Chicago, Illinois. These pieces are handmade in the Czech Republic, then imported, inspected and shipped from Chicago. 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.
