Langhewer Hand Forged High Carbon Steel Viking War Axe | 28 Inch Overall with 6 Inch Cutting Edge | Norse Battle Collector Gift | RK-1213

Lengthen the haft on a Norse axe and you change the weapon completely. At around 28 inches the axe leaves the one handed shield line and becomes a two handed tool, gripped wide with the lower hand at the knob and the upper hand sliding up under the head. That grip gives you a lever more than a club. The lower hand pulls while the upper hand pushes, so the head accelerates through the last few inches of the arc rather than simply falling. Long hafted axes in the Norse and later medieval record are consistently built with wide, thin heads for exactly this reason, because the swing supplies the force and the head only has to carry the edge.

This one is forged and finished in Memphis, Tennessee. The head is high carbon steel with a wide sweeping edge and an engraved Norse knotwork panel worked across the cheek, and the haft is long grained ash cut to 28 inches and finished in oil. It ships with a leather head cover so the edge can be transported and stored safely, along with a care card and a certificate of hand forging.

Specifications

What the long haft changes

Reach is the obvious gain but it is not the important one. The real difference is the second hand. With both hands on the haft you can rotate the axe around the upper hand as a pivot, which lets you cut in tight arcs, recover on a different line, and hook with the horn using the lower hand as the pull. A one handed axe cannot do any of that without the shoulder doing all the work.

The cost is that a long hafted axe is committed. Once the swing has started the mass is out in front of you and the axe is slow to stop, which is why historical long axe technique is built around continuous circular movement rather than stop and start strikes. It is also why the head on a piece like this is kept relatively light for its width. Two pounds on a 28 inch lever already carries more energy at the edge than three pounds on a short haft, and adding weight past that point buys nothing except fatigue.

Why high carbon steel and not stainless

The whole point of this axe is that the edge takes impact at the far end of a long lever, which means it takes more energy per strike than a hand axe edge ever will. Stainless steel is the wrong answer to that problem. Chromium buys corrosion resistance at the cost of toughness at cutting hardness, so a stainless edge chips under exactly the loads this axe is built to deliver. High carbon steel deforms slightly instead, holds an edge well and can be given a hard edge with a soft body through differential heat treatment. Our full comparison lives on Damascus versus stainless.

Carbon steel needs a wipe of oil after handling. That is the whole of the maintenance burden.

The ash haft and how to keep it

A 28 inch haft is a spring as much as a handle, and ash is the wood that has been trusted with that job for a thousand years. Its long fibres bend fractionally under load and return, which keeps shock out of the wrists on a heavy strike. We select blanks with the growth rings running straight down the length, because grain that runs out through the side of a haft is the single most common cause of a broken axe.

The haft is oiled rather than lacquered so it grips rather than slips, and it will darken with handling. Feed it once or twice a year with oil on a rag, keep it out of standing water and away from radiators, and check the wedge in the eye occasionally. There is more in wooden handle care.

Engraving, runes and your own design

Use the rune converter on this page to turn a name, a date or a short phrase into Elder Futhark and we will cut it into the steel or the handle. If you would rather have a Viking pattern than a rune line, choose your own design in the engraving option above the add to cart button and tell us whether it goes on the blade or the handle. Where a piece already carries an engraved design, your chosen engraving replaces it rather than sitting alongside it. On this axe the wide cheek gives more room than most, so a long rune line or a full knotwork panel both fit comfortably. See the engraving page for options.

Care and sharpening

Dry and oil the head before the cover goes back on, because leather traps damp against steel. If spotting appears, steel care explains how to take it back without dulling the engraved panel, which is the part you do not want scrubbed with an abrasive.

Sharpen the convex bevel with a coarse puck in small circles, working the full six inches evenly so the sweep stays true, then refine on a fine stone and strop. The general method is in sharpening with a whetstone, using a more open angle than you would on a knife.

Forged in Memphis

Head, haft, engraving and leather all happen in our Memphis, Tennessee shop. Nothing is drop shipped from an importer catalogue and given our name at the last minute. Long hafted pieces take a little more shop time than short ones because the haft has to be selected for grain and then fitted and wedged properly, so expect three to four business days on a stock axe and one to two weeks if you have added engraving. If a date matters, ask before you order and we will give you a real answer.

A note on handmade variation

This piece is hand forged. It is not machine made and it is not bulk produced, so what arrives will not be a pixel for pixel copy of the photograph. Grain, tone, pattern and exact profile vary because each is worked by hand from natural materials. The ash grain differs board to board, the engraved panel is cut by hand and follows the shape of the individual head, and the polish takes light differently on every surface. Dimensions, steel and build are the same every time. The character is not.

Frequently asked questions

Is it sharp on arrival?

Yes, it arrives with a working convex edge along the full sweep. It is not shaved sharp because that geometry does not survive impact on an axe.

Can I use it two handed for cutting practice?

Yes. The head is heat treated and the haft is wedged for use, so it will cut tatami mats, water bottles and light timber. Keep the swing circular and never stop the head with your own body in the arc.

Can I have runes engraved on it?

Yes. Convert your text with the rune converter above and tell us whether it goes on the head or the haft. Your engraving replaces the knotwork panel rather than sitting next to it.

Will mine look exactly like the photograph?

The dimensions and the style of the engraving will match. The exact cut of the panel, the ash grain and the play of the polish will be particular to your axe.

What is the difference between this and a short bearded axe?

Haft length and grip. A bearded axe at 19 to 21 inches is a one handed tool used with a shield or for carving. This is a 28 inch two handed axe with a wider head, built for reach and leverage rather than close control.

How long does shipping take?

United States shipping is free. Stock axes leave the shop in three to four business days. Engraved orders add one to two weeks of forge and bench time.

What is in the box

• One Langhewer hand forged high carbon steel Viking war axe
• Stitched leather head cover
• Care and sharpening card
• Certificate of hand forging with the SKU recorded on it
• Forged and finished in Memphis, Tennessee

Explore the range

Browse the wider Viking axes range, the heavier battle axes, our medieval axes and the full Viking weapons collection, or read the guides for sharpening and haft care.