Hornsax Hand Forged Damascus Steel Broken Back Seax | 12 Inch Overall Length | Horn Handle with Rune Etched Blade and Brass Fittings | Norse Belt Knife Gift | RK-2157

The Hornsax is a broken back seax in pattern welded steel. The spine runs dead straight from the bolster for most of the blade and then breaks downward in one clean angled line to meet the edge at the point, which is the profile that gives this type of knife its name. A shallow fuller runs just under the spine, a row of Elder Futhark runes is cut into the flat where the blade leaves the bolster, and the whole surface carries the flowing figure of etched Damascus. The handle is mottled grey and black horn between a polished steel front bolster with a small finger guard and a brass fitting at the rear.

The broken back is a genuinely Anglo Saxon and Norse form, concentrated in ninth and tenth century England, and the best known example is the Seax of Beagnoth pulled out of the Thames and now in the British Museum. It carries the only complete Anglo Saxon runic alphabet ever found on a single object, inlaid along the blade in wire, plus the name Beagnoth. That is a real historical link to the rune band on this blade rather than a marketing one. This knife is hand made in the Czech Republic. Ransack Viking imports it, checks the etch, the handle fit and the sheath before it goes out, and ships it from the Memphis warehouse.

The seax was the knife a Norseman actually carried, and the seax buying guide covers the types and what to look for. The staves are Elder Futhark, the oldest of the Norse alphabets, and every Elder Futhark rune is written out with the name and sound of each one. The bearded axes are the usual companion piece if you are building a Norse kit.

Specifications

Why the spine breaks

The angled spine is not a decorative flourish, and once you have used one the logic is obvious. On a knife with a curved spine the point sits somewhere in the middle of the blade height, which is fine for skinning and poor for anything that needs a controlled thrust or a precise cut against a board. The broken back drops the point down towards the edge line while keeping a long run of straight, thick spine behind it. You get a strong point that is in line with your hand, a spine you can put a thumb or the heel of your other palm on for pressure, and no wasted steel high up where a curved tip would be.

The other advantage is that the straight section stays full thickness right up to the break, so the blade is stiff where it needs to be and only thins in the last portion. Seaxes were the general purpose knife of the Anglo Saxon and Norse world and they turn up in graves far more often than swords do, in sizes from a small belt knife up to the langseax. A blade of this length is squarely in the everyday range, the size somebody would have carried at the belt for eating, whittling, cutting cord and every other daily job.

The steel, the horn and the sheath

The blade is 1095 and 15N20 forge welded, drawn out and acid etched, run to 58 to 60 HRC. The nickel in the 15N20 resists the etchant and stays bright while the 1095 darkens, and the contrast between the two layers is the pattern. Because the figure is the internal structure of the steel it wraps round the spine, the fuller and the bevel rather than stopping at them. At this hardness the edge takes and holds a genuinely fine point, which suits a knife meant for detail work more than for chopping. There is no chromium in it, so it will rust if you neglect it.

The handle is horn, mottled through with grey, charcoal and near black streaking, and every one is different. Horn is warm to hold, grips well when your hands are damp and takes a fine polish. The steel bolster at the front carries a small downward finger guard, which is the only real safety feature a knife like this needs, since it stops your hand sliding onto the edge if the point catches. The brass at the rear caps the end grain of the horn. The sheath is dark brown leather, fitted to the blade with a belt loop.

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, the leather or the wood. 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 where it goes. Where a piece already carries an engraved design, your chosen engraving replaces it rather than sitting alongside it. On the Hornsax there is real precedent for putting a name in runes on the blade, since that is exactly what the Beagnoth seax does. The existing decorative rune line at the ricasso is the position most people replace with a real one. See the engraving page for what will fit.

Handling and balance

This is a hand filling knife for its size, because the horn handle is fuller than a modern utility knife would be. Balance sits close to the bolster, which is what you want on a knife used for control rather than chopping. Hold it with your index finger behind the guard and your thumb up on the spine, and the straight run of spine gives you a long comfortable platform to push against for a controlled cut.

The drop to the point is where the blade is thinnest, so use the belly for general cutting and keep prying and twisting away from the tip. That angled section is the part most likely to be damaged by a lateral load. This is a working belt knife and a collecting piece. It is not a throwing knife and it is not a sparring piece.

Care

Dry and oil the blade every time it goes away, and be a little more diligent about it than you would with a satin finish, because an etched Damascus surface holds moisture in its texture. Do not store the knife in the leather sheath for months, since vegetable tanned leather is mildly acidic and traps damp. Sharpen on a stone and follow the bevel that is already there, and avoid powered wheels, because heat above the tempering temperature softens the edge permanently. The horn handle wants an occasional wipe with a barely oiled cloth and no long spells of dry heat or direct sun. Feed the sheath with leather balm two or three times a year. Our steel care guide covers etched blades properly.

Damascus wants oil more than plain steel does, because the etch that shows the pattern also opens the surface, and caring for a Damascus pattern covers what to use.

Made in the Czech Republic

The Hornsax is made by hand in the Czech Republic and imported by Ransack Viking. Nothing here is drop shipped from an importer catalogue. Every knife is opened in Memphis, checked for etch quality, handle fit, edge condition and sheath fit, then repacked and shipped free within the United States. Processing runs one to two weeks because that check is real. Returns stay open for seven days, and there is a lifetime warranty against defects in forging, grind, heat treat and fittings, with no end date and no receipt needed.

A note on handmade variation

This is a hand made knife rather than a machine made or bulk produced one, so yours will not be a pixel for pixel copy of the photograph. The Damascus figure comes from one particular billet and cannot be repeated, so the pattern on your blade will be its own. Horn varies more than almost any material we work with, from an even charcoal through heavy grey and black marbling to a paler streaked brown, and the translucency at the edges varies too. The rune line is cut individually and the sheath leather will be a shade lighter or darker. The dimensions, the material and the build are the same every time. The character is not.

Frequently asked questions

Is it sharp out of the box

Yes. It arrives with a keen working edge and at 58 to 60 HRC it takes a very fine point, which is what makes it useful for detail work.

Do the runes on the blade spell something

The line as supplied is a decorative run of Elder Futhark characters rather than a word. If you want a real name, date or phrase we will cut it in place of that line.

What is the small notch or guard under the bolster

It is a short finger guard formed into the steel bolster. It stops your hand running forward onto the edge if the point catches or slips, which is the one real hazard with a straight handled knife.

Is this a legal everyday carry knife

Knife carry rules vary a great deal by state and by city, and a fixed blade of this length is restricted in some places. Check your local law before you carry it. As a belt knife for camp, kitchen or collection use it is straightforward.

Will the horn crack

Horn is stable if you keep it away from radiators and long direct sunlight. Any cosmetic surface line would not affect the knife, since the bolster and the rear fitting hold the handle at both ends.

How long does shipping take

One to two weeks of processing while the knife is checked and any engraving is cut, then free shipping inside the United States.

What is in the box

• Hornsax Damascus broken back seax with horn handle
• Fitted dark brown leather belt sheath
• Care card for etched Damascus, horn and leather
• Hand made in the Czech Republic, shipped from our Memphis, Tennessee warehouse

Explore the range

Browse the rest of the Viking seax range, the wider Viking knives, the kukri knives and everything under engraved and personalised, or read the guides.