Seax Swords & Seax Knives

A seax is a single-edged blade used across northern Europe from roughly the 5th to 11th centuries, ranging from a short utility knife to a sword-length weapon. It is identified by a thick single-edged blade, a simple grip and an edge-up horizontal scabbard, and was carried by Saxons, Angles, Franks and Vikings as both an everyday tool and a battlefield weapon.

Both, depending on size. The word seax comes from the Old English for knife, and shorter seaxes are large fighting knives. Long seax and langseax blades reach 18 to 20 inches and function as single-edged short swords. Our range covers the full span from seax dagger to seax sword.

A langseax is simply a long seax — typically over 50 cm overall, with a blade long enough to serve as a short sword and sometimes a longer two-handed grip. A standard seax is shorter and worn as a utility knife or sidearm. We forge both.

A broad seax has a deep, wide blade built for heavy chopping cuts. A broken-back seax has a sharp angled transition along the spine down to the point, a profile most associated with later Anglo-Saxon Britain. Both are single-edged seax forms, and either can be forged to order.

Yes. Alongside the spear and shield, the seax was a primary sidearm of Germanic, Anglo-Saxon and Viking-age warriors, and the long seax could be carried in place of a sword. It doubled as an everyday cutting tool, which is why it remained in use for centuries.

Every seax is hand-forged from 5160 high-carbon leaf-spring steel and water-tempered. It is the same tough, shock-resistant steel used in vehicle suspension, which makes for a hard-wearing edge that holds up to real cutting.

Yes. Our standard seaxes are full-tang for strength and balance, making them functional rather than display-only. Historically many seaxes used a hidden centerline tang — if you want that period-correct build, order it as a custom seax.

Yes. Each seax is hand-sharpened and ready to use on arrival. These are live steel blades — sharp and functional — so they are not suited to contact LARP or edge-on-edge sparring.

Yes. Each seax ships with a leather-covered wooden scabbard. Several models carry edge-up in the traditional horizontal seax style.

Yes. Tell us the blade shape, length, handle material, etching and scabbard you want and our smiths will forge a bespoke seax — historically accurate or a modern hybrid. Custom engraving and personalisation are included at no extra charge on standard builds. Start with our custom forge request page.

Yes. We ship worldwide by tracked DHL and FedEx with secure checkout. Edged-weapon import rules vary by country, so please check your local regulations before ordering.

High-carbon steel will surface-rust if neglected. Keep the blade dry, wipe it after handling, and apply a thin coat of protective oil before storage. For long-term storage keep the seax out of its scabbard so the edge stays dry.