Witham Viking Seax Knife
History of the Seax Knife
A scramseax (also scramsax, scramseaxe, scramaseax, scramasax, scramaseaxe and sometimes referred to as simply scram, seax or sax) was a type of Germanic single-edged knife. Scramseax seem to have been used for warfare and as a tool. They occur in a size range from 2.9" to 29.5". The larger ones (langseax) were probably weapons, while the smaller ones (hadseax) were tools, intermediate sized ones serving a dual purpose. Wearing a scramseax may have been indicative of freemanship. The scramseax was worn in a horizontal sheath at the front of the belt. Scram refers to food and seax to a blade (so, "food knife"). There is some debate about the authenticity of the longer word scramseax. The Saxons may have derived their name from seax (the implement for which they were known) in much the same way that the Franks were named for their francisca. This claim is largely supported by the appearance of scramaseaxes in early Saxon heraldry.
Our new version is based off a 10th century style and features refinements like a reduced diameter in leather handle for an easier grip. The 5.5mm thick, 12" blade is just a beast as ever and cuts just a clean. The tang is peened over top of the metal end cap of the handle. A stiched leather brown scabbard with a belt hanger is included.