"The Shieldmaiden" Seax: Replica Swedish Viking Fighting Knife

"The Shieldmaiden" is a handmade replica of the large Swedish-style of fighting knife used by the Rus Vikings, and is similar to the one found in the grave of the female warrior found in Birka.

In keeping with the technology of the Viking Age, I forged this blade in a charcoal forge with a hammer and anvil.  The handle is ash wood that was wild-grown in the woods of Michigan, and carved by hand with a draw-knife.

The leather sheath comes with copper hardware and leather suspension straps that allows you to wear the knife horizontally, as well as don and doff the sheath without removing your belt.

Belt not include.

Blade length: 11.5"

Overall length: 16"

Handle length: 4.5"

Blade width: 3/16" 

Knife weight: 11oz

Knife and sheath weight: 15oz 

"French Nail": WWI Trench Knife, Hand-Forged Replica and Historic Examples of Actual Trench Knives and Bayonets

The French Nail was a type of impromptu weapon made during the Great War by blacksmiths on the front for the troops engaged in trench warfare.  The typical bayonets issued at the time were to long for the close-in fighting and hand-to-hand combat that would occur when entrenched positions were over-run or raided, so the soldiers went to the local blacksmiths and farriers and asked them to make shorter, more effective stabbing instruments.  Wrought from barbed wire stanchions, the French Nail seems to have been a fairly prevalent design, with many historic examples existing today.  The knuckle guard protects the fighter's hand as well as allowing them to use it as an impact device, and the double-edged dagger-style blade pierces exceptionally well and cuts with remarkable easy. 

French Nail replica, by Blackheart Forge

My version of the French Nail was forged from a car coil spring and quenched in tallow to give it the blackened finish.  The sheath is made from full-grain leather and was stained using neatsfoot oil, for an authentic looking finish.  It is available for purchase here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/698511004/wwi-replica-fighting-knife-french-nail?ref=shop_home_active_1

https://www.etsy.com/listing/698511004/wwi-replica-fighting-knife-french-nail?ref=shop_home_active_1

Here are some historic examples of French Nails that were made during the Great War.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30001250

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30001250

At least two that I have found during my research had wooden scabbards with them, for a crude but effective carry method.  Below is a photo from what appears to be a genuine French Nail with a leather sheath, but I can't verify the source. 

German barbed wire stanchion, the principal candidate for recycled blade steel for making trench knives on the front.

Stanchions in use.

Scrap metal from the front.
You can see a stanchion buried in there.

I also found some interesting photos of blacksmiths and mobile smithies from the war.  

French blacksmiths; the man on the right has a "French" pattern hammer.

Mobile British smithy, 1915

British farriers, 1915

I couldn't find any photos of soldiers carrying French Nails, but here some photos of troops posing with their trench knives.  The pattern I notice is that the knives seem to have been worn on the left side, and wielded "tip-down" in a reverse or icepick grip. 

Dual-wielding a knife and grenade. 

The left hand wields the knife in an icepick grip while the right hand holds a revolver.

Some of the rifles and bayonets issued during the War.
Note the trend for longer blades.

The long bayonet mounted on a rifle gave soldiers tremendous reach,
but in the confines of the  trenches a shorter blade proved more useful. 

Remington bayonet for the Lee-Enfield rifle.

"Hravn" Hunter, Viking Butcher Knife

You can buy this knife here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/664124932/viking-butcher-knife-hravn-hunter-7?ref=shop_home_active_1

"Hravn" is the Old Norse for "raven", and I dubbed this knife with that name because of the black finish left on it from the heat treatment process of quenching the blade in deer tallow.  This blade is also perfectly suited to butchering tasks, food processing, and kitchen chores because of it's long, thin, blade.  The knife would also be useful for filleting fish, making the "Hravn" and all-around outdoorsman's knife, well suited for any modern Viking.

The blade is hand forged from a car coil spring, and has been quenched and tempered for remarkable strength and durability.  The handle is hand-hewn from white ash, and carved to its final shape with a draw-knife in the same manner as the Viking would have done one thousand years ago.  The sheath has been wet-molded to perfectly fit and retain the blade, and it comes with two leather jesses that allow the sheath to be suspended horizontally from the belt. The manner of the construction is such that the sheath can be removed from the belt without having to undo the belt, just remove the toggles from the copper rings.

All my knives are one-of-kind pieces, and every component was wrought with my own hands in the tradition of the bladesmiths of old.  This knife has a part of the craftsman in it as well as a bit of old-world soul.

Blade length: 7.25"

Overall length: 12.5"

Overall weight: 5.6oz

Knife weight: 9.2oz

How Did the Vikings Attach Knife Handles to their Blades?

In a recent video I laid out my hypothesis for how Viking knives may have only used the friction of the tang against the wood of the handle to hold them in place.  Below are some museum examples of archaeological finds of knives from the Viking Age.  My hypothesis was developed based on knives, such as C35300, where the tang is significantly smaller than the blade.  I also drew on my own knife-making experiences to come to my conclusion. Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwKr5S3oVDQ

C34702a, from Ringerike, Norway. Dated to the early Iron Age.

Knife C35300, from Telemark (Norway).

Classic Swedish scramasaxes. Sketch shows how the tang is the full length of the handle.

T13577, found in Romsdal, Norway.

Collection of knives and other cutting tools, perhaps kitchen knives. From Norway.

C24592b, from Hedmark, Norway.

The knife I used in the discussion video.  It looks a little bit like C.37484 (pictured above).

Link to the video discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwKr5S3oVDQ