Dublin Seax
I have been looking to add a traditional Seax to my medieval collection and discovered an unique design available at The Medieval Shoppe based in Australia.
Called the Dublin Seax it is a reproduction of a seax from the late Viking era. With an overall length of 19" (47.5 cm) it is a substantial blade and falls within the midrange of historical seaxes. It could easily be used as both a camp knife and a warrior's sidearm.
The seax was a traditional knife used by Germanic peoples during the Migration period into the early Medieval period. They varied in length but usually were of the broken back variety of utility blade with a steep descending angle from the spine towards the tip. In regards to the Dublin seax the broken back is less acute with more of a Bowie knife style of point.
Called the Dublin Seax it is a reproduction of a seax from the late Viking era. With an overall length of 19" (47.5 cm) it is a substantial blade and falls within the midrange of historical seaxes. It could easily be used as both a camp knife and a warrior's sidearm.
The seax was a traditional knife used by Germanic peoples during the Migration period into the early Medieval period. They varied in length but usually were of the broken back variety of utility blade with a steep descending angle from the spine towards the tip. In regards to the Dublin seax the broken back is less acute with more of a Bowie knife style of point.
This reproduction also features a pommel made of solid brass and adorned with Celtic knotwork. Not sure if it is based upon a historical example but pommels were not typically found on seaxes. I did notice that the pommel seems offset and not centered on the handle. Either an assembly issue or more probably by design....the offset enables a more comfortable hand shake grip that offers better point control. The false edge along the spine is also sharpened about three quarters the length of the blade. That is unusual for a utility seax but probably not for a weapon designed for combat. Swords were prohibitively expensive during the Migration/Viking period and most Germanic/Norse warriors opted for spear, axe and seax which were far easier and cheaper to manufacture.
The handle is comprised of a very nice hardwood and swells towards the brass guard (or lack thereof) resulting in a comfortable grip.The Dublin seax comes with a well constructed leather sheath in the traditional duel strapped style so it can be worn on a belt horizontally above the groin or lower back.
Whether it is a historical copy or not belays the fact this seax is a well constructed reproduction. Fit and finish is very good considering the price. It possesses a substantial, non fullered, carbon steel blade that comes moderately sharp and feels well balanced in the hand.
The handle is comprised of a very nice hardwood and swells towards the brass guard (or lack thereof) resulting in a comfortable grip.The Dublin seax comes with a well constructed leather sheath in the traditional duel strapped style so it can be worn on a belt horizontally above the groin or lower back.
Whether it is a historical copy or not belays the fact this seax is a well constructed reproduction. Fit and finish is very good considering the price. It possesses a substantial, non fullered, carbon steel blade that comes moderately sharp and feels well balanced in the hand.
Online ordering from The Medieval Shoppe was easy and the seax arrived well oiled and packaged. Shipping was high but it was sent air and arrived fairly quickly having travelled to Canada. Our dollar is slightly higher than the Aussie dollar so it was nice to not have to factor in paying more in exchange as with the USD or Euro.
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