Scramasax

The Scramasax, or seax, was a universal tool and weapon in northern Europe from before the fall of Rome all the way to early middle ages, carried by Franks, Vikings, Angles, Saxons and many German tribes. Seax means “knife” in Old English, and the weapon even gave its name to a tribe, the Saxons. At first the seax was used by the Franks during the 5th C, who later introduced it to Scandinavia, where it gained much popularity. Eventually, during c. the 7th-8th centuries, the use of the seax spread to Britain also.

These weapons came in a wide range of sizes, from small utility-knives with little under 10 cm blades up to actual sword lengths at 70 cm. Depending on the size, the seax was used as a tool, a weapon or served both uses. Carried horizontally on the belt, the scramasax provided the spearman with both a close-quarters weapon and a tool and utensil in camp.

Our Scramasax, with its foot-long blade (30 cm), would provide both slashing and thrusting power in battle while handling heavy-duty chores around the home and camp as a large knife. This scramasax is equipped with a leather horizontal-carry sheath. As the pommel and guard are visible even when the weapon is sheathed, they were an obvious place where to display status, and so our scramasax too has intricate Celtic knot -pattern decorations for all to admire.

Made by Hanwei. Specs may slightly vary from piece to piece.