Historical Notes
Viking swords were all dangerous weapons as well as great works of art. As you can see from the replicas we offer, the hilts were all for single hand use and the designs varied greatly. Some had straight guards, some curved. Some had pommels with lobes of different shape and size, others did not. Most of them were very highly decorated, often with wire and inlaid metals.
These swords were much lighter and well balanced than most expect. The blades were mostly double edged, but there were also single edged long seax. Early blades were pattern welded steel.
Some swords from Scandinavian sagas were considered magical. Like Gram, the sword of Sigurd. Originally a gift from Odin to the Volsungs, the sword is used to kill Fafnir the dragon. The sword was also able to cut an anvil in two. Skofnung is the legendary sword of Hrolf Kraki, known for being impossibly sharp. Long after Kraki’s death the sword was taken from his burial mound and found to still be in perfect condition.