BlackOak Forge
All Your Metaphysical Needs - Custom Blades - Organic Beard Products
8112 US Rte 60 Ashland KY 41102
Open Wednesday - Saturday
2:00 pm to 9:00 pm EST
Appointments may be available on days we are closed.
We are sorry for times we are not here during regular hours. My wife has a health condition that can trigger at any moment and delay us or cause us to leave early. If you are coming to the shop from a distance, please call first.
Questions?
Please call us:
606-689-1309 (text or call)
Wolf Seax by James Collins
(Sold)
Hand - forged from 1095 steel, finely hand ground to provide great balance. Etched with knotwork on one side and named “Thorn” in runes on the other. The handle is curly birch intricately carved with the head of a wolf and sealed with bee’s wax for a wonderful patina. The eyes are set with carnelian stones. The sheath is veggie tanned leather which has been sealed. It is hand-tooled as the body of the wolf so that when the knife is in the sheath, the entire wolf’s body is seen. It is hand-tooled on both sides for either right or left hand carry.
Knife measures 11"
Understanding Norse and Celtic Blades
Seax
Seax literally means “knife”. Today, when we refer to a Seax, we are typically speaking of a specific type of sword or dagger of the Germanic, Franks and Norse. Seaxes were generally 8” to 20” (longseax).
The blades were usually set into a simple grip of bone, antler or wood.
The Saxon seax, called a Broken-back seax, is a broad, heavy knife which has a point that angles back to the spine of the blade. It is sharpened on the bottom edge.
The Frankish style had a more curving blade and a smoother transition from clip to spine.
The Scandinavian seaxes were very broad-bladed weapons. There were two styles which were prominent. One was similar to the broken-back seax, but the point had a clip (slight curve). The second was a more curved tipped blade, with the edge being on the curved side.
Leuku
Also called a Sami knife, the leuku has a wide, strong blade suitable for light chopping tasks. The larger versions can be used as a substitute for a small axe. These knives usually have a wood handle and no crossguard.
The blade has a Scandi grind which is a single flat bevel. The small version of this knife is referred to as a Puukko (small knife).
Sgian Dubh
Worn as a part of traditional Scottish Highland dress, the sgian dubh is a small kilt hose/boot knife for use in day-to-day activities. Generally made with a spear-point tip (although some have a clipped point), the traditional construction is a hilt of wood, bone or antler. As part of the Highland dress, many sgian dubhs were made with beautiful woods; carved bone/antler and the fittings were sterling silver. Stones can be inset into the hilts or pommels as well. The scabbard is leather covered wood.
Modern reproductions are usually made with stainless steel and plastic. Blackoak Forge uses 1095 or 5160 steel and all natural materials for the hilt.