Product description
This type of axe head is classified as Petersen Type C. The blade features an extremely pronounced beard, with a wide flaring section behind the eye, making it one of the most distinctive forms of bearded axes. This type represents a further development of bearded axes that had already been used since the Late Roman period. Most examples have been found in Sweden, a few in Norway, but none in the United Kingdom. This type of axe was likely used as a battle axe, as the connection to the shaft is relatively thin for a woodcutting axe. Axes of this design were possibly originally developed by the Slavic peoples of the Baltic region.
The “beard” — the downward extension of the blade — provided a larger cutting surface without increasing the axe’s weight. Thanks to this design, the user could grip the haft just behind the head to plane or carve wood. In battle, the beard also had advantages: it could be used to hook or pull away an opponent’s shield or weapon.
This traditional bearded axe is based on an original find from Dublin, now part of the collection of the National Museum of Ireland. The Viking axe is made of carbon steel with a hardness of 52 HRC.
This Viking axe measures 77.5 cm in length, has a blade width of up to 15.2 cm, and weighs 1984 grams.
