In reality, Viking battle axes were well balanced, light and fast. When thinking of authentic Viking axes, most people normally first think of battle axes, and a common image is that of a huge weapon that can only be used by trolls. The battle ready Viking axe was not only used for warfare, but also served as a tool on farms and for cutting timber, especially for building their Viking ships. Other Viking axes were designed for perforating enemy armor, or cutting through helmets in close combat with their relatively short cutting edge. Viking axes are normally made light enough to be thrown and were handcrafted axes with forged axe heads with the edges hardened. Specific historical axes used by the Vikings are also known as Danish axes, an early type of polearm. A Viking axe was a deadly weapon with few equals in the hands of a Norseman. ![]() Viking axes are not fancy and they do not have to be. Viking axes were manufactured in numerous sizes, from small hand and throwing axes to huge battle and war axes that Viking warriors wielded when committing themselves to a battle. Viking axes are universally as simple as they are effective. Viking battle axes were made in different one and two handed designs, all manufactured with either carbon steel or forged steel heads. They could be used in a village, or on a farm to perform a number of tasks, yet when used in a fight, they became deadly weapons that could shatter shields and cleave through armor as easily as splitting logs. Viking axes were weapons designed for many uses. These weapons were brutally effective and well-suited to the wild but powerful strokes that Vikings utilized when they went into battle. Also known as a medieval throwing axe, these axes were both easy to create and repair. The battle ready Viking axe was an often used weapons wielded by Viking warriors. The axe was an important weapon for the Vikings – here’s why. These are a collection of Viking axe facts from several sources. I am unsure of why there are three distinct different types of axes and if they were made at the same time or if there was a development so that one type is older and the other newer. The C type axe are always decorated, but in no way as lavishly as the decorated A type often is. I don’t have this axe in my collection as of now, but “stole” the picture from the Norwegian museum’s Digitalt museum that regretfully only is in Norwegian and with very limited description of the items. They are hardly ever engraved (this is one of the very few exceptions). The B axe is usually rather plain and has one flat side. This one also has something pretty unique, the top quarter of the handle with the fillings for the blade are the original ones from the 1600’s. ![]() Most of these are plain, but some have beautiful engravings like the one on the picture. ![]() The A-axe is virtually identical to the viking axe and is from my point of view the most aesthetic of the three. There were three types of axes – the A, B and C. These really were fearsome weapons, introduced in the early 1600’s when the Norwegian farmer was required to arm himself by law. With the crocked handle, one gets the force of the blow from a straight handle, but in addition get a sliding cut. With a straight handle, one gets a straight chop. The Norwegian battle axe is often a beautiful piece of workmanship, seemingly strangely mounted on a crocked handle.
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