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Product description
This type of axehead is classified as Petersen type C. The blad features an extremely pronounced beard, with a broad extending section behind the eye, and is one of the most striking forms of bearded axe. This type is a further development of bearded axes that have been in use since the Late Roman period. Most specimens have been found in Sweden, some in Norway, but no specimens have been found in the United Kingdom. This type of axe was likely used as a battle axe, as the connection to the haft is relatively thin for a woodcutting axe. Axes of this type may have been originally developed by Slavic peoples from the Baltic region.
The "beard" – the downward-extending part of the blad – provided a larger cutting surface without making the axe heavier. Thanks to this design, the user could hold the haft just behind the head to scrape or work wood. In battle, the beard also had advantages: with it, one could, for example, knock away or pull towards oneself an opponent's shield or weapon.
This traditional bearded axe is based on an original found in Dublin. Nowadays it is part of the collection of the National Museum of Ireland. This Viking axe is made of carbon steel with a hardness of 52 HRC.
This Viking axe is 77.5 cm long, has a blad of maximum 15.2 cm long, and weighs 1984 grams.
