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Historical Inspiration This forum is dedicated to the discussion of historical knife design and its influence on modern custom knife work.

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Old 05-01-2014, 09:54 AM
rawcustom
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Ideas regarding seax design

Like many I am a big fan of the simplicity of the seax, much like the puukko style. From my findings neither traditionally incorporated a guard in their design. I relate the puukko more to an older utility knife and no guard makes sense. However, it seems the seax gets cast in the light of a viking fighting knife, and I can't comprehend why they would not include some form of guard in the design.

Is it that the seax wasn't a fighting knife, more just utility, or am I missing something else?
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Old 05-01-2014, 02:07 PM
Doug Lester Doug Lester is offline
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The seax takes in a lot of territory. Some were utility and some were weapons. Back in the Viking era the main blocking "tool" was not a cross guard but a shield. Even some of the swords didn't have a pronounced cross guard. Handles on seaxs tend to be longer than those on swords. Like 6-8" as opposed to 3-4". That might have made it easier to keep one's hand away from the opponent's blade.

Doug


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Old 05-01-2014, 03:28 PM
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Fulmaduro Fulmaduro is offline
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Rawcustom, that is a very good question. I have forged a puuko style myself and eventually will get around to a seax. Honestly, I browse a lot of forums and really like KnifeNet, BritishBlades.com and the ABS Forum being an ABS apprentice. But for one to get all the seax-y porn by far the best is http://www.bladesmithsforum.com, hands down. I know that was a bad description of their forum, but that is the best place to get a seax question answered, and some.

By all means please post some pics if you make one, and please come back if you get hooked over there. Just some really good and very specific blade types on these various Forums. You probably already know this info but was hoping to increase your chances of a few answers.

Sincerely,

Tony Z
Kansas City, MO


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Old 05-01-2014, 06:54 PM
rawcustom
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Doug, I was thinking the same with their traditionally longer handles being a substitute. I would think one of the biggest risks would be slipping your hand forward when any stabbing met a solid object or block. Then again, maybe their style of use was strictly slashing/hacking style.

Thanks Tony, I'll check them out. For whatever reason this forum is the only knife forum that my work internet doesn't filter, so my break time browsing during the workday is limited.
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Old 05-02-2014, 12:14 AM
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GHEzell GHEzell is offline
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I've made quite a few of them, and spent a few years studying them, and have no real answer to your question other than those who made and used them didn't think it was needed, otherwise they would have had guards... It is interesting that swords of the same time period had guards, but usually did not have as fine a point as a typical seax and were not designed for thrusting. The larger (6"+) ones were certainly capable weapons, and they do lend themselves to chopping/hacking due to the light-weight handle construction and lack of distal taper... perhaps any stabbing was done with an ice-pick grip, with the thumb on the butt to help prevent slipping?

My advice, if it bothers you, texture or carve the handle for better grip...


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Old 12-12-2015, 02:22 PM
Amrik.Singh Amrik.Singh is offline
 
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After the early middle age Western European fencing with sword or knife put the emphasis on stabbing and pariing near the cross guard . Ancient germanic peoples and ,until now, eastern Europeans and Asians use mostly slashing and hakking, movement to avoid strikes , and pariing in a way to led the adversary blade slide away from the sword hand like in stick fight. So the guard is not so usefull .

Last edited by Amrik.Singh; 12-12-2015 at 02:27 PM.
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Old 12-12-2015, 02:33 PM
Amrik.Singh Amrik.Singh is offline
 
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After the early middle age Western European fencing with sword or knife put the emphasis on stabbing and pariing near the cross gard . Ancient germania people's and ,until now, eastern Europeans and Asians use mostly slashing and haking, movement to avoid strikes , and pariing in a way to led the adversary blade slide away from the sword hand like in stick fight. so the gard is no so useful .
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abs, advice, back, blade, block, design, fighting, forged, grip, guard, guards, hand, handle, handles, knife, made, make, post, seax, weapons, western


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