[David F C Anderson]

Hello all,

I'm brand new to the forum and am like a kid in a sweet shop skipping back and forth between so many intereting threads.

I am currently trying to find information regarding what I have heard occasionally called Rus fighting knives.

They appear to be found in eastern viking graves and there are several that I have seen some very bad pictures of from Birka.

Does anyone have any idea where I can get some more info?

Thanks in advance

Dave

(who in case you didnt guess is quite keen on getting himself one of the above

[Jeff Pringle]

Do you mean the long-tanged knives like in figure one of this paper, or something else?
http://fornvannen.se/pdf/1970talet/1970_040.pdf

[David F C Anderson]

Hi Jeff,

No not exactly. I have seen a lot of recreations of these knives and I only have one poor picture of a grave find from Birka. I have no idea where to get hold of a proper report for things like sizing etc.

The kind of thing is shown in the attachment as made by Holger Ratsdorf of HR Replikate.

I'd love to make one to as acurate a standard as possible.

Dave

[Jeff Pringle]

That looks like a sax to me
Saxes from Gotland, Uppland – Viking or Vendel period, click on the “i” icon for info on period, size etc., the first looks pretty similar to the repro you posted:
http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/include_image_exp.asp?uid=301348
http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/include_image_exp.asp?uid=224071
http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/include_image_exp.asp?uid=224835
Also, look at figure 4 here:
http://fornvannen.se/pdf/1960talet/1963_020.pdf

[Doug Lester]

David, from the picture of the reproduction that you posted, I'd say that it is a form of a seax, of which there are many sizes and styles depending on time and place. There are several articles on seaxes here and on the knife making forums where they seem to be rather popular at the time. I have to admit that I've been bitten by the seax bug too and have some ideas of forging more of them when I get some other ideas and commitments out of the way.

[David F C Anderson]

This is exactly the kind of information I have been after - that is excellent thank you guys :-)

Dave

[Jeff Pringle]

That first link is a pretty cool sax from Viking era Birka, long and lean with a short handle that visually emphasizes the blade. There’s a lot of good info in these museum photos for a repro.
Handle close up, this rivet plate nailed to the end of the grip is still used on traditional knives from Finland:
http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/include_image_exp.asp?uid=301349

Close-up of tinned or silvered brass chape:
http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/include_image_exp.asp?uid=301353

Old drawing of scabbard parts etc.:
http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/include_image_exp.asp?uid=133689

This Saami knife has a similar plate on the end of the grip, 900 years later they still like the design!