[Andreas Becht]

I'd like to show you a few pics of my new sax I got just yesterday. It's a replica of a sax that was found in the grave of a saxon warrior ( Sarstedt burial ground) who was killed in the Süntel battle in 782.
The sax is unusually large and heavy, actually it's nearly as big as a sword.

I'm quite happy with it.

[Bartek Strojek]

Looks pretty, especially with scabbard!

How long and heavy it approximately is, BTW?

[Nikodem Czechowski]

Could you please post the original? Photos or drawing would be sufficient, but I would be glad if you could post more data about that grave (maybe some publication?).

[Andreas Becht]

The sax is all in all 84cm long, the blade length is 58cm and the weight is approx 2 kilo. Much too heavy for proper fighting.
The theory is, that it was made by a local blacksmith, who maybe just wasn't very good at his job.
It actually looks like the knife of a giant, if you hold it in your hands.
I have a drawing of the original and a drawing form the excavation report, but it's on paper.
I haven't got the technical possibilities to post it at the moment.

[Artis Aboltins]

Intriguing, does the report said if it had any signs of use? As, perharps, it was made specifically for beeing placed in the grave and then the weight would have been less of an issue?

[Peter Johnsson]

Size and form is like a rather typical lang sax. The weight is much heavier, however.

It is not uncommon that iron swells as it corrodes. This has been known to have a misleading effect on the interpretation of thickness and weight of ancient weapons. What is the reason for the interpretation of the weight in this case?

As the size and form is pretty typical for a lang sax, is there any other elements that would suggest that this weapon was out of the ordinary?
It would be very interesting to learn more about the original find.

Your sax looks very nice, by the way!
Who made it? It looks like good work.

[Jeroen Zuiderwijk]

[Mikko Kuusirati]

Rise, thread! By the power invested in me as the new owner of this seax, I resurrect thee!

Having just taken some measurements, the seax on its own weighs 1520g; I didn't weigh the sheath but wouldn't be surprised if it's just about another half a kilo, so the seax and sheath together likely weigh in at right around 2kg. The thickness of the blade varies somewhat non-linearly from 9.65mm to 8.7mm, until the final taper into the point along the last third of its length.

I actually don't think it's necessarily unsuited for fighting. Sure, it's very heavy, but based on a few days of dry handling I'd say it moves passably well even with my mediocre at best strength, and for a particularly brawny man with large hands it should be a very effective shield (mail, helmet, skull, whatever) splitter. For me personally, it almost feels like a hand-and-a-half weapon of sorts, especially with the very bokken-like ovoid cross-section of the handle that kinda makes me want to grip it like a katana...

[Scott Woodruff]

Mikko, thanks for the measurements, I have long been a little curious about this reproduction. Would you mind giving a few more measurements, like blade width? Also, can you tell how the coloring on the sheath and grip was done. From the pics, it appears to have paint in the depressed parts of the scabbard design and a cloth wrap on the grip, is that correct? A fascinating piece, and I would very much like to hear more about it.

[Mikko Kuusirati]

I'm away from home until Monday night, but I'll post full stats and some photos once I get back.

Yes, the scabbard is embossed and dyed with two colors, and the grip wrapped with partially painted cloth, with a leather bolster of sorts at the bottom end.

PS. If anyone happens to know of archaeological publications about the Sarstedt burials and where to obtain them, I'd be very grateful for any pointers!

[Mikko Kuusirati]

Here we go!

Sax weight: 1520g
Sheath weight: 490g (Ha! Am I good or what? )

Overall length: 84cm

Grip length: 25.5cm
Grip width: core 4.1cm, riser and bolster 4.5cm
Grip thickness: core 2.6cm, riser and bolster 3cm

Blade length: 58.5cm
Blade width: 4.3cm at shoulders, 4.7cm at widest point (32cm from grip)
Blade thickness: 8.8mm at base, 9.65mm at thickest point (23cm from grip)

Center of gravity: 15.5cm from grip

The grip is made up of two halves, glued and wrapped with a spiral of what I guess is linen cloth? Andreas might know for sure. There's a 2cm wide leather bolster to reinforce the bottom end of the grip and give a tactile warning before your hand slips onto the blade, glued and pinned in place, and a single riser of what I would guess is the same leather under the cloth, 11cm from the bolster. The riser also serves to seat the sax very snugly in its sheath.

And here's photos! Do note, these were taken in pretty harsh daylight, which is good for capturing textures and small details but also makes especially the sheath look much more worn that it actually is. There's patina on the blade (I tried to capture it in a couple of pictures) and wear on the furniture, but in person they're much subtler and more attractive than it looks here, just enough to give the impression of a working weapon rather than a sheltered showpiece. On the whole, it's not perfect by any measure, but the imperfections are largely cosmetic and this is definitely one case where I think the flaws merely add character. It's a very charismatic piece.

First the sheath:

[Mikko Kuusirati]

And now, the naked beast itself:

[Scott Woodruff]

Awesome, Mikko, you made my day. This seax is really starting to grow on me. Now if we can just manage to find some more info on the original...