Couple questions on the Seax

yiterp

yiterp

Joined
Mar 18, 2001
Messages
2,921
well i finally picked up myself a nice horn handled seax by Kumar and i have a couple questions--i like to know at least a little about every blade i own

with the style of this knife is it's intended use to be more of a close up combat type knife--seems to made to be more of a stabber than a cutter--love the blade has a awsome sharp tip to it

and the sheath--what do you feel is the designed method of carry--in the front left or right hand--in the small of the back--can't seem to figure the correct way

really like the blade--was really excited when i got it--makes a nice addition to my slowly growing collection--13 and counting :eek: :) :eek:
 
The Seax is an ANCIENT knife, dating back to basically the Earliest Europeans and it might have had its origins in the stone age.
I wouldnt be surprised, during the transitional periods, stone/bronze/iron, (and in some places the first change came late and the second change came early) there were all kinds of artistic minglings.

For example, in Northern Europe, we have found flaked stone swords in the same shape as bronze age swords!
Imagine the skill and artistry necessary to flintknap a sword like one you saw on a stranger's hip...

The Seax may very well be an ancient European stone knife design that was simply carried over as materials changed. Stone knives never had guards.
(IT would be a very rare thing if you saw such a knife)

The sloping point design makes sense for a stone knife. It is easy to resharpen. Take a few chips off the edge side and grind down the false edge until the point is reshaped. For the most part, the same idea would work with bronze or iron or steel.

How was it used?
I dont know for sure, but humans will do almost anything with almost anything. If there was ever a law of human behavior, that's it.
 
this was recently discussed at great length, see thread

Earlier seax thread

starts off a bit wierd, but gets into the meat as you read thru it, lotsa good reference links as well.

if you do a search on the forum for seax, there are lotsa threads where people have tested them on live targets, like beer cans & plastic jugs, complete with videos, sound effects and other gore.
 
As far as Jeb's theory on the inverted seax thrust is concerned (covered in depth in the thread Kronck mentioned), here's what I have to say about it:

Clicky

Warning: 1.6 meg vid. (Yep - the vids are still up. Get my money's worth.)

Just for the record, I don't believe that this was the only way it was used, but it seems to be a valid technique to me. Further testing is in progress.
 
What Nasty said. I'd recommend arak but I'm out. I'd recomment ouzo but I'm out. I'd recomment bourbon but...nevermind. Maker's Mark gets the nod here.

Thinking it over again, the sheath is still a sticking point for me. (Pun intended.) I'm not sure what's historically accurate and I'm not sure that anyone else knows either. I'm guessing that the HI sheath would be most appropriate on the belt, front or back - your choice. Either would provide a fairly quick draw. Nods to the front for a slightly quicker resheathing action. Hanging a knife on the belt directly over the groin is not uncommon in some cultures and makes sense when you think about it; it keeps it out of your way for almost every situation yet still allows you to sit down. (Folks sometimes tease me about my shoulder holster at work, but those folks don't ride in a van with their weapon either. As I said, carrying options depend on the user. Hanging a weapon on one's hip is fine but it does get in the way occasionally.)

I'll state it for the record: I don't like the HI sheath. It didn't provide anything close to proper retention without modification. I glued some leather shims inside mine to squeeze the blade a bit and dyed it black. It's not quite what I want but it's closer. The "retention" strap does anything but and will probably be removed eventually. As for the knife itself...no complaints. It's a nice piece of kit. If this was the worst I could say for every manufacturer's knife I'd own a lot more of them, if you know what I mean.

Also on second thought, what DIJ said makes a whole lot of sense to me on the seax issue. I've done a very small amount of knapping and I can certainly see a correlation between what's easy to knap and what seaxes look like. Another way to look at it is to look at the "utility" knives of today - look at the more rounded, less pokey seaxes and compare them to the large blade on a SAK. Some blade shapes are just plain handy. I'm quite sure that the Saxons knew this. (Indeed, you'll see parallels between their utility blade shapes and our utility blade shapes in a number of cases.) Our wheels may be more streamlined today but back then they certainly understood that round things roll, if you get my meaning. Sometimes I wonder if we lost the pointy tip because of steel types in common useage today rather than actual performance.

We will probably never know the whole story on the seax. Very little was committed to writing back then and most of what was, has been lost. Consider us lucky that we have enough existing examples to at least have an idea of what the tool was like, let alone the method of use.
 
Contrary to most people on the forum, it’s the one knife I don’t care for.
( I know saying that could be a sin)
I got mine about 8 months ago and have just left it in the drawer. I really have no real use for it and compared to my khuks its one I would never reach for. Though it might make a good pry bar.
 
AS much as it is interesting to view, and probably hold, I too, could see little use for it. I think fighting knives should have guards on them.

I do think it would look good in a SF movie, the scene where the group is on the run, or about to strike the target, and camped for the last time before the event. The resident sociopath is sharpening the Seax. You hear the steel or stone going over the metal, over and over again......



munk
 
Satori said:
What Nasty said. I'd recommend arak but I'm out.
Click to expand...

Now you're talking! Usually all I can find is Razzouk -- not that that's such a bad thing. ;)

Several years ago, some Chaldean guys at a local liquor store sold me some of the Iraqi version (made with dates instead of grapes), and it was pretty good too -- a little sweeter and milder. I wonder if the distillery still exists in Baghdad. :confused: :( :confused:




Edit: Mandatory seax content:
I'd like to tell you what I think of the seax, but Ferrous cashed my check in January, told me he'd send the seax (in January) and since then nothing and he's not replying to my emails. :rolleyes:
 
I am distressed to hear this of Ferrous. He has not returned the Pappy memorial khuk to it's rightful owner. I have not heard from him since early December. I asked Rusty about this, I was annoyed. Rusty reminded me three good reasons why Ferrous could be out of touch:
He could be in jail
He could be dead
He could be in the hospital
He could be insane.
Or he could just be in a real bad financial bind and unwilling or ashamed to appear. I'm going to be pissed - that's no excuse in my book, but people are people and we all goof-butt it up some time in our lives.

Alright- so that's five. He was a good guy when he was here. I have to believe this will get straightened out. If it does not- I think we should buy you a new Seax. That's how I feel about it. Ferrous was/is a Cantina member is great standing and I don't like unpaid debts hanging around.

Donut's Rule- I wish you'd said something earlier. He cashed this in January, and does not respond to emails? This is not good.

I'm sorry, but if he is too busy to send the merchandise he is too busy to cash the friggen check!!!!

munk
 
Munk, speaking of the Pappy knife, this is the verbatim text of his 1/21/05 email:

"Yep, it got here. The seax goes out on Monday.

Sincerely,

Keith AKA Ferrous.

The Pappy knife also goues out to Rio Jim on Monday."

I believe I got another email a few days later that he had gotten delayed and it would go out the next Monday, instead. Nothing since then. :(

To be clear, I did not buy the seax from him, I bought it new from Uncle Bill who sent it directly to him for etching (for which I paid $56).

I've "owned" the seax since ~last November (Svashtar will remember our correspondence about the whole thing), but I've never touched it nor even seen it.
 
munk said:
AS much as it is interesting to view, and probably hold, I too, could see little use for it. I think fighting knives should have guards on them.
Click to expand...

Without trying to start another multipage battle, I humbly submit that the seax was not a fighting knife, but a "combat" knife along the lines of those in use by various militaries today - you give it to a soldier and he uses it for everything imaginable, with actual combat being the last on the list. If it had a bottle opener, a durable protective finish and a better sheath/scabbard, I'd say that it was approaching perfection for this application.

Just my opinion.

We can debate the guard issue another time. ;)
 
donutsrule said:
Now you're talking! Usually all I can find is Razzouk -- not that that's such a bad thing. ;)
Click to expand...

Excellent stuff.

I've got a Lebanese buddy who runs a middle eastern resteraunt in town; he's my source for Kefraya. It rings in at 105 proof and tastes like a licorice kick in the groin. Even he can't drink it straight; for some odd reason, I not only tolerate it, but thrive on it. I usually water it down for obvious reasons.

Unfortunately, his supply is not up to my demand and I sometimes have to resort to ouzo. It's better than nothing but is hardly satisfactory. My analogy is directed towards the bourbon drinkers amongst us: think of this as substituting watered-down Wild Turkey for Maker's Mark - again, it'll work, but it's not a good answer.

Hopefully I'll be able to work a deal with the package store on base but ever since they stopped selling Newcastle, I haven't been optimistic.
 
Never had Kefraya before, but a quick google search has revealed
A. a place that sells it throughout the U.S. by the case; and (better yet)
B. the official U.S. Kefraya wine distributor is maybe 10 miles from my house! :eek:

So I imagine I'll be getting some at some point in the near future. :)

Preferred method of delivery varies with the weather: Summer = over ice with water; anytime = straight. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top