The Vikings were famous for their use of steel in weapons and tools. They developed a method for forging iron from iron ore by heating it over a fire until it was red-hot. The metal was then quickly quenched in water, with the resulting compound being known as an ingot of pig iron or steel
The Vikings used this method to create a variety of tools and weapons, including swords, spears and knives.The earliest evidence for such use dates back to the 9th century AD in Scandinavia where Viking swords were made from iron produced by this process
These swords were typically single-edged blades with a shallow fuller running down the length of the blade near its base (hence the term 'seax'). The seax was also known as a sword or knife (from Old English seax)
Iron had been known since prehistoric times, but it became important during the Iron Age when cast iron replaced bronze as a material used to make tools and weapons.
seax forged by metal
