Hanwei Scramasax ReviewTechnically speaking, the Scramasax is not a sword but a dagger used by the Vikings and Saxons between the 4th and 10th centuries AD... However, as it was such a common Viking sidearm – and a very affordable Viking blade to boot, no collection of Viking weaponry would be complete without one... So with that in mind, here is the review...
I’ll be reviewing the CAS Iberia Saxon Scramasax, a fine blade that could make even your little sister feel like a Saxon in a shield wall (terrified and drunk?).
I had a very good knife, also from CAS Iberia, which I lost while on a camping trip a couple months ago. Naturally, I had to replace it. Scrolling through Kult of Athena’s inventory (where I shop for most of my blades), this beauty caught my eye. Take a look at their advertisement photo and you’ll see why:
Kult’s pretty good at getting you your stuff on time, so I won’t waste much time on the customer service. Frankly, I’ve never had anything arrive damaged or gotten an order mixed up with them, so I’ve never had to deal with their customer service.
The scramasax arrived in about a week in the usual cardboard box, padded with packing paper. The blade was packed separate from the sheath and was pretty well greased up. That stuff’s a pain in the butt to get off, but I’m glad of it. Once it was cleaned and inspected, I was pleased to report that there was no damage or looseness, and that the scramasax was exactly as it looked in the pics on Kult of Athena’s.
Stats: Blade length: 11 ½’’
FIT & FINISH
The fittings on the Scramasax are nice enough that the blade would be a great home decoration. Nothing flashy, you understand, but in a simplistic way they are extremely attractive. Both the ‘guard’ and pommel have Viking knotwork, and the handle is nicely polished and smoothed hardwood. Due to the smoothness of the handle, however, I recommend wearing gloves when you swing it around. A minor complaint is that the pommel is quite large. It helps to balance the blade, because it’s quite a heavy chopping blade, but it does dig into your hand a bit if you have big hands. Again, wearing gloves solves this problem. The pommel itself features a stylized Viking Trinity, making this probably a later-period weapon, after some Norse kingdoms adopted Christianity. There really is no guard, but the grip widens at the base of the blade, and there is a band of brass which has some exquisite knotwork. I love few things more than good Celtic-esque knotwork so this really appeals to me.
My only other complaint about the metal fittings on the handle is that they tarnished very quickly. I don’t recall if it came like that or if it happened rapidly after I got the blade. On the one hand, it gives the Scramasax an aged look that has some appeal. On the other hand, some Brasso would probably fix it.
4/5 for the grip and pommel.
The Blade
The blade is high carbon steel with a nice even finish similar to what you get with a katana (tameshigiri finish?). Since the Scramasax was historically a tool as well as a weapon, the blade is thick, heavy, robust, and utilitarian. Most sites list the blade as unsharpened. The point is plenty pointy, and the edge is certainly sharp enough to cut…so maybe they made a mistake with their description. Give it some wood to split or rope to cut and it performs magnificently. This is not a weapon designed to amaze audiences with its cutting ability. It’s a tool and a weapon, plain and simple. If it’s not performing duties in every day Saxon life, it’s in your hand, on the battle line, cutting human flesh. It would do that just fine. Nevertheless, it is a respectable cutter.
The blade is rugged, historically accurate, and of the highest quality.
5/5 for the blade
The sheath on the Scramasax is so nice that it deserves its own section. The sheath is made of stiff yet reasonably flexible, good quality leather. The design is probably much like the sort of thing a real Viking would have used on his sheath.
Added to this, Hanwei added a nice touch by adding two belt loops, with some very cool Viking knotwork where the loops connect to the sheath. The scramasax would be worn on the back of your belt, out of the way but ready to bring into play at a moment’s notice. This was probably helpful in a shield wall, because you didn’t have much room to draw a weapon from your hip. A small but deadly blade such as this could be pulled out and employed effectively in the close quarters of Viking combat. When worn on the belt, the blade faces upside-down, like a katana. The blade fits snugly into the sheath, so you don’t need to worry about it falling out. It is a leather sheath, though, and not lined with anything, so I would advise against storing the blade in the sheath because of the possibility of corrosion. 5/5 for the sheath
TESTING
Cutting
The blade is sharp, but not katana-sharp. For a utility blade, razor sharpness is not a good thing. Because the blade is also very heavy and designed for chopping or thrusting, it doesn’t slice as well as swords do. I thought, before I cut, that it would fail utterly with plastic bottles. God, was I wrong! I never actually cut with it before doing this review. I was most surprised by the results. It damn near sliced the milk jug in half, much more than I had expected. It did fail with the hard-plastic applesauce jug, but only the sharpest blades can really handle that stuff. It still made a dent that would likely make an unhealthy impression in a man’s skull. When I tried a cardboard box, the blade didn’t even hesitate. It cleaved through the box and into the kitchen stool I had set the box on. Mom wasn’t too pleased…
Thrusting
The blade thrusts as if it was built for it (and it kind of was). Nothing posed a challenge for the Scramasax’s point.
Conclusions about the sword...
Historical Accuracy: 2/5 The blade is exactly like most original Scramasaxes I’ve seen in museums or on historical websites. However, the pommel is a bit of a creative addition on Hanwei’s part. Most saxes that I’ve seen had just wood handles and maybe a metal cap on the end where the tang was peened. And Grayson C. pointed out that the guard was a little off from most saxes he'd seen. The guard looks fine to me, but I'm by no means an expert. As far as the wooden handle and blade go, it's a fine approximation.
Fit and Finish: 5/5 Everything’s tight and good quality, and overall it is a very attractive piece. No complaints on the fit and finish.
Handling: 4/5 I was debating whether or not to give the sax a 3/5 because it’s so damn heavy, and the pommel digs into your hand a bit. However, I have abnormally large hands, so the pommel might not be a problem for everyone, and it certainly helps to keep your hand from slipping off the blade. Also, because the sax was a utility tool as well as a weapon, having a heavy blade was probably a desirable thing for cutting rope, or whatever Vikings did in camp. The handling is therefore probably accurate. It’s still not as balanced as we’re used to.
Structural Integrity: 5/5 Try to break it. Go on, try.
Value for Money: 5/5 Very handsome, sturdy, cuts well enough. 4/5 if you’re foolish enough to buy it for the full price.
OVERALL: 4/5 Perfect for re-enactment or for decoration, definitely functional, and very handsome. Just be careful you don’t break your wrist while trying to swing it.
WHERE TO BUY
Prices for the Scramsax vary quite a bit from the recommended retail of US$105, with most stores selling it for around the $80 mark.
However, as Jake mentioned (several times I think!) you can snatch this baby up for the lowest price on the internet HERE at Kult of Athena for just US$69.75.
I hope this review of the Hanwei Scramasax has been helpful. To return to Modern Replicas of Viking Swords from Hanwei Scramasax Review, click here
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