The same tool used to build a longship or chop firewood could be used to split a shield in shield-wall combat. 📺 Testing for Lethality

The blades were slammed against wooden blocks or metal pipes to check for edge rolling or handle failure.

Iron was expensive. An axe used far less steel than a sword, making it the primary weapon for most raiders.

The episode follows four bladesmiths as they face a grueling three-round elimination:

Judges swung the axes into ballistic gelatin torsos to ensure they could deliver a fatal blow.

Many Viking axes featured a "bearded" design, where the lower part of the blade extended downward. This allowed a warrior to hook an opponent's shield or trip them by the ankle.

A massive two-handed version with a haft up to 5.5 feet long. It was designed for raw power , capable of cleaving through a man and his horse in a single strike.