This robust bladed seax is the so-called broken-back style seax. These seaxes have a sharp angled transition between the back section of the blade and the point. This shape makes the spine appear to be broken like a beast with a broken back which is where this evocative blade style gets its name. Knives or Seaxes such as these were common in Viking age Britain and Ireland, although some examples have been found in archaeological digs in Germany and have been dated around 8th-11th century. Knives like these were used every day just as the smaller knives were, however, they were substantial enough to have proven useful if your main weapon was lost during combat or during an unexpected mead hall brawl as well.