Valhalla Forging Email the shop →

Hand forged blades, axes and tomahawks.

From shoeing horses to forging seventh century axes. Every piece is made one at a time, by hand, at a single anvil in Gentry, Arkansas.

From $200 Bash Brother, $275 shipped
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One at a timeNo blanks, no water jet
Ships free, lower 48Price you see is the price
Forged for lifeRe-grind and re-handle, free
Straight from the forgeNo middleman, no markup

The price list

Shipped to the lower 48. Every piece is made to order, so email the shop with the blade, your steel preference and where it ships. You will hear back from the man who forges it.

Build queue 4 slots open for October. Current lead time runs 3 to 5 weeks from deposit.
No. 1 Bash Brother S1 1095 / 1075$275 The original. Still the knife people name when they call. No. 2 Bash Brother S2 1095 / 1075$275 Everything the first series taught the shop, sharpened. The most requested blade on the bench. No. 3 Talons High carbon$225 Aggressive profile, built to be carried and used rather than displayed. No. 4 Viking axes 4140$225 Profiles drawn from 7th century patterns, forged in 4140 so they can actually be swung. No. 5 Tomahawks 4140$200 Throw it, chop with it, pack it. It will outlast the handle. No. 6 Custom & combat To specQuoted Full combat knife line, everyday carry, spears and swords. Say what you need and what it is for.
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The blade that built the business

Bash Brother S1 & S2

Series 1 earned the name. Series 2 is the one people ask for now. Both are hand forged from 1095 or 1075 high carbon steel, hard enough to hold a working edge and tough enough to take abuse. No two come off the anvil identical.

Specification
Steel1095 or 1075 high carbon
Blade lengthconfirm
Overall lengthconfirm
Stock thicknessconfirm
Handleconfirm
Sheathconfirm
FinishForge finish, hand ground
Price$275 shipped
Order a Bash Brother →
Why it costs what it costs

Forged, not stamped.

Most knives at this price were cut out of a sheet by a machine. Here is what actually changes when a blade is made under a hammer instead.

Forged hereFactory stamped
ShapingDrawn out hot under the hammer, grain follows the bladePunched from flat sheet, grain runs straight through
SteelChosen per blade from six grades on the rackOne alloy across the whole product line
Heat treatDone by eye and by hand, one blade at a timeBatch run to a schedule
EdgeGround to what the blade is actually forOne geometry for every buyer
RepairsComes back to the man who made itReplaced, not repaired
Each oneDifferent. The hammer leaves a recordIdentical by design

Bar stock to blade

Five stages, no shortcuts skipped. This is where the lead time goes.

IStock picked

The alloy is chosen for the job before the fire is lit. A chopper and a carry knife do not get the same steel.

IIDrawn out

Heated and hammered to shape. The steel moves rather than getting cut away, so the grain follows the edge.

IIIProfiled

Bevels ground in by hand, checked by eye, taken down slow enough that the steel never overheats.

IVHeat treat

Hardened and tempered one blade at a time, judged by color and by feel rather than by a batch timer.

VHandled

Scales fitted, pinned and shaped to the tang, then finished and sharpened before it ships.

From horseshoes to hand axes

It started under horses.

The shop came up out of farrier work, shoeing and showing horses, working hot steel every day without calling it art. The metal was the job. The blades were the pull.

Horseshoes turned into hand axes. Hand axes turned into tomahawks, then into period accurate 7th century spears, swords and knives drawn from the patterns the old smiths actually worked to.

Somewhere in there it stopped being a side interest and became the whole thing. Today the bench turns out everything from everyday carry knives to a full combat line, plus the Bash Brother Series that built the name.

What is left of a working life here goes to putting this craft back into working hands, in this corner of the country, at one anvil.

Bladesmithing never left Northwest Arkansas. It just stopped getting made. I'm fixing that.
The American Viking Founder and smith, Gentry, Arkansas
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Materials

The steel matters.

The alloy gets picked for what the blade has to survive, not for what is cheapest to source or fastest to grind.

GradeClassWhat it is for
1095High carbonTakes a keen edge and keeps it. The workhorse behind the Bash Brother Series.
1084High carbonForgiving through the heat treat, with a clean and predictable grain.
1075High carbonLess carbon, more impact tolerance. The choice when a blade is going to get hit.
4140High impactChrome moly. Every tomahawk and Viking axe out of this shop is forged from it.
440CStainlessFor wet work, salt and humidity, where corrosion resistance beats edge retention.
5160Spring steelFlexes and returns, which is why it has always been the steel for long blades.
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Seventh century

Period accurate.

Not Viking inspired, and not a costume prop. These are forged to the profiles and proportions the old smiths actually worked to, for people who know the difference.

On camera

Watch one get made.

The heat treats, the grinds, the builds and the failures all get filmed. Worth ten minutes before you spend $275 with a stranger.

See the channel →
Video slot — drop in the best forging clip
The promise

Forged for life.

A blade made by hand can be fixed by hand. That does not stop when the money changes hands.

I

Free re-grind, forever. Dull it, chip it, take it down wrong on a stone. Send it back and it comes home sharp.

II

Free re-handle on any failure. If scales crack or a pin walks, that is a shop problem, not yours.

III

Broken in normal use gets replaced. Not abuse, not prying, not a pallet. Honest work that breaks a blade means the blade was wrong.

IV

You pay shipping one way. It goes back to you on the shop's dime.

Before you buy

Straight answers.

If it is not here, email the shop and ask. You will get a real reply.

How long until I get it?

Everything is made to order. Current lead time is 3 to 5 weeks from the deposit, and the queue is honest. If it is going to run long you will be told before you pay, not after.

How do I actually order?

Email the shop with the blade you want, your steel preference if you have one, and where it ships. You get a reply with the total, the queue position and how to send the deposit. No cart, no account, no upsell sequence.

Is shipping really included?

Yes, to the lower 48. The listed price is what you pay. Alaska, Hawaii and international are quoted separately, and some countries restrict blade imports, so ask first.

Which steel should I pick?

If you are cutting, 1095 holds the best edge. If you are chopping or batoning, 1075 takes impact better. Axes and tomahawks are 4140 and that is not a choice worth changing. If the blade lives near salt water, 440C stainless. Say what you will do with it and you will get a recommendation.

How do I keep high carbon steel from rusting?

Carbon steel patinas, which is normal and protective. Wipe it dry after use and put a light oil on the blade before it goes away wet. It does not need much, it just needs to not sit wet.

Can I have something custom made?

Yes. Full combat builds, everyday carry, spears, swords and one-off commissions all get quoted on the build rather than off a menu. Say what you need and what it is for.

Do you take returns?

Confirm the return window and terms before launch. Made-to-order work is normally final sale, with the lifetime service promise standing in its place.

Notice  ·  Waitlist open

Learn it at the anvil.

Valhalla Forging is opening hands on classes in ornamental ironwork and bladesmithing. Small groups, real heat, and your own piece to take home.

Intro to bladesmithingForge your first blade
Ornamental ironworkHooks, scrolls, hardware
Axe & tomahawk buildFull day
Heat treat & finishAdvanced session
Put your name on the list
Bash Brother, $275 shipped 4 build slots open
Claim a slot