The Steel War Axe is the natural step up from iron for anyone who likes to hack rather than slash. It deals 9 base damage, weighs 12 and swings a bit slower than a sword, trading speed for the axe’s bleeding edge.
Steel is the first tier unlocked on the Smithing tree, so this axe appears early and is cheap to make. It suits warriors, Stormcloak fans and anyone wearing Steel Armor who wants a matching sidearm. It will not carry you to the endgame, but it is a solid companion for the first chapters of an adventure.
Stats
| Type | War Axe |
|---|---|
| Skill | One-handed |
| Material | Steel |
| Damage | 9 |
| Weight | 12 |
| Value | 55 gold |
| Speed | 0.9 |
| Reach | 1 |
| Stagger | 0.85 |
| Critical damage | 4 |
| Add-on | Base game |
| Item ID | 00013983 |
Where to find
- Unenchanted versions appear from level 2, enchanted from level 3.
- Sold by blacksmiths and general goods merchants.
- Carried by many enemies – bandits in and around Embershard Mine may drop one even at level 1.
- Random loot in chests and the occasional world item.
Crafting and upgrading
Crafting at a forge: 2 × 
Steel Ingot, 2 × 
Leather Strips, 1 × 
Iron Ingot. Requires the Steel Smithing Smithing perk.
Improving at a grindstone: 1 × Steel Ingot. The Arcane Blacksmith perk doubles the improvement.
Compared with other war axes
Base stats of all regular (unenchanted) war axes in Skyrim, weakest first:
| Weapon | Damage | Weight | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron War Axe | 8 | 11 | 30 |
| Ancient Nord War Axe | 9 | 14 | 15 |
| Steel War Axe | 9 | 12 | 55 |
| Orcish War Axe | 10 | 13 | 90 |
| Dawnguard War Axe | 11 | 13 | 55 |
| Dwarven War Axe | 11 | 14 | 165 |
| Falmer War Axe | 11 | 21 | 82 |
| Forsworn Axe | 11 | 15 | 90 |
| Elven War Axe | 12 | 15 | 280 |
| Honed Draugr War Axe | 12 | 16 | 27 |
| Nord Hero War Axe | 12 | 11 | 165 |
| Nordic War Axe | 12 | 14 | 350 |
| Skyforge Steel War Axe | 12 | 12 | 80 |
| Glass War Axe | 13 | 16 | 490 |
| Honed Falmer War Axe | 13 | 21 | 245 |
| Daedric War Axe | 15 | 18 | 1500 |
| Ebony War Axe | 15 | 17 | 865 |
| Stalhrim War Axe | 15 | 16 | 1180 |
| Dragonbone War Axe | 16 | 21 | 1700 |
Tips and notes
- Temper with a Steel Ingot; the Steel Smithing perk doubles the improvement.
- Variants that share its look: the Skyforge Steel War Axe, Ulfric’s War Axe and Balgruuf’s War Axe.
- Need two hands’ worth of steel? See the Steel Battleaxe.
Stats from the Skyrim LE 1.9 master files (Skyrim.esm, record SteelWarAxe). Values are base values before perks, smithing improvements and enchantments.
