The Steel Battleaxe is the step up from iron for anyone who likes solving problems with a big two-handed axe. It deals 18 base damage, weighs 21 and is one of the first real upgrades a fresh steel-clad warrior will come across.
What makes it stand out visually is its blade: it is the only ordinary battleaxe in the base game with a two-headed design, so it reads very differently from its iron, Orcish or Elven cousins. It forges from 
steel ingots and is cheap to keep sharp, which makes it a solid companion through the early levels.
Stats
| Type | Battleaxe |
|---|---|
| Skill | Two-handed |
| Material | Steel |
| Damage | 18 |
| Weight | 21 |
| Value | 100 gold |
| Speed | 0.7 |
| Reach | 1.3 |
| Stagger | 1.15 |
| Critical damage | 8 |
| Add-on | Base game |
| Item ID | 00013984 |
Where to find
- Unenchanted versions start appearing at level 2, and enchanted ones at level 3.
- Sold by blacksmiths and general goods merchants.
- Carried by various characters and enemies you will fight early on.
- Shows up as random loot in chests and as a world item across Skyrim.
Crafting and upgrading
Crafting at a forge: 1 × 
Iron Ingot, 2 × 
Leather Strips, 4 × Steel Ingot. Requires the Steel Smithing Smithing perk.
Improving at a grindstone: 1 × Steel Ingot. The Arcane Blacksmith perk doubles the improvement.
Compared with other battleaxes
Base stats of all regular (unenchanted) battleaxes in Skyrim, weakest first:
| Weapon | Damage | Weight | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Battleaxe | 16 | 20 | 55 |
| Ancient Nord Battle Axe | 18 | 22 | 28 |
| Steel Battleaxe | 18 | 21 | 100 |
| Orcish Battleaxe | 19 | 25 | 165 |
| Dwarven Battleaxe | 20 | 23 | 300 |
| Elven Battleaxe | 21 | 24 | 520 |
| Honed Ancient Nord Battle Axe | 21 | 25 | 50 |
| Nord Hero Battle Axe | 21 | 20 | 300 |
| Nordic Battleaxe | 21 | 23 | 650 |
| Skyforge Steel Battleaxe | 21 | 21 | 150 |
| Glass Battleaxe | 22 | 25 | 900 |
| Ebony Battleaxe | 23 | 26 | 1585 |
| Stalhrim Battleaxe | 24 | 25 | 2150 |
| Daedric Battleaxe | 25 | 27 | 2750 |
| Dragonbone Battleaxe | 26 | 30 | 3000 |
Tips and notes
- Improve it at a grindstone with a steel ingot; the Steel Smithing perk doubles the improvement.
- The Skyforge Steel Battleaxe is a stronger version sold by Eorlund Gray-Mane in Whiterun.
- A pre-enchanted variant, the Steel Battleaxe of Fiery Souls, also exists.
Stats from the Skyrim LE 1.9 master files (Skyrim.esm, record SteelBattleaxe). Values are base values before perks, smithing improvements and enchantments.