The Ebony Battleaxe is a black, heavy-hitting two-hander that brings 23 base damage to the table. At 26 weight and over 1,500 gold in value, it sits just below Daedric and Dragonbone on the material ladder, and for many characters it is the point where two-handed combat starts feeling truly brutal.
Forging one takes five 
ebony ingots and two leather strips, which is a hefty investment in rare metal. It is a natural partner for Ebony Armor, and its dark sheen makes it one of the better-looking axes in the game.
Stats
| Type | Battleaxe |
|---|---|
| Skill | Two-handed |
| Material | Ebony |
| Damage | 23 |
| Weight | 26 |
| Value | 1585 gold |
| Speed | 0.7 |
| Reach | 1.3 |
| Stagger | 1.15 |
| Critical damage | 11 |
| Add-on | Base game |
| Item ID | 000139AC |
Where to find
- Unenchanted versions appear from level 36, enchanted ones from level 37.
- Sold by blacksmiths and general goods merchants.
- Often wielded by draugr deathlords and draugr death overlords in Nordic tombs, so high-level draugr are your best bet.
- Random loot in chests and occasional world items.
Crafting and upgrading
Crafting at a forge: 5 × Ebony Ingot, 2 × 
Leather Strips. Requires the Ebony Smithing Smithing perk.
Improving at a grindstone: 1 × Ebony 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 an ebony ingot.
- Crafting requires Smithing 80 and the Ebony Smithing perk.
- The Ebony Smithing perk is needed to forge it, so plan your Smithing tree up the heavy branch.
- The next steps up are the Daedric Battleaxe and the Dragonbone Battleaxe.
Stats from the Skyrim LE 1.9 master files (Skyrim.esm, record EbonyBattleaxe). Values are base values before perks, smithing improvements and enchantments.