Overview
Our sharpening service will provide a good serviceable edge on the blade. The result is typically “very sharp” with a small secondary bevel and a bit of an “apple seed” profile. The resulting edge is somewhat dependent on the particular blade. Some blades will take and hold sharper edges than others and the thickness of the blade will determine how wide the bevel will need to be. We adjust the angle of the edge to suit the specific blade and attempt to get as close to a bevel-less edge as possible without marring the surface of the blade.
The Sharpening Process
The sharpening service is done with a belt sander. The process involves many passes with sanding belts of various grits. The blades are rested between passes to prevent them from becoming hot and damaging their temper. By default we will sharpen as much of the blade as possible including any false edges if appropriate. If you have a different preference, feel free to make that request in the special instructions at check out. We can sharpen only the last half or third of an edge, for example. Our sword sharpening expert has personally sharpened several thousand swords at this point, so will provide you with a professional service.
What the Service is Not
The resulting edge will be “sword sharp” not razor sharp. Our goal is to provide you with a usable edge for cutting practice that will hold up to some use and not require constant re-sharpening. In other words, we intend to provide you with a serviceable weapon, not a personal grooming implement. The service will not provide a completely bevel-less edge. To create that type of edge will necessarily scratch up the blade surface and we lack the machinery and time to provide a full re-polishing of a blade’s surface. A service of that nature would be significantly more expensive as a great deal more time would be required. We do not offer this type of service at this time.
Disclaimer
We make no guarantee that the resulting edge will meet with your expectations. Every blade is different and some will take and hold a sharper edge than others, due to the blade material, heat treatment or geometry. Some customers can also have incorrect assumptions about sword sharpness and improper expectations as a result. All we can say for sure is that the resulting edge will be sharper than the default edge, in most cases, significantly so. We can not provide any refunds for the service once it has been completed, so consider it to be provided “as is”. That being said, if you are unhappy with the product for any reason, we do still allow you to return the item for a full refund, including the sharpening costs under our normal return policy. This does not apply to special sharpening requests, for example if we sharpen something specially for you that does not normally list that option on our site. The vast majority of our customers are happy with the results of the service, so as long as you keep the above mentioned in mind, we are confident you will be pleased with the results as well.
Owen –
Good Tough Sword Cuts very well. Heavy and long. Good starter sword and will not be ruined by bad cuts. Tsuka is not very traditionally shaped and the theme is not traditional either; for me those things do not matter very much. I am purchasing my second hanwei raptor almost a year after purchasing my first; I like it that much.
John –
Great Blade Great cutting sword, it balances well. The profile is from one of the longest periods Japan was at war and as a result the swords became longer and heavier. The Nanbockucho period also saw the invention of the Nagimaki and No/Odachi which the origional sword this one is based on came before. Fitting were good as expected and polish was good. This is my 5th blade in the Raptor series (got’a catch em all!) and this sword functionality wise is the best. My only complaint is that the Same had a slight yellow tint to it and wasn’t as white as the others, however it had a better tactile feel to it so it’s something I can live with.
Previous reviewer stated that the handle wrap and theme is not traditional, which is incorrect. The katate-maki (single hand/battle wrap) is from the Onin period (warring states) and gained popularity in the Edo period. The Hawk is also in Japanese mythology and culture, probably not the most correct example but an example none the less is the Tengu which is believed to have its origin around the 12th century.
Chris P. –
This was the first Hanwei Raptor series katana that I bought and is my absolute favorite !! I also own the Shobu zukuri n I love it,ever since I heard about when the Mongolian invasion of Japan.The Samurai during that time period,actually used this type of blade,during that encounter.
And the Shobu zukuri actually performed very well. The Samurai were able to cut thru Mongolian armor and even their blades !!! And the Nanbochuko ,came before the Shobu Zukuri. Both are on my top 5 katana favorite katana. But the Nanbokucho is my favorite of the Raptor series. If not my all time Favorite. It is a little heavy,but it feels like you’re holding a piece of Samurai history !!!
I’m guessing not all of the katana have the same dimensions. My blade is 31 inch and my tsuka is 12 3/4. So sometimes the dimensions differ blade to blade. At first I was pissed. Cause I really wanted 13 1/4. But now I love it the best of all my swords. And that 31 inch blade is so so so awesome !!! And this katana is just about the same style of katana that the Samurai of Kukishin Ryu Biken Jutsu used. Who ever reads this,I hope it helps. It’s an awesome sword I recommend 10 out of 10 !!! Just buy and thank me later ! Lol. And GOD bless you and your family !!! P.S. Just get the Nanbochuko !!!