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.
Joshua C. –
Unbeatable quality for the price For under $150 this sword is incredible. Excellent craftsmanship and well balanced. Hands down one of the best windlass products I have owned.
Peter I. –
Incredible Awesome sword. Very good at cuting.
Liam F. –
Amazing I recently received this sword and I’m taking aback by how beautiful and amazingly well crafted this sword is I paid for the sharpening and I’m honestly content with it very good for cutting a little hefty but a very good sword
Daniel B –
Good value, but it could benefit from distal taper. I received this sword a few days ago and am impressed with the quality of the fittings and the steel itself, however the lack of distal taper leaves more to be desired when it comes to handling. The sword balances at 7” from the guard, making it feel much more heavy and sluggish than it should for a 2lb saber. Despite this, for $150 I am happy with my purchase and can recommend this sword to any other budget minded sword enthusiast. It’s well made, it looks great, and the steel is of good quality. It will look good on my wall and is a great, functional training tool for a beginner like myself.
Travis M. –
A bit disappointed I was a bit disappointed in this sword. I saw the great reviews, and it fits my taste so I was really looking forward to getting it. Immediately on drawing it the first time, I noticed how far forward the point of balance was. Despite being a 2 pound saber, it handled worse than some weighing closer to 3 I’ve handled. The point of rotation felt very far forward as well and just made this blade feel slow and clumsy.
The sheath was well assembled but had the opposite problem to most Windlass sheaths as in it was far too tight. I had to force the blade back in using two hands everytime.
The bumpy wood handle I though would be good for grip but ended up feeling uncomfortable and abrasive. I needed gloves when wielding for more than a moment.
The finish was great overall, except for the pommel which had a rough patch, all an all though, you should expect that in this price range.
This sword, while it felt sturdy and well made, disappointed me so much with its handling and uncomfortable grip that I quickly turned around and traded it for something else. I wouldn’t consider it a waste, but you’re definitely getting what you pay for here so don’t expect too much.
Zachary B. –
Amazing Sword I was hunting for a good-quality sword in an affordable range and was not disappointed. This sword displays excellent craftsmanship and should be the standard for any sword at THIS price range. The space between the blade and the hilt is very minimal and the grip is exceedingly comfortable for what it is. The blade bends back into shape and can withstand abuse a lot better than I thought it would
Matthew L. –
Pretty good I like the way the sword looks, and for a 19th century style saber, it handles pretty well. The point of balance and weight feel a bit similar to the 1796 light cavalry saber, and the wood grip feels nice as well. The only issue I have is the scabbard. It’s a soft leather scabbard that is too tight around the sword. I would have preferred it if it was made with wood or steel to retain the shape and make it more sturdy. Otherwise it’s a fine sword at a great price.
Dan Knight –
I bought one of these swords* for HEMA training, hoping to use it for drilling and light sparring.
Pros:
– very pretty
– reasonable build quality for price, in terms of hilt construction and finish
– nice and light
Cons:
– blade is incredibly whippy, making it difficult to maintain edge alignment when practising cuts. I had to cut it down by 4 inches to make it handle correctly
– the steel is buttery soft and was significantly nicked after only 5 mins of very light sparring against a sword of similar weight and style.
If you’re looking for a nice wall hanger, or a cheap test cutter, then this would be a good buy. However, it should NOT be advertised as being ‘battle ready’ and is not safe for any form of contact fighting in my view.
*purchased from a different supplier, but the same manufacturer
Elias Katsaros (verified owner) –
Today I received this American revolution saber, my reviews are as a 45 years old experience fencer with the Epee , this saber has an excellent balance as a cutting weapon with one hand, if you want to have a strong arm practice with this saber. I am 76 years old and I am still practicing with my swords to stay in good shape, the fencing swords are light, they are made for fencing competitions . This saber was made to fight with the cavalry, and is very patriotic to have this 1775 saber . I love the quality of this weapon.
Elias