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.
Nolan C –
I bought this sword nearly a year ago now, and overall, it’s not a bad sword. I had mine sharpened; I usually do final edge sharpening and correction myself, but I actually didn’t have to do much at all to the edge KoH put on mine. I still laugh whenever I read Hanwei’s product description of this sword, though, because they obviously have no concept of a real bastard sword; they describe this sword as not being a true two-handed sword, but at 50 inches in length and 3lbs 10 oz in weight, no one is going to choose to wield this any way but two-handed. It is, most definitely, solidly in the full longsword camp.
The hilt construction on this piece is very solid, with a comfortable grip and well-made parts that facilitate good grip without digging too much into your hands when they come in contact with the crossguard and pommel. The peen is visible and very secure; the pommel definitely isn’t going anywhere. The grip is black-dyed leather secured over a wood core with glue, and the seam is very discreet. The blade has a good, even flat grind for the primary bevel, with a hand-ground fuller that only wavers slightly.
As with most swords in this price range, however, there are some negatives. First off, like nearly every sword Hanwei makes, the blade is far whippier than you want. The sword will only be of limited use in the thrust due to how flexible it is.
Second, the antiquing they put on this model corrodes the steel in uneven layers, creating a rough texture that will catch your fingernail as you run it down the flat of the blade; this is sure to create some drag when cutting targets, therefore requiring more force and being less efficient in the cut.
Third, the point is a weird spatulate shape that, to me, detracts from the look of the blade, as well as from the thrust, which is already weakened by the sword’s excessive flexibility.
And last, the entire inside of the sword’s wooden scabbard was milled to the thickness of the blade’s ricasso, which is noticeably thicker than the tip of the sword, meaning their is some rattling inside the scabbard.
Overall, the sword is a fairly rustically attractive piece with solid construction, but has several negatives that reduce its performance. Three out of five stars.
Brady James Ramirez –
I am writing this review because of the one i saw someone put up here complaining about the “Whippieness” of the blade affecting thrust. I honestly read that review and was ridiculously aghast. The blade does move and is FLEXIBLE which is what you want in a longsword because that will AID the thrust, not hinder it. This sword is amazing and overall one of my favorites. Don’t expect an Albion or Valiant level of quality for not even $300 but god damn if it isn’t a great sword for the price.
S. M. Willis –
I’ve now owned two of these and am planning on a third. My first was solid and we’ll made. The fullers were both off center, but you had to actually measure to be sure. The leather on the hilt worked loose very quickly, but I cord wrapped it and was quite satisfied. The manufacturer’s edge was laughable, but I was able to get it shaving sharp with just a modicum of elbow grease.
The second was quite a disappointment; the hilt was a full half inch off center. This was instantly noticable and should never have passed KoA’s quality control prior to shipping. I had KoA sharpen it and the edge was really nice. Ended up going offshore sailing and gave her to my son. I admit that I am still a bit miffed about the defect, but I admired the handling qualities of my first one that I plan to order a third.
David Weiss –
Hi S.M – sorry to hear you had a disappointing experience on quality control. We always try to get this right, balancing value and quality. If you’d like to send images to the customer service team of the off-center hilt, please do so and we will take a look. Thank you!
Daniel Strobl –
I think it is called a bastard sword because it looks exactly like the bastard sword in dark souls 3.
Ethan Harris (verified owner) –
Very disappointing for the price. Fuller is noticeably off center, noticeable yellow paint (?) At the entrance of the scabbard, spotty finish on the guard, and there’s a rip in the leather of the handle like it was hit on something.
This is definitely my last Hanwei purchase. I recommend the “Hanwei Tinker Pearce Sharpened Longsword” instead. Much better quality.