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.
James Whitworth –
A big step up from the previous models but it has its flaws. In many ways this is a big step up from the previous models. Especially in terms of its construction. The hilt components fit much tighter than the previous versions and the cord wrapped grip feels much more substantial. However, the cord is just tucked in on either side. So I’m not sure it will last forever. But it’s got a leather wrap under it that should do nicley as well. The cross guard is milled very well with not a lot of gaps. The peen is also very clean. Additionally, the scabbard is much nicer with a metal throat. However, the belt assembly is a bit of a downgrade. So much so that it’s entirely useless. It’s set at a point that is not even close to the balance point of the sword.
In terms of the blade this model is a bit on the heavy side. Ronin lists it as being much lighter but KOA has it listed a half a pound heavier, which is much more accurate. The blade is very thick and not all that broad. As a result it doesn’t cut all that well due to the steep angle of the edge. Luckily there is no secondary bevel so that helps. The blade is also very stiff and doen’t flex easily. But it’s well tempored and can be bent quite a distance without taking a set.
Overall the new models are all great values. The long-sword is probably the most well handling of the lot. However, this one is more my style aesthetically.
Jim J. –
A Truly Remarkable Sword I have done business with Kult of Athena for many years and purchased many swords from them. This has to be the most unbelievable find I have come across to date. At $250. the quality, fit and finish and materials of this sword have to be experienced to be believed. It appears to me that this sword is based on the Oakeshott Type Xa sword that is designated in Records Of The Medieval Sword, P.37, as Xa1. It is very close in style; pommel, cross, and blade style. I am, needless to say, very pleased with this purchase. Ryan and his team did their usual great job in packing and shipping. The sword arrived on time and in perfect condition. If you are looking for a great replica of a European Medieval sword I highly recommend this sword from Kult of Athena.
Samuel Moss –
Buy this one! Very good I love it a lot my only problem is that it is only sharpen a little bit, but it will still cut decently well. Overall 8/10
Michael H. –
Yes, I agree, buy this one. The one I received was constructed by a true craftsman. It’s beautiful. Most of the swords being made (at any price) are too thin for my liking and have too much flex. This blade is over 1/4″ thick at the guard (either side of the fuller) and has very good flex, without taking a set, but at the same time doesn’t seem “flimsy ” in the least. Great temper. TRUELY battle ready. Just watch a youtube destruction video of this brand. I don’t think you can do better for this price. I’m gonna buy a Viking model also.
John C. –
Excellent Sword Really impressed with this sword, especially for the price. The sword feels solid, handles well, and I really like the flex of the blade. Really nice finish on the peen as well. The scabbard fits the sword snuggly and, though basic, is quite nice.
N0Taqua –
Love it Not a verified reviewer as I purchased mine directly from Ronin Katana mfg website, when KOA was out of stock. Same review is posted there, by me.
Really solidly built, looks and feels high quality. Love the profile/shape of the blade, exactly as I hoped for. Looks great, quite sharp.
Some tiny, minuscule imperfections in the blade, nothing that bothers me. Really can’t stress enough how small the one main blemish I found is, and the other is barely a scuff mark. Both of which could easily buffed or ground out.
Feels a bit heavy. Not clumsy, and while I’ve never handled any other one handed swords, I can’t claim that this one feels specifically nimble or agile.
Biggest con: faux-leather handle wrapping cord is coming off already, on 1st day of ownership, from only a bit of swinging in the air. I planned to re-wrap handle someday anyway, but not great to see so soon.
Overall, I love it. My first real sword, and despite the minor flaws I am impressed and satisfied. Really pleased with the price and very plain finish, perfect for customization.
Jordan W. –
Great for the money Just received the sword and I am very happy with it, the grip is a little wide near the guard but overall a great sword.
cass S. –
very good! I bought this sword in the hopes of scoring a decent sword at a bargain price, as I own several high-end swords already. this sword is of good quality and the edge comes working-sharp.ma few careful passes with the stone and it really comes alive though. the edge is much better than most european swords I have encountered of this price bracket and everything is very much as it should be in a user-focused sword!
however, a couple of cons; -the “leather” wrapped grip came loose after a few cuts and I am not certain it is leather at all… more like waxed and died cotton cord. no big deal, the leather underneath is decent and it only took a few minutes to wrap and tie back in place more securely.
-The belt supplied is not of the same high quality as the sword, and is barely functional. Seeing as I have no intention of wearing this on a daily basis, it really doesn’t bother me. but worth mentioning.
I give it five stars because I am very pleased with the way it holds together (wrap excused). I had a project going on with a new house I just bought that involved clearing several hundred square meters of mixed brush and small trees. I am ashamed to say it but I chopped down more that a few of those small trees with this sword. It held up to this abuse very well and came out with no rattles and no notable damage to the edge. even with several full power and very poorly aimed cuts into hard wood it is still as straight and beautiful as ever!
I do not recommend this type of abuse, but it held up well and did the job better than expected.
King of Butler (verified owner) –
I love it! The balance is good and feels great in the hand. It’s decently sharp but could use a little touch up. My only flaw is the frog it comes with, it doesn’t sit that well and it’s kinda useless. Overall really nice sword, 100% worth the money
Kal_Eb –
My wife bought me this sword from Ronin Katana’s website, not through KoA. The sword came in perfect condition with a good edge and great feel & balance. I was going through some sword forms inside my house with it and I accidentally hit a glass bowl ceiling light cover. The blade snapped clean about 11 inches from the hilt. I wasn’t even swinging it very hard at all and it broke on a light fixture. Besides using it to cut melons in the backyard once, that was the only other time I actually hit anything with that sword. Very disappointed in Ronin Katana’s work.
Levi A. –
Decent value for the price. Blade is good quality, everything fits together properly, very reasonably priced. You won’t find much better in this price range. I’ve got two main complaints. Wrapping on the grip is not very secure, but the leather underneath is fine, and it’s not that difficult to replace. Also, the belt is awful, and the clips aren’t even near the balance point of the sword. Apart from that, this is a pretty good sword, especially for a beginner.
Krashdog (verified owner) –
Okay, let me begin with 4 stars. I received pretty much exactly what I expected, and am satisfied with my purchase.
You know all about this thing by now so let me discuss for you the level of the acceptable defects yours might have. Again, i’m nit picking because these were things I didn’t see elaboration on before I bought.
The blade is indeed wavy, with a slightly offset fuller. At first glance the edge looks almost like a ribbon. The handle is crooked, the crossguard is crooked. But not by much, and I mean I’m rolling my own eyes because its barely off. The handle is justified to one side, and on edge the handle slants to one side. But…If you really scrutinize this thing it really is tolerance stacking, and the best overall was achieved with the pieces used. A string from the point to the pommel shows how good enough it is and by god, its pretty good. About as good as I think I could do. In fact! It’s so “good enough” that really with different dressing this is a $600 sword. But it’s not, and it’s not pretending to be. Which makes it even better.
The leather on the handle is indeed going to lift, and the stitching is already falling out as it sits. And there is indeed glue in many places. The Leather is glued over top cord on my sword, which is fine. Except the spacing of the cord is just bad. Its not close together enough for a texture and spaced far enough to be very uncomfortable.
The crossguard is the only real issue, and even then…
Its a “ribbon” profile but unlike other ribbon style crossguards this one is uneven. On pretty much all sides. If you look at it closely it looks like a different (curved maybe an S) guard thats been cut and ground to shape. one leg is longer than the other by about an 1/8. If you look from the top down you can see why they had to cut it there to keep the ends symetrical. This is also visible in the pictures all over the web. It also looks like the same piece was ground even further and used on thier viking sword.
There is nothing wrong with this in any way. Just an observation.
The scabbard is true to previous reviews.
The peen is solid, the pommel is centered, but lazily finished as others have stated.
When looking at the blade my biggest question was, how much work would I have to do to make it sound assuming the steel was as advertised.
The answer was not much. In fact not much at all. The standard edge is delightfully there and intentional. The profile of the blade was also true to other reviews with a basic distal and a nice pear shape without a clumsy secondary bevel.
So is it worth $300? Yup, sure is. I’m glad Kult of Athena advertises these honestly, and I say, buy with confidence.
4 Stars
I hope that answered a question maybe you didn’t see in a spec or cutting review :)
afnav (verified owner) –
This is only my second sword, but I already prefer it over my first. It is functional and satisfactorily balanced in a few swings.
I do agree the wrap will likely need to be replaced.