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.
Daniel Flynn –
Great knife with a few imperfections. Ex Gurkha Khukuri House is a manufacturer and distributor of khukuri knives from Nepal. Knife makers are plentiful in Nepal, and this manufacturer assembles the very best knives to export. The cost of these goods is so low at the moment, thanks in part to the relative strength of the US Dollar, but also because of how wide spread knife making is in Nepal. So get your hands on one of these weapons because they are so affordable. Let’s start with the steel. 5160 carbon steel derives from springs from cars in junk yards, and Nepal has plenty of US Army jeeps languishing in scrap yards. This steel is a good compromise between hardness and strength. The edge is quite keen, but the spine is soft and flexible. On the subject of the spine, or the thickness, this blade is a whopper. The sheer mass from this knife, combined with the downward sweeping motion of the blade profile, makes this weapon absolutely lethal; it requires little effort or skill to wield. This knife could lop a man’s head off with one blow, and that’s not an exaggeration. The fit and finish is very well done, and the blade is sharp enough to cut through light targets and even chop tree branches (in Nepal, the khukuri is used like a machete). The brass bolster and pommel are well made and secured with hot peening (I wonder if the brass comes from reused shell casings). The handle of my knife is made from rosewood, and yet the description and photos claimed the material was buffalo horn. KoA should explain this to their customers BEFORE the item ships. Although I am happy with rosewood, I was expecting horn. The wood has a slight crack that should not affect performance, but it is nevertheless an imperfection. The sheath is utilitarian and well made, but the belt loop on my sheath is not secure; another imperfection. The two small knives/honing tools that came with the sheath are a nice touch and are traditional. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the craftsmanship and affordability of this knife. It is definitely a solid knife. However, KoA should have known better to inform me about the handle material. Their shipping was, as usual, to the letter; so I won’t complain much.
Omar S. –
Amazing I’ve had it for many years and it held up perfectly! It doesn’t even need sharpening, because when blunt this will still chop!
Wesley D. –
Beautiful Blade Stunningly beautiful blade, I can tell you the craftmanship is outstanding. Fit and finish wonderful! Scaberd had one small mar in the back clearly nit a big deal. Came shaving sharp (like swords/knives should) If you a thinking about getting go for it!
Jordan –
Great chopper, this thing is a monster in the woods and needs little sharpening. I’ve cut down mostly small trees with it and it still goes strong. Price is a steal if you ask me.
Spychicken (verified owner) –
This is probably my favorite blade I’ve gotten. It’s almost perfect and at an amazing price, just with a few caveats.
The first is the handle came with a large crack running down it. The handle is horn and supposedly it can do that, but I didn’t expect it on arrival. I filled in the crack with superglue, and it feels fine now. I don’t know how good of a fix that is, but it works for now.
The second issue was I struggled to learn the right place to grip it, and was initially unimpressed. However, I learned I have to grip it really high up the handle and it works perfectly. You can even sort of use it with two hands.
Overall, excellent quality so far and I highly recommend despite initial issues.