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.
Jake –
Poorly made I got this to learn how to throw an axe. I watched some videos online and understood the basics. I take this out side and throw it at some plywood. Th first throw glanced off, the second stuck, and the third throw made the head fall off. When I took it out of the box, I noticed there was a sizable gap between the bottom of the head and the shaft, but being a beginners didn’t know that was an issue. The main issue is that the only thing holding the head in place is a little screw on the back of the loop that is not shown in any of the given pictures or description. When I ordered it, I specifically requested that the head would be fastened tight, and alas, it broke on me. I managed to screw the head back in place with an Allen wrench but every time i throw it the head falls off. I’m very disappointed in this axe and KOA’s service.
Mike M. –
Greatly made drop forged, sharp as hell powerful too Great handling axe when thrown or as a one handed war axe
Came with small bolt to secure head to haft holds well, so does the edge on Blade.
Well worth the money I bought one then another one be to make a chopper, then one more, 3 in all 2 choppers 1 thrower
Get 2 of em. Save on shipping lol
Bryan –
A good hawk that requires a bit of work I picked up one of these recently on closeout from another seller, this review is solely in regards to the product.
Like all Cold Steel hawks this one required work straight out of the box. I own several CS hawks each of which were purchased over a broad span of time (approximately 15 years), I’ve noticed with the more recent purchases that the hawks are needing more and more work to fix mistakes. Specifically the handles appear to now be installed by drunk, nearsighted monkeys at 4:00 pm on Friday. Most of us long time CS customers know what to expect with these hawks, but the newcomers don’t and it can cause some issues and disappointment.
CS hawks come with fairly poorly fit handles that are secured with a set screw, a layer of paint on the head that seems almost impossible to remove at times and one of the worst edges you’ll see outside of blunted combat weapons.
The Norse Hawk I purchased recently required a fairly sizable amount of work on the handle. A large amount of wood had been driven up the handle as the head was installed requiring removal of the head and a slight reshaping of the handle. To compound this issue, the set screw had been driven in so far that it had exited the head and was fully lodged in the wood. A very small portion remained just far enough out of the wood to stop the head from sliding off, but not far enough for the threads to catch. 20 minutes of wailing with a mallet drove the head off and allowed removal of the set screw (which was thoroughly stripped at this point). Another 10 minutes work with a cabinet file and the head fit like a glove.
This level of work is far more than what I had to deal with on the older CS hawks I own, but seems par for the course now, as many other CS customers are reporting the same at this time. As long as you know what you’re in for it’s not bad, if you don’t then it can be a surprise.
Mark Moore –
“JAKE”….I think you are ‘poorly made’…… I own three CS hawks, and they are the best deals on this website. I have the Norse, the Spike, and the Pipe hawks, and would trust my life to any of them, as weapons or tools. Yes…out-of-the box they are ugly, and sometimes the heads are a tad ill-fitting. All of this can be cured if you have half an idea of what you are doing at a workbench with some simple tools and supplies. The first thing I did upon getting my hawks was to remove the head and take out the set screw. Then I went to work with a bench grinder that has a stone on one side and a wire brush on the other. Use the wire brush wheel and acetone to remove that ugly black crap. It takes a while, but it comes off eventually. When it does , the steel underneath is beautiful and looks hand forged. To dress the handles a bit only takes sandpaper and a little elbow grease to get the clear coat off that horrid white wood. Get some wood stain, like a black walnut, and give it several coats. It will look great, and if you put a clear sealer on it, be sure its a flat or matte finish. You can spray the clear on the head also…just make sure it’s clean. Then you can reassemble the head and handle. Luckily, all of my handles fit fine, so I had no trouble from them. If you want, you can put a cord or leather wrap on the lower handle for a perfect grip. My Norse is in a display case forever, and razor sharp. My Pipe hawk is my camping buddy. The Spike hawk is my primary weapon for traveling with me. I did the head and handle in flat black, and gave it a half wrap of black paracord. See….now that didn’t sound so hard, did it? If anyone who reads this does not own one……..get one. Spend a few hours reworking them and you will have a beautiful custom hawk that will outlast you. KoA has the best prices, so get going!………..McM
GJ –
Great one All the cold steel hawks are great. They are small, but the speed at which you can swing them mean the impact they have is great. The Norse Hawk is unique in that the blade sweeps upwards and you have a nice point for stabbing or biting into wood during a throw. The quality is pretty consistent, and they are deferentially hardened, which is really hard to find in this price range.
Tip: throw away the set screw and sand the haft in order to get a really good friction fit between the head and the haft.
Evan –
Good bang for the buck Pretty simple piece, it’s a casted axe head driven onto a tapered Hickory handle with a set screw for added security. I’ve chopped some small pieces of poplar and birch with it and it’s held up alight, you may need to tighten the screw every now and then though.
Eric E. –
I split a log with it. Need I say more. Could not be more happy with this purchase. Sturdy feels great in the hand simply awesome.