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.
Jesse M. –
Awesome sword! This is my 5th sword and I love the feel of it… It’s well balanced, very sharp, and has enough weight to it that u just know it will cut anything it’s swung at. And a double pegged handle, which is good.
Greg S. –
This was the first katana I ever ordered. I’ve practiced Korean swordsmanship, however the blade styles between korean and japanese are very similar in that they’re both single-edged and curved. Korean swords are slightly shorter and weigh less, but because they’re pretty close and not a lot of companies make Korean-specific swords (or if they do they’re really expensive); katanas are used because they’re close.
With that being said though, not only just this katana specifically but all the other katanas in the Ronin Dojo Pro line are very solid and exceptional blades for this price range. The fit and finish of the katana from the various fittings, to the tightly wrapped tsuka (handle), to the saya (sheath) were very well-made on the one I have. I’ve used it for soft and hard target cutting and have yet to have anything come loose. The tsuka is very comfortable in that it’s not bulky, but fits nicely in the hand and the wrap used allows for ample grip. The fittings like the tsuba, fuchi, and kashira are made of iron (or what feels like iron), which was a pleasent surprise because iron fittings cost more than other materials like brass or aluminum and are usually used on higher-quality katanas because they’re more durable.
Going on to the blade, it is very durable and solid feeling. It does not have the hamon (wave pattern) on the edge, which is synonymous for katanas. This katana does not have one because the properties of the steel used cannot achieve this. However the steel it’s made from, 1060 high carbon steel, is known to be a very durable steel. This is a good thing for the beginner/immediate practitioner or hobbyist because our cutting forms aren’t perfect. Thus, if a bad cut/angle was taken, the blade would not get bent out of shape or become damaged.
In it’s use, I’ve used this katana to cut various soft and hard targets like tatami mats and bamboo. Just to mess around, I decided one day to cut a leg bone from a pig and the katana cut through it like a champ (do not cut hard targets unless you’re fully confident in your abilities and cutting angles.) When you hold the katana, you can feel the weight and solidarity of it and have full confidence that it is an exceptional weapon. It is a bit on the heavier side, but that’s normal for katanas that don’t have a bo-hi (the groove on the spine of the katana.) And in general, katanas without bo-hi’s are more suited for heavier cutting because they have more material in the spine of the blade to support itself. This isn’t to say that katanas with bo-hi’s are not reliable. The bo-hi serves no other special purpose aside from relieving weight off the blade.
Overall if you want to buy a good quality katana for an affordable price, this katana is the way to go. You won’t be disappointed, but if your katana comes with a defect or just not to your liking; you can always return it and get a different one that suits your tastes. Other options of affordable, good-quality katanas I’d recommend checking out are Cheness Cutlery and the Hanwei Raptor series katanas (which is offered by Kult of Athena).
Marvin Nguyen (verified owner) –
The blade is beautiful and the fittings are simple but appealing. The katana itself was fit together nicely, with no rattling that I could find. The only downside I found was in the saya. The koiguchi(saya opening) does not a have an air-tight seal around the habaki. After a bit of observation, I found you can even twist the blade a smidge while the katana is housed in the saya at the koiguchi, which shows how much space in left open. However, since this is mostly for cutting anyway, that detail probably doesn’t matter as much. Plus, the issue can be repaired, so the problem is too pressing. Otherwise, very nice sword.