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.
Benjamin Wallace –
Better Than Expected There aren’t that many swords offered that represent the “cut and thrust” blades of the 15th and 16th centuries at this price point. I was pleasantly surprised to find this sword offered and I am suitably impressed with the apparent quality for the money. First, the good: the blade is light and responsive, has a good reach for a single-hand sword, and isn’t too whippy despite lacking a fuller to stiffen it. The handle may look short initially but this is really a design feature as the first finger is meant to slip over the quillon through the side rings to grip the ricasso. This gives very nice point control for the thrust. I was worried from the picture that the shape of the quillon block would cause it to dig into my forefinger but even after handling it barehanded this doesn’t seem to be as much of a problem as I anticipated. The quillon block itself is about half an inch wide at the point your finger loops over it, and the squared off contours give a parallel surface for your fingertip to “grip” on the other side. The fit of the parts also seems to be solid and there is no appreciable loosening, rattling, or pinging noises after vigorous shaking. I haven’t tested it in any more destructive manner. Lastly, as can be appreciated from the pictures, the sword is almost wholly symmetrical, with only a few very minor decorative elements on the side rings not being repeated from right to left, so there is good news for left-handers. Now, for the bad, which is mostly cosmetic and may be individual to the sword I received: the finish of some of the hilt hardware is uneven, with the seating of the handle within the quillon block being uneven (the slot the tang passes through seems somewhat oversized and is just visible beyond the edge of the grip on one side), the quillon block itself being uneven in shape with one side somewhat larger than the other, and the side rings noticeably asymmetrical (both seem slightly bent down at a slightly different angle towards the grip). The side rings actually come into contact with the blade at the top of the ricasso and, upon vigorous shaking, there are some unpleasant, high pitched metal on metal grinding noises. I believe that with many historical examples, the “fork” at the top of the side ring does not actually come into contact with the blade for just this reason. I passed a few pieces of paper between the gap to attempt to clear it of debris (the gap is too small to admit anything thicker) but there was no appreciable change in the noise. Lastly, there is a small inconsistency in the turning of the wire around the handle, amounting to a tiny burr that cannot even be felt when gripped bare handed but is somewhat noticeable and might perhaps get worse over time. All in all, I would say it is definitely a good sword for the low price, better than I expected, and fulfills the very useful niche of a light, maneuverable cut and thrust sword designed for use with the forefinger extending the grip beyond the quillon. In contrast to other cut and thrust offerings, like the Windlass Munich sword, the grip is not encumbered with further bars and rings to protect the hand. This omission makes the Opera Nova sword very light, but it also practically necessitates the use of a buckler or shield in order to protect the hand and wrist, as mentioned in the product description.
Evan Olwell (verified owner) –
I purchased the Opera Nova Armi Cut and Thrust in standard grade. It is my first Deepeeka purchase and I had higher expectations because it’s classified as “limited edition”. Sadly, when I received the sword, its condition was very bad. Raw unfinished metal on the guard, like it should have been filed down, but wasn’t. Also, pitting in the underside of the guards rings. The final third of the blade is badly warped and distorted, not straight at all. I expected a battle ready sword. I got a wall hanger.