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.
Sir N. –
Typically don’t buy on the Internet – I have to see first Okay, I emailed KoA about size. I have a size 11 tennis shoe, the size 11.5 fit perfectly with an insole added. I use an old pir of Nike running shoe insoles and they fit marvelously! I worn them twice; once for courtly affair, the second fighting Rapier, Anyone who fights rapier knows there is a lot of footwork and you must rely on your feet. You might think the leather soles would be slippery – THEY Are when on dry material. As soon as you wet the sole with the moisture from the grasses – it like unreal amount of traction you will have. NOT one slip, and a lot of footwork!
I would definitely recommend these shoes to anyone doing re-creation or reenactment. In fact I plan to buy the Poulanes and the mid boot. Completely satisfied!
Sir Klaus –
Sir Klaus previously I commented under the posting name of “Sir N”.
After wearing these shoes on many occasions now, they are still awesome! I fight live steel and rapier combat. These shoes do not slip! Once the leather sole gets moist from the grass, the grip is like that of a cat taking a corner! They work for both combat and courtly events.
I highly recommend these to any re-enactor.
John D. –
Wow I needed some period footwear so I ordered these . Love them they can be worn anyware they are so stylish . I guess good style never goes out of fashion . Nice heavy leather construction . Usually ware 10.5 but 11.5 fit perfectly with insoles .
Arn S. –
Top Quality These are the real deal. No cheap costume materials used in this shoe. The soles are thick and the metal studs keep you from slipping. Very comfortable. This shoe is all leather, no vinyl. I wear a size 9 shoe and the 9.5 is perfect with room for a foam insole. I would highly recommend these to others.
James –
Awesome Shoes Just goth them today and the quality is fantastic, thick leather, strong stitching, and hobnails too!!! That was my main worry about getting medieval shoes for fear that they would grip terribly with just a smooth sole, but these come with a nice set of hobnails going around the perimeter of the sole. Very satisfied with this product. And by the way, I’m usually a size 10.5-11 shoes and the 11.5 shoes fit great with some nice insoles. I made a gamble seeing this in other reviews and I want to confirm it for people of similar shoes size.
Dan Olsen –
Great Fighting Shoe! I fight Live Steel armored combat, 25 years now. Bought a pair of these two years ago and all I can say is – Excellent. Never slipped once when fighting, great grip mostly due to the hobnails, and they fit true to size. I placed a pair of cushioned Nike footbeds in these and I can stay in them all day long without any problem.
JarvinNightwind –
Okay, after reading the other reviews, all 5-stars, I needed to review my pair to give warning.
The leather is sturdy and they seem to be well made, but… they are not shaped for human feet. I even used a shoe horn for 24+ hours trying to give it an actual heel and still I could only wear them for an hour at most before they destroyed me feet, specifically my heels.