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.
Eric L. –
Very good value Got this sword at a renaissance faire this past weekend (meaning i overpaid for it, but whatever). I’m overall very pleased with this sword.
It has a really interesting combination of being very light, and having a PoB fairly far from the hilt. This makes it feel like a good chopper, but also being nimble in the hand for the thrust. The blade is also quite rigid.
Overall feels to have a very solid construction and is what i would call “sharp”. Not razor sharp by any stretch of the imagination.
I am quite satisfied with this purchase.
James Whitworth –
Great Bang for the Buck Let me start off by saying that this sword is amazing considering the price. However it is by no means perfect. It is an inherently mass-produced sword with an emphasis on qualities most mass-produced swords do not even attempt to recreate. As a result there are some flaws. For example my sword had a slight then about two-thirds of the way up. Nothing drastic but I’m a bit of a perfectionist. Additionally whenever they peened the blade they also struck one side of the pommel causing it to deform. However these minor issues pale in comparison to the quality or getting for the price.
The blade handles extremely well compared to every other sword I purchased within this price range. It’s light and well-balanced. My example weighs 2.1 lbs and has a point of balance just under 5 inches from the guard. Additionally the point of percussion on the blade is in just the right spot. However it is worth noting that the point of percussion in the hilt is not perfect. The result is a little bit more vibration in the handle then say an Albion or actual Atrim blade. However basically all mass production swords have that problem. However in this sword it is very minor. It is also worth noting that the temper on this blade is extremely good. The blade is extremely stiff but also can be flexed a great deal. Additionally the entire hilt is solid as a rock. The cross guard doesn’t wobble even slightly. Which wobbly cross guards is an extremely big pet peeve of mine. Personally I find it difficult to find swords in the $600 and $700 range that don’t have a wobbly cross guard.
Other features worth noting are that the blade is only sharpened along the last two thirds and only about the last third of mine is what I would consider sharp. But the steel and temper is of such a high-quality that is not difficult to sharpen. Also the Scabbard is definitely possible. It’s got a solid wood core and decent leather wrap. Although it is glued not stitch. The same can be also said for the grip. Both the Scabbard and the grip have a noticeable seen but neither of them seem flimsy. Additionally the blade has so much distal taper that the tip rattles a bit inside the Scabbard. However that is a problem that all swords within this price range have “IF” they have a wood core scabbard. Additionally the red color on the scabbard and grip match far better on my example than they do in the one pictures here. Although the edges of the scabbard are a little bit lighter then all of the other areas. Probably due to them not waiting long enough for the dye to set before wetting and forming it.
All in all this is an excellent blade well worth the money. As long as you have reasonable expectations you will be pleasantly surprised.
Valscorn –
Excellent Sword for the money!! This is a surprisingly good blade and is far more sword then what you pay for. Its balanced quite well and besides a few cosmetic issues, is rock solid. The scabard is a standard wooden core wrapped in leather. It works, but i wish it had a belt system.
11/10 If you are on the fence, buy it. This sword is worth far more then what it costs. Its a bit like a poor mans, Albion Yeoman.
DJ –
Great Sword I own 20+ swords and this is one of my favorties. Light, agile and well made. Great sword for the money.
RB –
Excellent Sword Quality is excellent. For the price it can’t be beat.
2 caveats. One it is smallish. This would make a fine sword for an archer or spearman, but for a knight or man at arms it is too short for a primary arm.
Two it is a bit tip heavy and wants to rotate out of the hand when I stop a cut which causes the pommel to dig into my palm. This I believe is a result of the grip being too thin. Aesthetically the inner swelling on the pommel is way to sketchy.
Tommy –
Very nice sword for the price I was surprised on how cheap this sword was for what youre getting. This sword handles very well in the hand and it comes shapern out of the box. The handle feels nice and grips my hand well. Comes with a nice wood core scabbard. I did had some trouble getting the sword off the scabbard by pulling with force. But after some use the sword slides in the scabbard very easily. The only thing I was not too happy about was the pommel is slightly crooked.
T.F –
Great sword for only 300 This is a great blade. This would be amongst the top swords I would recommend for someone just getting started, or some who doesn’t want to break the bank.
Garett –
Amazing buy This is everything somebody could want from an arming sword. It’s not too heavy, has an amazing grip, great for cuts and thrusts, and is very durable. The only reason it is not perfect is because there is a gap in the guard, allowing for gunk and dirt to get in the hilt. Other than that, you couldn’t ask for more at this price.
Mythguard Whatever else I’ll try to do. –
Incredible quality for the price! This sword is quite possibly one of the best swords I’ve used in my current collection! The fit and finish is on another level from many other sword of this same price range. The grip is well wrapped and comfortable and looks awesome and it compliments the design well. The fittings are well implemented and compliment the design and are a good shape and size for use with a buckler. However the fittings did have two minor issues. First off: the guard has small gap between it and the blade and second: the pommel is veeery slightly off center. Now on to the blade. I’ve always loved the look of the type XIV blade the wider strong and thinner weak with an acutely tapered point,and a sexy fuller really lend themselves to a beautiful and versatile blade good at both cuts and thrusts! All of that added with a nice scabbard and great balance really makes this sword stand out in the vast market of options in this price range. Overall this sword is DEFINITELY a great option and wholly earns (in my eyes) a five star rating!
A. M. –
Light and Nimble an Excellent First Sword I have had this sword for almost one year. As usual with KOA it was priced lowest, arrived very quickly and in excellent shape and packaging. The blade is thin yet stout due to the 2/3rd length fuller. My blade arrived very sharp from tip to hilt. The gap between the blade and hilt is visible yet far less than others I’ve seen at this price point. The hilt is thin yet apparently faithful to its Oakeshott’s heritage. Point of balance is at 5″ and mine weighs in at a light 2 lbs (w/o scabb) and excellent one hand wield and traditionally with a buckler. The handle wrap is well done in a reddish brown with the accurate Oakes- family B pommel which appears hot peened although there are some hammer marks, usual for the pp. This sword is very solid with excellent balance. The monotempered 9260 spring steel blade is a resilient alloy with an attractive polish. If intended for the wall, the hilt and pommel can be highly polished. The leather covered wood scabbard is glued yet nice for this level. The only complaint is the loose scabbard, yet easily shimmed. This is one of my favorite blades and an excellent choice to begin a collection.
Mark Oates –
Very happy with my purchase, my second attempt at buying an arming sword. I first purchased a Henwei sword for about 100$ less than this amazing KA sword, and it’s a heavy beast, not suitable for a one handed sword!
So I was so thrilled when I caughed up a 100 more bucks and received this superior product, well balanced, light and sharp as hell.
I read the other reviews and am pleased to say that my sword arrived in splendid condition, but the scabbard is a bit flimsey and sticks at the top.
Overall, I love this sword and especially for the price, I highly recommend it!!!
suneidos –
This is a very nice sword, and after some touching up it is my favorite for chopping water bottles, but I have a few complaints. First, one end of the crossguard was bent about 1/2 inch to the side. Second, the centerline of the primary bevel did not line up with the centerline of the secondary bevel (off by perhaps 1/16 inch). Third, there were some grooves about a fingernail wide and 1/16th inch deep roughly near where the crossguard met the blade that gathered some rust. Fourth and finally, the edge bevel is too thick for good cutting against boxes or water bottles as is, or with the sharpening service (paper milk cartons would get a slight cut, but then would bunch up and crumple around the blade). Even after sharpening to a paper shaving edge the bevel was still too thick for cutting bottles. I ended up using it as a project sword and re-profiling the whole edge to an appleseed edge with a harbor freight belt sander. After a stupid long time learning how to use the belt sander effectively, it’s now my favorite sword for water bottles and paper milk cartons because it has the best control. Also the wheel pommel gives a very secure grip. It still doesn’t have enough mass to cut large boxes. I use the Kingston arms side sword or a katana for heavy cutting.
Jude –
Got this sword about two years ago, no problems with shipping and it looked picture perfect on arrival. It’s a very good sword for the money, I wanted something quality and wasn’t so expensive I couldn’t justify buying it to myself (all my research pointed me to this one). It handles well, sharpens nicely and hasn’t broken or picked up any dings in the past two years while being wielded by an amateur like me. As part of a collection it holds up well, looking good on the wall and swinging in the backyard.
I recommend this blade as a no regrets buy. (However, it’s not Excalibur, spend 1000 more you get a better sword)
rkschell07 (verified owner) –
Great First sword. This is the first real steel, battle ready sword I have purchased and am enjoying it. Quality blade, fun to cut bottles. Well balanced and holds together, easy to grip. Good for thrusts and cuts. Grip is thin leather over wood, but hold up fine. I paid for sharpening and it came sharp, but not as sharp as I expected but it is my first sword so I have nothing to compare it. Overall good quality blade for the price range. The scabbard is basic but does the job with a good fit.
alientude –
Unfortunately I have to give this a low score. On the one I reviewed, the blade doesn’t sit all the way into the crossguard – you can see the shoulders of the blade sticking out above the guard. This means the crossguard is loose, and it’s only going to get worse the more it’s used.
It’s a real shame because this sword is so close to being superb. While it could use a better sharpening job out of the box, everything else beside that and the poor fit is excellent.
I did a full review on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gjg_ib4S_ZA
Miziel Gonzalez –
This is in my opinion the best for the price. It handles nicely and is a great representation of the era. I’m so happy I got it, now I did see pricing has gone up since I bought my from here but still worth it. The design is beautiful and the execution is great, I paid for the sharpening which to me is well worth it. Over all its a must have for quality and design. The sheath is okay nothing to write home about but does the job well.
Joshua –
Bought this one for myself for Christmas 2021.
It’s a decent piece, but for all the “ATrim” buzz surrounding it, I certainly expected more. Lesson learned.
The pommel peen is decidedly sloppy, and the blade isn’t fit well into the cross-guard. Aesthetically, I’m not a fan of the stainless hilt components, but they are certainly durable and will certainly last!
Although the blade has some distal taper, and although the sword is described as “light,” the weight-forward blade causes it to feel heavier and less nimble than it should. Also, without significantly reworking the edge bevel, this sword performs very poorly in the cut.
If you can find one second-hand under $300, it would make much more sense to purchase.
Caretaker_8 (verified owner) –
I really want to give this a better review, but many of the reviews are correct. The blade does not fit in the guard perfectly (not noticeable at first, slightly sticks out so I think it will be fine). The blade sharpening is not too good at all, the edge is at around a 45 degree bevel, which for an arming sword is not good. Lastly, the components of the sword are all slightly off, as in the hand guard is not perfectly aligned, the pommel slightly rotated, etc.
Despite all that, I still like this sword. Maybe it is bias or just general simplistic styling of the sword, but I intend to make it work, and to use this as a learning lesson on how to bevel and sharpen my sword. The rest of the flaws I can live with as they are very minor and only seen with close inspection.
I was really surprised with the scabbard on this sword as it feels great and looks great (more brown than salmon like shown in the picture).