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.
Craig E. –
Light and fast in the hand, too bad handle isn’t hickory or ash… I purchased one of these about 2 years ago. This axe is very light and quick in the hand. No doubt it would be an excellent weapon, at least with a better wood used for the handle…I decided to sharpen mine and take it on a camping trip and on the first day of the four day trip the handle broke. It turns out that the handle is pinned in so I felt I had no other choice but to bury the blade in wet earth to try and protect the temper and burn the rest of the handle out. The next day I was able to pound the pin out from the inside of the shaft with a wrench and a large stone..Then I made a temporary handle out of oak that worked for the rest of the trip. When I got home I bought a hickory tomahawk handle and hammered the smaller end into the head and pinned it in place with a piece of a nail. Then I shaped the larger end with a rasp to fit my hand at the end of the handle. To be honest it was a big pain in the…. In the end though I like the look and feel of the new hickory handle much better. It’s really intended to be a weapon anyway and is a bit light for camp use but Windlass really should be using stronger wood. I would have given a lower score, but after I replaced the handle I really like it and handles on axes break. Who knows, I might have just gotten a bad handle..
Connor K. –
Strong, Light, Little Axe. Came well packaged and oiled for shipping. The axe was… average after the sharpening service. After a little personal sharpening, worked really well. Very sturdy and tough on the axe blade. Hacked at dead wood and some other tough objects and no chipping or damage to report. Used the hammer-like side to beat a cinder block. Scratched it up, but no denting or chipping. One of my favorite purchases overall. Handle is still in tip-top shade. Smooth, but gives enough grip. And allows a cord wrap or whatever would suit you if you’re looking for better grip. Axe head isn’t loose at all. Well recommended if you’re looking for something small and well made!
GJ –
Needs a little help Nice axe, nice lines, good weight. However, I’m not a fan of the light-weight wood they use or the way they fit their axe heads. It’s a very poor fit (which is fine if it can be corrected.) However, they drive a pin through the axe head and the haft to hold it together, so its impossible to refit the axe head without destroying the handle or somehow drilling out the pin (which risks damaging the head).
Cody B. –
Awesome little axe This is an awesome little axe! I didn’t expect a whole lot from this, but it is a very wicked throwing axe once sharpened. It hits HARD. Very nice piece, I would like to buy a few more for a throwing axe collection. The steel is good and can take abuse.