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.
Simon Dean –
Good for the Price I got a very similar sword to this from the same company, so much of what I say will be applicable to this sword as well as mine. The biggest con about this sword is the flexibility. While not as bad as the rawlings, they thin, broad blade has a tendency to warp in storage, and this warp is something I haven’t been able to fix, even after three years of owning the sword. The handling isn’t bad, as the sword is light, but the handle is very round and awkward. Overall, the balance, durability, and aesthetics are all great, but the round handle and tendency to warp keep this from getting a perfect score. It’s well worth the money.
Scott S. –
Completely unwieldy While the design is nice, it is an extremely thick weapon, and its balance is way too far out from the handle for a cheap trainer. While this may not be too big of a problem for a two handed weapon, the handle is just two short to reasonably hold it that way. Do not attempt to spar with it either, as it’s far too heavy and even with protective gloves and other gear, could still deliver crushing force to your partner. Do not recommend at all.
Sifu D. –
Near perfect. Price, balance, long lasting, and overall weight are fantastic. My 15 year old female student got one of these, and she loves it. Overall, this vague oxtail design balances like my Willow leaf saber, and is excellent in handling.
As a beginners tool, practice tool for younger students, and an overall less threatening training weapon, these work great. Better than whippy sabers, poorly made wooden sabers, and cheaper than most steel training weapons, this saber is worth buying for drills, forms, two person forms and drills, and even sparring. Reducing the wear on spear shafts is well worth it here.
Lastly, the one star I took away is simply for the warping that is fairly common. I clamp the blade straight, heat it up with a blow dryer or carefully with a heat gun, let cool, and check it. Sometimes its worse than usual, so I simply clamp the blade with shims in the opposite direction of the bend.