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.
Louis Levesque –
Solid and fearsome I have owned my example since 2009, and it has been one of my very favorite blades. It has a distal taper, and is ruggedly constructed. This is also probably the longest bladed saber out there. It flexes when it needs to without being whippy. This sword is an excellent cutter that combines brute force with the finesse of the saber’s design. The downside: my only complaint is that this is a rather blade heavy sword, and is probably a tad heavy for a weapon of this type, though not to a degree that would make it unusable in combat. I would say that it is not a beginner’s weapon. You have to train for it. This is typical of the M1840 heavy cavalry saber design that this piece is actually based upon despite what Cold Steel names it. I would go so far as to say that in terms of balance and weight, the Cold Steel version is vastly superior to the 6 lb. monstrosities that the U.S. Dragoon used during the American Mexican War period. If you train for this weapon a bit, you will be rewarded for the effort.
Aaron J. –
Pretty good saber I like this saber. The grip is very comfortable and holds up nicely, and it cuts pretty well. It’s a bit heavy as far as saber’s go, but that’s kind of the point. My only complaints are the secondary bevel and the metal scabbard which can dull the blade if you don’t draw it correctly.
John R. Morrison (verified owner) –
I have just ordered this sword,and I am awaiting delivery of it. The only flaw that I can see is this is actually an 1840 heavy cavalry saber. The heavy sword was not produced after 1858.The other issue is the hand guard which is the same as the 1860 saber.The outer bar on the 1840 hand guard is bent in toward the hand,something I can correct. You are correct that both types were used in the Civil War.
Ray –
On my scale, this weights 2 lb 2, may even be a little less. I have decent wrist strength and endurance so this doesn’t feel that heavy for me.
I’m not a saber fencer expert and not even a backyard cutter, but loves to swing swords for my toy needs, and for anyone with enough wrist and forearm strength, you can even make small, almost precision strike with it, it’s just fun to play with, far away from other living things and furniture.
With enough wrist control, I reckon small precision cuts are doable.
For a reproduction saber, this one isn’t too forward balanced and the taper is just fine for me because there is a big difference between thickness at hilt and near the tip, which means I don’t feel like I’m swinging a long rebar and momentum with wrist snap comes into play far easier than sabers with very little differences between the thickness at hilt and near the tip.
It is a little bit minimalist for decor needs. Also the scabbard is nicely made. Recommended.
Luke spicher (verified owner) –
Beautiful sword, would be 5 stars were it not for the fact HALF of the blade edge closest towards wielder is purposely left unsharpened. This is not stated anywhere in the description. Only the furthest half of the edge is sharp. I won’t bother with a Cold Steel manufactured sword again. Other than that it seems built well and does look very nice.