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.
Ian W. –
Best work blade I’ve ever owned. I didn’t get mine from this site, it was a gift. After 5 years at my side clearing brush, chopping firewood, and deflecting a few hostile blades along the way, there is absolutely NO sign of wear aside from the paint on the steel, and even that much is very hard to spot. It’s been used by many who had less experience than me, and stood up to misaligned strikes, and even missed strikes that landed on rock, metal, and brick surfaces. Nothing that couldn’t be smoothed out with stones. Granted, on a thick blade like this it will take some time. This is a good sign, as steel that sharpens quickly dulls quickly. I was surprised to find it for as little as it is it is being sold here, and at this price I might get a second. I would test it against more expensive swords on this site but I really think this beast would break most of the swords in the $1000 and up price range. They should have a sixth star just to rate this one.
A361 –
Not bad It is shorter than I expected but it makes up for it in strength, I chopped off some limbs from my oak trees and it still sliced through grass and briars with ease, I gave it four stars because it did get a chip in the blade when I hit a bigger log with it and the stain on the handle got on my hands when I started sweating but all in all it’s not bad for $70.
J.B. –
Heavy Duty Heavy duty, but the handle is way too thick. Makes it tiring to use. They could shave off half an inch and it would be better. Finger grooves would be helpful too.
It chops, but not as good as an axe. It cuts but not better than a thinner blade. It’s in the middle. The sheath is very good and the blade can be tilted with the sheath while attached to your belt to accommodate your preferred drawing method. The sheath draw is tight at first, but loosens up with usage.
The blade is heavy duty and sharp. Best to let inertia and gravity guide the blade, it cuts better that way instead of forcing too much power into your strike.
Three Stars only because of the handle, otherwise it would be a solid 4-4.5. I know it’s a thick blade, but the handle could still be thinner, it’s very annoying that it’s so thick.
Rick From Canada (verified owner) –
Satisfied with this purchase. Looks good. Definitely a heavy duty chopping tool construction rather than a nimble slasher. Has a great presence in the hand. The balance point is about 2.5″-3″ in front of the hand so it has quite a bit of authority in the blade. The blade is quite thick with a slight distal taper. The grip is chunky and feels very secure in the hand with smoothly sanded open wood grain finish (possibly oiled but definitely not varnished which is a plus for me). The colour of the grip is darker than the pictures would indicate but I actually prefer this colour (looks like walnut wood). My only gripe is that the edge is not sharp. I think that calling it “moderately sharp” (as in the specifications) is an overstatement. It can split wood or hack through a branch with its heft alone, but it is not sharp enough to slice paper without completely tearing through. I would recommend either to get it sharpened by KoA, or to have your grindstones ready because the edge needs some work. Overall though I am happy with this blade. It will be replacing my hatchet and light machete in my outdoor pack as it can do the work of both (once I sharpen it).