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.
Gerry –
A very accurate and functional shashka The Hanwei Shashka is dimensionally very similar to the historic Russian version. The weight, distal taper, and temper (has the flex of a cavalry sword to help avoid a ‘set’) are correct and the blade comes factory sharpened with no secondary bevel. A well balanced good cutter when using saber techniques. Most accurate Shashka reproduction on the market.
Nemo D. –
For the hardcore collector, an absolute must have! Weight, balance and feel are beyond superb, and very faithful to it’s historical counterparts. It’s lightening quick in the hand and the factory edge is just perfect enough for tatami mat level cutting. Steel material is tough, very tough, not to mention the Tzarist motifs of this saber are quite unique compared to other reproductions on the market and are very aesthetically pleasing!
Overall super hard to find a flaw with this saber, Hanwei may just have hit a home run with this one!
Brian O. –
Super fast “European” alternative to the katana / Must have!! Fantastic handling saber! My swordsmanship skills are mediocre at best but this grip design and the balance of this particular Saber has allowed me to really get in some fantastic ‘Backyard Cutting” in. It looks great but, handles even better. The weight of this and the Cold Steel are listed as only a few ounces difference but this one “feels” a lot lighter than the Cold Steel. I “Like” my cold steel but the Hanwei is definitely the Sword I would choose as a primary weapon of the “Zombie Apocalypse” or “SHTF Weapon” in General. Just Love this sword . I actually have 2 of these now!
Hardy L. –
My Best Experience With A Hanwei Weapon So Far This is a well-made weapon, and it’s fit and finish are the best I’ve seen in a Hanwei product. It’s a fine cutter and has the blade presence necessary for an amputating strike, but also feels balanced and deft enough to fence with. This style of sabre has the perfect amount of blade curvature for me. It’s deep enough to aid the slicing motion, but straight enough to still be good in the thrust. I would definitely recommend it for purchase.
Eric –
Superb Beautiful fit and finish. Perfect balance. Sliced jugs out of the box of. After a few passes on the work sharp, I’ll be able to shave with it. Satisfied with my purchase for sure.