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.
Michael C. –
Hanwei Rondel dagger First off I was more than pleasantly surprised at the quality of this knife.The fittings and finish are beautiful.To some it may seem on the short side but for me it was perfect for referencing where the tip of the blade will be.The blade has a needle sharp tip and is sharpened the whole length of the cutting edge.The re-enforced tip is masterfully shaped.If you have massive hands the grip could seem too small.Mine are medium size and it’s perfect.The blade, I could imagine would be a real rib spreader! Great knife.If you like rondel style daggers you wont be disappointed.
Rick Miller (verified owner) –
VERY well made and handsome dagger! I had always liked this style of dagger (Rondel) but I never had any armor that would be fitting to pair with this style of weapon. Now that I have a suitable helm of the period and enough armor suited for a 14th Century man-at-arms, I wanted a solid, functional and not-too-flashy dagger of the period. This dagger is a great choice for such a kit!
I was very pleased with the fit and finish of the dagger itself, which is truly solid, especially the configuration of the Rondels and the solid peen. The blade is excellent and came very sharp. The profile of the blade is extremely solid with a well shaped and heavily reinforced point, perfect for breaking the rivets of chain mail under the gaps and joints of plate armor. The entire blade is extremely stiff die to the wide spine profile running almost the entire length of the blade. Though the spine of the blade is wide, there is enough taper to the profile to allow the point to driven into gaps in the plate armor or the narrow visor of a period helm. Either as a deadly weapon in the heat of battle or as a Misericorde putting a warrior out of his misery, it is clear that this dagger was purpose built to kill efficiently.
A fine dagger should be kept in a fine sheath, and Hanwei came through again on the wood-core leather and steel sheath. The dagger and sheath seem perfect for professional man at arms or even a “get down to business” knight who values utility over looks. The sheath has a steel throat and and chape done in the same fashion as the rondels on the dagger, which is well done and simple. To be honest, the unadorned and functional design of the dagger seems makes the weapon look very deadly!
This is really an exceptional historic dagger that is totally functional. Really a Five Star example.
Andrew C. –
Had this for about a year, so long enough to give a review.
Beautiful blade and great craftsmanship. Its not extraordinarily sharp on the ‘edge’ side of it, but these triangular blades were never really meant to be super sharp. They are far more a piercing weapon, exploiting gaps in armor and chain. I suppose think of it as a very specialized spike rather than a traditional knife or dagger.
This is very much a ‘business’ rondel dagger in terms of style, in the sense of it feels like something a knight or man at arms would have worn on the battlefield rather than in public for decoration. There is a little decorative piece on the grip of the dagger, but other than that its pretty straight forward.
The sheathe it comes with is okay. It does the job, the only problem I’ve had with it is through use, the blade does not hold as well to sheath as it used to. If I tip it too much, it will slide out very easily, which is an issue since the rondels make the blade a bit heavier near the grip. If you try to wear it on your belt with leather ties like they are supposed to be worn, it will turn upside down and slide out after some use. I feel like I don’t need to describe what kind of problems that can cause if the blade falls out while you are walking. I did eventually have to get a frog for it with my Ren Faire costume even if it is historically inaccurate simply because the blade will not say inside the sheathe after some use.
Beyond that though, the dagger itself is extremely well made. If you are looking for a well made Rondel Dagger and you are on a little bit of a budget, 150 bucks for this is a bargain. Highly Recommend.