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.
Eric m. –
Damage lacquer The only minor problem is there is a permanent finger print in the black lacquer on the scabbard
Lonerider –
Musashi hand honed katana model SS676 This Musashi is my first sharp sword. I’m into HEMA longsword but also think katanas are cool…. And since this was cheaper I decided to start here for a sharp.
So… about the sword….
Service: Great! Kult of athena was very helpful and the sword was delivered promptly in 3 days, well packed inside a double box (the inner one with the musashi musha logo).
Fit/finish: This sword only cost 60$US, so I didn’t expect great fit and finish but was pleasantly surprised, generally speaking. Compared to higher end swords the fittings seem basic, with a few imperfections that barely matter… the brass washer betwixt the tsuba and the top of the grip, for instance, is slightly off, so it sticks out more on one side than the other, but this is really only noticeable because the brass contrasts with the dark tsuba (guard).
The tsuba is much thicker than it looks in pictures very substantial but also doesn’t seem chunky because of the open design. It is evenly finished and looks nice and feels very solid.
The handle feels solid and the wrap seems tight. There are indeed two pegs holding it on and the imitation rayskin looks plastic-y due to it’s glossy surface, but has the texture of the nodules so it served it’s function. The menuki are detailed enough but sort of hidden behind the ito wrapping. Mine looks like dragons.
The only real complaint I have is the end cap on the handle appears slightly crooked when looked at edge on but it is very slight.
Edge: The sword comes sharp but not really sharp; it will cut paper, but not smoothly, however one could surely make it sharper and as is out of the box it is not “dull”. The tsuba and handle are solid with no wiggle or play and the blade is straight and finished smoothly to a nice shine. The hamon line appears marked on but that’s expected as the blade is through tempered not differentially hardened.
The scabbard (saya) is a good fit and the sword does not wiggle or rattle when inside. There is a metal collar around the opening, but it doesn’t rub on the blade, it stops short of the actual edge of the opening so that what the sword would touch is the wood of the saya. The saya is well finished in a shiny black paint or laquer. However, the sword knot (not sure of the proper Japanese term) appears to be made from an old shoelace.
At this price point the idea is a solid beginner sword, and this one fits the bill so far. The fit and finish in general is okay, maybe not aesthetically perfect, but it is solid and that’s what I think most folk are looking for in a beginner sword, at least i am.
So far I am very excited, can’t wait to cut some stuff (so far I have only used it a few times…)