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 –
Not too shabby at all… especially for the cost. I am a 44″ chest more or less and after finding some of the GDFB products ran a bit small (tunics, etc.) I thought I best be cautious and go a size up like I had before. It fits me well as an individual piece but the sleeves are a bit wide when it comes to getting my arms kitted up. So go with your normal size with this bit of kit and you will be better off. That being said this is a well made, solid gambeson. It is really well made, comfortable and the leather is really nice, much nicer than I had expected out of it. I wouldn’t wade into a melee with this as my only protection but some elbow cops, gauntlets and a breastplate and I would be confident in free sparring in it for sure.
James –
Very nice, runs large It is very nice quality for the price. Padding is more than adequate and I was pleasantly surprised to find it is actually nice real leather. Be aware it seems to RUN LARGE. I measured my chest at 42-43″ which is between L and XL. I Decided to go with XL to be safe, but it was definitely too big. I returned it for a L (very hassle free!) and on the tightest buckle setting it was just about right.
Dan –
There is a reason this is the main gambeson photo on the site This is an excellent gambeson. Good padding, feels like you really have adequate protection from blows while wearing it. The fit is good and I’m a very big guy. The Gambeson also looks really cool; I would wear it without mail just as a period costume with tights and boots. If you want to buy a gambeson, this is your guy right here.
Sam –
Heavy Gambeson I bought one of these guys used a while back as my first gambeson and dear God…. This thing is a monster. It hasn’t shown a sign of wear and is padded to spare. The leather bleeds when you wash it but due to the dark fabric it matters not. They seem to run a bit large but they are built like tanks, look great and provide awesome protection. But they’re hot as F XD
John D. –
Real deal A very nice piece of work ! Fits to size . Thick and heavy, battle ready ! Not a costume article. I am a 42 chest and measure 46 ” in this, so be advised smallish mail won’t fit over it .
Jeff Webb –
Very good protection and comfort This jacket provides a great level of protection and comfort for the money. I use it frequently (Every week and sometimes multiple days a week) and I am very happy with it. It is a bit hard to clean and dry. That takes some time, but for the money, I’ve used this instead of spending several hundreds of dollars on a modern HEMA jacket and this jacket has been and continues to do a great service to me in sparring and tournament fighting as well as instructing my students. A darned good buy for the money.
Cole H. –
Surprised how cheap and effective it is With this piece, I say you’re getting more than what you pay for. Its thickly padded but isn’t bulky at all, which many gambesons this price are. Out of the box, there was no need to bend the joints in place and you can put armor over the gambeson with no issue at all. I do sparring and this gambeson is able to absorb most of the blow on its own.
Overall, great purchase.
BucketGuy (verified owner) –
Wonderfully crafted and nice look too. I really wish they made a medium because Large is slightly to big for a 5-11 21 year old.
Welshman –
Stylish, functional, and durable. Five stars. Goes great under mail and will take a hit. As others have said, it is also just an attractive piece of clothing. Mine’s not so nice now that it’s soaked in sweat and fluid film, but it would make great outerwear in cold weather (though no replacement for a snow coat due to the armpit holes that allow freedom of movement). GDFB is good quality but this is probably some of the best value they make.