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.
Joe D. –
Loose in the scabbard Overall a good tanto for the money. However is fists loose in the scabbard. It just falls right out with no resistance when grip is tilted downward. Tried to swell the opening to the scabbard with water, but it is waxed very well and repels the water. I only use it as a radical letter. Will keep working on it. Any suggestions from the maker?
Dan M. –
Great *Price dependent* I received this tanto today and have handled it for only a couple hours so far. The short of it; For $65 it is a tremendous value, for $125 I’m not sure.
Pros;
-The wrap is well done and tight enough
-Real ray skin
-All of the fittings are very tight with no wiggle
-For the price the machining of the blade is well above expectation
-Good gloss finish on the Saya
-The Saya retains the blade well enough that it’s hard to shake the tanto out, but not too tightly as to be hard to unsheathe.
Cons;
-Mine is FAR from “Very sharp”, it has an edge, It’s not a butter knife, but I can pull the edge across my palm with a bit of force with no worry of cutting my self. If this edge were on a kitchen knife, the average consumer would consider it “dull”. I’m good at sharpening, but maybe worth noting for others.
-A lot of rattle in the saya.
-The fuller on one side is slightly off, only enough to notice if one is looking for it, and at this price point is hardly worth noting.
-Not impressive shoe lace on the saya and a cheap bag, but at this price point, I’m nitpicking
Over all I really do like this tanto. Structurally it is sound, has a good shape, steel, and feel, which I care more about than the aesthetics and factory edge. Not to say the aesthetics are bad, the theme is sort of vague, but subtle enough to not be confusing or ostentatious. I can’t think of any other tanto (‘traditional’ that is) for less than a hundred I would recommend.
Simon De Greiff –
Very good tanto for the price. Personally, I would mostly recommend getting this when it’s on sale, but if you don’t wanna wait, then by all means go ahead and get it. I had no issues with this. The fittings were tight, including the koiguchi (scabbard’s mouth). The steel was solid, quality steel, so much that I had a hard time sharpening it! I will mention, that you will most likely not get this razor-sharp, it will be decently sharp, but not super. But that isn’t a big issue, as this weapon is mostly for stabbing, not slashing, and the tip on this blade, is absolutely needle-sharp, handle with caution. Another small issue, mostly a personal issue, is that the first time I tried to remove the fittings, I had a hard time making it budge, as I soon discovered that a bit of glue had been applied on the inside of the tsuka. Again, this isn’t a major issue, many sword manufacturers do this, but I personally am not a fan of this. Anyways, really good and affordable tanto, a MUST get when it’s on sale.
alientude –
A good tanto at the frequent discounted price of $65, but probably not quite worth it at the full $125. The blade is quite sharp and cuts very well, and it’s fun to use. The tsuka on mine is cracked on both the top and bottom, and the ito is looser than I would like. The saya fit is a little tight at the habaki, but loose elsewhere, producing quite a bit of rattle.
More detailed review: https://youtu.be/T0rn5yamCAA