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.
JP –
Good Tanto For The Money Purchased this tanto direct from Ronin during March 2018. Blade is well executed if somewhat uninspiring. Blade is not as substantial as my Hanwei Tori tanto, but is still stout enough to get the job done. Biggest downside is the thickness of the tsuka (grip). It is so overly thick that it inhibits control of the point during thrusts, especially when using a reverse grip. I reshaped and re-wrapped mine and now it is much better. Would make an excellent backup weapon especially if fighting in armor. Another thing of note is the bat themed fittings, which are actually more common on traditional Japanese swords than one would think, and symbolize good fortune. Overall not a bad package for under $70.
Joe D. –
Habaki does not fit the Saya The Habaki is either too thin or the opening of the Saya is too wide. There is no resistance to hold the Tanto in the Saya at all. I ordered a replacement Habaki, but it was too large – it was made to fit a Katana. Anyway, if I had been able to order the correct size, I would not have been able to replace it because the Tsuka will not come off, and I did pull out the the Mekugi first. I will try another method to get it off. I may also try to get the heavy layer of wax off the opening of the Saya so I can glue a thin hardwood veneer to the opening and sand it to fit. Otherwise the Tanto is OK. I guess you get what you pay for. I just use it as a letter opener anyway.