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.
Matt Melendez –
Positive Review. I bought this sword as a prctice sword for light cutting and edge alignment. I had heard these swords were well built and performed better than the Musashi swords i usually used for practice. I must say i am impressed with this blade and its cutting performance. Ive been doing light and medium light cutting with it for two weeks now and its held up quite nicely. At first i though it was going to be another junk sword but it was kinda nice to see its good quality for the price. I will admit its a far cry from my citadel ocean katana but its still beautiful and its def a keeper that ive made a space for in my collection. Not the sharpest sword but its pretty sharp and retains edge well enough. I would recommend it to any beginner. I would recommend the dojo peo model for more experienced swordsman as i just got mine and it works quite well. Def a good sword and ive just ordered another version (color) for my collection.
Robert –
Excellent value. Just as advertised. Bought this as a “beater” to practice drawing and light cutting. At this price I figured I would wear it out and move on to a better katana after getting better at cutting. I’ve since purchased a few other katana swords and this is still one of my favorites. It’s well balanced for practicing form and can cut light targets with ease. I also thought the green ito and sageo were a nice touch to separate this sword from the rest at this price point.
Pros:
-Ito is super tight and sword feels solid overall
-Hard to find a color scheme that isn’t black at this price
-Blade has real hamon. Another rarity at this price
-Saya fit is just right even after a few hundred draws. Some of my 400 dollar swords are too loose or too tight
Cons:
– Tsuba (hand guard) was slightly loose. I wound some floss between it and the seppa and it fixed it right up. Wasn’t a big deal to me.
– Fuchi is also a little loose. I don’t worry about it much.
Overall the sword is excellent for the price. I give it 5 stars for the price. If it were $250 I would give it a 4. It is functional and also looks nice when displayed which is unlike other swords at this price.
If you’re looking for a heavy duty cutting workhorse with slightly better fittings and attention to detail, you may opt for the dojo pro from Ronin. However, you can get two of these for that price AND have some money left over for some pool noodles or tatami.
Alex Wilcox (verified owner) –
This katana came surprisingly fast after kult of athena received their order, they had quoted me a couple weeks and it ended up getting to my house in 3 days. The katana is beyond beautiful and the quality is amazing. Everything about this katana shows care and appreciation for the customer and the product.
Provolone (verified owner) –
This sword was well worth its cost. I originally got this sword because I wanted one for my collection, I usually like European style weapons better but after handling it, I can see why the katana was and still is popular. the sword itself is beautiful, it cuts easily and takes a good amount of abuse with the targets I cut with it. If I had to nitpick, I’d say I wish the scabbard was a bit better and cleaner, but even then, at this price it’s well worth it.