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.
Terry R. –
Light & lively This Viking-style sword is one of the lightest swords I’ve owned, a fact I appreciate the older I become. It’s a lively-handling sword, well-balanced, and cutting the usual bottles and foam is quite easy. I sharpened it myself with an Accu-sharp tool, and it was not difficult at all to give it a sharp edge. I am very impressed with the quality of steel used. I actually used it to trim a Mulberry tree, and it sliced through rather thick limbs quite handily. There was no damage to the blade even after this admitted abuse. This is also a very attractive weapon, with a subtly elegant design. I especially like the suede handle – although I realize others will not like it – I find it makes for a good, firm grip. The scabbard is much better than the usual Windlass offering; it is a wood core well-wrapped in suede (matching the grip) with steel accents with steel tabs to secure it to a belt or harness. The sword fits somewhat loosely, but not overly so, making it easy to draw quickly. I believe you could dye this suede another color if you wanted. In all, this is one of the better swords I’ve owned, and it is one I doubt I’ll ever part with. I highly recommend the Sticklestad Viking sword.
Stephen P. –
Nice Received today and was pretty much what I was expecting. Its sturdy but still light, simple but nice looking sword. There was some very light rust on the pommel that should come off fine with polishing. Delivered 6 days after ordering and I opted for sharpening so quite happy with shipping time.
no96 (verified owner) –
This isn’t my first Windlass sword but it’s probably the best I’ve gotten yet, especially when you factor in the scabbard. The blade itself is nice- fairly accurate, well-balanced for the type of sword, and light. No major issues at all with the blade, only thing I can spot besides some hammer marks (which for me are a plus) is a SLIGHT (very slight) asymmetricality to the tip. The handle itself is gorgeous and comfortable- a LITTLE on the narrow side, though that’s fairly accurate, and some of the copper on the crossguard was a little rusted, but not very much and just enough that I find it to add character rather than to be a drawback. And while yes, the handle is a tad narrow, this sword is COMFORTABLE to hold onto, and like I said, weighted beautifully. I could swing it around for hours on end without any discomfort. The best thing, though, is the scabbard. This is a beautifully crafted scabbard that has some real design to it- it’s not just your typical leather-covered wood with a chape and throat, possible a strap or two to connect to a belt. It’s fairly in-line with what scabbards of the day were like, to my knowledge- absolutely LOVE the four belt clips on it for hooking up to a Roman-style baldric. I was hesitant at first because I tend to prefer 8th-9th century Viking swords, but I 100% do not regret this purchase at all and have a feeling this will stay in my collection for a long time.