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.
Dave Kelly –
New model. Better steel. Better Taper! USI new, improved model. What they’ve done in the last year or so is very encouraging as they have upgraded to harder steel and are making an effort to provide valid distal taper factors for improved handling. The only thing wrong with this saber is the marketing. It’s obviously an M1860, not an 1840. The marks on the ricasso state “US ADK 1862” make this an 1860LC. The M1840 ceased production in 1858.
As with all India production of this saber, the grips are also all wrong. The grip on the 1860 is cantelivered; the 1840 is straight. Not with standing the straight grip on this saber, the stats are all 1860. :)
JaredP –
Decent Sword I purchased this word because of a recent interest in sabers. Previously I was a fan of medieval long swords but I digress. This sword looks very nice and will look fantastic on a display. The wire wrap on the handle hurts my hand. It is not recessed into the grip as it should be. You will need to wear gloves if you plan to practice with it. I am no expert with sabers but I feel that this sword is on the heavy side for a one handed sword. I have two handed medieval swords that weigh less. Maybe it is part of the cavalry design since you wont be dueling with the sword rather delivering cuts while on horse back. To me this sword feels cumbersome. I am still glad I purchased it because it really is a beautiful piece. I will also say the construction is very good. Everything is tight as it should and the sword fits in the sheath fantastically. One further detail, The word in the picture has a very sharp point while mine was much more rounded. Not a big deal though.
SmallieAngler (verified owner) –
I’d like to begin this review by saying a few positive things about this sword and Kult of Athena. The sword was shipped in good time and securely wrapped. On first glance everything looked very good. Even my wife commented on how beautiful it is. The scabbard was nice, the blade was shiny, the hilt appeared to be nicely cast, the distal taper was acceptable, and the pommel peen was nicer than I’ve come to expect on swords in this price range. Even the wire wrapping on the grip seemed sturdy and evenly applied. The problems began when I grasped the handle as though to cut with the sword. Though the handle is long enough for my average sized hand I found the knuckle on my index finger pinched by the forward part of the hilt. I tried adjusting my hand on the grip, but nothing helped with the discomfort. I’ve held other sabers in the past, but none have felt this uncomfortable. I looked it over carefully to see what might be causing the problem. After looking at the photos of this and every other Civil War saber in your catalog it seems that the brass hilt on my sword is swept back more than on any other saber, as though it was stood on the pommel and the bow drooped like soft candle wax. In comparison to all the sabers in all the pictures the front of the hilt should have been more square to the root of the blade. All of this would have been acceptable if I only purchased this sword for display. I paid extra for the sharpening service with the intent that I might do some casual cutting with it (the sword edge was pleasingly sharp). Consequently, this is the most disappointing sword purchase I’ve ever made.