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.
no96 (verified owner) –
The sword itself is really nice. The blade is SLIGHTLY off-canter and there’s one or two tiny spottings of rust on the fittings as well as some very slight discoloration at the bottom of the grip, but no real complaints there for the price point, it’s a fantastic blade. All of the aforementioned flaws are ones you really have to look for.
It’s one of the more authentic designs I’ve seen at for this price. I especially like how the pommel is riveted onto the rear guard- it’s a nice touch you won’t see in most blades. The blade is a great size, the grip is a great size. Yes, it’s a tad front-heavy, but no more than you’d expect for a Viking sword and it’s still a perfectly manageable weight and balance. One thing that’s a plus for me but some others may like is it comes with rounded edges, so getting it sharpened still won’t result in the best edge. As a cosplayer/LARPer/re-enactor, having those rounded edges is great. For someone looking to do some actual cutting, might not be such a plus.
Now, where the ACTUAL downside is for me is the scabbard. It looks great, seems mostly well-built, and the chape and risers are sturdily attached with no gaps or looseness or anything. Where the real drawback for me in on the inside of the scabbard- first off. There’s no lining, so the sword is directly against the wood core. In addition to that, there’s at least 3 places the wood has chipped (that I can see from the top, there may be more further down).
The BIGGEST problem with the scabbard, though, is it’s an INCREDIBLY loose fit. No friction at all. If it bounces or leans forward in the slightest the sword comes right out. I need to be very carefully carrying it around in the scabbard that it doesn’t get jostled at all and that I’m carrying it basically straight up and down so the sword doesn’t come flopping right out.
So if you’re looking for something that looks nice, maybe take some photos with, feels relatively good to swing around some, and is cool, this is definitely a great option for you, ESPECIALLY for $299.95. You’re looking for a sword to do some serious cutting/testing with? Probably not.
Spanner (verified owner) –
I’m very happy with this sword, the quality seems top notch at this price point. I was able to put a very nice edge on it, but it does ship quite dull, and my scabbard fit better than the above reviewer. I highly recommend this one!