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.
Jarrett G. –
Not sure This is my first katana purchase so I’m not sure what to expect as far as quality for the price. I can say that, other than a loose fuchi and minor flaws on saya, the blade is straight and everything else is tight. The saya is actually a dark burgundy with black specs smooth lacquered rather than flat. I actually like the darker color but picture is quite different. Even shinning my 1000 lumen flashlight on it doesn’t make it look as red as in pics.
Joseph –
No cheap, wall hanging decoration. Very well made, sharp, precise and stout. Ready for any eventuality that would require the service of such a tool.
Jason Dancer (verified owner) –
This is a very nice blade for the price. This is my second Katana from Ronin. There are some relatively minor fit and finish issues, but that is to be expected with swords in this price range. Overall I am very happy with the purchase. The blade is straight, sharp and cuts well. The fittings are tight, no rattling, everything seems nice and solid. The biggest issue I have found is the pins that fix the tsuka to the tang have not been ground flush and stick out quite a way. I did not feel any discomfort when weilding and cutting with it, but if the ito wrap were to move it could become an issue. With all that being said, I believe Ronin Katana is a pretty solid contender at this price point.