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.
Both stylish and functional This large buckler shield looks and feels like it could actually stand up to a moderate amount of abuse on a medieval battlefield and/or a duel. (Although I certainly wouldn’t want to actually put that theory to the test!) It is a stout piece of defensive steel that’s as easy to wield as it would be to mount on top of a bookcase or on a wall. The only thing that keeps this product from being “battle ready” is the handle, which is a lightweight piece of tubular steel, not unlike something you’d find attached to a wooden fence. Although it hasn’t broken off yet after repeated practice strikes and bashing motions, and finding someone who can attach a heavier forged handle shouldn’t be too difficult if you’re willing to pay for it.
All and all, I’ve been very pleased with this purchase. Keep in mind that it would probably be a good idea to regularly apply a thin coat of sword or gun oil to the exposed metal of the shield, in order to prevent rust. Also, if you’re planning to wear a piece like this as part of a costume, I would recommend using the 12 or 9 inch variants, instead. As this one is a little large to comfortably carry at the hip or waist. The leather facing may also be painted with your own decorative designs.
Hard on swords, easy on the eyes This buckler is indeed heavy duty, being made out of thick 14 gauge steel. The boss is affixed with heavy duty mushroom head rivets that can really take a beating. It is covered in very tasteful brown leather. For $55? UNBEATABLE. Beautiful buckler, I am suitably impressed
Well, it’s a full metal buckler. Not too much to say, but it’s very durable, the handle is a nice shape, and there wasn’t much wrong with it. The only thing is that it’s quite heavy, but it’s to be expected from a full metal buckler of this size.