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.
Raiden –
A tough as nails sword, scabbard could be better The sword itself feels great in the hand, especially with the noticeable distal taper. The blade is fairly rigid but can flex if forced. The blade is monotempered 9260 spring steel and is about as tough as it gets for affordable swords unless you want to include S7 shock steel running you thousands of dollars. This leaves 1060, 1080, 95, 5160, etc. in the dust since it was expertly heat treated. The edge is tough as hell itself and the sword’s G10 handles are cool to the touch and provide excellent grip. Hard to describe it to those who haven’t held it but the handle is extremely comfortable. There are bolsters on the sides of the handle to lock into the scabbards recessed slots. Good thing too, because the scabbard rattles like nobody’s business. Still the retention feature is nice and the sword won’t come out without a good push so no worries on it sliding out. The finish does seem to come off (not so easily) but I’ve had it for about half a year now and there are 2 very small streaks (largely unnoticeable) after numerous episodes of sheathing and resheathing. Regardless, I kinda want to take the finish off and give it a satin finish just to get the look of the beautiful steel underneath the coating. I’ll go that route once more of the finish naturally rubs off using some good ol vinegar. The sword (I didn’t order it from KoA) came decently sharp (enough to cut paper without trouble) but definitely not razor sharp. For 144 bucks, you can’t go wrong and this sword is likely tougher than any you may already own.
Kyle Lombardi –
Just got it The sword was delivered in less than a week and it feels durable as hell, the scabbard doesnt rattle for me and its a tight fit, one of the bolts at the bottom of the handle sticks out but the rest are flush and I dont perceive it to be a problem. I wouldnt describe the edge as sharp, I will have to sharpen it by hand but this sword does seem like its worth the purchase
Matt Hewett –
This sword is a must have if you want something that’s no frills like a shirasaya, but with more durable fittings than a shirasaya. As previously noted in other reviews, this is a well balanced and lightweight sword, special thanks to Angus Trim’s design with the distal taper. The through-hardened 9260 blade is tough as nails, and at it’s price point would be an excellent choice if you’re just getting into collecting and practicing swords. It isn’t too beautiful that you’ll despair if the blade gets dinged or marred, because it wasn’t made to be pretty, and rather simply made to be FUNCTIONAL, and that’s exactly what it does.
The hilt panels look like they will be slippery or smooth but that is not the case, and definitely a good thing! The hilt components are made of some kind of ballistic plastic not too dissimilar to a Glock handgun. It’s got a kind of smooth texturing that’s hard to describe and just needs to be experienced. Just note that I had no problems wielding this out in the swampy, Texas bayou heat with sweaty hands while clearing out brush to make a good firing lane for target practice.
This sword is an easy 10/10.
Benjamin Agapas –
This sword is made of very reliable 9260 spring steel, which is a literal steal for how cheap this sword runs. My only gripe is that the black oxide coating isn’t the most durable and comes off pretty easily, especially of you draw it blade-up. The sword handles very well, and despite being labeled as having a thick blade, it is remarkably light, far lighter than the dōtanuki style blades that most durable katanas use, yet it’s high quality steel allows a thinner profile while still retaining durability.
Willie (verified owner) –
Sword is great. I’m an amateur treasure hunter and avid outdoors person and I use this thing a lot for cutting brush, small pines and snakes. I’m usually on my kayak and the durablity of this thing is unmatched. No rust, easy to sharpen, light weight and easy to strap and unstrap to your ruck. Solid buy for practical use.
NGPranzo (verified owner) –
I wanted to give this sword 5 stars so bad and maybe I should but here is my no bs review.
Good
1. sword is beautiful, feels great in the hand and handles well.
2. easy to maintain. I do a lot of bush cutting and this is a hiking/off roading tool for me
3. actually looks like a tool instead of a cos-play toy
Could be better:
1. little heavy
2. not very sharp – I got the sharpening service and still had to sharpen it a bit myself. The service is good, but they only did ~ a 6″ spot.
3. The tip chipped a bit, but this is probably my fault. I was battling a gnarly thorn bush.
Very good blade for the price. Get the sharpening service, but be prepared to sharpen it yourself as well. It’s not hard, just make sure you have a whetstone and a steady hand :)