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.
I ordered and received a Stamford with a dark brown grip from Albion back in 2007. I may have one of the first examples of this model ever made. As far as aesthetics, it’s an understated, elegant sword of harmonious proportions. There are some very tiny pits in the cross and pommel, but barely noticeable, just enough to remind me it’s a handcrafted work of functional art. Part of what attracted me to this particular model is that it pretty much represents the intersection of the Viking Age and the Medieval Era. It can be used as part of a Viking kit, and wouldn’t even be too much of a stretch to use as part of a sergeant\man-at-arms of the First Crusades persona (a Knight would have been able to afford a newer sword with a proper Cruciform hilt).
My one caveat is that it took me a while to figure out how to grip this sword comfortably with my larger-than-average hands, but the pommel is a bit flatter than it appears in the photos, and, after doing some research, found out that the pommel is actually *supposed* to seat itself in the bottom corner of my palm. Once I figured that out, the result was a very secure and reasonably-comfortable grip!
While not the largest sword in terms of dimensions, it moves with a reasonable compromise between agility and authority in the swing. It likes to move in both broad, sweeping blows, as well as quick slashes with precise wrist movements.
If this sword represents the era you’re interested in, and you’re willing to spend some time to learn its’ intricacies, you should absolutely buy this sword!