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.
Henrik Bjoern Boegh –
This is a very nicely made and very lively sword. The only drawbacks I have found really is the type of leather and thread used. It balances nicely and has a very sturdy construction.
gpete79935 (verified owner) –
I tried to pick up one of these before the prior manufacter models sold out. I love my Balaur Arms Teutonic Sword. I jumped on it when the new ones came in before I realized they were now being made by Windlass.
I will have to say I am pleasantly surprised. The quality is excellent in both the workmanship on the blade and scabbard. I do not think the balance is quite the same as the earlier models but very close. It does not have the wrist breaker balance of the typical Windlass sword (I have sold all but 3 of their best most widely acclaimed models because of this).
An excellent effort and worth the price. For the price it compares favorably with an Albion. Only disappointing change is the guard is now straight instead of slightly curved.
Aidan (verified owner) –
I am extremely satisfied with this sword. I wanted to buy the previous model of this sword before they switched manufacturers, so I was a little nervous to receive the new model. But now after receiving it I can safely say that this is still worth it. The leather on the grip is pretty nice and I like the cord texture that they put on it. The blade polish, geometry and shape are all top notch and finished extremely well. The peen is also surprisingly well done for the price range. The thing that I am most thrilled about it the fit of the scabbard. The scabbard fits PERFECTLY to the blade, its not too tight or loose and best of all there is no rattle. I also paid for the sharpening service from KOA and they did a very nice job. It cuts paper out of the box and the secondary bevel isn’t too noticeable. This sword is really well balanced and light which makes it feel very nimble in the hand. Recovery isn’t an issue when cutting like other swords in this price range. Overall, if you’re thinking about buying this sword I would 100% recommend it. Easily one of the best budget swords I’ve had!
kawayama (verified owner) –
A very lively, well balanced and light blade.
Welshman (verified owner) –
Brings me no pleasure to report it, but the quality has noticeably gone down, despite the price going up. I own an unsharpened version of the previous model, and bought a sharpened one of this one. Some changes of note examining them side-by-side:
– The crossguard is no longer curved forward, it is now straight. This is a minor difference, you may even prefer it, but it’s curious. Why the change? Is the new manufacturer not capable of making that kind of crossguard?
– The new sword feels noticeably lighter and seems to have a slightly thinner blade, even accounting for the sharpening. Hopefully this doesn’t mean that the blade is weaker, it may just be because it’s made of stronger steel. If you prefer a lighter sword this may be a positive for you.
– The maker’s mark is smaller and not nearly as legible as the old sword. Poor workmanship.
– The blades themselves are of identical length, but the scabbard on the new sword is longer. Slightly inconvenient.
– The scabbard on the new one came damaged out of the box. Disappointing.
– The sharpening is uneven near the crossguard, which is a minor issue but still a noticeable cosmetic one.
– The stamped faux-leather grip looks kind of smudged compared to the old one. It doesn’t look as crisp, if that makes sense; more sloppily made. It looks kind of like they stamped the fake cord texture sloppily across the whole thing rather than just cleanly on the middle section like on the old one.
– The pommel is not as cleanly peened on the new sword as it is on the old one. Again, poor workmanship.
My verdict: The new sword, while still a fine sword, looks and feels like a cheap knockoff of the original. An imitation handbag, except you’re paying more for it than the brand name. Definitely not worth the switch just for the bragging rights of being exactly 5100 grade steel or whatever it was; Devil’s Edge was a decidedly better manufacturer than this one.
Bottom line, this is still a good sword for the price point, but the switch to the new manufacturer was purely negative for everyone but the three people who complained about the steel composition. A textbook case of pandering to a vocal minority. I totally understand KoA being upset with Devil’s Edge for lying to them about the metal they used… but this sword does not live up to the standard they set in every other department. I’m not a sword nerd, so I can’t speak to the finer details, but even I can see this is a subpar reproduction. I hope KoA can improve upon it, because the old Balaur Arms arming sword was a shining gem!