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.
Mark M. –
A great starter helm…. I’ve been wanting a nasal helm for a while now, and decided on this one for two reasons—price, and looks. For less than $50 (not counting shipping) you can’t go wrong with this one. It has a very commanding presence, especially when worn with a maille coif. It can be used for anything from Viking to Crusader. It arrived very well packaged without the smallest scratch or dent and covered in a coat of oil. The steel, in shade, almost looks mildly antiqued but it is not. I like the fact that it is unlined, 1: Because I have a fairly large head and 2: I’m looking forward to putting my own liner in…probably rabbit fur. My only wish is that they would have put a chin strap on it. But….that’s no biggy. The internal blackening almost resembles fiberglass, and is quite thick and well done. KOA could charge almost double for this helm, but they don’t. If you’re on a budget, and want a good quality helm for the price of a nice dinner—-you will NOT go wrong with this one!…………McM
McM –
An addendum to my first review… I’ve had this helm for most of a year now, and I still love it! Since purchasing, I have installed the liner of another helm that I had to remove to make the size bigger. Also, with this liner, I installed two leather ‘dog-ear’ cheek flaps with a leather chin cord…works like a charm. The helm is still rust-free and looks just as good as new. If you are crafty with your hands, with a little effort–this can go from a metal bucket to a fully functional helm in less than a weekend. Or…just get an arming cap to wear underneath, ’cause it is BIG! My head is 23-1/2” at eyebrow level, and it came below my eyes right out of the box. No more though, and I can still wear my mail coif under it! Excellent project helm that will last a lifetime. I may get a second one and experiment with painting it, as was done in historic times. A must-have for the Dark Ages/Early Medieval enthusiasts!…..McM
Tomas M. –
This is a great helmet Very sturdy and accurate. Looks great and is affordable. Has no liner so keep that in mind.