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.
Mick J. –
Talhoffer Sparring Buckler this is a great buckler. covers alot of area and is also easy to move around.
i ended up heat bluing mine is it looks awesome
Jeremiah –
Attention to detail When I received this buckler I noticed that the handle was a bit loose. Upon further inspection I found that they hadn’t taken the time to clean out the holes they had drilled for the rivets. There were bits of metal trapped used the handle that wouldn’t allow it to sit tight against the buckler. Fortunately I was able to clean up the holes without having to remove the handle. After re-peening the rivets the handle now sits tight. Other than that this is a great buckler. The metal is thick enough to take a good deal of punishment without losing its integrity. It’s a fun buckler to spar with. I just wish GDFB would have paid more attention during the manufacturing process.
Vlad P. –
Weird handle, but good shape for rapier I bought this buckler at an SCA event while I was on my way to
Vlad P. –
Weird handle, but great shape for rapier. ***My first review got cut off so let me try again***
I’ve been using this buckler in SCA rapier fights, both in duels and melees. It has a great shape and perfect coverage for someone of my body type (5’10 and slim), but I’m not a fan of the handle. Having it bow out seems pointless and makes it harder to grip it well and keep it in place – a straight handle would have been better. The handle is also a lot heavier than it needs to be, which adds a lot of weight to the shield and makes it slower to maneuver around to catch a quick stab. But removing the handle and replacing it with something straighter and thinner should be an easy fix.
Willis –
Decent! Good overall quality. It’s fairly sturdy, and while it will deform from only the heaviest of blows, it’s easy to repair. It’s also easy to re-hammer the rivets if you somehow manage to get the handle loose, but this will withstand punishment from lighter sparring swords fairly well.
The handle is not too comfortable bare-handed, but who uses a buckler without a glove, which fixes the issue? All in all, a good buckler with a practical shape, weight, and size.
On a side note, the top and bottom points of the buckler are actually quite sharp and would deliver a nasty strike. Be careful!