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.
Joseph D. –
Now that’s a knife ! Absolutely love it !
Great large Bowie knife ! Construction is solid blade shaving Sharp and the sheath isn’t bad quality at all
Great service from kult of Athena and lightning fast shipping
The only thing I would say about this knife is the handle has a nice size belly in the middle for large hands but otherwise still very comfortable to use
Will be putting it through its paces I’m sure I won’t be let down
Devils edge makes a great product!
R –
very well done for a Paki blade this was a pleasant surprise. very sharp out of box, no gaps between guard and blade. goo balance for fighting, if you actually need it for that. good weight for chopping, but goof all around. beautiful work for a 59 dollar pakistan bowie. well done!
ƎB –
A Solid Reproduction that Does the Job If you are looking for an efficient, sleek bowie knife that is solid and holds a sharp edge and comes with a good sheath, this is absolutely worth the money. Given that the original design of this knife runs four times this price, this is a steal for anyone who wants a reliable bowie and doesn’t mind that it isn’t an original design.
For those who may not know, this is a Pakistan reproduction of an original design by the company “Down Under Knives,” with only minor changes. The knife that this is based on is called “The Outback.” I have never owned the original “Down Under” version of this bowie, but I have had this “Devil’s Edge” reproduction of it for several months now.
If you are seriously in love with the design of this blade — or you’re a collector — and you are willing to dish out cash for a higher-quality version of this knife, I would probably go for the original Down Under model. (The MSRP for this knife on their website http://www.DownUnderKnives.com is $250.)
The differences between the Devil’s Edge version and the Down Under Knives version are as follows;
[BLADE GEOMETRY]: The Devil’s Edge version of this knife seems to be straighter than it’s original counterpart. (Personally, I actually prefer this, as it helps me hold the spine of the blade when using the knife to remove bark from branches.)
The Down Under Knives version of this knife seems to get fatter from the guard to the center and tip of the blade. I’d imagine this is to improve its chopping ability, but the Devil’s Edge version is thick enough to also be an efficient chopper.
[STEEL] : This Devil’s Edge version uses 1095 High Carbon Steel for its blade. The 1095 steel holds a great edge and is very easy to sharpen, (when ordered with Kult of Athena’s sharpening service, it came razor sharp.) However, the properties of this type of steel give it a tendency to easily rust. If you buy this knife, I recommend also going to Kult of Athena’s “Sword Care & Maintenance” category and adding “Hanwei Sword Oil” to your cart and using it for your blade in the future. It is only $5. (The knife will arrive coated in pre-existing oil.)
The Down Under Knives version of this knife uses a forged, dual heat treated 440C stainless steel. The back of the blade retains some spring to it while the edge has been made hard enough to be very durable. This is probably a more ideal steel for a blade, as it will be much easier to maintain overall. It would likely hold an edge longer and be less susceptible to rust or corrosion.
[GRIP] : The brass guard and pommel of the Devil’s Edge version comes very polished and shiny. The leather washers are hardened with acrylic and the wood spacers are simply dyed black. I’m not sure what the wood or leather types are.
The Down Under Knives version of the knife has the same type of brass guard and pommel, except it is bead blasted. The leather washers don’t appear to be hardened with acrylic, and the wooden spacers are made of genuine ebony wood.
[SHEATH : The sheath that comes with this Devil’s Edge version does its job. It is solidly built and robust enough to endure a cold winter or a hot desert climate. The stitching seems to be solid, and it comes in a dark brown color, (as pictured.)
The Down Under Knives sheath is a genuine heavy leather sheath patterned to resemble crocodile skin. The sheath features an integral retaining boot for the included sharpening spike, and it comes in a matching, rich chocolate-brown color.
That’s about all I could tell. I’m not sure how the tang construction differs, but from what I can tell, this Devil’s Edge version is peened and is solid. I imagine the Down Under Knives version is also very durable and solid.
All-in-all, if you have the money and you are serious about your bowie knife, go for the Down Under version. If you are like me and just want a reliable, high-quality bowie that doesn’t cost as much as a longsword; go for this knife.
mr.cookies –
True to its purpose Alright – I’ll write a review you guys are actaally going to get slightly wiser from.
1. I got my blade this morning and it wsa well packaged.
2. The edge is sharpened but do not expect miracles from it. Paper is a meh cut. But don’t get me wrong, one slice and you re in the hospital.
3. The blade is close to absolutely perfect. Edge geometry is decent although could be a sharper angle. It comes at about 35-40 degrees which is more suitable for chopping rather than cutting.But you can sharpen that up a little if you want to a 25-30 degree angle. retaining the bowies chop potential but also making it better at cutting.
4. Honestly I received it this morning and I have been walking around happy all day long so, guess that kind of tells what this product is all about.
5. Handle looks amazing, brass is oxidizing resistant and the blackwood looks absolutely stunning. The rosewood ( i assume) is kind of soft but yeah cant expect a diamond for this money.
6. Handle has a fat belly but honestly as a european I quite like it with my fairly big hands it grips amazing.
7. handeling is truly absolutely great.
The balance is good, the cuts feel even and accurate. its not heavy in your hand – while a kukri of mine is a lot heavier in the hand with its more forwarded weight. the bowie definitely doesnt have this problem at all.
8. With 1095 HC steel there isnt much you can mess up really. You can potentially cut your car in pieces or maybe your bicycle, or maybe zombies. Hell man, you can chop up whatever you feel like. Feel the frontiersman’s friend, become the frontiersman’s friend in return. It will be more than a knife it’s your new love. Forget your wife/mother/girlfriend, this is your new burning love.
9. Hold it in your hand and you’re sold, I mean the knife overall isn’t perfect, but are you? Of course you are special snowflake. But the knife will love you regardless, so wh not return some love you selfish ***.
Because this blade will do a lot but it won’t let you down with it’s full tang design.
10. The blade is not too thick but it’s t h i c c enough.
11. If I would be boot down in the mud with this blade as my only friend versus a grizzly – so be it, I love a new rug.
12. Care for this friend and it will care for you.
Overall the perfect imperfect blade and I wouldn
t want it any other way. This ol’ chap won’t mess with ya. Srsly, one stab with this thing and it’s game over for your victim. But hey, it’s for your collection so why bother all this stuff in the first place?
Anyhow just clean it and then oil it to keep rust and such at bay, care for this chap!
11/10 would buy again.
mr.cookies –
Why this is the best large bowie knife 1) devil’s edge is Pakistani, but don’t worry. None of they products are flawed at KOA.
I have 2 devil’s edge baldes and both are good. Fit and finish are supre tight and do not loosen up. The steel seems to perform well, but I have no idea how it is heat treated if at all. I did not went that abusive yet.
2) Why this reproduction is BETTER than it’s expensive Original.
The Down under knives version seems to be the Original, but it is a mistake that that Original knife is better than this one.
The point is that it’s made from stainless steel, and as an engineer that says the following: it rusts, you just don’t know where and it will break randomly when it has been rusting for a while. 1095 C steel does not have that problem.
The handle on the Original is a mess. It’s a threaded pommel/tang construction and thin on the end, but the reproduction you can find here is a peened full tang and more durable.
This compared with the better steel choice makes this a better choice overall. Now the actual benefit for you: the price is 140 US dollars lower than the Original.
The Original is flawed to the bone and this bowie knife does not seem to have those issues at all. This friend can chop down a house if you will and it will just not let you down man. Just don’t do anything stupid like splitting rocks or throwing it into cars and such. It’s a knife not a miracle.
This would be the first time ever that I can fully back the following and not be affraid to lose my engineering degree:
DO NOT BUY THE ORIGINAL – BUY THIS ONE.
Have fun with your new knife and trust me – its a nice mate to hold in ya hand :)
Jeff –
Got mine a couple of days ago. It is a thing of beauty! I love everything about this knife, the large blade, the handle, everything! I was going to get the original “Down Under” knife, but after doing research I found the the tang is very small and prone to breaking. Won’t have that problem with this one, the tang is stout and will handle what ever you though at it. If you like large bowie style knives, don’t think about it, just get this, you won’t regret it.
Michael –
0 star if possible. Did not get the correct steel as advertised. Not actually 1095 steel. Just got an email from KOA stating that they did tests and found out this is actually 420 stainless. And that they are having issues with devils edge products and are updating them now. Not happy at all about that. Wouldn’t have even purchased a stainless steel blade.
David W –
Hi Michael – we understand completely. We hope you’ve see the update on the site detailing options we have given customers like you, as well as our new steel certification program.
Charles Jones (verified owner) –
All in all a solid knife. I got a blemished one but the only thing seems to be the front horn part of the handle has a slight squaring to one side on the underside of the grip. As i ordered a blemished one this is not a big deal. It is almost unnoticeable when holding or in light chopping. the fact is I really like the blade. It came moderately sharp and the peening seems solid. For the price a great value and if you love Crocodile Dundee this is a good stand-in for his bowie.