Info Favorites Register Log in
myArmoury.com Discussion Forums

Forum index Memberlist Usergroups Spotlight Topics Search
Forum Index > Makers and Manufacturers Talk > Warriors Path Pattern Weld Introduction Reply to topic
This is a standard topic  
Author Message
Michael Pikula
Industry Professional



Location: Madison, WI
Joined: 07 Jun 2008

Posts: 411

Feedback score: None
PostPosted: Mon 12 Sep, 2016 7:48 am    Post subject: Warriors Path Pattern Weld Introduction         Reply with quote

Hope everyone is having a wonderful start to the week! I would like to take a moment to reintroduce myself and share the vision that I have been working on since the beginning of this year. If you have no interest in the back story please skip ahead to the next paragraph. In 2008 I finished building my shop and got to work making the best pieces I knew how, and that road lead me to desire nothing more that a steady job, with a steady income. Amazing as it may sound, I found it! I found a job were I was earning more than three what I had ever earned while working in my shop, and if I stayed there I would be making closer to four times. Yet every morning, I would pull up to work, gaze at the outside of the building while I sipped on my coffee, and I had to convince myself to go inside. It wasn't until I had what I thought I wanted, that I fully realized what I had and have given up. As much as I desired to get back to working in the shop, I needed more direction and focus, I had to have a plan, something that could grow beyond just me, and something that would allow me to do what I love in a way that will support me while making my work affordable for those who would take interest to add it to their collection. I started listening to personal development material from across any and all era, trying to find how ordinary individuals created empires. This was the seed that was nurtured into what I envision Warrior's Path Pattern Weld can become.

Warrior's Path Pattern Weld is the latest vision by Michael Pikula to create a company that specializes in high-end, pattern welded pieces that are 100% handmade, and approached from a production mindset. Our goal is to bring you the finest pattern welded, each piece being laminated, assembled, forge welded, and forged to shape by using open die processes and human hands to control each step. If you are interested in pattern welded viking swords, you may want to pay attention.

Our vision is still growing and is in its infancy right now. A lot of work is done, but there is much more that has yet to take place. Over the next several months, pieces will be released that are the results for proofing concepts, tooling development, and expanding to facilitate a large scale of "production" starting out as a one man shop. These pieces are quality work in every sense of the word, and are offered at a very affordable price point. This is fueled by my main drive to continue to develop the shop and equipment, and not based on the value of the work. As pieces are sold, improvements can be made and materials purchased for the run, or batch of blades.

After this run, one additional run will be needed to establish a line of pattern welded viking swords with either multiple continuously twisted, or interrupted twists, and pattern welded inlay. In addition there are ongoing effort to offer hilts that carry inlay and overlay. For the first time ever, this type of work is going to be offered on a scale and price point that has never been offered before, ever. We also hope that the third run, we will have networked with a quality scabbard maker and offer scabbards for purchase as well.

To backup my lofty claims I have 10 pattern welded viking swords that are heat treated. All have a high layer random edge, and cores that are or continuously twisted bars ranging from two to six in count. I have a hilt set that I have been doing a more intricate form of inlay on, learning the process and developing tooling and technique. This week I will be working to finish inlay on one hilt set, and I take pictures of my progress almost daily. If you have access to Facebook, I can be followed at:https://www.facebook.com/warriorspathpatternweld/
I can also be followed on Instagram as: warriors_path_patternweld
Lastly, I also have a website that has a stream of the images that were taken, as well as pieces that I have for sale. The site can be found at www.warriorspathpatternweld.com

I look forward to sharing my work with the community once again.
Michael
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Tim Lison




Location: Chicago, Illinois
Joined: 05 Aug 2004
Likes: 1 page
Reading list: 6 books

Spotlight topics: 1
Posts: 1,606

Feedback score: 100%
(11 total ▮ 100% positive)
PostPosted: Mon 12 Sep, 2016 9:53 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Great to have you back Michael!!! I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
View user's profile Send private message
Mark Moore




Location: East backwoods-assed Texas
Joined: 01 Oct 2003
Likes: 6 pages
Reading list: 1 book

Posts: 2,294

Feedback score: None
PostPosted: Mon 12 Sep, 2016 2:02 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Hey, Michael.........I wish you the best of luck on this endeavor. I know in my heart of hearts that you WILL ALSO MAKE AXES AND SPEARHEADS. ........Sorry, I wasn't yelling at you,.....I was using The Force.....Old Jedi mind trick. Laughing Out Loud Looking forward to seeing all the goodies!! Once again, best of luck!................McM
''Life is like a box of chocolates...'' --- F. Gump
View user's profile Send private message
Carl W.




Location: usa
Joined: 07 Aug 2008

Posts: 182

Feedback score: None
PostPosted: Mon 12 Sep, 2016 8:09 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Glad you kept your tools. Best of luck!
View user's profile Send private message
Craig Peters




PostPosted: Tue 13 Sep, 2016 3:13 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Good to see you back, Michael. Will you be offering any non-pattern welded work?
View user's profile Send private message
Michael Pikula
Industry Professional



Location: Madison, WI
Joined: 07 Jun 2008

Posts: 411

Feedback score: None
PostPosted: Tue 13 Sep, 2016 10:49 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Hi Mark, I wasn't thinking about making axes since there are already several really good makers that provide an excellent axe. But I could see pattern welded spears with inlay on the socket. Of course right now finishing off the first run and making improvements will be top priority. If things go well, no reason this couldn't happen.

Hi Craig, I don't plan on making blades without pattern welding at this time. However my fondness with the XIII may lead to a run of single steel XIII, but my main focus will be viking era pattern weld. As success allows for further pattern development I hope work with earlier patterns, including some of the roman mosaic patterns, as well as doing a large scale smelt and doing a batch of swords from smelted steel.

I also will be selling unmounted blades, as well as fittings for anyone who will be interested.
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Kai Lawson





Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Likes: 7 pages

Posts: 589

Feedback score: 100%
(1 total ▮ 100% positive)
PostPosted: Wed 14 Sep, 2016 9:29 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

You know how I feel about those roman blades...Make 'em!!
"And they crossed swords."
--William Goldman, alias S. Morgenstern
View user's profile Send private message
Jean Thibodeau




PostPosted: Wed 14 Sep, 2016 5:58 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Michael Pikula wrote:
Hi Mark, I wasn't thinking about making axes since there are already several really good makers that provide an excellent axe. But I could see pattern welded spears with inlay on the socket. Of course right now finishing off the first run and making improvements will be top priority. If things go well, no reason this couldn't happen.

Hi Craig, I don't plan on making blades without pattern welding at this time. However my fondness with the XIII may lead to a run of single steel XIII, but my main focus will be viking era pattern weld. As success allows for further pattern development I hope work with earlier patterns, including some of the roman mosaic patterns, as well as doing a large scale smelt and doing a batch of swords from smelted steel.

I also will be selling unmounted blades, as well as fittings for anyone who will be interested.



Well even if there are many good axe makers one could say that there are many good sword makers: So it's not a reason why you can't add axes to what you intend to make ..... Wink Big Grin Cool

Oh, and I can consider that I'm one of the owners of the soon to be rare " Non-Pattern Welded " weapons made by Michael Pikula.

I'm really glad that you are coming back to your sword making, and other things, because you are a great talent and I felt very sad that you had been forced by economic issues to look for better paying work: But then again as long as you are not starving getting up each morning looking forward to your day is a lot better than being at work looking at your watch every 5 minutes hoping for the day's work to be over.

If you can keep the price point low but the quality high, and can manage to make a decent living because of volume it would be a plus for you and for the buyers.

Your work has always been excellent as far as using weapons is concerned but they where also very much art pieces at the same time in my opinion.

One suggestion is to avoid the pitfalls of certain " Unnamed Maker(s) " who get into trouble by not being able to finish custom work close to the estimated time .... or never delivered when they couldn't function as good business people even if they had great talent in making stuff ! Selling and offering for sale what you have already made and in stock avoids all those issues.

By the way, I never had any of those problems with you in the past with any of my custom orders, and the whole experience was a positive one.

You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
View user's profile Send private message
Mark Griffin




Location: The Welsh Marches, in the hills above Newtown, Powys.
Joined: 28 Dec 2006

Posts: 802

Feedback score: None
PostPosted: Thu 15 Sep, 2016 9:53 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

'Ferrous canvas'..

Like it!

Currently working on projects ranging from Elizabethan pageants to a WW1 Tank, Victorian fairgrounds 1066 events and more. Oh and we joust loads!.. We run over 250 events for English Heritage each year plus many others for Historic Royal Palaces, Historic Scotland, the National Trust and more. If you live in the UK and are interested in working for us just drop us a line with a cv.
View user's profile Send private message
J. Nicolaysen




Location: Wyoming
Joined: 03 Feb 2014
Likes: 32 pages

Posts: 795

Feedback score: 100%
(1 total ▮ 100% positive)
PostPosted: Thu 15 Sep, 2016 4:42 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Welcome back Michael! I have ended up with one of your creations third-hand and really like it. When I joined myArmoury, it was when you were starting to wind down, so I was somewhat depressed I might not ever find another of your creations. Very glad to see you working again!
View user's profile Send private message


Display posts from previous:   
Forum Index > Makers and Manufacturers Talk > Warriors Path Pattern Weld Introduction
Page 1 of 1 Reply to topic
All times are GMT - 8 Hours

View previous topic :: View next topic
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum






All contents © Copyright 2003-2024 myArmoury.com — All rights reserved
Discussion forums powered by phpBB © The phpBB Group
Switch to the Basic Low-bandwidth Version of the forum