Over seven years ago, two J. R. R. Tolkien obsessed 14-year-olds decided to try their hand at a new craft. Using their mothers' ovens and resources they found on one of their parents' farms, Andrew Davis and David DelaGardelle made their first sword.
"We don't know how we even started," DelaGardelle, a former Ball State student, said. "It's always been the kind of thing where we knew we were creative and we wanted to find an outlet."
Friends since age six, DelaGardelle and Davis, a senior metals art major, said they had always been fascinated by the works of C.S. Lewis and Tolkien.
"You could say we were a little bit brainwashed by it, but I think in a good way," DelaGardelle said.
These stories inspired not only their craft, but also the design of their workshop.
Within Davis' parents' barn in New Castle, the workshop's aesthetic reflects the writings of Tolkien. Paper burned at the edges, to give it an ancient look, is nailed to the wall over a workbench. On the large back wall is a black spray-painted mural of a mountain scene with a sword on an anvil in the center.
Swords, some finished and some still being touched up, lie on a table with carved stools on either side. A cool breeze wafts through the open barn door, but during the winter, Davis and DelaGardelle say it stays warm from the forges. Although it contains a few modern tools such as a propane forge, the shop still carries a very rustic appeal with a old, wood-burning forge off to the left and plywood-covered walls spray painted to give them an older look.
One symbol found repeatedly throughout their shop is the word "MAD" written in Tolkien's English Rune language. This represents the name of their shop, Mad Dwarf Workshop, and it can also be found as their signature on each piece they create.
What began as a childhood hobby has now grown into a full-fledged career for Davis and DelaGardelle. Because their shop is based 100 percent online, they are able to communicate with people who are interested in their swords from all over the world. They have received orders from people as far away as Finland and the Netherlands. There is also a great range in the type of people who ask for their work. They get commissions from history buffs wanting an authentic looking historical sword as well as those who grew up obsessed with Tolkien and want something reflecting the fantastical worlds he created.
Due to the amount of time that it takes to make each sword, the prices vary greatly. A simple design can cost around $700 while a more elaborate custom piece can cost up to $10,000.
Since its official start in 2004, their reputation has grown. Due to a large commission from a major movie coming out next year, Davis and DelaGardelle had to choose between school and the shop. DelaGardelle decided to focus more time on the shop, which allowed Davis to still attend Ball State classes.
Ever since his freshman year, Davis has been scheduling his classes to allow him enough time in the shop. This means he has to schedule a lot of early morning classes, he said.
"I just value the time out here so much that I'm willing to get up at 8 a.m. so I can get out here the rest of the day," Davis said.
Working in the shop allows him a few hours to escape from the modern world, he said.
"For me in a world of paper and pencil and computers, it's nice to just get out in a workshop and use my hands and craft something, something that is tangible and that I can control," Davis said. "It's fun getting into the elements of the earth, like wood and metal and fire. It's a good combination."
Because Davis and DelaGardelle are very different in the way they work, they create a good balance for the shop.
"We both push each other artistically," Davis said. "We sort of feed off each other's energy."
DelaGardelle said that he is more on the artistic side and enjoys sketching, while Davis is more hands-on. He has made many of the machines they use in the shop, such as a grinder used to polish the blades.
"We push each other," DelaGardelle said. "We're kind of like a perpetual motion machine. If he's slacking off or I'm slacking off we'll get on each others case and say ‘do the research' or ‘get out there and try something new.'"
By encouraging each other, the two are able to accomplish things that many other bladesmiths are not. For example, they are sometimes commissioned to create a sword without using any modern methods or machinery. Swords made by this manner can sometimes take up to a year to create, so they have only sold about 30 swords and knives since their start.
"You can really tell the difference when people compare our swords and modern reproductions," Davis said. "You can really see the difference in care that was taken into ours. Even though they might look really similar, there's just something about the hand crafted sword that a collector can really tell that it's a lot more quality piece."
Davis and DelaGardelle never became apprentices to a more experienced bladesmith. Everything they learned was self-taught, and when they had questions they would turn to experts for help. Even now, they are still perfecting their craft.
"There is no perfection in this business," Davis said. "We can always strive to reach the next level or the next step in our work, but there is no level of absolute perfection we can achieve."
While DelaGardelle's mother, Jody DelaGardelle, admits that she does not understand everything about what they do, she still supports them in their work.
"Because of their creativity and ambition and the dedication to the work, I think they can go anywhere," she said. "As a parent, I think the most important thing is that your child is ambitious and they find something that gets them out of bed in the morning and gets them excited about life. I'm just glad he's happy doing something that he's good at."
Davis and DelaGardelle said they hope their business continues to grow in the future. They are also talking about eventually opening a craft school to teach others how to make swords and other similar pieces as well.
"It really rapidly, in our lives, went from a fun weekend hobby to it becoming clear that this really is our calling and we have to step it up as guys and take it seriously as our future career," DelaGardelle said. "And it's been a lot of fun. Not many people can say they look forward to going to work on Monday morning, but we can."
One of the things that keeps them so involved in their work is the meaning the sword holds for each of them.
"You don't buy a sword and take it at face value," Davis said. "There's always a story behind the sword."
Many of these stories reflect an ancient culture, where community and family are the center of everything, according to DelaGardelle. For him, the sword is a symbol that he hopes can inspire people and get them to think about their own lives.
"We live in this modern, chaotic world where everybody is all about progression and change and what not, but when you look at culture and see what's going on in movies, literature, books and stuff, everybody wants epic stories," DelaGardelle said. "Epic stories that have deeper meaning and point to something a little beyond ourselves."
For more information about this unique business, visit www.maddwarfworkshop.com.
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