Meet Dave Demers of Aesir Metalwyrks

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dave Demers.

Dave, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It started back in February 1998, I was part owner of a pizza restaurant in Tempe when a friend approached me about a “medieval party in the desert”. He knew I was into Dungeons and Dragons and going to the renaissance festival and thought I would have fun. I spoke to my fiance (the time) about it. We were already planning a medieval style wedding later in the fall so this sounded great. The catch was we had to dress up and be apart of the medieval experience. We were on board. The party wasn’t a party it was an event. A massive 7000 in attendance event.

This was my first introduction into the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). Everyone was in some sort of medieval garb and there was shopping, revelry, art classes, and fighting. I saw people fighting in armor. Seemed like an army of about 500 in a grand melee. We were hooked, but first, we had to get married. The wedding went down, and it was epic, but that is another story all its own. We were moving into 1999, I sold my share of the restaurant, got a new job and now armed with proper health insurance I was gonna fight in armor. I had no clue where to get it, however, it wasn’t like I could roll into Walmart and by a suit.

I spent the year meeting people in the SCA and introducing my other friends to it as well. We began watching movies, reading books, and trying to figure out how to craft our own armour from leather and street signs. I crafted a vest with metal plates and shoulder armour using a bowling ball, a hammer, and a wood stump. I found a guy in Tuscon selling a helm. I was out fighting or trying to. I had caught the eye of a local armorer in Phoenix and a friend, Matt, had met him already. He introduced us, and we got along.

John was impressed by what I had figured out and invited me to his shop, which turned into me being at his shop every day possible, which turned into an apprenticeship. I was working 20-25 hours a week learning the craft and sweeping floors. I was learning, hammering techniques, how to use tools like belt grinders and welders without cutting of finger or catching myself on fire. I did this for about four years when I was hired on as an employee in 2006. I quit my job and began a new path as a professional armorer, working 30 hours a week. I got to travel the country going to different events helping sell the armor I had built.

This time I built a reputation in the SCA and honed my skills but like many things, it doesn’t always last, and in 2011 John and I parted ways. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I went to California worked on a tv show for a couple of weeks to get some money together. The future was defiantly uncertain that’s for sure.I  had this very specific skill, I was good at it and moving to California wasn’t an option. Doug stepped in the owner of All American Upholstery. I met Doug while working at the armory and we built a friendship over the years. He sat me down with my wife Angie, and they set me straight. He talked to me about opening my own shop and gave a helping hand.

By the end of 2011, Aesir Metalwyrks was born and in operation. One of the smartest things I did over the previous years was to begin slowly collecting the tools I would need to build armor on my own. It was like a subconscious thing. I never really used them in my tiny garage, but I collected them and stored them. Drove my wife Angie a little nuts but she went along with it. Now I knew why. Since 2011, I have been owner-operator of Aesir Metalwyrks. I constantly am trying to come up with a new project to push myself and drive the small armoring market forward.

The company started in Mesa and has since moved to Maricopa Arizona. Looking back, thus far have to say it’s been a fun and interesting ride. My wife is my biggest supporter behind it all and has been the rock I needed when things got really tough. We are looking forward to pushing the envelope in the future.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has been a bumpy road that’s for sure. Most struggles come from trying to move pieces.

Buying armor is defiantly an expendable income sort of thing, so when times are tough, it is one of the first things people cut from the budget. My build queue for custom pieces is fairly long, currently 16 months, and that is tough as well.

We recently built a studio and relocated that was full of many obstacles which moved deadlines back as well.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
My company specializes in building armour for display and sports combat. The motto is Historically inspired armour for the sports-minded enthusiast, which really sums up a lot. I’m mostly known for building helmets for SCA and Armored Combat League (ACL).

My helmets are handcrafted here in Maricopa. I use quality materials on all the pieces. I take a lot of care in the construction knowing the possibility that someone may choose to use it for something other than a display piece.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
That’s tough. The city of Phoenix does offer many resources to acquire materials but finding the right tools can be difficult and pricey. A lot of the old blacksmith tools get bought up by collectors. It’s also difficult to find a place to do it.

The city doesn’t really have craft studios available to artists. The few I have seen are really expensive. Having some sort of co-op studio space available to the artist of all types would be excellent.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aesirmetalwyrks.com
• Email: aesirarmoury@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donngal
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AesirMetalwyrks
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiv6-sV1fnJgXwNman9ACKw

Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.