Medieval Metal on Kirkwood sells swords, chainmail

Wearing a green and navy-blue kilt, Darin Bagley stood on the balcony of Victoria Towers, juggling three homemade chainmail balls.

As he juggled Saturday, he whistled to Flogging Molly blaring from his iPhone stereo. On his left hip was a sheath containing one of his favorite knives -- the Knight's Dagger.

From East Kirkwood Avenue below, passersby stared with curiosity. Occasionally, Bagley would stop juggling to wave at the onlookers.

Bagley, 40, wanted the people below to notice. If he caught their attention, he thought, they would visit his new store, Medieval Metal.

Medieval Metal, a specialty store focusing primarily on novelty knives and swords, along with Bagley’s homemade chainmail trinkets, opened for business three weeks ago.

Inside the store, located in a small upstairs room in Victoria Towers at 221 E. Kirkwood Ave., the walls are lined with various medieval swords. In one case is the “Dragon’s Toothbrush” — a medieval-themed toilet scrubber — and a skull candle.

Another wall displays Bagley’s chainmail items, which he made with his hands, two pairs of pliers and much patience.

Sitting on a stool in the corner, Bagley’s 8-year-old son Claude — the “assistant” and “apprentice” — played “The Legend of Zelda” on a Nintendo DS.

Beyond opening day business has been a little slow, Bagley said. From past experiences, however, he knows there is a market in Bloomington for his company. For now, it is about making first impressions.

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When Bagley was in high school in Anderson, Ind., he played in the marching band, members of which wore kilts during performances. Through this exposure, he said, he fell in love with bagpipe music and Celtic culture.

He dreamed of becoming an astronaut but chose to pursue a career as a mathematics teacher.

He moved to Bloomington and sought an education degree from IU. He never graduated.

In 1995, Bagley said he met several friends who were members of the Society for Creative Anachronism in town who started traveling to various medieval-themed events, comic book conventions and sci-fi conventions.

To pay their way to the events, Bagley said his friends packed the back of a pickup truck with knives and swords, selling the items once they arrived.

On one occasion, Bagley tagged along. Because he had loved reading medieval books for years — specifically the “Lord of the Rings” series — he already had basic knowledge about the various weapons.

Eventually, two of his friends, Cindy and Shawn Haverfield, decided to open a sword shop in College Mall in 1996, titled the Dragon’s Claw. The Haverfield’s brought Bagley along as a part-time employee.

During the following few years, the Dragon’s Claw moved several times, eventually into the back of Victoria Towers. Acting as the store’s manager, Bagley said he essentially ran the business as Cindy and Shawn went through a divorce.

Bagley said he established his own collection of knives and swords, while working at the Dragon’s Claw.

But when the Dragons’ Claw closed its doors in 2003, his interest in medieval weaponry faded. He stored his blades in a box in his closet.

After going through several jobs, Bagley eventually landed a position as Best Buy’s “video game guru.” But last May, he said, he made a mistake.

“I feel like they kind of overreacted to the situation, but I got fired,” Bagley said. “I was able to win my unemployment case on appeal, but before that happened, I had no idea what I was going to do for money.”

Ever since the Dragon’s Claw closed, he said he aspired to open his own business.

He said his girlfriend of 20 years, Sheryl Mitchell, was supportive of the idea.

Purchasing products from the same suppliers as the Dragon’s Claw, Bagley established a small inventory. Also similar to the Dragon’s Claw, he started small.

During the Monroe County Fair last August, he sold his merchandise from a booth.

But with part of their tax return, they took a leap.

When he learned Victoria Towers was under new management and looking for businesses to rent the upstairs rooms, he found something within his budget.

“From the minute I saw this room, I absolutely fell in love with it,” Bagley said. “It was something I could really work with.”

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“Dad, I want a knife, I’m old enough,” 8-year-old Claude said.

“You are old enough to have a knife, in my opinion,” Bagley responded. “However, you spend most of your life in school or at home where you don’t really need one. We’ll talk to your mother about that at some point.”

“Maybe my mother will make me wait until I’m 18, dad.”

“That’s what mothers are for, you know,” Bagley said, “but I think you’re more likely to get a cell phone than a knife.”

Claude has picked out several of his favorite blades, including a replica from the movie “The Dark Knight.”

Claude said he enjoys spending time in Medieval Metal with his father.

He has even learned how to run the cash register. But without adequate arm strength, he is unable to make his own chainmail.

Bagley’s other son, 19-year-old Wesley, is most interested in the different swords. But unlike his

father, he is not interested in the chainmail.

Bagley loves solving puzzles. And to him, he said, making chainmail is like solving a puzzle.

To his surprise, his chainmail has sold better than any other item in the last three weeks.

“The chainmail items that I like to make are smaller, unusual, generally more affordable,” Bagley said. “I can make a full shirt, people come in here and ask me that all the time. The one that I have done for someone cost them $500, and it did take me about three months to make. But the downside for me to make something like that — it’s boring.”

But Medieval Metal’s most impressive item, he said, is a $250 Roman Gladius, which is considered “battle ready.”

“You could actually kill somebody with this,” Bagley said. “Many swords that are sold, in fact at least half of these on the wall right now, are basically wall hangers. You could hit somebody with it and it would hurt, but it’s not something you would take into a medieval- style sword fight, and most people are OK with that.”