BIOGRAPHY
My name is Peter Lyon, and I am a swordsmith
I’d like to let you know who I am and how my interest in history led me to becoming an armourer and crafter of swords for historical re-enactors and for film productions.
I was born in 1964 and have lived my whole life in New Zealand, an isolated country whose entire history of human habitation stretches back less than 800 years.
Despite this, or perhaps because of it, I have been fascinated with world history my whole life, and the mysteries left as knowledge and records are lost. As a child I read about the ancient world, learning of it through the fragments that remain, and how archaeology is slowly revealing the lives of the people.
My personal interest has focused on medieval Europe, and my work and recreation reflects that. I started fantasy role-playing games while at university, and still enjoy playing them, and from that got interested in medieval reenactment and military history.
I made my first sword, a polished and very heavy two-hander, as a showpiece. It owed more to the misconceptions fed by film and media than to history and practice. It reminds me of how little I knew at the time and how far I have come, in contrast to the swords I make now.
A swordsmith since 1984
I started making weapons and armour in 1984 because there was no way to get equipment in New Zealand – no internet, and few contacts with overseas sources.
I started out of necessity, but made it into a paying hobby as people asked me to make equipment for them. The orders grew until they filled most of my spare time, so in 1994 I made the leap into self employment. My insanity has been aided and supported by Helen, especially after we married in 1997. In 1997 I also joined the Order of the Boar, jousting from 2000 until retiring from jousting and riding in 2011.
Swords and weapons at Wētā Workshop
My big break came in 1998 when I was asked to make the swords for the film production of The Lord of the Rings. Over the next three years working at Wētā Workshop I made most of the “hero” swords (the steel ones that get seen in close ups) and a mountain of aluminium stunt blades for the fight scenes, as well as many other pieces. My experience as a sword maker, and in period combat techniques as well as riding and jousting, enabled me to make weapons and armour that were both visually and functionally correct.
Since 2003, while still working full time at Wētā Workshop, I have worked on swords and other props for many productions, and learned a lot about how the film industry operates. See my Filmography for more details.
Back around to historical swords and weaponry
In recent years, I have had the opportunity to see parts of the world and experience the history I had only known through books, and share my enthusiasm and knowledge with others. In particular, speaking at Visby Medieval Week in Gotland and touring Britain in 2014 and again in 2016, have been among the highlights of my life.
Things I had only been able to study from afar, I have been able to study up close and get new insights into, including special access to museum weapons collections. With my history studies, my practical knowledge, and my combat and jousting background, I have a useful knowledge base for any questions that come my way.