In the Beginning…
In 2013 Sam Kovic decided to jump in head first and take his love for the art of defense to a higher level. Zenergy Metal Works, LLC was founded and Castille Armory was brought to life.
What started off as a garage-based hobby turned into a full-fledged business in 2013 with the rental of a small shop in Central Point, OR. Castille quickly outgrew that 2000 sq ft space and moved to a larger shop in Medford, and then we outgrew that building and started renting the one next door, and a few years later the one next door to that! Finally in 2018 we made the jump to a much larger shop in Phoenix, Oregon where we all live happily under one roof.
Since 2013, Castille Armory has entered the international arena and orders have far surpassed the output of a hobby shop. Sam has had to pass on his knowledge and techniques to his crew, a band of talented individuals that share the deep love for all things swords. This personal passion keeps Castille Armory moving forward. Because quality and attention to detail are everything in a niche’ market, everyone that works at Castille Armory fences. Mostly because we love to, but it’s that hands-on approach that means we designed your sword as if it were our own. If it’s not good enough for us to use in tournament, it’s not good enough for you.
Meet the Crew:
Production:
Magnus Christner
Blue Sharp
Administrative:
Li Burditt
Li Burditt is the official Wrangler of our crew, money, and Sam. She handles everything from OSHA to payroll, and none of this would be possible without her. In her free time Li can be found hiking in the wilderness or feeding peanuts to Scrub-Jays in her backyard, but on the field she’ll stab you with a grin.
- What does the shop need most?: “A huge bird.”
- Favorite task: “Getting sh*t done.”
- Favorite food: “Pizza.”
Sam Yaskovic
Sam Kovic was that weird kid whom in his hand seemed to always be a cobbled together sword made of fence slats and duct tape, slaying the great dragons of his childhood farm deep in the wine country of the Willamette valley in Oregon. Some of the elements that make us who we are never change. Fast forward nearly 40 years and he is still making swords, just not slaying any great beasts. Working as a mechanical and process engineer most of his adult life, acquired knowledge of metallurgy, industrial manufacturing and passion for swords and fencing meant that all of the foundational requirements were present to turn his passion into the leading domestic combat ready sword manufacturing business. Sam enjoys fencing. A lot. And teaching. He is a recipient of the “White Scarf” and is also a peer in the Society of Creative Anachronism with the title of “Master of Defense”. Sam has also won gold in several HEMA tournaments. When he is not dealing with swords, you can find him at the local Cowboy Action Shooting Competition, on a river fishing, on a stage playing his guitar(s) or at home in his Professional recording studio.