What motivated you to adopt this art form?
I was never impressed by fighting cartoons or action figures as a child; I was more interested in stories about medieval knights, Samurais, Rajputs, Mughals and so on. The stories and movies inspired me to make all these replicas for myself as they were not available in toy stores. When I started making my own swords and armour I realised how complex this craft actually was and I learnt to appreciate it even more. The swordsmiths and armourers of their time were the most revered of all craftsmen and I hold the armourer in much higher regard than the person who wore the armour.

Are you self-taught?
Absolutely. I started off from scratch, had no formal training in metalsmithing and learned most of my craft by trial and error. I do not hire craft persons to produce my work, everything from buying the raw material, designing the templates, cutting them out, forging, riveting and assembling them is handled personally.

How do you conceive and craft an armour suit?
All suits of armour in this collection are reproductions copied from researched surviving pieces and paintings. None of them are genuine antique pieces. When I select an armour suit for duplication I study the original artefact in depth—a lot of data is collected from museum archives and the internet. Factors like period, ethnicity, cultural overlap and evolution of warfare are considered to ensure maximum authenticity of data. Industrially manufactured products are not used and every single part of the armour is painstakingly fabricated, in some cases even the rivets and the screws are handmade. Wire is turned to rings and the rings then interlinked with each other to produce the weave or mesh known as chainmail.

The entire process is manual and extremely time consuming. All plates and lamellar are cut out from sheet metal, fabricated, punched, drilled and painstakingly finished by hand. The only role contemporary metal working technology plays in this occupation is the availability of factory-produced metal sheets and wire. The use of power tools and oxy-acetylene is often very limited. I am indebted to Steve Robinson, certified master of artistic-blacksmithing, USA, for guiding and generously sharing his historical forging knowledge with me.

Can you describe some of your pieces?
A typical suit of Mughal armour consists of a helmet (kulah khod), chainmaille hauberk and trousers (zirih), a cuirass (chahar-aineh), and tubular vambraces (bazuband). Zirah baktar (Indian plate-mail armour) is composite armour constructed by weaving steel plates into mail. Rajput court armour known as the 'Chilta-hazar-masha' or coat of a thousand nails, is constructed from layered fabric faced with velvet which was either studded with gild nails or embroidered. It is reinforced with polished steel plates decorated with gold patterns. Such an armour was worn as a uniform of office by a high-ranking Rajput court official for parades, tournaments or courtly presentations.

Samurai armour is extremely flexible and light as it is constructed from plates of steel laced together with a colorful chord. I have made a replica of the armour worn by General Katsumoto played by Ken Wanatabe in the Hollywood feature film The last Samurai. It has been thoroughly researched and painstakingly recreated from black kozane and braids. Bronze and copper plates, some of which are intricately etched, adorn parts of the armour. The black and gold blend is perfectly balanced which make this Samurai armour unique.

What is the significance of replicating ancient armour in present times?
The reproduction of historic arms and armour is a unique occupation practised by just a few enthusiasts around the world. One of the main aims is to keep the ancient craft of armouring alive as part of human heritage. Others are keeping an ongoing supply for collectors, history enthusiasts and re-enactment societies which are becoming quite common in the developed world. Modern-day armourers are also often hired by museums to reproduce or restore authentic pieces of armour.