Discovery Channel to Premiere BIG GIANT SWORDS, 1/13

When it comes to gigantic swords, no one makes them bigger and badder than Irishman Michael Craughwell. Irish Mike is putting it all on the line to make his passion his profession by attempting to make a living designing and building these larger-than-life works of art. Joined by his trusty sidekick AmeriMike and a motley crew of artists and builders, this master of steel will attempt to bring to life the stuff of fairytales and legends. Will it be a soaring tale of triumph...or a bitter saga of defeat? Find out when BIG GIANT SWORDS premieres on JANUARY 13 at 10PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel.

A Youtube sensation, garnering hundreds of thousands of views per video, Irish Mike has been designing life-sized replicas of weapons inspired by video games and 80s fantasy sci-fi movies. He was launched into the spotlight after he was commissioned to make a life-sized, ornamental replica of a sword from Final Fantasy 7, and well, the rest is history. From solely making replica swords, Mike's business now focuses on his own original designs. At around $2,000 a pop and some swords weighing up to 80 pounds and coming in at 6 feet long, Irish Mike is used to taking his time to create these functional, metal masterpieces. But in order to make his passion a full-time gig, some changes have to be made. With a new business model calling for two swords a week, Irish Mike assembled a sword building team of questionable craftsmen and women, picked from the best, or rather, only candidates available on Martha's Vineyard, where he is based.

In the premiere episode, Irish Mike and his crew take on their first clients when they are tasked with creating a sword to rival Zeus's mighty lightning bolt by a team of Storm Chasers and a Chakram (a bladed throwing weapon from ancient India) for an MMA fighter. With just half the time to do what normally takes a few weeks, do Irish Mike and his amateur sword building team have what it takes to make a lightning blade worthy of Zeus himself, and a giant Chakram that can fly? Or will Irish Mike have to go back to the soul-crushing life of a welder?

BIG GIANT SWORDS is produced for Discovery Channel by Thinkfactory Media. Adam Freeman, Adam Reed, David Wechter and Leslie Greif are the executive producers for Thinkfactory Media. Craig Coffman and Joseph Boyle are the executive producers for Discovery Channel with Greg Wolf as associate producer.