GunTech Magazine Feature on W.Polah

Crafting Miniature Masterpieces Amidst Adversity

In a detailed interview with Guntech Magazine, Olha Polakh, the Ukrainian founder and visionary behind WPolah, reveals the intricate world of miniature firearms. WPolah is not just a company; it’s an emblem of resilience and innovation, producing collectible, tiny, functional guns that are veritable works of art.

The company employs a small, dedicated team of no more than ten people at a time, valuing a shared ethos over mere skill. This has helped maintain a creative environment essential for producing such detailed work. Every miniature firearm is a collaborative effort, although one craftsman is responsible for final assembly and another for quality control.

In your own words, could you tell me about your company and where you are located?
My company is based in Ukraine. Our main production is located in Kharkiv. Because of the war, we had to master the remote execution of some processes. Even production ones. No matter how strange it is to hear, the “main backbone” always remains in the workshop. Our customers can trust us 100%, because even in extreme conditions, we haven’t stopped production and shipping orders.
How many people do you employ at your company and what are their backgrounds and skill sets (gunsmiths, watch makers, engineers, etc.)?
We are a small friendly team. It’s rare to have more than 10 people, but people linger for years. The main criterion for getting into the team is a match in values. In this way, it is possible to maintain a creative atmosphere, without which, it is impossible to get an impressive product.
We have a professional engineer, turner and jewelers. As a team, we practice mentorship and love sharing our experiences and learning new skills and tools.
When building a firearm, does one craftsman/gunsmith build the entire gun or is the work done by several artisans?
Throughout our history since 2015, we have tried both work formats. Now each miniature is created by a team of several masters. But there is a person responsible for the final assembly. And a separate person conducts testing and quality control. In this way, we manage to make production as efficient as possible, overcome the human factor and force majeure. And all this with the main goal that all our customers say WOW, when receiving their orders.

The war in Ukraine has posed significant challenges for WPolah, yet the company has not only endured but also lent its expertise to aid the military efforts. The team’s ability to adapt and persevere under such extreme conditions is a powerful testament to their resilience and dedication.

Have you faced any particular challenges in running your company?
Oh, I really think that the story of our company should be made into a movie (Laughs). At the start up stage, my partner tried to take away all my resources and achievements with tricks and threats, leaving me with nothing. But the project team supported me and stayed with me. We survived the lockdown and did not stop working. But, the real work in extreme conditions was at the beginning of the full scale invasion of russia on the territory of Ukraine. We worked to the sounds of explosions, brought and transported the team after work with our own transport, found opportunities to get materials and components when all logistics schemes abruptly stopped working, even now we are looking for opportunities to work remotely for everyone who does not have the opportunity to work in the workshop. What I learned during all these trials the main thing is not to lose the spirit, find an opportunity to recover, and support all team members.
Do you have a favorite model of gun?
It’s really hard to pick one favorite model. Judging by the photo, I often brag about the Colt Python. It really is a very colorful revolver and it is no wonder it has become our bestseller. We have to admit, our model looks very realistic indeed. I also love our Winchester. Unlike most of our models, we made Winchesters even less than 10 units. This is one of our most expensive models. But I love its hunting pattern on the decoration. Both of my favorite models fire our 2mm cartridges. You have to see it with your own eyes. I invite everyone to visit our website at wpolah.com In general, we aim for all the models we produce to impress and inspire.
Do you own and work on any full sized versions of the miniature guns you make. If so, do you find working on larger guns is easier than working on tiny guns?
Yes, at the beginning of my activity I had both fullsized weapons and miniatures of other manufacturers. This contributed to a faster entry into the topic. Now, there is no urgent need for this. We create models even of those weapons we have not held in our hands.
We rely on detailed reviews available on the internet. We do not make real weapons. With the beginning of the war on the territory of Ukraine, we made repairs and some parts for our military. But in the conditions of war there was no need to do something filigree.
Conventional factory production of weapons and our handmade production are even difficult to compare. It is clear that we spend much more time and effort on a miniature than at a factory on the same fullscale weapon. Assembly is performed under a microscope, cartridges are manually charged.
It is more appropriate to compare us with the individual tuning of ordinary weapons made by master gunsmiths, the complexity is about the same.

Looking ahead, Olha envisions expanding the team and moving to a larger workshop within the next two years. WPolah aims to continue to amaze and inspire, making lives more interesting and joyful through the lens of human engineering, craftsmanship, and aesthetic vision.

Is there anything you would like to share with our readers about yourself and/or your company?
I will take this opportunity to extend my appreciation words to all customers of W.POLAH miniature guns. It’s thanks to your support and faith in us that we survived and continued to work. During the period of complete chaos and uncertainty when war broke out, you continued to order our miniature pistols. We had the opportunity to work and do something cool in this crazy world. Just not to go crazy, to feed our families, to be useful and help our state. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all of you from our team.
Do you have any funny stories or challenges you have faced in regard to producing miniature firearms?
Funny, it must be about my little assistant. I took my son to the workshop when he was little. Now he amazes everyone with his knowledge of the names of tools and his love of repairing everything. And this at three years old. That’s who really is a fan of weapons. He is sure that we create miniatures just for his hand.
What are your future goals for your company, or what lies ahead for you?
We have many creative ideas. In any case, we will stay in the fairway of our mission to amaze and inspire the achievements of human engineering thought, craftsmanship and aesthetic vision to make people’s lives more interesting and joyful. Regarding more down to earth plans for the company itself: in the next 2 years, we plan to expand the team to 15 professionals, move to a much larger workshop that will accommodate more tools and technologies. And make our products known all over the world. Due to your magazine too. So, thank you GunTech magazine for the opportunity to tell me about myself.
Many thanks go out to Olha, for taking up her valuable time to answers all of the questions I wanted to ask her. Olha quickly responded to all of my requests for an interview and send the accompanying photos. Olha was also quick to respond to the questions I had about my miniature M16 I had just acquired from W.Polah.
If you have any questions regarding the company’s products, I guarantee you will receive top notch customer service. As previously mentioned, check out all of the miniature firearms available for purchase for your gun collection at wpolah.com

For more information and to explore the array of miniature firearms available, visit WPolah’s Shop.

About the Author

My name is Olha Polah, and I have been working in miniature weapons production since 2015. I started the mini firearms brand and have been running the brand’s Instagram page since 2016. The brand’s miniatures are popular worldwide, with fans in 25+ countries. I became the sole owner of the brand in 2018 and created a comprehensive line of miniatures. More than 60 models of miniature weapons from various historical periods have been created. In November 2023, I was interviewed by Robert Dunn for the GunTech magazine, where I talked about the hardships I had to endure in my business. I also run a newsletter for the brand’s customers, which has evolved into a full-fledged magazine with in-depth articles published on the wpolah.com.

My mission is to make people’s lives more joyful by sharing interesting facts about miniature weapons and inspiring everyone to express themselves.