Craig, my sob story is that I have been a dedicated gun collector and battlefield reenactor since about 1961. I still am an honorary lifetime member of a major Society here in South Africa. However, since our gun legislation has become demonically restrictive, I have switched to become an edged weapons collector. I actually started to specialise in kukris, having accumulated quite a number, but then I unexpectedly got hold of two antique kerisses, which I have researched in depth, driving some of these pundits in this forum nearly up the wall with my dumb questions.
There are some very dedicated and knowledgeable folks on this forum who continue to amaze me with their experience and insight in matters keris. Yet they still accommodate us newbies with infinite patience (although I read between the lines and see the patience wearing a bit thin on occasion, when people like me ask them to date a keris to the year, and they reply: "Oh, it could have been made sometime during the last couple of centuries - maybe!")
Jokes aside, this forum is tops!
Johan