Is this an "old man's hobby"?

[Jeff D]

350 dog years or 50. Been at it 15 years.

All the Best
Jeff

[Andrew]

44

Martial artist for 35+ years, which naturally led to an immediate unatural compulsion to acquire every conceivable hand weapon available.

[Battara]

Originally Posted by Andrew

44

Martial artist for 35+ years, which naturally led to an immediate unatural compulsion to acquire every conceivable hand weapon available.

Oo, oo - what kind of martial arts?

[Emanuel]

30, started collecting at 23, essentially when I joined this forum

I had purchased a "Lake Toba" keris-like object on ebay that turned out to be a horrible POS. One post here and some wonderful lessons from Henk put me on the right path
Then a look at the Vikingsword glossary and a copy of the "Big Book of Stone" got me hopelessly hooked.

[kahnjar1]

THANKS GENE You really know how to strike deep!! 68 and have been collecting for about 40 years, but don't hold that against me. Age is but a number, and one can do all sorts of things with those! My mind is still SHARP
Stu

[trenchwarfare]

Bought my first bayonet, at the age of nine, 1966. Now, at 55, I still don't know what I wanna collect when I grow up.

[VVV]

My first sword was a waki zashi in the early 70s.
Now I am 52, which makes me the oldest of the European Borneo collectors active at this forum.
Can't we change the title of this thread from "old man" to "middle aged man" based on the replies?

Michael

[Royston]

56

Started when I was 18 after years of admiring a saw-backed K98 bayonet that belonged to my Grandfather. I still have it now. Collected bayonets for a few years then went to work in Sabah in 1982 and got interested in S.E Asian weapons. There were lots about in the UK in those days. Like most collectors I can still remember the things I should have bought while they were available. Oh well, hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Roy

[bhushan_lawate]

32 now and collecting since the last 8 years or so....!!!!!

[RDGAC]

25 since July and a history geek since I can remember. First weapon I ever acquired was some tiny little dagger, supposedly Indian, which my grandfather acquired god-knows-where or when, and by which I was fascinated inordinately. Jezails became my thing after I heard about them from my dad (also a history buff to an extent), and we acquired one at work (which is documented here). Unfortunately, due to Britain's obsession with gun control, getting a crack at shooting any isn't looking likely for some while.

Hopefully I'll still be doing this when I turn 70-odd and can barely remember which end of the piece does what

[Iain]

Originally Posted by RDGAC

25 since July and a history geek since I can remember. First weapon I ever acquired was some tiny little dagger, supposedly Indian, which my grandfather acquired god-knows-where or when, and by which I was fascinated inordinately. Jezails became my thing after I heard about them from my dad (also a history buff to an extent), and we acquired one at work (which is documented here). Unfortunately, due to Britain's obsession with gun control, getting a crack at shooting any isn't looking likely for some while.

Hopefully I'll still be doing this when I turn 70-odd and can barely remember which end of the piece does what

No private gun ranges where you can shoot unlicensed? I'm surprised black powder is heavily regulated.

In any case good to see there's a few of us under "middle age" here.

[Norman McCormick]

Originally Posted by RDGAC

25 since July and a history geek since I can remember. First weapon I ever acquired was some tiny little dagger, supposedly Indian, which my grandfather acquired god-knows-where or when, and by which I was fascinated inordinately. Jezails became my thing after I heard about them from my dad (also a history buff to an extent), and we acquired one at work (which is documented here). Unfortunately, due to Britain's obsession with gun control, getting a crack at shooting any isn't looking likely for some while.

Hopefully I'll still be doing this when I turn 70-odd and can barely remember which end of the piece does what

Hi,
DO NOT under any circumstances shoot an antique weapon without first having it looked at by a competent gunsmith. I believe Rick (rickystl) shoots antiques but as far as I know he has the barrel relined before firing them. If you want to have a go at muzzleloaders join a local gun club with a muzzleloading section. Blackpowder is classed as an explosive in the U.K. and is subject to different storage regulations to smokeless powders and a license specifically for blackpowder is required. Always safety first.
Regards,
Norman.

[Jim McDougall]

This is a fantastic thread Gene! It is a great opportunity for us all to get to know each other a little better, understand more on our interests, which is wonderful perspective.
Actually its not an 'old mans' hobby, but a lifelong passion! It seems most of us 'old timers' are simply still pursuing what overtook our very being in much younger years.
I am 67, and have loved history and intriguing mysteries from my earliest memories. My dad was a bomber pilot in WWII, mom an army nurse, and he remained flying so we were always around military bases. The war was still a recent memory and materials were everywhere and my first interests were in medals, patches etc. Then I saw bayonets in surplus stores, and began reading about swords in dictionaries and encyclopedias and noticing how many kinds there were! It was the beginning of an obsession that has only progressed.
My first actual sword was actually an old Moro keris which was in a guys garage, and I won by helping him sand down an old Model A frame. The rest is as we say 'history'
While I truly enjoyed collecting, despite limited means, I discovered that far more important to me were books, so I could learn more about the swords.
I began the assembling of what became an ever growing library, and an ever widening scope of interests in the history of historical arms.

These days the book lined den and modest groupings of worn swords are memories, and given way to a nomadic lifestyle in the RV we affectionately call the Bookmobile (for the key volumes stashed in every nook and cranny). ...and my passion for the study of arms is focused mostly in the years of writing on these pages. Naturally as most here know very well, I am seldom ever brief on anything.....so this follows suit

It is great to know more on you guys, and best of all to share in this wonderful passion of ours with all of you. You guys are the best!!!
Thank you so much !!!

All the best,
Jim

[spiral]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

.
Actually its not an 'old mans' hobby, but a lifelong passion! It seems most of us 'old timers' are simply still pursuing what overtook our very being in much younger years.

Great stuff Jim but the fear is that in the west not many young men take up collecting this sort of stuff knowadays... Not like when when we were young men , then many boys/men were interested in guns & swords.

Spiral

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Battara

Oo, oo - what kind of martial arts?

lol.

ITF Taekwon-do
Chung Do Kwon
Muay Thai
Western boxing
Submission wrestling (w/a little BJJ)

[Timo Nieminen]

Originally Posted by Andrew

ITF Taekwon-do
Chung Do Kwon
Muay Thai
Western boxing
Submission wrestling (w/a little BJJ)

Wot? No weapons?

ITF TKD
Liechtenauer, mostly longsword
Chinese spear
Chinese archery

In the past, foil fencing and SCA heavy if you call those martial arts.

[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by Timo Nieminen

Wot? No weapons?

ITF TKD
Liechtenauer, mostly longsword
Chinese spear
Chinese archery

In the past, foil fencing and SCA heavy if you call those martial arts.

Martial art's don't get any purer than Fencing!
Makes me wish I still had two ankles made of bone

[Atlantia]

My collection has waxed and waned over the years.
I've always been of the opinion that if circumstances demand the sacrifice of the collection then that's OK.
Several times I've been forced to liquidate my collections entirely.
Thankfully I live in a country where there is no shortage of things to spend money on when circumstances allow.
We are custodians of these items for a short time. We keep them for a while, preserve and even at times restore, then they are passed to the next person. It's all part of their story.
They pre-date us and will outlive us. So we are just a small part of their story.
My collection now is probobly as good as it's ever been, but it's an evolving thing.
It's difficult to directly compare it with 'high points of the past'.
I still miss some of the items I've owned in the past. But It's more diverse now than it's ever been.
I decided a few years ago when I wanted to appear more 'rounded' to "Mrs Atlantia" that I'd soften the 'theme' with some associated items.
http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c5...view=slideshow
I find now that I enjoy some of these items as much as the weapons.

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Atlantia

Martial art's don't get any purer than Fencing!
Makes me wish I still had two ankles made of bone

Agreed.

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Timo Nieminen

Wot? No weapons?

ITF TKD
Liechtenauer, mostly longsword
Chinese spear
Chinese archery

In the past, foil fencing and SCA heavy if you call those martial arts.

No formal weapons training--mostly just wasters and "test cutting" for fun.

[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by Andrew

lol.

Submission wrestling (w/a little BJJ)

Keep it clean!

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Atlantia

Keep it clean!

lol

[Battara]

Originally Posted by Andrew

lol.

ITF Taekwon-do
Chung Do Kwon
Muay Thai
Western boxing
Submission wrestling (w/a little BJJ)

Wow! Nice! Thank you Andrew.

I did Tae Kwon do once, then Shotokan, then Judo, then Chinese Kenpo, an intro to Winchun and an intro to Arnis/Escrima. I am currently working on American Kenpo (with a small mixture of other stuff).

Also I got started collecting in my mid-twenties right after I got married.

My first piece was a Nazi SA dagger, but soon ditched that and got into pieces from the Philippines (and a few other countries).

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Battara

Wow! Nice! Thank you Andrew.

I did Tae Kwon do once, then Shotokan, then Judo, then Chinese Kenpo, an intro to Winchun and an intro to Arnis/Escrima. I am currently working on American Kenpo (with a small mixture of other stuff).

Also I got started collecting in my mid-twenties right after I got married.

My first piece was a Nazi SA dagger, but soon ditched that and got into pieces from the Philippines (and a few other countries).

Funny how guys like us who "taste" many different styles used to be denigrated--these days, MMA has made it de rigueur.

I still train my core art, and always will, however...