Is this an "old man's hobby"?

Atlantia · 21st November 2012, 06:57 PM

Wanted to have a little poll amongst members.
Have been discussing the 'average' age of collectors of edged weapons today with Spiral and most seem to me men in their 60s!

So wondered if you would all indulge me in a non-scientific litmus test of the age range here?

I'm 43

A.alnakkas · 21st November 2012, 07:02 PM

Hah I did wonder about this. My age is 26 :-)

Passionate for swords all my life though.

David · 21st November 2012, 07:04 PM

I think it is young and old, but of course, our collections (and hopefully understanding

) get better with age, like fine wine...

I'm 55.

Robert · 21st November 2012, 07:09 PM

60 for me but next year I'm going to reverse the whole thing and be 59. Hopefully I'll be back in my late twenties or early thirties when it's time to take a dirt nap.

Robert

Norman McCormick · 21st November 2012, 07:17 PM

59, but I did start my first collection when I was 14 by the time I reached 18 I sold it all to concentrate on wine, women and, well, more wine and women.

Regards,
Norman.

P.S. Best buy of my early years was a 17thC katana with an earlier tsuba in WW2 mounts, cost me £1-10/-. In todays money £1.50p, bought a lot of the aforementioned wine, women etc. when I sold it.

Oh for the gift of hindsight.

Jens Nordlunde · 21st November 2012, 07:19 PM

Ok, I am 71 and have collected for 45 + years.
Jens

paolo · 21st November 2012, 07:24 PM

I'm 61, and collect ethographic edge weapons by 12 years.
Paolo

mross · 21st November 2012, 07:28 PM

two years on the high side of a half century

VANDOO · 21st November 2012, 07:52 PM

MY MIND IS 20 BUT MY BODY IS A VERY HARD USED 66.

I HAVE BEEN COLLECTING ETHINOGRAPHIC EDGED WEAPONS ON AND OFF FOR 50 YEARS. MY FIRST AND MOST TREASURED ITEM WAS AN OLD WW2 COLLINS MACHETE WITH SCABBARD AND BELT I GOT WHEN I WAS 8 AT A OLD ARMY SURPLUS FOR $1.50. IT HUNG DOWN TO MY ANKLES IN THOSE DAYS AND WENT WITH ME ON ALL MY EARLY RAMBLES AND ADVENTURES IN THE EAST TEXAS HILLS,WOODS AND TRINITY RIVER BOTTOM. I FORGED THRU MANY JUNGLES AND BUILT MANY FORTS WITH IT AND STILL USE IT FOR YARD WORK THESE DAYS.

THERE IS STILL HOPE FOR YOUNGER COLLECTORS AS THE INTEREST IS STILL THERE IN ARMS AND ARMOR AND SHARP POINTY THINGS. THE BOYS AND SOME GIRLS STILL LIKE CARTOONS AND VIDEO GAMES WITH HEROS WITH EDGED WEAPONS SO PERHAPS THEY WILL GROW INTO IT AND CATCH THE COLLOCTORS DISEASE. THE WINE WOMEN AND SONG DOES TAKE ONE AWAY FROM COLLECTING AS IT SHOULD BUT WE LEARN WITH AGE THAT THE SHARP POINTY THINGS ARE FAR LESS DANGEROUS THAN THE FAIR SEX.

Martin Lubojacky · 21st November 2012, 10:19 PM

My body is 49 years old.... (began cca 20 years ago, but slowly)

mrcjgscott · 21st November 2012, 10:58 PM

I am 29, and have been collecting for 21 glorious years, I hope I have at least another 21 in me!

asomotif · 21st November 2012, 11:06 PM

43, pretending to be 40- something for the next 6 years

My father (79 now) had a javanese golok which he traded as a young boy for a defective wristwatch. It was always laying next to his tool box.
It was an intrigueing object. as a small boy (approx 10) I thought it to be a knights sword, but playing with it was off-limits.

At the age of 15, after watching the television series "Shogun", I wanted a replica katana, (made in spain) and with my parents consent I bought it for NLG 230, which is appox Eur 105,- nowadays.

I wish I had bouhgt a 17th cent. katana like Norman did

, as I still have the bloody replica katana as a token of bad taste and quality

Best regards,
Willem

Ps. remember Anjin San / Richard Chamberlain.

Norman McCormick · 21st November 2012, 11:36 PM

[QUOTE=asomotif] I wish I had bouhgt a 17th cent. katana like Norman did

Hi Willem,
Absolute luck and sheer ignorance I can assure you.

Regards,
Norman.

dana_w · 21st November 2012, 11:50 PM

I turned 53 this year and have been collecting antiques of one type or another most of my life. Two years ago my father passed away and left me his weapons collection. Now I am in REAL trouble. Antique weapons are rapidly taking over all my other hobbies.

Jeff D · 22nd November 2012, 01:55 AM

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

All the Best
Jeff

Andrew · 22nd November 2012, 02:21 AM

44

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

CourseEight · 22nd November 2012, 02:23 AM

32, and been collecting about 10 years.

Berkley · 22nd November 2012, 03:43 AM

I'm 66. Began collecting antique firearms when I was 14. Always tried to follow the rule of acquiring at least one reference book for every new piece in the collection. Bought a kukri at a gun show on a whim when I was 55 - knew nothing about it, thought it looked interesting, and tried to find out more about it. Discovered that, unlike the many firearms books available, there was precious little printed information about the kukri. Began searching the newly evolving Internet, haunted eBay, developed a correspondence with a gentleman named John Powell who outbid me on a piece I really wanted. Discovered this and other online forums. The collection continues to grow, and I keep meeting other collectors online, a much more gratifying way of learning than simply reading a book.
I think it has always been the case that acquiring a collection takes time, and collectors therefore tend to be older. Whether the field of weapons collecting is one that will continue to attract new collectors in a changing world is something I do wonder about.

fernando · 22nd November 2012, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atlantia

... Have been discussing the 'average' age of collectors of edged weapons today with Spiral and most seem to me men in their 60s!...

I was gonna swear we had once a (actual) poll on this subject ... statistic results and all. Now, finding it is hard deal

.
My butt has now 65 notches and i started slowly gathering whatever type of antique weapon that came across my sight and i could (often even couldn't) afford, (only) twenty years ago. Now i am trying hard to refine my taste, following the Port Whine principle

.

Greybeard · 22nd November 2012, 02:53 PM

This December I'll reach age 63. I started in my early teens with a khukri, given to me as a gift by my parents. For some time now, I'm very into the Indonesian keris -- a lifelong love of mine, but I wasn't able to buy these until relatively recently ...

Pukka Bundook · 22nd November 2012, 03:20 PM

I'm 58, and been collecting stuff since I was about 7 or so.

First purchase was an awful Syrian dagger, from a school friend, for 2 shillings and sixpence.
First bayonet was a 1907 pattern Wilkinson, looking brand new, for one pound.
Tulwars at the time cost three pounds each, or two for five quid....with silver or gold koftgari.
We thought they must be chat, and didn't buy any. Besides, we didn't have a fiver!
First muzzle-loading gun was a cut down flint fowler, converted to percussion, with broken stock
Fixed it up and used it a long time. It was magic!...and cost nine pounds.
Swords came a bit later,(In the last 10 years) with the added benefit (?) of a chance to sparr.

I do think this is the same as sports cars;
By the time you can afford them, you are too old to drive them!...

Richard.

manteris1 · 25th November 2012, 05:39 PM

hi guys, i'm 70,and been collecting for 50yrs......................jimmy

Dom · 26th November 2012, 10:09 AM

how I've been able to ignore this fantastic post?

I am almost 71, and my passion for weapons and armor back to ...
as far as I can remember when I was really a kid

in my mountains in South-Western France, too many castles, too many legends,
all dating back to the Middle Ages, that's made me a lot dreaming, and even a dreamer
our tradition is to always have in our pocket, our traditional knife, a "Laguiole" I had mine, as gift for my 10 years
then at school, my favorite pastime was to draw; helmets, swords, sabers
my first collection has been constituted of firearms, then, due to hardening regulations and the vagaries of life,
I have sold everything

I restarted to collect edged weapons in the 80's when I went to the Middle East, as x-pat,
since I'm married to an "Arabist" younger than me by 10 years,
who share my passion for Islamic weapons and armor,
she is your translator for your Arabic inscriptions

I've a nephew, here in Egypt (among ... many others

)
to who I've offered this year a "short flissa" and
a book (in French) concerning the Islamic edged weapons, he is absolutely crazy for edged weapons ...
to help him to identify the knifes it would have to see

thank you for Atlantia to have initiated this post

à +

Dom

Maskell · 26th November 2012, 03:55 PM

hi guys, i'm 70,and been collecting for 50yrs......................Jerry

Actually I cut & past Jimmy's reply as my info is exactly the same.

Jim McDougall · 26th November 2012, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dom

how I've been able to ignore this fantastic post?

I am almost 71, and my passion for weapons and armor back to ...
as far as I can remember when I was really a kid

in my mountains in South-Western France, too many castles, too many legends,
all dating back to the Middle Ages, that's made me a lot dreaming, and even a dreamer
our tradition is to always have in our pocket, our traditional knife, a "Laguiole" I had mine, as gift for my 10 years
then at school, my favorite pastime was to draw; helmets, swords, sabers
my first collection has been constituted of firearms, then, due to hardening regulations and the vagaries of life,
I have sold everything

I restarted to collect edged weapons in the 80's when I went to the Middle East, as x-pat,
since I'm married to an "Arabist" younger than me by 10 years,
who share my passion for Islamic weapons and armor,
she is your translator for your Arabic inscriptions

I've a nephew, here in Egypt (among ... many others

)
to who I've offered this year a "short flissa" and
a book (in French) concerning the Islamic edged weapons, he is absolutely crazy for edged weapons ...
to help him to identify the knifes it would have to see

thank you for Atlantia to have initiated this post

à +

Dom

Dom,
While I feel safe to say we are all a bit romantics and dreamers, you have always seemed to me a true adventurer, and I admire the way you thoughtfully nurture this young mans interest. You do so very much in the way you add your astute observations and wonderfully detailed translation assistance to help us all better understand these weapons.

All the best,
Jim

Jim McDougall · 26th November 2012, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manteris1

hi guys, i'm 70,and been collecting for 50yrs......................jimmy

Brief and modest as always. Jimmy I have always thought of as the true gentleman collector, and how polite and patient his demeanor always remained in the times we met and talked.
My favorite was the year in Baltimore when he was to deliver a talk on the Ethiopian shotels, but to his chagrin he had sold the examples he had brought for demonstration at the show that day!

Truly one of those 'Kodak moments' when he , in his ever gentle manner, asked if there was anyone in the room who had a shotel he could use for a few minutes.

21st November 2012, 06:57 PM	#1
Atlantia Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Sharp end Posts: 2,928	Is this an "old man's hobby"? Wanted to have a little poll amongst members. Have been discussing the 'average' age of collectors of edged weapons today with Spiral and most seem to me men in their 60s! So wondered if you would all indulge me in a non-scientific litmus test of the age range here? I'm 43

21st November 2012, 07:17 PM	#5
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,597	59, but I did start my first collection when I was 14 by the time I reached 18 I sold it all to concentrate on wine, women and, well, more wine and women. Regards, Norman. P.S. Best buy of my early years was a 17thC katana with an earlier tsuba in WW2 mounts, cost me £1-10/-. In todays money £1.50p, bought a lot of the aforementioned wine, women etc. when I sold it. Oh for the gift of hindsight. Last edited by Norman McCormick; 21st November 2012 at 07:43 PM.

21st November 2012, 11:06 PM	#12
asomotif Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2,225	43, pretending to be 40- something for the next 6 years My father (79 now) had a javanese golok which he traded as a young boy for a defective wristwatch. It was always laying next to his tool box. It was an intrigueing object. as a small boy (approx 10) I thought it to be a knights sword, but playing with it was off-limits. At the age of 15, after watching the television series "Shogun", I wanted a replica katana, (made in spain) and with my parents consent I bought it for NLG 230, which is appox Eur 105,- nowadays. I wish I had bouhgt a 17th cent. katana like Norman did , as I still have the bloody replica katana as a token of bad taste and quality Best regards, Willem Ps. remember Anjin San / Richard Chamberlain. Attached Images Last edited by asomotif; 21st November 2012 at 11:14 PM. Reason: typos

21st November 2012, 07:02 PM	#2
A.alnakkas Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Kuwait Posts: 1,340	Hah I did wonder about this. My age is 26 :-) Passionate for swords all my life though.

21st November 2012, 07:04 PM	#3
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,124	I think it is young and old, but of course, our collections (and hopefully understanding ) get better with age, like fine wine... I'm 55.

21st November 2012, 07:09 PM	#4
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	60 for me but next year I'm going to reverse the whole thing and be 59. Hopefully I'll be back in my late twenties or early thirties when it's time to take a dirt nap. Robert

21st November 2012, 07:19 PM	#6
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Ok, I am 71 and have collected for 45 + years. Jens

21st November 2012, 07:24 PM	#7
paolo Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 173	I'm 61, and collect ethographic edge weapons by 12 years. Paolo

21st November 2012, 07:28 PM	#8
mross Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 478	two years on the high side of a half century

21st November 2012, 07:52 PM	#9
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	MY MIND IS 20 BUT MY BODY IS A VERY HARD USED 66. I HAVE BEEN COLLECTING ETHINOGRAPHIC EDGED WEAPONS ON AND OFF FOR 50 YEARS. MY FIRST AND MOST TREASURED ITEM WAS AN OLD WW2 COLLINS MACHETE WITH SCABBARD AND BELT I GOT WHEN I WAS 8 AT A OLD ARMY SURPLUS FOR $1.50. IT HUNG DOWN TO MY ANKLES IN THOSE DAYS AND WENT WITH ME ON ALL MY EARLY RAMBLES AND ADVENTURES IN THE EAST TEXAS HILLS,WOODS AND TRINITY RIVER BOTTOM. I FORGED THRU MANY JUNGLES AND BUILT MANY FORTS WITH IT AND STILL USE IT FOR YARD WORK THESE DAYS. THERE IS STILL HOPE FOR YOUNGER COLLECTORS AS THE INTEREST IS STILL THERE IN ARMS AND ARMOR AND SHARP POINTY THINGS. THE BOYS AND SOME GIRLS STILL LIKE CARTOONS AND VIDEO GAMES WITH HEROS WITH EDGED WEAPONS SO PERHAPS THEY WILL GROW INTO IT AND CATCH THE COLLOCTORS DISEASE. THE WINE WOMEN AND SONG DOES TAKE ONE AWAY FROM COLLECTING AS IT SHOULD BUT WE LEARN WITH AGE THAT THE SHARP POINTY THINGS ARE FAR LESS DANGEROUS THAN THE FAIR SEX.

21st November 2012, 10:19 PM	#10
Martin Lubojacky Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 841	My body is 49 years old.... (began cca 20 years ago, but slowly)

21st November 2012, 10:58 PM	#11
mrcjgscott Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 189	I am 29, and have been collecting for 21 glorious years, I hope I have at least another 21 in me!

21st November 2012, 11:36 PM	#13
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,597	[QUOTE=asomotif] I wish I had bouhgt a 17th cent. katana like Norman did Hi Willem, Absolute luck and sheer ignorance I can assure you. Regards, Norman.

21st November 2012, 11:50 PM	#14
dana_w Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Southeast Florida, USA Posts: 429	I turned 53 this year and have been collecting antiques of one type or another most of my life. Two years ago my father passed away and left me his weapons collection. Now I am in REAL trouble. Antique weapons are rapidly taking over all my other hobbies.

22nd November 2012, 01:55 AM	#15
Jeff D Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: B.C. Canada Posts: 473	350 dog years or 50. Been at it 15 years. All the Best Jeff

22nd November 2012, 02:21 AM	#16
Andrew Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA Posts: 1,725	44 Martial artist for 35+ years, which naturally led to an immediate unatural compulsion to acquire every conceivable hand weapon available.

22nd November 2012, 02:23 AM	#17
CourseEight Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Coral Springs, FL Posts: 222	32, and been collecting about 10 years.

22nd November 2012, 03:43 AM	#18
Berkley Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Austin, Texas USA Posts: 257	I'm 66. Began collecting antique firearms when I was 14. Always tried to follow the rule of acquiring at least one reference book for every new piece in the collection. Bought a kukri at a gun show on a whim when I was 55 - knew nothing about it, thought it looked interesting, and tried to find out more about it. Discovered that, unlike the many firearms books available, there was precious little printed information about the kukri. Began searching the newly evolving Internet, haunted eBay, developed a correspondence with a gentleman named John Powell who outbid me on a piece I really wanted. Discovered this and other online forums. The collection continues to grow, and I keep meeting other collectors online, a much more gratifying way of learning than simply reading a book. I think it has always been the case that acquiring a collection takes time, and collectors therefore tend to be older. Whether the field of weapons collecting is one that will continue to attract new collectors in a changing world is something I do wonder about.

22nd November 2012, 02:53 PM	#20
Greybeard Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Switzerland Posts: 124	This December I'll reach age 63. I started in my early teens with a khukri, given to me as a gift by my parents. For some time now, I'm very into the Indonesian keris -- a lifelong love of mine, but I wasn't able to buy these until relatively recently ...

22nd November 2012, 03:20 PM	#21
Pukka Bundook Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 803	I'm 58, and been collecting stuff since I was about 7 or so. First purchase was an awful Syrian dagger, from a school friend, for 2 shillings and sixpence. First bayonet was a 1907 pattern Wilkinson, looking brand new, for one pound. Tulwars at the time cost three pounds each, or two for five quid....with silver or gold koftgari. We thought they must be chat, and didn't buy any. Besides, we didn't have a fiver! First muzzle-loading gun was a cut down flint fowler, converted to percussion, with broken stock Fixed it up and used it a long time. It was magic!...and cost nine pounds. Swords came a bit later,(In the last 10 years) with the added benefit (?) of a chance to sparr. I do think this is the same as sports cars; By the time you can afford them, you are too old to drive them!... Richard.

25th November 2012, 05:39 PM	#22
manteris1 Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 114	hi guys, i'm 70,and been collecting for 50yrs......................jimmy

26th November 2012, 10:09 AM	#23
Dom Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Paris (FR*) Cairo (EG) Posts: 1,142	how I've been able to ignore this fantastic post? I am almost 71, and my passion for weapons and armor back to ... as far as I can remember when I was really a kid in my mountains in South-Western France, too many castles, too many legends, all dating back to the Middle Ages, that's made me a lot dreaming, and even a dreamer our tradition is to always have in our pocket, our traditional knife, a "Laguiole" I had mine, as gift for my 10 years then at school, my favorite pastime was to draw; helmets, swords, sabers my first collection has been constituted of firearms, then, due to hardening regulations and the vagaries of life, I have sold everything I restarted to collect edged weapons in the 80's when I went to the Middle East, as x-pat, since I'm married to an "Arabist" younger than me by 10 years, who share my passion for Islamic weapons and armor, she is your translator for your Arabic inscriptions I've a nephew, here in Egypt (among ... many others ) to who I've offered this year a "short flissa" and a book (in French) concerning the Islamic edged weapons, he is absolutely crazy for edged weapons ... to help him to identify the knifes it would have to see thank you for Atlantia to have initiated this post à + Dom

26th November 2012, 03:55 PM	#24
Maskell Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 38	hi guys, i'm 70,and been collecting for 50yrs......................Jerry Actually I cut & past Jimmy's reply as my info is exactly the same.