Is this an "old man's hobby"?

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

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.

Barry was always the epitome of the adventurer/collector, and visiting him in his mini-Smithsonian in Oklahoma was something I will NEVER forget!
There was not an empty surface in his house that was not a display of something!
Always miss you my friend.

For me, collecting started much like this, I was a kid in Utah, WWII had been over just over 9 years. You could buy old bayonets out of barrels in surplus stores, and a guys dad had been a guard at a POW camp.....gave me a bunch of German medals, helmet etc.
That sent me off to US medals and patches (also in these stores).
Eventually by the 60s in southern Calif. I got my first sword, a Moro keris in a garage, my payment for helping sand down a Model A frame!

Off I went! My first regulation sword an old British M1796 heavy cav disc hilt...it was so exciting, especially that I had a book on old swords ("American & European Swords" Claude Blair, 1962)...and one of these was 'in the book'!!!
I could say........look! I have one of these!

My love of history had reached a third dimension as I could actually own the weapons used in events, times and places that fascinated me. With the cost of weapons usually a bit out of reach, I began buying books........and soon realized....it was studying the HISTORY of these weapons that was my passion, more than actually collecting them.
I still bought them, but aligned with things I was studying.........and was more for having singular representative examples of historic themes.

So for me it has been more a lifetime of research and serious study of arms history, and I have gratefully learned so much from the many authors and collectors who have virtually mentored me over so many years. These pages on these forums have presented the greatest opportunities for me over the past over two decades! and I will always remember the great discussions and adventures shared!
Now at 75, still hooked on research, but those swords collected years ago still with me. They have been my friends and guides into history........that rusty, beaten old disc hilt is still there.........smiling!
After all, well venerated at 215 yrs.....to my paltry 75!!!!