Is this an "old man's hobby"?

Norman McCormick · 21st November 2012, 10:36 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, 10:50 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, 12:55 AM

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

All the Best
Jeff

Andrew · 22nd November 2012, 01:21 AM

44

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

Battara · 22nd November 2012, 02:44 AM

Quote:

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 · 22nd November 2012, 04:25 AM

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 · 22nd November 2012, 05:02 AM

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 · 22nd November 2012, 06:15 AM

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.

Royston · 22nd November 2012, 02:25 PM

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 · 22nd November 2012, 02:27 PM

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

RDGAC · 22nd November 2012, 02:44 PM

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

Jim McDougall · 22nd November 2012, 03:09 PM

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

Andrew · 24th November 2012, 04:20 PM

Quote:

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 · 25th November 2012, 12:35 AM

Quote:

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 · 25th November 2012, 01:14 AM

Quote:

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

Andrew · 26th November 2012, 11:51 PM

Quote:

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 · 25th November 2012, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew

lol.

Submission wrestling (w/a little BJJ)

Keep it clean!

Andrew · 26th November 2012, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atlantia

Keep it clean!

lol

Battara · 25th November 2012, 12:57 AM

Quote:

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 · 26th November 2012, 11:55 PM

Quote:

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...

CourseEight · 22nd November 2012, 01:23 AM

32, and been collecting about 10 years.

Berkley · 22nd November 2012, 02:43 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.

weapons 27 · 23rd November 2012, 04:26 PM

I am 48 years , I have been collecting for about 10 years

antoine

not2sharp · 23rd November 2012, 07:08 PM

I am 50, and I have been collecting and trading things since very early in life.

n2s

KuKulzA28 · 23rd November 2012, 09:08 PM

22 currently.

I like history and martial arts, and it led me to collecting antique weapons. But I am not much of a collector... I buy, enjoy it for a bit, and then sell to recuperate the cost. So I'm not big on collecting, due to a combination of cost, taking up space, and not really using them.... but they are very nice.

Timo Nieminen · 23rd November 2012, 09:52 PM

45. I'm a martial-arts oriented collector, weapons as objects of use, rather than objects of art. So I have modern replicas, mass-produced military edged weapons, and ethnographic weapons. Some stuff purely as art, but that's a spin-off from the main "user" collection.

Iliad · 26th November 2012, 07:48 PM

Aged 71; started collecting about 12 years ago. Collecting edged weapons seems to be an incurable disease. Is there any way out?
But I have made so many friends!
Brian

Peter Andeweg · 25th April 2020, 02:44 PM

I'm 29 years of age. After a period in the military, it all started about 7 years ago to study and deal mostly in arms and armor. I spent the last 5 years in the study of oriental arms and armor including tribal and ethnographic weaponry.
This forum is a huge plus when it comes to combining knowledge in this specific field of interest.

Hope to share and gain extensive knowledge on this forum in the future.

All the best to everyone!

Peter Andeweg

rickystl · 26th April 2020, 03:31 PM

I will turn 70 next month. Bought my first surplus machete with sheath when I was about 10/11 years old. Paid $3.00 for it as I recall. Been shooting/collecting antique guns (and the occasional blade) since I was 14 years old. And it is still a passion. As far as the average age of collectors:

If you ever attend the Antique Arms Show in Baltimore, MD (cancelled this year) it is hard to notice anyone there under the age of 50.

Rick

Jens Nordlunde · 26th April 2020, 04:37 PM

Come on Ariel, I have been retired (early due to the sale of my firm) for more than 22 years. As long as you have hobbies/interests it is no problem.
In a year or so I am closing in on 80, so the rest of you youngsters should take it easy:-).

21st November 2012, 10:36 PM	#1
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,618	[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, 10:50 PM	#2
dana_w Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Southeast Florida, USA Posts: 436	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, 12:55 AM	#3
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, 01:21 AM	#4
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, 04:25 AM	#6
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	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.

22nd November 2012, 05:02 AM	#7
kahnjar1 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND Posts: 2,789	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

22nd November 2012, 06:15 AM	#8
trenchwarfare Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 385	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.

22nd November 2012, 02:25 PM	#9
Royston Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Poole England Posts: 443	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

22nd November 2012, 02:27 PM	#10
bhushan_lawate Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: India Posts: 77	32 now and collecting since the last 8 years or so....!!!!!

22nd November 2012, 02:44 PM	#11
RDGAC Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: York, UK Posts: 167	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

22nd November 2012, 03:09 PM	#12
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,281	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

22nd November 2012, 01:23 AM	#21
CourseEight Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Coral Springs, FL Posts: 222	32, and been collecting about 10 years.

22nd November 2012, 02:43 AM	#22
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.

23rd November 2012, 04:26 PM	#23
weapons 27 Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 462	I am 48 years , I have been collecting for about 10 years antoine

23rd November 2012, 07:08 PM	#24
not2sharp Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 210	I am 50, and I have been collecting and trading things since very early in life. n2s

23rd November 2012, 09:08 PM	#25
KuKulzA28 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: between work and sleep Posts: 731	22 currently. I like history and martial arts, and it led me to collecting antique weapons. But I am not much of a collector... I buy, enjoy it for a bit, and then sell to recuperate the cost. So I'm not big on collecting, due to a combination of cost, taking up space, and not really using them.... but they are very nice.

23rd November 2012, 09:52 PM	#26
Timo Nieminen Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 422	45. I'm a martial-arts oriented collector, weapons as objects of use, rather than objects of art. So I have modern replicas, mass-produced military edged weapons, and ethnographic weapons. Some stuff purely as art, but that's a spin-off from the main "user" collection.

26th November 2012, 07:48 PM	#27
Iliad Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 187	Aged 71; started collecting about 12 years ago. Collecting edged weapons seems to be an incurable disease. Is there any way out? But I have made so many friends! Brian

25th April 2020, 02:44 PM	#28
Peter Andeweg Member Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: Vlissingen, Netherlands Posts: 71	I'm 29 years of age. After a period in the military, it all started about 7 years ago to study and deal mostly in arms and armor. I spent the last 5 years in the study of oriental arms and armor including tribal and ethnographic weaponry. This forum is a huge plus when it comes to combining knowledge in this specific field of interest. Hope to share and gain extensive knowledge on this forum in the future. All the best to everyone! Peter Andeweg

26th April 2020, 03:31 PM	#29
rickystl Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: St. Louis, MO area. Posts: 1,632	I will turn 70 next month. Bought my first surplus machete with sheath when I was about 10/11 years old. Paid $3.00 for it as I recall. Been shooting/collecting antique guns (and the occasional blade) since I was 14 years old. And it is still a passion. As far as the average age of collectors: If you ever attend the Antique Arms Show in Baltimore, MD (cancelled this year) it is hard to notice anyone there under the age of 50. Rick

26th April 2020, 04:37 PM	#30
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Come on Ariel, I have been retired (early due to the sale of my firm) for more than 22 years. As long as you have hobbies/interests it is no problem. In a year or so I am closing in on 80, so the rest of you youngsters should take it easy:-).