[Jean Thibodeau]

First memories of interest in history & weapons ?

I could also ask how old were you when you can remember an interest in history and weapons, but that would have been too long for the Topic title.

My first memories is my Mom telling me stories about the Trojan war and mostly the part about the Trogan Horse: I would constantly ask her to retell the story. Now, I was about 2 or 3 years old and its been downhill ever since.

Between 5 or 6 years old some sort of dramatic program about Joan of Arc on T.V. : basically wanted a sword and go save her or something. I vaguely remember feeling mad about the cruelty and injustice about it at the time, just writing this I can still relive the feeling.

And I can still remember a plastic sword and a metal shield set with a VERY Shrek like plastic helm.

Then there is the Davy Crocket Racoon cap, fringed coat and flintlock pistol and longrifle. Oh, the longrifle barrel got broken off in a swing mishap by getting hit by the swing chain ......... That one still hurts !

Well, you can get the idea that I was almost born with a toy sword in my hand or I should have.

[Max von Bargen]

I was always mildly interested in weapons and military history, but when I went seriously downhill was when my mom misguidedly bought me John Warry's Warfare in the Classical World. It was a bit hardcore for someone nine years old, but hey, I liked the pictures, and especially the battle diagrams. Then, when I was 13 or so, I got Sir Charles Oman's The Art of War in the Middle Ages, Vol. II and that sent me on a spree of military history-buying books. I got into Medieval weapons shortly thereafter. Now my childhood passion for military history has spiraled downward to a point of no return. Oh well, I don't mind!

[Jonathan Harton]

For me it started when I was around 2 or 3 and watched a show on The Learning Channel (before it became obsessed with moving furniture and planting gardens) called Secrets of the Ancient World or something like that. It was a history show made for young kids. That started it for me and I had a passive interest in most things historical from that early age. Then when I was about 8 I was walking in my school's library and tripped over a book sticking out of the bottom shelf titles The Golden Book of the Civil War. It just so happend that a ACW reenactor was coming to speak to my scout troop that night and I took it home to check things out and gather some questions before I met him. I read the whole 600 odd page book in 3 days. At the time, that was the largest book I had ever read. From then on, I was hooked.

Being a Southner, living 3 miles from 4 battlefields/skirmish sites, and having 3 ancestors who fought for the South, it was just natural to me. While most kids read The Box Car Children, I was commiting to memory the tactical manuevers of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville and reading Shelby Foote.

The Civil War led me to the American Revolution, Seven Year's War, and Napoleon. Then I went to WWI & II. Then I hit the Middle Ages about Middle School. Out of everything, my interests are tied between 18th and early 19th Century American and European and Early to High Medieval Western European warfare. I just love the rawness of both these eras more than any others.

[Jeff Hsieh]

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I pretty much grew up on that movie, and it sparked interest in so many historical periods for me. Biblical Palestine, the Crusades, the World Wars... Of course it's supposed to be a self-aware, all-in-good-fun adventure movie, but when I was younger it was deadly serious stuff.

[J. Bedell]

I don't know what initially sparked my interest but I always loved medieval history. I grew up watching movies like "The Princess Bride", "A Kid in King Arthur's Court" and other such historical type fantasy movies. When I started school my parents bought me Eyewitness Books "Knight". I still read it at least once a year just for the fun of it. Then two years later when I turned seven I got my first sword. It was one of those cheap Toledo swords. Ever since then I've been hooked.

-James

p.s. I still have the sword, a nice rapier. It has an excellent thrust but is wide enough to have a nice cut as well. I have used that sword for vigorous cutting/thrusting and even some fencing. It is a very solid well made sword. I am surprised it has lasted so long.

[Richard Eskite]

I think it was a teenage visit to a (at the time, 1967 or so) twenty-something Dennis Graves in Boulder, Colorado. His folks were friends with the mother of a boyhood pal and, knowing what we liked, thought it a good idea to take us to see him. I'll never forget how cool it was to be able to hang out with this young man who, even at the time, was the official armorer of the University of Colorado Shakespeare Festival. He showed us a few historical fencing moves and the swords he was working on and we were highly impressed. I thought it was unspeakably cool that he was researching historical sword fighting styles and helping the performers at the festival incorporate them into their plays. I never saw him again, but I really ought to acquire one of his rapiers as a tribute to him.

One of my favorite books as a kid was George Cameron Stone's Glossary. I also read the Trilogy over a dozen times. I just stopped counting at 12. Even earlier than that, I was captivated by Norse mythology from the time I could choose my own reading material. The S (sword) book of the Encyclopedia Britannica at our house was notably more worn than any of the other books.

[Jonathan Blair]

I was five years old at the time when my grandfather showed me his ceremonial Masonic sword. It was a smallsword in design with a straight cross and lots of decoration. I have a picture of me in my pyjamas with the sword held aloft in my hand, belt and scabbard at my waist, and this rather silly looking hat with a feather atop my head. Everytime I went to visit my grandparents I would beg him to show the sword to me. He even challenged me to a duel when I showed him a cheap plastic sword I had gotten one year. When he died back in July 1989, my grandmother planned to give me the sword, but the local Masons "claimed" it.

[Edward Hitchens]

I know I've mentioned this on here somewhere before, but it's always fun to reminisce.

For me it wasn't until I was in my early twenties. It all started at the '98 Ohio Ren festival. My best friend brought me there for the first time. I loved all the sights and sounds of the festival (keep in mind, I knew nothing of the Medieval or Renaissance period). He brought me to a booth called The Pirate's Treasure that sold souvenirs and other trinkets but mostly swords and daggers (Windlass/Paul Chen/Hanwei/CAS Iberia items). My friend had me try on a rapier + baldric & scabbard. I took one look at myself in the mirror and then BOOM -- I became hooked; my bank accounts have been suffering ever since. I paid $315 for that entire ensemble which I still have.

My interest began with the Renaissance then the later Baroque/Roccoco periods. I then shifted backwards to the Medieval period with a casual interest in ancient Rome (you can thank Ridley Scott for that). My interests now are largely Medieval, though after visiting Ireland three years ago, I'm now a sucker for anything Celtic. On that note, time for a Guiness!

[Joe Fults]

Dunno...old Erol Flynn movies perhaps?

Three muskateers book and movies (not the recent Disney ones).

Tolkein books and the cartoons.

Excalibur (neked females were a bonus!!)

D&D sealed the deal.

Then a torrent of bad fantasy movies in the 80's (and more neked females!!!!)

[Bob Burns]

The seed was planted in July of 2002 which puts me in my forties, after my wife mentioning going to the Bristol Renaissance Fair in Wisconsin just north of the IL/WI border. We'd walked through most of the fair and had happened upon three different sword dealers and my interest of swords was still a zero. However, the whole renaissance thing had definitely struck a pleasure center in my brain. Then way in the back near the jousting grounds we came upon the Arms & Armor booth, and though I did not buy anything in the year of 2002 on any of our visits, it was the first sighting of the high quality swords in the Arms & Armor booth that the seed was first planted.
In 2003 on our first seasonal visit to the fair I bought the 12th century spear, as money was still far too tight to entertain the idea of a sword and I was not going to settle for anything less than an Arms & Armor sword. In 2004 and our first seasonal visit to the fair I bought the Saxon Parrying Dagger and this was when the interest really took hold.
Opening day of 2005 I bought the Medici dagger and a couple weeks later I called and ordered the German Bastard Sword. When I opened that box I was hit with a tsunami of pleasure so powerful that I just plain went "TILT" and all hope of return to sanity and self control was lost and here I am now, the happiest I have ever been in my life about any interest or hobby I have ever endeavored in my life by a far and wide margin
Now I finally have my first Albion and it's the Berserkr, to go along with the umpteen swords and weapons I've bought from Arms & Armor and I see no end in sight! I've also bought numerous books and dvds in this area of interest and it's like I just cannot seem to get enough of it

Well, all I can say is that I am happy beyond all description!

Sincerely,

Bob