[Bob Burns]

Mutual Respect Gary, from One Karate Black Belt to another Karate Black Belt! I too, loved to "bang heads and bodies and get banged back from time to time so as to feel the bravo of the Ooomph. Many of our Forum Colleagues may not understand this and think the two of us are "Nuts", but "We" Know what we mean
I too, am too old and also broken down to sport fight anymore either. I went back the week before 9/11 at age 44 to pursue that Black Belt that eluded me a couple of times previously. Once because the school went out of business and the other because of a job that I took for employment made continued study impossible.
As totally Insane as this sounds, it is quite true! For three years I was in chronic pain in my back, all of it, not just the lumbar region, so I used my great insurance provided by my RN wife to get chiropractic therapy. Took over 200 chiropractic sessions to get me there.
Right after I was awarded my Black Belt for Karate by Keith Hackney of UFC fame and also a former Navy SEAL. I had a complete X-Ray series of my entire spine and both shoulders. Arthritis everywhere, so I then had the same done in MRI series. As a result 5 minor hernias (2 in the cervical and 3 in the lumbar, but No stenosis and nothing pressing on any nerves, good spaces too, but lots of osteophytes "bone spurs") joined the long list of junk in my back and shoulders.
Suffice to say, October 2004 ended my karate days. Pain is under control now.
Anyway, this was the driving force that sent me pondering to look for something "almost anything" to get me out of my resulting depression. This is what led me to the passion of this hobby that I now share with all of you! And I Love this more than karate or any other interest in my lifetime!
By the way, my wife thought I was completely Nuts to put myself through all the physical pain to get that Belt, but I did it meritoriously! Now I look back and wonder how in the hell did I do that?!
This is all kind of relevant to the thread in a way, because it was another passionate scenario that I was obsessed with, but not as obsessed and passionate as I am about "This" Obsession

I am so grateful and Glad to be here with all of you and I am so very lucky to have the wife I have been graced with in life, 16 years now.

Speaking of Gayle, I am attatching a photo of us in period attire at the Bristol Renaissance Fair in August, 2006.

She loves her 5 daggers and is really looking forward to the matching German Rapier from Arms & Armor that I am going to buy for her!

Thanks for reading this post that kind of wandered.

Bob

[Rod Walker]

Well, here is my wife Michelle coming towards the camera.

[Gary A. Chelette]

[Colin F.]

At first I think my fiancée thought it was a bit weird but since then she has accepted me for the fact I love what I do and she knows how interested I am in it...she saw how many books and print outs I had on my shelf at home!!!

But this was the clincher...

Last Saturday was our engagement party, we've been engaged since July, but as it is a while before our wedding we thought we should see family members and long lost friends before then (can't tell what the future holds, esp for older family). Her parents surprised us with a cake and I gave a short speech to thank everyone for coming. I was about to go cut the cake, but my fiancée stepped forward and declared that she had a surprise for me. Out from underneath the long table came a long slim black rifle case, and inside it was a pristine Albion Liechtenauer that had arrived via Albion Europe (thanks Soren and Albion!!!! It's amazing!!!) the Wednesday before. It is now sitting in pride of place next to my Mark Vickers hand and a half on an I-beam that spans one wall of my apartment.

So, all things being considered, I think she's supportive of what I do!!!

And, I think the Albion bug has bitten me...roll on the next few pay packets and hopefully an I.33!!!!

[Bob Burns]

Such Powerful words of praise from a Grand Master "Shishi Dan = 7th Degree Black Belt"

Sensei Gary, I am not even sure I know the words to describe how good your words have made me feel

Yes Sir, Gary, for years it haunted me that I had left that goal of Shodan undone (1st Degree Black Belt)
It was always there somewhere in the back of my mind maybe, but the haunt never left me.
"Keith Hackney", who I referred to in a prior post, was the Sensei who awarded me the many years longed for black belt, also owns a very successful heating and air conditioning company. It was Keith who initially came to my house to give me the estimate. I had seen his fights on UFC videos and had known of him for many years. Thus being so, when he came into my house, my wife and I were both home, but I was so awe struck that while Keith checked the house and existing heating and air system out, all I could talk about was martial arts, his UFC fights and the fact that he was a
Navy SEAL!
I must have had an ember still smoldering in my spirit for that black belt, because in no time I was an inferno of enthusiasm! Especially after Keith told me that he had a school, to which I enrolled the following week.
After I had completed all the MRIs and got the results back, which was a couple of weeks after the black belt promotion. I brought the results by the dojo (school) to show Keith what I had been training in karate with, which is just plain insane but I did not know what was wrong. Keith read all the MRI results and looked at me like I was some kind of alien life form! Then he went on to describe "his" shock!

Grand Master Gary, I am so very humbled by your gracious words to me, I shall strive to be worthy of your recognition!
I am very familiar with what you said about us being willing to risk all in defence of the ones we love or sometimes even others, but I will refrain from elaborating. Only to say that I have not let you down in this area, Sir!

Ever So Grateful In a Most Humbled Manner

Bob

In learning of my Collector Colleagues experiences and situations with spouses and or other relationships to which they must relate with, some very supportive and accepting, some foreboding, and everyone between these perameters, my geniune appreciation of Gayle (my wife) continues to grow in the fact of just how very lucky I am to have her in my life!

[Bob Burns]

The "They" in my life is my wife of nearly 17 years "Gayle" and yesterday she received the Arms & Armor
"German Rapier" with a customized hilt of her very own as a gift from me to go with the other part of the gift, that being the German Parrying Dagger. Of course, that is Gayle pictured with me, which is at the Bristol Renaissance Faire on the border of IL. and WI. in 2003.
Gayle was ecstatic with joy and happiness when it arrived yesterday around 4 pm, the delivery date worked out to be perfect, as she was off work Wednesday and was alone with our beloved canine athlete Amazon Golden Retriever of 91 lbs. and a very beautiful reddish Golden of 5 years "Rosie".
I usually get home from work somewhere between 4:30 and 6 pm, but today was a short bit of a longer day and then I ran into a hellacious traffic jam on Rt. 83 because of a traffic light being out and no police to direct traffic, which result in it taking me 40 minutes to travel 3 lousy miles !
As 4:30, 5:00, 5:30, 6:00 and 6:30 came and went, Gayle could take it no longer, she had been waiting for me to get home because this was a gift to her from me and she wanted to share that moment with me. Like "Us" the obsessed collectors, etc. , she could take it no longer and opened the parcel box at a couple of minutes after 6:30 and there it was in all it's glory with it's custom hilt (ultra high end attention to the details and finishing of the hilt) gleaming back at her,
the German Rapier!
I could tell by looking at the box, that she had cut with a knife and ripped open both ends of the box in her excitement
When I got home she was sitting on the couch watching HBO and holding her brand new rapier with an expression of absolute euphoria on her face! She said how she had wanted to wait for me to get open before she opened it but she just could not take it any longer and she just had to open the box so she could look at it and hold it!
I had told her a few times after the rapier had been ordered and this is her most favorite rapier, that the day she gets the rapier she will be even happier and much more excited. She's always admired my selections of swords and other arms & armor (pardon the pun) and how she very much likes the 5 daggers that I have bought her but she's not any where near as obsessed as I am, that she admires my hobby but her hobby is gardening, inside and outside. In the house she's got at least 20 orchid plants, a few which I've bought her as a surprise, yes we create our own oxygen. LOL!
She confessed to me when I got home that she had not been able to put the rapier down since she opened the box, which means she had been holding and playing with her new rapier for 40 minutes!
I told her that now she knows how I feel when I am able to get a new sword, to which she readily agreed. However, my pace of acquisitions has slowed way down for some time now, I just cannot afford doing that any more. I had some money come my way and I chose to spend it on my new found passion and hobby of my lifetime and I wanted to establish a well rounded collection of swords, polearms, daggers and a few pieces of armor (no plate armor). Also to acquire for Gayle and myself, one full kit of period clothing for both Gayle and myself in late 16th century attire. As well as to build a DVD collection of sword related movies and documentaries and a personal library of related books. Both libraries which are pretty large, lot's of DVDs and around 110 books.
I showed Gayle the six books that I have specifically on the rapier, all of which are very good. I gave her three to start off with, Tom Leoni's book, Guy Windsor and John Clements books. If I know Gayle, she will in fact read and study these books!

I am really blessed to have Gayle in my life as my wife and I know it very well!

Bob

[Jean Thibodeau]

Sounds like a really special moments and although it might have been nice to be there when she opened the box you were sparred the " trauma " of watching her open the package and being nervous about whether she would like it or not.

On the other hand coming in after the opening with her holding it with a beaming smile must have been very special and also unique as a special moment.

Oh, and as I mentioned in an e-mail I just sent you, it might be interesting if you could both start rapier or Longsword training or classes together or at least go to some big seminar to get a jump start on it.

Anyway, nice post, and thanks for sharing a nice sword related Valentine's day story. ( Was that the plan or just good
planning and luck ? ).

[Bob Burns]

I forgot to mention that Gayle already named her German Rapier, "Berengaria" (wife of Richard I "The Lionheart").
Obviously, she was not looking to be period or culture correct with the naming process, it's her rapier and she can name it as she so chooses, I am just blown away and very happy that she has a true interest in our hobby to some extent!
In regard to a name for the German Parrying Dagger, she name it "Elysse", upon my asking her the relevance of this name, she said none. That it was just a German name that she has always liked very much and she does have a lot of German Ancestry, she is a Pennsylvania German.
She's also expressed an interest in reading and studying the rapier books and that she now has a real purpose to do so, since she has a rapier that is her very own and that this rapier is "Very Special" to her in many ways. One of them being that in regard to herself, she considers this rapier to be another diamond from me to her and that she has enough jewelry and that this rapier is a jewel to her. Another reason the rapier is very special to her, is the fact that she has always admired this particular rapier above all others that she has seen and now she has one of her own.
Also, since she is 5 ft. 2 1/2", this rapier which is among the shortest and lightest that Arms & Armor makes (Gayle has a lot of admiration for Arms & Armor, Albion Swords, Peter Johnsson and Patrick Barta) "these are the sword companies and smiths that she knows a little something about.

I have heard many stories wherein the wife, girlfriend, etc, is not very obliging or tolerant of one of my collector colleague's ambitions to buy swords, build up a collection, practice with them, study and learn the ways they were used in history. Let alone that the "significant other" won't allow the swords to be displayed where people can see them or won't allow any money spent over and above a certain limit that chokes out the collector's chances of buying a really nice sword!

My heart goes out my fellow hobbyists and what all they have to deal with, which constricts their achieving the goals that they desire to accomplish. I am truly very lucky and I do not take it for granted, not only is my wife tolerant, she is supportive, above and beyond that she even has a certain ambition of her own to some extent. For example, Gayle has a special liking of well made daggers which inludes from Windlass, the Coustile, the Sword Hilted Medieval Dagger, a Bronze Hilted Dagger ( I may be wrong on the name), from Arms & Armor, the Elector of Saxony Dagger with ornate scabbard and the German Parrying Dagger. All of which I have bought for her in the last couple of years.

One Very Lucky and Grateful Collector

Bob

[Bob Burns]

In regard to Jean's recent post where he raises some interesting ideas, I have discussed with Gayle some of the various options, initially, to read and study one or some of my six books on the mechanics of the rapier, especially the Italian style and she was receptive of the idea. I also said to her that like karate (which she is familiar with having seen me spar and so forth) that swordsmanship or rapier dueling are in fact martial arts, therefore so likewise it is necessary to practice the various movements over and over so as to achieve "muscle memory", therefore training the body, mind and spirit to come together as one. Achieving this has many benefits, particularly the ability to use the rapier in such a way, after extensive training, to be able to perform strikes, parries, counter attacks without having to think them through first.
However, most importantly, the rapier is a gift and she is under No obligation whatsoever!

Taking a course together can and would be a very positive thing to do together, but right now as I told her, just enjoy the rapier in whatever manner you like. As I mentioned, I have 6 excellent books on the instruction of the rapier and she is one exceptionally brilliant person. As a matter of fact, she was taken out of the neighborhood grade school at age 8 and placed in a school for gifted children with an IQ of 135 or more. I've enhanced my vocabulary quite a bit in the last 18 years!

Sincerely!

Bob

[Christopher Gregg]

I am fortunate (like many others on this forum) to have a wife who shares quite a lot of interest in my sword collecting hobby, and who likes to collect a bit herself. We are both living history enthusiasts - she is into mid to late 19th century and we both share interests in 18th century Colonial America, as well as being hopeless Rennies! One of our first dates was a trip to the Ohio Renaissance Faire, back when Arms and Armor had a booth there. I had told her about their wares, and we both were impressed by the quality of the displayed stock. If only we had the money back then to get started collecting really good swords!

Over our more than 14 years together, we have attended many Ren Faires in the Midwest, but especially enjoy going to the Bristol Ren faire, where Bob and his lady attend (we hope to meet you both this year!). My wife Lynn indulges my hobby more than she ought to, but at least I include her in the deal when purchases are made - I remember ordering her a custom-shortened German Branch Sword from A&A after buying MY German Rapier! She loved the fact that she could wear an A&A piece to the faires (she's only 5'2")!

Since we bought our first house together about 6 years ago, my collecting has been limited to about one sword and one or two custom knives a year, but I always try to give Lynn first right of refusal on any purchase made using "our" money. To date, Lynn owns her A&A short German Branch Sword, a Mad Piper early Baskethilt, a Jody Samson Arming Sword, a Windlass Anelace, a Hanwei Katana and Wakizashi, an Old Dominion Scottish dirk, and about three of Glenn McClain's Highland knives. My own collection is admittedly much larger, but I consider them all to be hers, too.

I must add that I appreciate this thread - it's nice to recognize the shared enthusiasm our families can have in each other's lives. My father likes my hobby, but my mom could care less (but what do you expect from your mom! )

[Peter Bosman]

Like I wrote earlier I do not collect and my wife does not see the use for old or replica swords. She still expects me to bring something edible home that I shot with the saddle gun per example

Yesterday our taichi instructor visited us and she, after having seen us practicing on our own patio, remarked: ' why do you not buy an authentic jian?!; the better balance of THAT has sense.'

peter

[Bennison N]

Have a custom Jian made to your dimensions. For Tai Ji, the sword's length should reach from your belly button to the floor.

My girlfriend is Japanese. She found me my Katana in Japan.

She loves my attitude and affectionate nature when I have recently won a match. She hates my attitude and brooding nature when I have lost. But she understands, I think. And she's tough as hell! Just ask the guy who tried to grab her purse at last years' Lantern Festival here in Auckland (she broke his tailbone)! She even does the bucket for me at Muay Thai fights.

We do have one issue... The sword room. I have a room of my house that is purely for swords, and cleaning kits, sharpening gear, etc.. Recently, I ordered a custom sword to be made by Jot SIngh Khalsa. Now I have been given an ultimatum... sell some of the older swords, or I can't buy the new one. It's going to be a very nice replica of Gou Jian's sword (for those who don't know, Gou Jian's sword is a Chinese National Treasure and sat for 2500 years underwater without tarnishing, rusting or breaking.).

So we'll see how that turns out. Now that I know a few more enthusiasts, I might even have to see if any of you guys want to buy some excellent weapons...

[Anders Backlund]

So, I went to see the psychologist today, and he asked what I wanted to do with my life. I said I'd like to write, maybe study and that I wasn't sure otherwise.

...I wonder what he would have said if I had worked up the courage to admit I'd also want to start up a company for producing and selling swords?

[Peter Bosman]

[Bennison N]

Heavy and slow just means more practise. You'll have to practise when you get a new sword anyway, right? You can control the weight, the length, width, balance, colour, whatever... but you'll never be able to "work" it right on the very first go.

What lineage is your Taiji? Mine was Chen, and I found that Ba Gua Zhang Jianshu supplemented it so well. It may have been a Daoist (Taoist, however you want to spell it...) Martial Arts thing, perhaps, but they compliment each other and both improve for practise of the other. Hsing-I Jianshu, which is probably more suited to a Dao, places a lot of emphasis on Jing Qi Shen, and that helps a lot with all swordsmanship, and in particular the Daoist/Taoist brands of Chinese origin.

All my jian are made with around 80cm blades and 23cm handles, because 103cm is the distance from my belly button to the floor. the longer than usual handle allows for some two-handed jianshu practise with the same jian, providing variety for matches. I have only ever once had a shorter jian, and it felt, well, wrong... And because I am taller than the very vast majority of Chinese people, I have all my Jian custom-made.

[Bennison N]

And I love the fact my girlfriend can look after herself. That way, I know she's safe, and it has to be serious for her to tell me about it. She wasn't always like that, she lacked confidence and was the quintessential Japanese obedient woman for quite a while, before she gained the confidence and assertiveness she has now.

[Peter Bosman]

Assertiveness and agression are not the same. Physical agression again is something else, even defensive.

Blade length is a bone of contention and whichever way one looks at it a longer, heavier blade is longer and heavier, period.
In the case of a specific sword a sinificant deviation in geometry, p.e. in length may even make it a different type of sword because of the deviation of typical length and weight.
A Han-period blade will be longer than a Qing militia sword. Both are called jian if they have parallel double edge straight blades. They are however seperated by roughly 2000 years, served a differant purpose and ask differant handling: not quite the same swords at all.
A good example can be seen from the late Qing jians: there are roughly two main groups. The heavier, thicker service blade and the form/practice blade. They are typicaly both good quality sandwiched steel and pretty much the same save for blade thickness. This distinguishes the blade radically though in the way they are most effectively handled. I am only interested in the ' unreal' aspect
From what I gather, and that may be wrong, your interest is more into the battle effectiveness, which is fair enough though different.

My love and I both practice taichi (yang) and have different goals & benefits. Neither of us however is interested in the martial arts side of it. I do benefit greatly from the body balance and -controll with minimal effort. Sword forms help. I thus look for a tool to aid me in achieving lightness and balance, NOT for the most effective fighting tool. A wooden one may do the same job just as well, I do not know and I am quite happy to follow the advice of my taichi teacher and the chinese sword experts: I do not have sufficient knowledge, experience or capability to wish otherwise. In fact I have no interest in acquiring these; it is quite enough challenge to feed my hunger for this concerning horseriding.
My wife has observed the benefits for me and suggested I get a 'properly' balanced jian. Rather understanding I think.

Your wife is quite understanding about your sword room which is great for you, mine about my saddle room; her observation about the jian was an unexpected extra

Enjoy the understanding.

peter

[Justin King]

In my case, we will see when my A&A Durer arrives (happy birthday to me)-I hope it lives up to everything I have read about it. I had better get her something nice for her B-day this year though, or there will be trouble, and probably not the fun kind...
Really, she takes it gragiously most of the time, especially considering how much more time and money I spend in my workshop. As long as I'm not being TOO irresponsible, that is. Bills get paid even if I have to sell a sword from my collection now and then to do so.
She gives me surprisingly useful and insightful feedback on my smithing and cutlering projects too, and has supported my interest(s) with more patience than one could expect, or should take for granted

[Peter Bosman]

[Bob Burns]

Hi Justin, just curious, is your Durer coming from Arms & Armor or from Kult of Athena? Reason I ask is that I stopped by KoA yesterday and Ryan told me the Durer had been ordered Friday night and so he was going to be shipping it out.
Yes, your going to like the Durer, I own one and it is one very fast sword and an excellent cutter, I can cut through 4 or 5 jugs with one cut with the Durer, easily! I had planned on buying it all along but I had to have the English Longsword first, after the GBS which was the very first sword, then the Knightly Riding Sword, then the English Longsword, then the 3 Ring Rapier, then Henry V. I bought all these swords within 6 or 7 weeks! LOL! My wife was ready to half kill me! Which is why I went into listing all these swords, it does indeed pertain to this thread. Oh and there was a Spiked Buckler and a Medici Dagger in there too. LOL! All in all, my wife was very patient considering how I had gone completely "Gonzo", this was from mid or late July to the last week of August before Labor Day Weekend of 2005.
I purposely listed all these swords for a couple of reasons, to tie in the importance of the Durer to me and to illustrate the onset and pace of my initial collecting that my significant other put up with from me. The Durer had been highly recommended to me by David Peck (a longsword instructor and the A & A Booth Mgr. at the Bristol Faire), he said in his opinion (this is August of 2005 before a lot of Albions came out) it was the best hand and a half sword made!
What helped me survive this without having a sword as a foreign body part via my wife, was the fact that these were all high quality swords, not a waste of money, the first sword was not all of a sudden, I had been contemplating my first sword for 2 years! Plus the fact that a nice little chunk of money had come my way and she knew this was not some passing fad with me, plus the fact that it was pulling me out of a deep depression after finding out I had arthritis through my spine and had to quit Karate the previous autumn just after attaining my black belt. It was a combination of these things that kept me out of the garage and off of the couch.

So I let a couple of months go by and then I ordered the Durer Bastard Sword, fortunately they had one ready to ship, so the Durer was my 6th sword from Arms & Armor.

My collection is pretty large now and from this point on, as well as the past year or so, but especially the present and forward, it's going to be a much slower process of collecting, plus I've got quite a book and DVD library as well as a lot of polearms. So my wife really put up with a lot in the last 2 and a half years, during which time I bought her some nice things, like 2 Nikon film cameras with all the extras she would need, 5 nice daggers, a beautiful 16th Century Dress with all the trimmings including custom made court slippers.
Now she has the Arms & Armor German Rapier with a custom extra clean and highly detailed hilt, and WOW is that hilt spiffed up! I will provide links to photographs in the near future with close ups of the hilt. She really treasures this rapier and I think I mentioned in another post that she told me that to her, this rapier was like getting another diamond! She loves it that much, so yesterday I bought her a pair of the Windlass gauntlets. I also have six books on the rapier which are as follows:
Italian Rapier Combat Capo Ferro's Gran Simulacro by Jared Kirby
Art of Dueling Salvator Fabris by Tommaso Leoni
The Duellist's Companion by Guy Windsor
Renaissance Swordsmanship by John Clements
Arte of Defence by William Wilson
Academy of the Sword Girard Thibault d'Anvers by John Michael Greer

Plus both of the Spadas edited by Stephen Hand, so Gayle has lot's of reference at her disposal!

I know I am a super lucky guy and I count my blessings, she's really tolerated a lot! She said the only reason she tolerated it, though she was about near the limit. LOL! Was because she could clearly see that this is where my heart is at and she's never seen me so excited and devoted to and about any interest like I am about medieval Western European Swords, Arms & Armor. And we have been together since June of 1990 and married since the spring of 1991, so she's known me a long time and she knows me very well! LOL

Justin, a Huge Congratulations on your Durer Bastard Sword by Arms & Armor, your gonna love it

One Lucky Man!

Bob