[Justin King]

Thanks Bob, I did order it from KoA, after some weeks of agonizing over what to buy. I was actually planning on an Albion Yeoman or Castellan but my impatience got the better of me-I want my birthday present on my birthday or at least close, I couldn't find either in stock anywhere or second hand. Unfotunately for those of us who crave instant gratification, wait times for these pieces are around 4 months at the moment. It didn't take me long to talk myself into the Durer, especially since I saved a little $ over my first choices. I have heard nothing but good about this sword so I am excited to see it when it arrives.

[Bob Burns]

Excellent Justin, did your girlfriend buy this Durer for your birthday? You'll be getting it very soon and it's in pristine condition! Your gonna Love this sword! It's everything you've heard and More!

Bob

[Justin King]

Thanks again Bob, I bought this one for myself. I only get about 1 major purchase a year from my regular income, and usually have to justify it to myself as a birthday present. I can trade or sell pieces the rest of the year to fund new stuff but that one outright purchase is what makes the collection grow and richen.

[J. D. Carter]

[Bruno Giordan]

I have to keep most of my stuff at my mother's house since my wife won't tolerate too many things but parts of the piecse I'm working on ....

And I have to scream aloud to mother in order to make her understand the value of such things.

[Edward Hitchens]

Interesting topic! My mom has really come to appreciate not only my sword collection but things like Renaissance faires and the like. Before I'd buy a new sword, I'd always show her a picture of it first - not to get her consent if I can buy it, but just to know what she thinks of it. I remember she was rather disappointed when I sold my Albion 1st Generation Celtic LaTene sword (God, I miss that one!).

My late father, on the other hand, was far less enthusiastic. I'm sure most of you can relate: like any father, his opinion of a sword I was thinking of buying always began with the words "instead of a new sword, why don't you save your money for (...think of something far more expensive than a sword and less useful...)"

Gotta love parents!

[Paul Watson]

I managed to involve my wife in this hobby a couple of weeks ago. I gave her a short list of swords (Machiavelli, Baron, Sovereign and Mercenary) and she had to choose one for me. Fortunately she chose the one I wanted (Machiavelli) with no prompting or indication of preference from myself. I had a fair idea that she would choose this sword however as I correctly guessed it would have the greatest aesthetic appeal to her as a layperson.

She is still in the habit of asking "is the next one going to be the last".

[Pamela Muir]

[Jean Thibodeau]

[Pamela Muir]

[Bob Burns]

J. D. Carter, thank you very much, I gave Gayle the message for you and she said to "Thank You". She's absolutely thrilled with her German Rapier and it is not in any racks with my collection, I also stressed to her that this is specifically "her" sword and dagger as are her other daggers, she now has 5 daggers. But getting her very own rapier and especially it being the German Rapier by Arms & Armor which is her favorite of all production rapiers, she's as thrilled about it as any of us are when we get a new sword or rapier
It means as much to her as that special sword or rapier in our collection means to us, that is to what magnitude she embraces the German Rapier.
I've got some exotic wood and I am planning on making her a display rack for her rapier and 5 daggers, maybe fashion it in some way so that it can be expandable. She does have a special affection for daggers in particular, perhaps she is on the beginnings of a dagger collection? I know that she likes the Arms & Armor German Branch sword a whole lot too!
In the meantime she's all set with the rapier aspect, having the matching dagger, gauntlets by Windlass, plus I have the English Buckler by A & A and the six books on the use of the rapier, she's all set and I gotta say, she's as happy as a lark!
The custom order on an especially clean and highly defined hilt of the rapier really struck her pleasure center in a big way! I am so glad to have a wife who shares my passion to some extent, I am very lucky in this aspect!

Very Lucky Indeed!

Bob

[Christopher Gregg]

Hey Bob,

Your wife sure has good taste! I orderd my wife a custom shortened A&A German Branch Sword about 7 years ago, and she just loves it. Wouldn't it be cool if A&A made a matching dagger as well? I'll try to persuade her to wear her sword to opening day at Bristol Ren Faire this July, and we'll let the ladies brag about their blades (while we do the same over a pint or two)!

Coincidentially, today I'm going to buy one of those new early daggers Craig put up as a special last week. He's got one on hold for me, and I'll be sure to wear it to the faire. See you both then!

[Allen Andrews]

[Bob Burns]

We will definitely see you at the Bristol Faire on Opening Day Christopher, we always go opening day, there's a long line of cars, so the earlier the better in getting there, because that car line does not subside until it's too late to go anyway.
Opening bell is at 10:00, good idea to get in the car line closer to 9 than to 10 or you'll be so far back it will take 45 minutes to get in, especially if the weather is beautiful!
The Bristol Faire is what eventually got me into this hobby and it was my wife who had been suggesting the idea for some time. I never saw a "high quality" European sword before Arms & Armor at the Faire and it started with the
12th Century Saxon Spear when we went the first time in 2003, our first visits were in 2002, the first sword July 2005 and in less than 2 months I had 5 Arms & Armor Swords! I had gone alone on the last Saturday of the Faire and came home with the Henry V Sword because due to a minor defect I got a price I could not walk away from and I knew my wife was going to be livid and at first she was indeed, but after a short amount of time and knowing it was a sword I was going to buy for sure at some point, she understood I could not walk away from the opportunity, besides I paid for it in American Greenbacks AKA Cash!
I've always been quality driven and quite an eye for it too, but I just don't have the deep pockets to go with my taste.
In fact, right now I am trying to engineer a way to buy the Albion Valkyrja this year and not get killed for it, having held that sword at Kult of Athena, it was truly emotionally painful to leave without that sword. I want to take Gayle with me over to
Kult of Athena so that she can see and hold the Valkyrja, if not, well I have dibs on the Arms & Armor St. Maurice Sword when it comes in stock at KoA, there's an English Longsword from A & A on order there too, which I have and it's one of my absolute favorites. Gayle likes that sword a lot too because it's the perfect size for her in a hand and a half sword and it's aesthetically beautiful
I will make it a point to be at the Arms & Armor booth at 11:00 and 12:00 for meeting times Christopher. It's way in the back by the jousting grounds, to the right as you face the jousting grounds.
I still have to get Gayle a the scabbards for the rapier and dagger and the rigging system. I also need a rigging system for my Italian Three Ring Rapier, we both have period aristocracy kits that we wear, so the rapier looks a lot better on me than the Berserkr while in that costume.

Bob

[Justin Smith]

My wife has little interest in my hobby and will not allow me to do any collecting. Any money or space in our home that I occupy necessarially limits her collecting hobby: gemstones. All of our free money goes to more and more gemstones. I would conscider building jeweled weapons, but she won't part with any of them.

My wife is Lao, and fled her home country at three years old, just ahead of a death warrant. Her entire family was to be executed by the "peaceful, agrarian reformers" (Time Magazine quote) of the Pathet Lao for being "race traitors" on account of her brother achieving an 8th grade education. Knowing how to read is apparently borgeous. Incedentally, her death warrant is still in effect should she return to Laos.
Her family, sans eldest brother, lived in a refugee camp in Thailand until she was eight. Refugee girls were often kidnapped and sold to Bangkok brothels, so she dressed as a boy and they had a buddy system to foil kidnappers.
When her family came to the United States, they settled in one of the worst neighborhoods in Sacramento. Violence and crime are a deadly reality in that part of town. Calling the police was useless: they arrive too late and were more likely to arrest you than any perpetrator against you. Ten years later, she still refuses to leave the house after dark because it's "not safe."

She sees no reason for any kind of self-defense.
I don't think she and I are on the same wavelength on this issue. Of course, that is what time and patience are for.

[Nathan M Wuorio]

I have been collecting antique and replica weapons for about three years. My family doesn't see why I have an attraction to weapons of a bygone era. My sister thinks I'm crazy, my father thinks it's a waste of money and my mother just kind of smiles in that "you do that but I disapprove your doing it" fashion. I don't care what they say. I love it and will continue to collect until I die, and then I will be buried with everything I own, all the swords, weapons, books, and other oddities that I have. That's the reason I joined myArmoury, to hang out with other sword and weapon freaks. [As my sister calls us]

Thanks for reading, I really appreciate it.

[Bob Burns]

[Nathan M Wuorio]

I would like to say thank you VERY much for your kind words and your encouragement. And I'm very happy for you. Not only do you have a great wife who understands that you love to collect these weapons, she collects them too. I really hope that you two keep sharing this love of swords and collects many more in the future.

Thanks again.

[Rod S.]

What an interesting mix of replies. Though all of them runs the common thread of men and women determined to pursue their interests. That's wonderful.

She knows my appreciation and use of tools, including wood-working tools, weapons and the lowly box wrench. She approves of my recent decision to practice WMA for health and hobby. It doesn't hurt that She practices and coaches a physically-demanding sport, and is a talented craftsperson. We both have an interest in history and an interest in artifacts from our respective periods of focus. Having fascinations that run in parallel modalities makes our relationship enjoyable and mutually supportive.

Re-enactment doesn't interest me so much as does practice at arms and admiration of warriors' tools over the ages. The tool, and how it's best used, resonates with me. That probably suits Her just fine, who I think would attend a Ren Faire or SCA event only for its day-trip entertainment value. She might have a polite interest in period garments, but that's all I would expect.

Spending is, as others have said, a matter of fiscal responsibility. I did splurge on several swords and some training gear, but those were cash purchases, offset largely through sale of other unneeded and unwanted household treasure. She has a significant investment in her sports and craft pursuits, something I've contributed to and not begrudged Her; so as long as I can maintain a near-zero-sum investment policy I expect little censure. At least that's the plan.

Lastly, I think it helps tremendously that we're both older and chose each other thoughtfully. As insecurities fade, so too do issues of influence and control that might otherwise make pursuit of non-common interests difficult. So long as we support each other, pull together and share hearts, life will be OK.

And I'm now very glad She's such a prolific generator of small plastic water bottles.

[Bennison N]

A little update since I last posted on this thread... I have, for the last 10 days, been playing host to my girlfriend's parents, and for the last 4 days to my ex-girlfriend's entire family (she's Taiwanese, there's only five of them...).

What shocked me this afternoon was seeing my girlfriend's mother on the back lawn doing naginata kata (not just one, either...). At first, I was angry because someone had gone into the sword room without permission (petty, I know...), but I eventually sat and had a beer while I watched her. She started to show off a bit, I think. It turns out that she's really good! So I had a friendly match with her with my new white oak Bokken... I won (I possibly could have been kinder...), but damn, she has some real skill! I asked her how, when, where she had learnt, and it turns out to be an inherited skill from the mother's side, handed down to the girls! So I've advised her to teach my girlfriend (she doesn't want her name shared...) how to do it. She told me that she's tried for years...

Also, Jing Jie (not as shy...), my old Taiwanese girlfriend, has a father who is a critic of everything I do (he's always been like that...), work, play, practice, even my cooking (I trained for two years in the best school in the Southern Hemisphere to become a chef...). He was a gang member as a youngster, so I usually just let him talk his s%&t... But today he was particularly judgmental of my forms, and performance against the Japanese lady (old discriminations die hard...), so I asked him, politely, and in Guoyu, to have a go. He busted out a full 108 step, very advanced (he's about 70 now...) Drunken Sword form with my Han Jian! ( I still think he was trying to show up my girlfriend's mother... THAT would've been a match to record.) I had to match him straight away, with wood, after seeing this, and he beat me! So we matched again... I lost again! The third time I had his beat, his breath and his angles figured, so I won (of course it wouldn't have counted with steel...), but what the hell? Why couldn't he show me this when I was still dating his daughter? Hahaha! I thought he was all talk! I still think that about most of what he says...

Meanwhile, last weekend, I found my first ever Mujian and three red oak Bokken in my father's trailer for dumping at the landfill! I've taken them out, but it seems he's found one of my hiding places at his house (they were buried, along with a Mongolian dagger, in an airtight concrete box under the broccolli)... He's also dead set against me getting a Khopesh, despite my mother being of Arabic ancestry! (I had to try playing that card, as my girlfriend will assassinate me if I buy another sword, so I will have to keep it at the folks' at first...she wants a new car, and I want a Khopesh.) Like someone said at the beginning of this thread, it's definitely "different strokes for different folks", isn't it?