For the past few months I have been "loosing interest" in swords & armour etc. I am still interested and want to learn more as this is such a broad topic. I've also been loosing touch with what is going on here and have not posted for a while. I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions on anything to do to get me a bit more interested or possibly direct me towards any books/ websites/ treads here I have missed. I hope it doesn't sound like a moral support thread :p .
Thanks
-Michael F.

Hmmm...that's a tough one. My three main interests (hobbies) are: swords &armour, muzzleloading guns, and archery. I know that I personally go through "phases" where I temporarily "lose" interest in one hobby and get back into one of the others. There doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason to it, it just happens. A few months ago, i was posting regularly on a muzzleloading forum I belong to, and I wasn't posting/checking in here much at all. Now, it's the reverse; I'm back into the swords & armour thing. It's not so much that I lose interest in these hobbies altogether, it's more like my interest waxes and wanes, but I always eventually get back into whichever hobby(ies) I've been neglecting. Maybe the same is true of you.
It's sort of like within the sword hobby, one week I'll be obsessed with Type XVIII swords and gothic armour, while the next, I'll be more interested in Crusades era stuff: Type X or XII swords, nasal helms, and heater or kite shields, etc. I wouldn't worry about losing interest altogether, but rather, see it as a phase you're going through. I often find that when I'm in a phase where my interest in swords & armour has waned, if I watch a movie on the subject, it rekindles my interest, though not always.
In short, give yourself some time, and don't sweat it. I think you'll find that one day, out of the blue, your interest will return. :)

I find that I go through "spurts." Right now, I am keenly interested, but too tired (the result of working 14 hour days, and a bit over the weekend as well) to really do anything about it. I am kind of in lurk mode here (though I've actually posted a bit in the last couple days). At other times, my interest will wane a bit for no obvious reason (I wish I could say it is because I have to go drive the girls off with a stick, but, alas, such is not the case). I don't think that is inherently bad. After all, there are other facets of life that require ones attention from time to time.

Even if there aren't other things vying for your attention, you might find your interest wandering (I just spent 20 minutes looking at replica smallswords, which definately fits in the "uncommon" catagory for me, and a couple of nights ago the evening was devoted to contemplating accessories for my 1911). I seriously doubt that you are going to "lose interest." Your level of dedication/ the priority of swords and armour might wane for a bit, but it will wax again later. It's not anything that I would worry about too much, but if you are concerned, I would suggest doing some casual research on items that you have not studied before (like maces, shields, or my foray into smallswords).

Also, if you are like me, when your interest in swords waxes, you bank account wanes, so it might not be that bad an idea for some of us to "lose interest" from time to time (if, of course, you consider food to be more important than swords.)

-Grey

P.S. Since G. Scott H. posted while I was typing: I have found watching a movie to be a either a big boost or a big dud (sometimes I can't bring myself to sit through a given movie), and I blame it more on the natural rotation of interests than on the effect of the movie.

Also interesting to notice that G. Scott H. and I both use the terms "wax" and "wane" in refeence to the way our interests transition; maybe we should keep a calendar to see if there is some kind of lunar influence on sword collection. :D

In many ways, my interests have also changed over the last couple years.

I’ve been thinking of this whole arms and armour hobby thing for a long time. It just doesn’t do it for me like it used to. I'm still interested in the whole of the hobby, but the owning and collecting part hasn't really been something I've been into for awhile now.

Having myArmoury and putting out articles, reading what others have to say, owning and reading about the stuff in books: these are all much more interesting to me now days. I’m just not all that into having a bunch of sharp steel things in my house.

Six or seven years ago I was into the reenactment side of things. I still have many costumes and other kit accessories from that time. I've parted with most of it, but I still have a lot of cash invested in that stuff, and yet it's unlikely to ever really grab me again.

I guess I can put forth that hobbies and interests do change and my solution has been to find a new, but related, way of making it exciting again. As I mentioned, having a site like this has done it for me. Others who have written for the site have told me that it brings a new interest to them and gets them jazzed and then that excitement goes down the line to the related things the hobby has to offer. Many others have told me that meeting new people through forums like this and other events has added the human element that keeps them interested. When one does this, the "stuff" becomes secondary.

For most of us this is just a hobby. Interests and diversions can and do change, so I say just do whatever floats your boat for now. I suspect that some time away will help you decide if this stuff really matters to you. If it does you'll find a way back to it. It is does not, its all just water under the bridge.

I guess the best bit of advice I could give is, "Don't force it". After all, it's a hobby and when hobbies stop being fun and require you to do more than you really want, they become work. Life's far too short for an excessive amount of that!

That being said, If you just aren't sure where to direct your energies, you may try a Do-It-Yourself project. Making your own sword or armor related gear can be lots of fun. You could work with fabric, leather, wood, metal, etc, and each project can demand different sets of skills that can be a great challenge.

Best of luck which ever path you go down, and whatever you do, make sure it's fun!

Hi Michael

Some of us have been around the sword boards a long time and have seen many people come and go as interest levels adjust. Part of it is just life. Passion is a powerful thing and if it burns very brightly at the beginning it came exhaust your fuel before you get to experience the depth and breadth of the subject.

A lot of what the others suggested are good ways to understand your personal journey and decide where to go next I will add a few of my own thoughts as well.

Sometimes when you view the web offerings on the subject it can get repetitive, if you stick to the common thread posts. A great thing about myArmoury is the articles and albums. They are a step beyond the regular day to day communication on the posts. Also the highlight posts are very good. I will often catch myself going back and reviewing something several times.

The next level is to start reading some of the source material that others quote. Rarely does the mention of the fact in an online post capture the full context of what an author in a scholarly work says or does not say about a subject. This can be accomplished with a visit to the local library and the use of interlibrary loan for little or no fee. If you live near a University even better as you will have access to articles written in journals and monographs that will often deeply explore a minute subject and allow one to get a better understanding than even the "experts" that may just read the overview.

Next, get thee to a museum. Spend an hour looking at one piece and see something new every ten minutes of the hour. Its a bit like crawling into the mind of the maker. Why are things done they way they are what surprises you or confirms something you have learned?

Its a subject that is far greater in scope and unknowns than most people probably realize. I have been at this near on twenty some years and I feel as if there is more to learn now than there ever has been for me.

Let the interests you do have lead where they go and keep searching for more information. The approaches can be varied beyond belief. If in school contort your assignments to deal with something interesting about swords or history. If your into science explore what is known and not known about what makes a sword and how does it work. If you are into art sketch historical examples as Peter has suggested in another thread, and I would second as being an essential component to seeing them as they are, as opposed to what we think they are:-)

Anyway I hope this helps a bit as far as suggesting some ways to go and let it go the way it wants to. Life is long for most of us, its good to have something to focus on as you progress, the real shame is when someone doesn't use the time they have to move them self forward.

Best
Craig

Michael,

I've been involved with swords in one form or another since 1984, and although my interest has waxed and waned several times in that period, it has always come back, even after I took several years off from it! Since you are specifically asking for suggestions to renew your interest, I suggest that you focus on one aspect more in depth rather than trying to keep up with everything on the smorgasboard of available topics. This will direct your energies, and also filter out some of that "gotta check the forums for any updates in the last 5 minutes" syndrome, which in turn will make you feel like you have more time and more of a life outside this hobby. Alternatively, choose a new topic/weapon/period/etc.

Or, if you really need a break, drop the whole arms and armor thing for a while and spend 30 minutes per day studying another language like Latin, Italian, or German, which will give you a huge boost when you do return to the Hobby.

Well one shouldn't sell all one's collectables just because one's interest has waned for a while: A while later when your interest revives you might regret not having them anymore. So putting them away for a while, well oiled might be better. :p ;) :lol:

One should at least keep the best pieces or the least replaceable, and if one sells them many years later they may have a lot more value then.

Hi Michael, well for me I am on fire but it is also my first year, but even so, of all the hobbies and interests I have had in my life this medieval sword, weaponry, history and all the books and dvds I am collecting has a far deeper interest than anything else in my life has ever had!

Maybe get involved with people who are new and help them learn, be a kind of a teacher or mentor. I am sure you must have an awful lot to offer someone in knowledge. Sometimes we need to give whatever it is away, in order to keep it!

Please Note My Sword Salute to You in my avatar.

Bob

Thanks everybody for the responses. I think a bit of lost interest may be caused from cabin fever. It's kind of hard to handle a sword in the house, unless you don't mind several broken lamps and lights :p. I think it's similar with any hobby, if you get too involved or "obsessed" with any hobby, you loose interest faster than you would if it was more casual. It seems all I needed to do was catch up on what was going on here i.e reading the articles to get me a bit more into the subject. Now I'm going to go outside as soon as I can to cut the HUGE supply of bottles I have collected over the winter. That shouldn't be too boring. :cool:

Edward Hitchens wrote:

For some reason, I've been going thru a similar phenomenea lately and I echo Michael's concern. Perhaps it's my total involvement in music which is my 'other' hobby

How Ironic, music is probably a main reason I've been loosing a bit of interest. I guess I just need to listen to some medieval inspired music. :idea: (goes and grabs Jethro Tull album).

Shawn- thanks for the suggestions. they certainly wouldn't keep me bored for a while! :eek: :lol:

Glad to know that I am not alone in collecting milk jugs and plastic bottles. :lol: My neighbors just do not understand it. LOL But that's OK, I am the happiest I have ever been in my life and this whole sword thing and everything that goes along with it, really does it for me! The history aspect is really fascinating to me, I've always loved history.

Sincerely,

Bob