The Tourist Item/Souvenier in arms antiquities

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Bob A

No problem, Jim.

It did cause me to recall a comic tale by Pat McManus; when he was a youth, surplus stores had plenty of leftover WWII stuff for sale. Once the owner of the store saw that the kids were more interested in buying things like helmets that had bullet holes in them, rather that the unscathed items, he took it upon himself to ventilate much of his inventory, to generate buyers' enthusiasm.

Of course, when McManus told it, it was funny.

I confess to having recalled that tale when bidding on the barong. I bought it anyway. There's a lot of the wonder of little kids in those of us who pursue these weapons, I suspect.

You hit it spot on Bob!!! Im still the same little kid that over 60 years ago watched swashbuckling pirate movies in awe. I never could have imagined that years later I would be handling and investigating the 'real deal' in actual weapons of those times..........even in the wrecks of the ships sailed by the pirates the movies were about ...the Blackbeard QAR and others.


I still see the magic, but am more inquisitive, and always want to prove and secure whatever authenticity I can. Still, I do not discount items which may not carry the history I hoped for......but still have their own which is inherently present and deserves to be found as well.


You have a discerning eye, and of course know these aspects as well, and that 'tale' is pretty good. I was one of the kids back in the 50s buying bayonets out of barrels in surplus stores, and remember the awe of 'battle' and 'blooded' items

Heres one: my brother and I were out in a field one day, and found a 500 lb. apparent practice bomb (it had been a WWII air base less than a decade before) and were carrying it home. You can imagine the gasps as people looked out windows......uh.....and my mom!!!!