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Death-Ace · 03-07-2010, 04:45 PM

Old cars get better with age while new ones look better on paper.

I got one story: Two elderly gunsmiths my dad knew a few years back from our antique store was at my mom's booth at an antique mall one day and they struck up a conversation. Difference was that the older one had hearing aids, and the younger one was nearly blind. When one would strike a conversation, the other would answer something completely random...unknown how they got along. Now, they had the revolutionary technology of Flexon and hearing aids! But, aside from the point, we told the older one about some antique cap pistols and a relic CG Bonehill shotgun we had, and he was interested. We gave him a card and my mom also mentioned I was a WWII militaria collector and interested in lugers and Japanese swords (along with I'm gonna be a "man of the sea"). With this, he told us a story:

He had enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1945 because of a condition that would've rejected him from many other branches. Right after he graduated, the war ended and he was sent for occupational duties in Japan. While he was overseas, he traveled around there a bit, saw what postwar Japan had to offer, and like the souvenir hunter of the stereotypical GI, wanted something. What he wanted was what his friends and fellow members brought back: A Japanese sword. However he didn't know of the warehouses stored with swords and most of his shipmates had sent theirs' home.

While talking to a fellow shipmate one day, however, he mentioned he wanted a sword and wondered where to get one. This is when his friend told him he had brought one onboard. He didn't really want it, he just picked it along the way! But he also didn't want to give it away, so our young future gunsmith went about the decks bartering for the currency of the day, cigarettes! He finally was able to secure four packs of Lucky Camels and his friend gave him the sword for the packs.

This is basically where the story ends. He told me that the scabbard's laquer was chipping, so he repainted that and there was writing on the blade. Nakago or blade, unknown. He said he'd give us a call about the guns and the sword later to possibly sell or trade...but that was two months ago. xD I'm tempted to call him, but I don't want to bother him.

03-07-2010, 04:45 PM	#3
Death-Ace User Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 25 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Old cars get better with age while new ones look better on paper. I got one story: Two elderly gunsmiths my dad knew a few years back from our antique store was at my mom's booth at an antique mall one day and they struck up a conversation. Difference was that the older one had hearing aids, and the younger one was nearly blind. When one would strike a conversation, the other would answer something completely random...unknown how they got along. Now, they had the revolutionary technology of Flexon and hearing aids! But, aside from the point, we told the older one about some antique cap pistols and a relic CG Bonehill shotgun we had, and he was interested. We gave him a card and my mom also mentioned I was a WWII militaria collector and interested in lugers and Japanese swords (along with I'm gonna be a "man of the sea"). With this, he told us a story: He had enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1945 because of a condition that would've rejected him from many other branches. Right after he graduated, the war ended and he was sent for occupational duties in Japan. While he was overseas, he traveled around there a bit, saw what postwar Japan had to offer, and like the souvenir hunter of the stereotypical GI, wanted something. What he wanted was what his friends and fellow members brought back: A Japanese sword. However he didn't know of the warehouses stored with swords and most of his shipmates had sent theirs' home. While talking to a fellow shipmate one day, however, he mentioned he wanted a sword and wondered where to get one. This is when his friend told him he had brought one onboard. He didn't really want it, he just picked it along the way! But he also didn't want to give it away, so our young future gunsmith went about the decks bartering for the currency of the day, cigarettes! He finally was able to secure four packs of Lucky Camels and his friend gave him the sword for the packs. This is basically where the story ends. He told me that the scabbard's laquer was chipping, so he repainted that and there was writing on the blade. Nakago or blade, unknown. He said he'd give us a call about the guns and the sword later to possibly sell or trade...but that was two months ago. xD I'm tempted to call him, but I don't want to bother him.