New to forum from New Zealand

[Barryeye]

Greetings from New Zealand. Let me introduce myself. I’m a 60 plus male with an interest in all kinds or arms. I’ve never set out to collect knives but over the years have accumulated bit of an odd ball collection. Some old, some new, some military and some civilian. There are many items in my collection that I have owned for over 40 years or more. I have never really taken the time to make a study of the knives I own but find the expert input on forums such as this a great place to start. Many knives have gone though my hands but I tend to retain those that have that special appeal regardless of their market value. Each has its own story.
I’ve just discovered this forum and have been reading a lot of the past posts. I am impressed with the friendly helpful attitude of most of the contributors. I don’t think I have much to contribute in the way of advice or knowledge but I sure am enjoying the learning process.
Barry

[stonewall56]

Barryeye, quite the spread you have there. I agree with you, it's more important that a particular item appeals to you personally rather than it having a market value. Of course it is nice when you find out that something is valuable!

I see that you live in the Lower Hutt area. My wife's great-great grandfather & William Swainson (the naturalist) were cousins and lived together for a time in England. He named his New Zealand home Hawkshead after the family home in England. The name is carried on as Hawkshead winery (in the Lower Hutt I believe) by Denis Marshall, a direct Swainson descendent.

Thanks for sharing the photo of your collection and welcome to the forum. I see a couple of M1 carbine bayonets, do you have the carbines to go with them?

[Barryeye]

Thank you Stonewall. I think that the knife that started it all for me was a blade marked M3 Utica. I spent the first 25 years of my life in London and my Uncle Lou gave it to me 47 years ago when I was 14. He was given it by an American friend he used to shoot with. I’ve still never found a knife that “feels” as good as the M3. Back then I did not see it as having any value other then as a tool and I carried it with me as a camp knife when I was traveling around Europe and Scandinavia. Not an ideal camp knife but it sufficed.

I am not aware of any Wineries in the Hutt Valley area but I will investigate.

Yes well spotted. There are two carbine bayonets in my collection. The leather griped one I bought 40 years ago in Chicago (Ravel and co??). When I came to New Zealand a few years later I managed to purchase an M1 Carbine to stick on the other end of it. It was brought back here by a N.Z. serviceman from Vietnam. A very nice Rockola. Wife, children and mortgage forced me to sell it but 10 years ago I managed to pick up an Inland M1 (over stamped M2). Pot belly stock with M2 cut out. Looks good and shoots well. My license status does not allow me to use a magazine with a capacity of more then 7 rounds and the bayonet lug front barrel band had to be removed and replaced with one that did not have the lug. Silly law but by world standards our gun laws are on the whole fair.
By coincidence I am going out tomorrow with some mates for an informal shoot. The carbine is one of many that I will be taking with us.

[Ken The Kanuck]

Howdy and welcome from a fellow member of the Commonwealth. I lived up the coast from you around New Plymouth. How are the Crusaders looking for next year?

KTK

[Barryeye]

Hi Ken
Keep this between you and me but I have lived here for over 35 years and never seen or wanted to a rugby game. I came here to hunt and quickly found out I was a very poor hunter and preferred to shoot and collect. This is not impossible but difficult in the U.K. All the best for 2001.
Barry