You know
- Thread starter XRCD011
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For whatever reason that I can't wrap my head around, I was JUST wondering, where's smellie?
Don't know why, never met or talked to the man, don't even visit milsurp. Searched his name and found this thread.
Guess I'm not the only one.
Don't know why, never met or talked to the man, don't even visit milsurp. Searched his name and found this thread.
Guess I'm not the only one.
He checks the forum regularly, but just doesn't post anymore. I inquired how he was doing but I never received a reply. I am sure most of the members that frequent the Milsurp forum miss his insight as much as I do. I often thought that there should have been a sub forum here called smellie's sock closet. It would have been well worth a slice of pizza slid under the door to have him share his knowledge.
I know the man, and have spent some time with him. He is a walking library as far as military surplus rifles and accessories are concerned. He has a heart of gold and was always willing to share. He will have to speak for himself as to why we don't see him very often on here.
We miss you old boy!
We miss you old boy!
As Kjohn has stated I also know Smellie. And yes he is indeed a gun encyclopedia, I've stumped him exact 1 time in all the years I've known him and believe me I try and stump him.
I speak to him at least a couple times a week and I can assure you all that he's alive and well.
As to why he's not here I'm not entirely sure.
I speak to him at least a couple times a week and I can assure you all that he's alive and well.
As to why he's not here I'm not entirely sure.
Too many young blood know it all/nothing types around imho...particularly in pistols forum, this forum less so, but there has been some unhealthy disagreement sort of conversations here as well. Gets to piss a guy off after awhile. I'm not suggesting that is Smellie's position, just saying I could relate if it were.
I hate to say it but that's kinda why I don't post on here as much anymore. Also every day I scan the milsurp forum and every second thread is "what's this worth?" Which is totally not what the hobby is about for me. "Worth" is in terms of their historical value to most of us but it seems like that's been lost in the younger collectors.
It's a shame really.
^ I second that train of thought.
I agree with you 100%.I have let some of my collection go over the last few years only to have them come up on various forums. When I have sold a collectible firearm for a decent price the last thing I would expect to get is a comment like "Duh" did you not know what is worth from the buyer.
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stencollector
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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I was a little surprised that he was not at the Brandon show this weekend.
As to the guys who irk me on this forum, I simply add them to the ignore list. Occasionally when there is a bit of controversial exchange, I'll see their responses when someone quotes them, and it pretty much re-enforces my initial decisions to ignore them. Their names all seem to turn pink eventually, usually sooner than later.
As to the guys who irk me on this forum, I simply add them to the ignore list. Occasionally when there is a bit of controversial exchange, I'll see their responses when someone quotes them, and it pretty much re-enforces my initial decisions to ignore them. Their names all seem to turn pink eventually, usually sooner than later.
It is easy for us old timers to look at how young people operate today and grimace in pain. We grew up under completely different circumstances and though many of us have kept up to some extent with the new tech age we weren't immersed in it from birth. When they post a pic of a purchase here to ask what we think of what they paid for the item, many times they are bragging about the "deal" they just got and want to show off their new acquisition. We didn't have this option other than going to a gun show or bringing people over to the house to view our displays of firearms on the wall of our hobby room. Now we have to hide everything inside locked steel cabinets out of sight.
I see a lot of firearms I have sold at gun shows or on this site come up for display/evaluation. Why not??? Mostly it is pretty decent and sometimes hard to find one of a kind stuff. They don't seem to have the mentors we did either.
My parents were completely anti firearm/hunting. I was addicted to all of it from the very first time I strapped on a set of Lone Ranger lookalike silver/ivory handled pistols in dual black holsters with accompanying silver bullets and chrome escutcheons and buckles. They were very good facsimiles of the real peace makers but of course were made of cast pot metal.
I cleaned the back of the now long gone Marshall Wells store in Salmo, BC back in 1958 for a month to pay for that rig. The owner was a great old guy but made darn sure I did a good job under the low shelves he could no longer bend over to clean under. Once I paid off the guns/holsters he came up with a mask and white hat to match. I spent the next month earning a light blue denim shirt and pants along with some black cowboy boots and a belt I wouldn't be caught dead wearing today.
I had to hide all of that stuff from my parents. They freaked later when they caught me all decked out in my finery and shouting bang at the top of my lungs at the "obviously violent psychopathic RED SKIN" that was coming at me in my vivid imagination. I caught hell for a week and they took all the stuff away from me. Then it all appeared on my bed one day after school. My mother had washed the clothes and my father decided I was going to do what I was going to do anyway. We were much more independent as kids in those days. Pedophiles were dealt with severely and locally at every opportunity so kids were pretty much safe from everything except themselves.
This site is an outlet for those young people. Just reading some of their comments brings a tear of laughter to me. So much of the old BS and garbage about firearms that was present when I was a kid is still alive and flourishing in new fertile minds.
Let them ask. They have to learn somehow/sometime. Maybe we can take out some of our time to help them. Our youth do not get nearly enough time with their peers. Many of the youngsters I meet today through my grandson are terrified at the sight of a real firearm. Take it easy on them. Don't BS them. Tell them straight.
Even we learn by reading and answering their questions. I know I have given out information that I thought was correct and have been put straight in a very positive but sincere manner by other firearms enthusiasts that have a lot more in depth knowledge than I do.
This site is an island of sanity and a cornucopia of knowledge in a sea of emotional storms. Some of you posters I know are knowledgeable old timers with a lot of knowledge to pass on. If we take it to the grave with us it is gone forever and so is a lot of enthusiasm for the sport it might have generated.
They are mostly young. Keep that in mind and be succinct but polite with your replies. Sometimes that can be tedious but it is worth it in the end.
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Thanks indeed Bearhunter.
Some of your post reminds me of something I am dealing with these days. Although I am not (I think) yet an "oldtimer", I can certainly see differences between youth today, and the world I grw up in as a youth. Before the internet, before microwave ovens and before VHS tapes; that should situate when that happened. But I also realize there are similarities; kids will be kids, I guess.
A couple of weeks ago, I invited an 18 and a 20 year old, two boys who just got their PAL, and heard about my leisure activities through my oldest son (he is a friend of these boys' half sister). So, we met here, I introduced them to the world of milsurp collecting and, more broadly, to recreational shooting. They had shot a few things before, some clay pigeons and a few .22's, but this was a different thing. We went to a friend's land nearby, shot a Jungle Carbine, an SMLE, a M95 Steyr Mannlicher, and just for the fun of it, a super-tacticoolized 10/22, and a couple of boxes of target load at clay pigeons with my old Belgian sxs.
Now, these kids are set on acquiring a Lee Enfield each, and we're heading out to the Range next Sunday.
Off to a good start, I suppose.
Some of your post reminds me of something I am dealing with these days. Although I am not (I think) yet an "oldtimer", I can certainly see differences between youth today, and the world I grw up in as a youth. Before the internet, before microwave ovens and before VHS tapes; that should situate when that happened. But I also realize there are similarities; kids will be kids, I guess.
A couple of weeks ago, I invited an 18 and a 20 year old, two boys who just got their PAL, and heard about my leisure activities through my oldest son (he is a friend of these boys' half sister). So, we met here, I introduced them to the world of milsurp collecting and, more broadly, to recreational shooting. They had shot a few things before, some clay pigeons and a few .22's, but this was a different thing. We went to a friend's land nearby, shot a Jungle Carbine, an SMLE, a M95 Steyr Mannlicher, and just for the fun of it, a super-tacticoolized 10/22, and a couple of boxes of target load at clay pigeons with my old Belgian sxs.
Now, these kids are set on acquiring a Lee Enfield each, and we're heading out to the Range next Sunday.
Off to a good start, I suppose.
