Thread: Other "old time" hobbies

I shoot blackpowder.

Ride horses, and know how to drive them.

Train dogs.

Work leather.

Garden.

Read and collect books ( I understand this is getting a little old fashioned)

This summer I learned to mow with a scythe, while this will never replace my finish mower it will replace my weed whip completely and my brush hog for some jobs. Some of you guys will be interested in this: Scythe Supply - Sharpening & Honing

I've been roasting my own coffee for a number of years now...
In the olden days, a cast iron pan was used to roast the green beans.

Admittedly though, I've applied a bit of modern technology to my method.
I use a hot air popcorn popper, with two variacs to control voltage to the heating coil and the fan/blower.

Smoking pipes. Collect & walk w/ a walking-stick. Using fountain pens. Mechanical pocket watches & 1 wristwatch. Saber fencing in drama school, haven't done it since. Knives. Friends are into reinacting & say they'll outfit my wife & me for the Missininewa event in Indiana next month. This could open up a whole new world!

Originally Posted by jballs918

im working on blacksmithing, almost got my forge together

I wanted to learn blacksmithing when I got out of high school, but never lived anywhere that would accommodate a forge, so that dream died off.

I don't have any old time hobbies, unless you think cooking from scratch is old school. Maybe I could steal a cheap and easy one, from one of you fine gentlemen.

Most of my interests seem to be on the backburner at the moment - am currently studying part time and working full-time (I'm a teacher btw).

Old-time interests:

Blacksmithing - made my portable forge, anvil stand (from recycled redgum) etc. Hoping to build the doors for my blacksmith shed next holidays -then I plan to start chipping away at some blacksmithing. I've done a little bit, but not for over a year - I wanted to build a nice smithy first.

Historicial re-enactment (again haven't done much in a while) - medieval (Viking and 14th C) and 17th century.

Dead languages - well actually all languages, but I particularly like dead ones. I've formally studied Old Norse and I did my Masters thesis on 5 Aboriginal languages of the Lower-Murray (in Australia). But I've dabbled in Sanskrit, Latin, Old English and Hieroglyphics. (Sigh - now I want to go do more language study... but I've got another maths assignment to finish - instead of being on this forum!)

Old hand crafts / skills - even if I don't necessarily do these, I find it interesting to read about them. I like reading old handy man manuals and can do a bit of basic leather stitching.

Thanks for the thread.
All the best,
Michael.

Well let's see I still have my old Raleigh Competition with sew ups though I've moved on to more modern bikes. I still have my old Harley that I brought new in 78(FXS). I use a fountain pen. I'm a passable target archer. I like roadsters and feel you should drive with both hands and both feet. Fenced foil and saber. Practice tai chi chuan still. I turn my own walking sticks, build clocks and make furniture.

currently taking watchmaking courses and trying to become a master watchmaker. slow going, but i will get there hopefully someday

Does smoking, drinking and cussing count?

I also shoot longbows. I love traditional archery and practice nearly every day.

Gardening, Book Collecting, Whitewater Open-Canoeing, Chess (~1700 Elo rating), Fountain Pens, and Training Gun Dogs. SR shaving is the most recent of these hobbies. However, I am only 27, so my friends think I'm extremely eccentric. Many of these hobbies were long-gone before I was ever born... kinda funny really, and kinda sad as many of them are so enjoyable. -Jeff