Interesting old knife and what machine to pick for a beginner...

[Brenda Middlebrook]

Hi I am a beginner. I want to purchase a machine next week but not real sure what I will be hunting for. I live in Shreveport, La. Would love to meet with other metal detecting fans. Must read up on the rules. I am interested in jewelry at Cypress Lake swim area. I am interested in old creek beds and old home sites and old schools and store sites.

I also have a very interesting knife I want to post the picture of to see if anyone might have some ideas. I picked this thing up at the Shreveport Rummage sale several years back. It is fascinating to me. I can tell the composition is bronze and cooper. The patina on it makes it look very old. The handle is very decorative and looks Spanish in design to me. I have research old knives, staves, and swords and have not found anything like it. The blade is unfinished but it sits well in the hand and is very balanced. I am not sure if the patina was faked or if it is a real old antiquity. I really looks convincing.....I love it. Paid $1.00. It has a ram in the middle and two rams on the side. Very interesting.

I am thinking at this point I want the Garrett Ace or H 250...not sure what the man said on the video. Thank you for your suggestions.

Sincerely,

Brenda Middlebrook

 

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[jeff of pa]

cool !

 

[kingskid1611]

cool !

X 2

 

[huntsman53]

X 2

X3!! I believe that it is a Bronze Dagger versus a Bronze Knife.


Frank

 

[Terry Soloman]

Welcome!

The Garrett Ace 250 is a great machine for a beginner. The control box is NOT waterproof, but the coil is. I think the dagger is a letter opener, possibly from the 1800s. I'm not an expert, so I'm simply guessing.

 

[Escape]

For a dollar I would have bought a few of them. nice

 

[SusanMN]

If you are going to want to hunt in the water, even very shallow water, then you will need a machine that submersible. It is just so easy to splash your machine working on retrieving a target and if it's not submersible you can easily turn your brand new detector into a brick door stop. The least expensive waterproof all around machine out there is the AT Pro. I would consider saving until you can afford it.

 

[Beezly]

Cool dagger! The video was probably referring to the Ace 200 and Ace 250. A detector purchase depends on your budget. An Ace 250 would be good if that's your budget but there is also an Ace 350 model with more features for a little more. Try comparing them online, and check out the brand forums here. Don't forget you'll need to also buy some accessories like a coil cover, digging tool, headphones maybe, a pouch and a pinpointer will make you really happy. I would recommend an AT Pro also but an Ace series and a pinpointer will be cheaper and more fun if you don't want to spend big bucks yet.

 

[Honest Samuel]

You should carry that knife while detecting for digging and for protection. I recommend Tesoro Majave.

 

[against the wind]

Once you mention any kind of water hunting you may want to seriously consider the AT PRO. (Fresh water) As has been previously suggested. It is submersible to 10 feet and has a relatively easy learning curve. My PRO paid for itself in a short period of time. If you're thinking about shallow water / beach hunting you will need a long handle scoop. Good luck and welcome to Tnet.

 

[TerryC]

I also will recommend the Ace 250. Great for a beginner AND us old timers! I have two. The 250 has a very good pinpointer function, if you add a "90 degree step" to your sweep. No need for a handheld YET. If you do A LOT of water hunting, you MUST heed Susan's warning of a dunking. It's gonna happen. Even using plastic wrap will cause moisture condensation that can be as bad as a dunking. DON'T use that nice knife (dirk) until you verify it has no collector's value! Welcome aboard. TTC

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I agree with everyone here. I gave my cousin living near the NC coast an Ace250. Last season was his first. On the beach, I set it up and turned it on and handed it to him. His first target was a clad quarter, and his second target was a 10K gold ring. He's found 5 more pieces of gold jewelry without me around. Of course I'm 5 hours from the beach thus it's not a regular visit.

There's currently another thread on here about problems with the Ace300. Who knows how that will play out right now.