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I spent the most part of 20mins having a browse through "Of The Rings of Power" trying to find a certain passage,

heres what I am trying to get across:

Gandalf & Saruman both knew the ring of power was lost, Saruman wanted to find it first and set out spies and whatnot to the Galladen Fields to look.

Gandalf didn't want Saruman to find it!

BOTH wizards knew the full extent of the ring and that it was a ring of power and that it was lost.

Now.....Gandalf was there when BILBO found the ring, Gandalf knew he found a ring of magnificance, he knew Bilbo could turn invisible and whatnot and knew he got it from Gollum/Smeagol,

What I am wondering is Gandalf was long searching for a Ring and Bilbo (one of his friends) found a ring and Gandalf knew nothing about it being the one ring

You think he would of put "2 and 2 together"

Yeah, but in LOTR, doesn't Gandalf or somebody say that there were many rings of power? Not only those corrrupted by Sauron, but others made in Eregion, etc.
So, he needed some hardcore evidence-the scripts in Minas Tirith; and moreover, the rebuilding of Barad-dur; and the riding of the Ulairi.

its the pipeweed. Those damn hobbits turned Gandalf into a druggie. hehe

Gandalf should have realised.

The nine rings are all now with sauron in the nazgul, The seven are retaken, and the three, sauron never saw.

Leaving the one.

although i think some of the seven were lost, So gandalf may of thought that is indeed what he found.

It is certain gandalf did not know it was the one ring, otherwise he would have had no need to read the scripts of minas tirith or throwing the ring in the fire.

He would also never have 'maybe' subconsiously revealed to saruman that a hobbit had the ring.
remember my thread before about gandalf knowing saruman wanted the rings?

ah good point my friend, Gandalf could have assumed it was one of the seven as I believe only 3 were retrieved

Bilbo wouldnt have been deceived my the ring due to sauron not having the one ring anymore?

id have to go with the pipeweed ... probably makes more sense....

Of course Gandalf suspected, but he had too much faith in Saruman to believe without proof.

As said, there were rings unaccounted for- indeed, they express surprise in other places that Thorin wasn't carrying one- the one that was his by right had gone missing.

And also, at the point at which LOTR was written, Tolkien had actually not made it at all certain that the three, seven, nine and One were the only Rings of power. By the same token, btw, there may have been more than five Istari, dur to Tolkien being very vague in his use of language in the works he had actually finished.

It is very easy- but very misleading- to try and interpret these events when we have access to vast amounts of source material and with the benefit of hindsight after reading the story so much. The protagonists have a harder time.

When gandalf finds Thrain II in the dungeon of Dol Guldur, the Dwarf gives him a map and a key... Gandalf also learns that Thrain was once possessor of a ring of power, and assumes that this would be one of the seven... Thrain says the Ring was taken from him... as Thrain had recently been to Moria and the Misty Mountains, Gandalf could logically assume that Bilbo's ring could be this one... a powerful Ring, yes, and one to be looked after, but not that urgent a matter... after deducing more, though, gandalf could see the urgency of finding out exactly which ring Bilbo had... the enemy would be after it whatever, but would be concentrating on the one... if Bilbo's were simply one of the Seven, then they would have an uneasy breathing space, and time to hopefully find the One before Sauron...

mmm......I get what you are saying ush & kirk, but all I am asking is why didn't gandalf make an enquiry asap when Bilbo had a ring

if you were looking for a million $ note and knew it was circulating round your country, then your friend found an exact million $ note.....wouldnt you make an assumption?

also Ush, more than 5 Istari - I think there could have been (but as you said perhaps not when tolkien started writing LOTR), as it was mentioned in the Unfinished Tales in the council of Manwe

there is a thread about it which is breaking a lot of copyright laws me thinks

gimme a sec I will go find it,

http://www.killermovies.com/forums/f34/t297651.html

Discos - here ya go my man,

Well, did Gandalf know that the Ring was taken by Gollum when at the time of The Hobbit? How many rings could make a person turn invisble? Gandalf may not of know, but he could have gone to Gondor to do what he did in FotR.

don't see why it took him 9 years to get back....

1,000 miles to Minas Tirith, had to find gollum, have a smoke etc

Well he was searching desperately for gollum.
etc etc

I answered your question, Disco- Gandalf ruled out the One Ring because of his faith in Saruman, who had made it clear that the 'million $ note' was not circulating in the country! You are again simply apply your perspective as a reader, which misreads the whole situation. All I can really do is point you to what I already said.

the names Discos, I dont like Disco

anyways, in "of the rings of power" it mentions Gandalf not having faith in Saruman - he didnt want him to find it first and saruman tried to keep Gandalf in the dark with his spies and hunters for the ring etc

Yeah says so in Unfinished tales.

But me n ush had this conv already.

Belive what you read in lotr and not his 'lesser works' or something
hand on

http://www.killermovies.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7036&perpage=40&pagenumber=5

am confused

Discos - it's true......just take a look at the smilie