kass

Thank you! I wondered if that was you. Thanks for your continued support.

I got an email. Hi everyone! Remember me?

Awww... How sweet of you to say! It was good to see you too.

Thank you kindly, Captain Sterling. We had a great time!

We the 20th century peeps thank you, Mistress Kate! Glorious photos you took! Awesome!

Hello all! Reconstructing History is running a special sale on our in-stock clothing. All stock clothing is 20% off until Sunday, 16 March, 2008 This includes: Hemp canvas jackets Long linen waistcoats Slop Contract Jackets Hemp canvas slops Osnaburg linen trousers See it here: Reconstructing History Get it now before it's gone!

We're always happy to send free samples of our hemp rope and twine. All you have to do is ask.

We're doing some housecleaning. See if there's anything here you like: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZkass1013My eBay auctions

Going to Pirates In Paradise? The Lockhouse Pirate Event? Dressing for Halloween? Heading to one of the other Pirate Festivals this Fall? Stock up on sailor's clothing from Reconstructing History! Hemp Canvas Sailor's Slops -- a period sailor's best friend. Durable yet flexible 100% hemp canvas slops with pewter buttons and lacing eyelets in back for an adjustable fit. Unlined. 30" from waist. Choose from Medium (waists 36"-40") or Large (waists 42-46") -- $75 Hemp Canvas Sailor's Jackets -- the perfect warm-weather outerwear. Durable yet flexible 100% hemp canvas jacket with pewter buttons on the front and sleeve openings. Unlined. Hip length. Flap pockets. Choose from Small (chests 38"-40"), Large (chests 46"-48") or Extra Large (chests 50"-52") -- $160 (Sorry, no Mediums in stock) Striped Linen Sailor's Jackets -- just like in the Admiralty Slop Contracts! Blue and white striped 100% linen jacket with pewter buttons on the front and sleeve openings. Lined with white 100% linen. Hip length. Flap pockets. Small (chests 38"-40") only in stock -- $185 1680s-1720s Long Linen Waistcoats 100% linen waistcoats in various colours with pewter buttons on the front and sleeve openings. Lined with natural-coloured 100% linen. Below knee length. Flap pockets. (no buttons on back) Choose from natural linen colour, burnt orange, brown, dark blue, olive green, and red. Large (chests 46"-48") only in stock. {One Small available in natural linen only} -- $215 And for the ladies -- 1700s shifts. 100% linen, white, unlined. French seamed. Scoop neck. Past-elbow sleeves. 37" long. Fits up to 40" bust -- $85 Everything in stock and ready to ship TODAY. And as a special bonus, order stays or bodys before October 31st and receive a $50 discount. {Expected delivery of custom work in at least 6-8 weeks, actual delivery time dependent on scheduling.} Other items available through custom order. Orders taken by email 24-hours or phone 8am-6pm Eastern time. Please do not call outside business hours. If you email your number, we will call back at a time convenient for you. ORDERS BY PM WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED Please email us at historian@reconstructinghistory.com

What's a Pirate without his charts? LOST! Copied from period originals and printed in colourfast ink on acid-free paper that matches the documents in our collection. All maps and charts are 20" x 30" and suitable for framing (or rolling up and keeping in your navigator's kit!). Make sure you know every inlet and hiding place on the Spanish Main! Get your 16th, 17th and 18th century maps and charts from Reconstructing History

Thank you for the support, guys! It is my hope that if there is a pattern for Elizabethan pirates, more people will choose to dress as them as Renaissance festivals. It really is ridiculous for Drake's entourage to go around wearing frock coats and cocked hats. And I'm with you, Pat -- if they don't recognise these things as "sailor's kit" now, let's change that! Now go tell your friends!

And did Professor Kinitzski explain to you how you cannot document something for which there is no proof? Show me evidence of a tattooed European in the Golden Age of Piracy. That's all. Just one piece of solid evidence: a picture, a verbal reference, anything. Even a bad piece of evidence (like hearsay) would be something. If the evidence doesn't exist, you cannot state that Europeans were tattooed in the Golden Age of Piracy.

You're sure that some sailors partook of the practice? What makes you so sure? No Hugh. It's not ethnocentric claptrap. (And I find it highly insulting that you think I, your fellow Celt, would be err on that side.) It's historical research. To say something existed, we have to have documentable evidence. No one in this debate has shown evidence of tattoos on white men yet. No evidence means no evidence. Imagine whatever you like. But there remains no proof that Europeans were tattooed in the Golden Age of Piracy or before.

Good point, Chole! Men were wrapped up to the throat and down to the wrists most of the time.

Are you a Pirate but you're not from the Golden Age of Piracy? Do you long for clothing from an earlier time period? Know that frock coats and cocked hats aren't period for the SCA? Are you portraying one of Drake's Privateers at your Faire? Well do I have a goodie for you... Introducing Reconstructing History's latest: RH210 -- Elizabethan Sea Dogs

I didn't program this website, so I can only go by what the programmers called the various sections. The URL calls the Pub "Forums". This means that there are multiple forums here. So each subsection is a forum. But let's not get bogged down in semantics, Michael. The simple fact is that it says, "Academic talk on maritime history, research, & interesting info" under the words "Captain Twill" on the front page. Do people know that Rabble Rousing is the section for storytelling? Yes. Do people know that Sea Shanties is the section for music? Yes. So why exactly do people see the words "Academic discussion on maritime history" and think it's okay to discuss fantasy pirates? It's not. And I don't go shoving history down other people's throats in other forums. So forgive me if I get a little upset when someone upbraids me for talking about historical pirates in the only historical section on this site. I didn't write these rules. They were here when I got here. I just got asked to enforce them. And you must admit that I do that rather loosely. We talk about a whole lotta stuff here that is far from academic!

Precisely, gentlemen! And thank you for the back-up. Bonnie, this is just not the forum for the discussion of fantasy pirates. Read the description on this Forum: Academic talk on maritime history, research, & interesting info That's the rule. And it's my job to make sure we keep the discussion on track. That's all. No harm done, my dear. But please don't come in here and start calling names. If you want to talk about fantasy pirates, there are all the other forums on this site to talk about it. And you won't hear me say one word to the contrary there.

God bless him, nutjob that he is...

Erm... no? I'm going to disagree with Kass here ( ), temporarily hiding tattoos that aren't authentic is the easiest thing in the world (easier that hiding fillings), and visible tattoos can ruin a very good outfit. Hmm, maybe I am more nuts than Kass... No. I just don't have any tattoos so I don't have to hide them. If someone has tattoos on his neck or hands, I don't think he should have to put on a turtleneck or wear gloves. That's going to look more stupid than just pretending their not there. And if the public asks, tell them they aren't period correct. Simple. It's just dressing up and pretending, people... And Bonnie, please don't start that "Do you guys not bathe" bullshit or I'm gonna have to delete this thread for gross stupidity.

You, lad, are cruising for a lashin'...

Oh absolutely! I wouldn't expect anyone to go nuts to cover up a tattoo just because it's not period. The fillings in my teeth aren't period either, you know! When it comes down to it, we're modern people playing dress up. How far you want to go with that is up to you.

Oh! Nice ink, MacStink! Is that new or have you been working on it for years?

Cool! I'd be interested to hear the results of that confrontation! I have found that historic tours often get something into their repetoire and it is very difficult to remove it because so much is based on it. Every historic site I've ever worked for or volunteered at had their own little mistakes that they couldn't discard because it'd become part of their identity. I've even had a site or two tell me, "We can't take that out because people expect it." Nevermind that it's a myth invented in the 19th century...

I haven't heard of such a thing. But I haven't heard of everything, of course! It seems unlikely to me that any dress a woman had from the day she got married wouldn't last until the day she died unless she either had an unfortunately short life or she rarely wore this dress. A dress worn often would take a lot of abuse. And even a dress worn occasionally can hardly be expected to last 50 years. That being said, what I think is unlikely is irrelevant if there is evidence that these kinds of things existed. Is it possible, Hector, that the guide in Salem meant that a woman could go through all the stages of her life -- skinny bride, pregnant woman, rotund older woman, skinny widow -- in one dress because it adjusted to accommodate her changing size, but not that women had only one dress? You see the distinction I'm making?

Thanks for posting those, Silkie! Those will help a lot.