Monterey Jack

Sorry for the absence, all! My lady and I are gearing up for Steamcon 2010 since this year is a bit o' a financial mess! What's been happening with leatherwork in the steamy universe? I have an article coming out in October for a SP gunrig you all may like, complete with a how-to and patterns! Now, back to working on the clothes!!!

For anyone interested, the HMCA did come up with a great Boarding Cap mockup based on th 1812 designs from Gilkerson's Boarders Away. I have one and Steve Huff in maryland has the other. I can try to post a pic if interested..

http://makerfaire.com/#1 I went to a previous one...unfortunately it was 80% crap...not something I'd pay to get into again....

Corvus doesn't really sound like anything I haven't heard during set-up at a ren-faire, really....I think a steampunk band needs more to put itself in the genre...

Anytime, Patrick! I'm working on a leather vest right now; roughly 1890s pattern but tweaked to be steamy,,,I'll send pix! Nice :) i am slowly getting back into working leather after a wrist injury. Slow slow going with everything else going on. Am very interested in seeing how you take it steamy. SP is one of my fav genres. Has been for many years but around here until recently no one was constuming in it. Now starting to see a lot more at local cons. Ididn't even know this genre existed til a friend of mine introduced me to Abney Park about the same time customers started coming in in partial costume for my help. I've done period leatherwork for 18 yrs but always wanted to try something Jules Verne-fantastical..just no venue for it..til now! LOL

Master of the World (Vincent Price 1961) It has the whole Airship Pirate thing down wonderfully!

Anytime, Patrick! I'm working on a leather vest right now; roughly 1890s pattern but tweaked to be steamy,,,I'll send pix!

Greetings all! I've worked for Oregon Leather Company in Eugene for 10 years and Tandy for 10 before that. We have a lot of re enactors for all periods coming in and the newest thing is Steampunk. I'm now hooked as well and have a few leather projects in the works reflecting this. I would like to offer help or advice to folks trying to make their leather -related gear. It keeps me in the loop and keeps me thinking! You can contact me here or PM me anytime; I check mail about twice a week or so. Also at www.oregonleatherco.com Looking forward to this!

Well dammit Bo now ye got me hooked! LOL...I'm putting the finishing touches on a steamy rig for my 1847 Colt walker; matches the one on my other hip for the Bowie! I'll get pix to ya soon!

All encouragement to ye lad! It's an adventure ye'll nay regret! Aye! I'll second that!!! The process itself is fun and addictive...but once yer friends find out you'd better be prepard to go public!

Great info! Thanks!!

The blades vary, actually to a small degree, and frankly I prefer one that caters to the lighter side and is still accurate. I don't really see where 8-12 ounces makes any difference. In Trained hands it shouldn't be an issue. On the other hand, 3 lbs or a bit more may come to hand for some. Keep in mind the "cavalry" sword is not a mort sword, and the weights you list are all within an acceptable range. Periosd specs varied according to the blade maker as well and the maker of all the furniture. The swords were rarely ever made entirely by one manufacturer. I would say , IMO that if you like the thing, and it conforms to decent specs (NO mort sword should weight in at 4lbs!) and holds up under the use you intend..buy it.

That's a Chen isn't it? Don't see the face on the guard though....

Never seen a Mort sword (even in the musuems) with the head on the pommel...I always understood it to be the face engraved in the hilt itself, which as you say was supposed to represent Charles I....never really looked like him, though...

In addition, Paul Chen makes a great one for backsword practice and stage work. I own one of his; its light even with an intimidating blade....fast and comes to hand really well. Maestro Paul MacDonald has allowed them in his backsword classes and they can take a hell of a beating...though I don't reccommend it.

the group I am with runs a pub at the local ren-faire...its not for patrons, just a spot to do our pirate fights, gambling and showing off... Any clue as to brewing equipment of the period?

I have a great brochure out of england for distilling rum at home, but it requires an immersion heater to heat the mash of about 120 degrees. No one has one that doesn't operate on 220, so I'd have to unhook my dishwasher to use it....plus its seems to be unavailable. All I can find are aquarium immersion hearters that go highter that 90 and they all look at me like I want to boil my fish.... any thoughts?

I've ben brewing for about 8 years now, though I only do 10 gallons a year as oposed to the 30 I used to brew. Summer ales and porters are my favorites. I give my pastor a case every year for the holidays! LOL. The only horror story I have is when I tried to make ginger beer and added too much sugar. It turned into ginger champagne and finally into ginger grenades! I still remember trying to move the box of undetonated bottles out of the house under a towel at 3am! Sounded like fireworks going off!!!

I have heard from three different sources now that there will be a Pirates #4... likewise I have heard that nothing is solid, so is there anyone who can shed a bit o' light on this?

apologies for the various typos; for more info you can hit the following sites: www.artofcombat.org or www.HistoricalMaritimeCombat.com

okay..my take on this and then I need to weigh anchor for a bit.... Stage Combat: There are two major schools teaching theatrical work...the SAFD Society of American Fight Directors (and the British branch which I can;t recall..BFDC??...and Art of Combat. The SAFD teaches very flamboyant and wonderful fight styles..but not historically accurate. I have yet to talk to an SAFD instructor who can quote from any historical text. Art of Combat teaches theatrically safe combat styles based on historical forms and goes to great pains to be sure their work is historically sound. The same is true of the HMCA. While we do not generally teach stage work (we work with we certainly can if the need arises...we have certified stage combat directors (thru Art of Combat) who can work to help create very believable fights, while keeping them safe for the audience and the actors. Generally we teach wht would work in a true life or death fight aboard ship....that being said..... NO ONE FIGHTS HISTORICALLY ACCURATE . I can't tell you what a freaking thorn this is in my side. Historically correct fighting means people DIE. All any of us can hope to do is replicate it to the best of our abilities. Anyone who says they fight "live" steel, unchoreographed, or "for Real" is deluding themselves. None of us do that anymore. I have seen several who have tried,,and have come away with lacerated thighs, lungs, ripped armpits, powder burns to the eyes.... I have fouight two bouts in my life with sharps and was lucky to have lived thru it...Please stop saying you do it the way it was done. If you did...you'd have bodies left behind and insurance costs thru the roof.... One particular style cannot be achieved because (as true with the fight schools of old) every group of teachers has their own method. Groups meeting to fight need to do so well in advance of the event to figure out if their styles are compatible. That being said, we can all get along fine so long as we don't presume to impose our style on another group. Those who fight and end up wounding one another will disappear from the circuit. Those whose style are historic, safe, entertaining and professional will continue to entertain and inform...which is as it should be.

I have three different sized navajas I carry, from a tiny boot knife to a hip knife and finally a nice big navaja designed to be carried in a folded sash the way the gypsies did. Other than that, for a fixed blade I use a Case Bowie...I just don't call it a Bowie since its out of period....the style however predates the guy it was finally named after by a century or more so its all good.... For using the navaja properly I suggest any book by Maestro James Loriega. I have had the honor to train under him over the years and have come to trust his techniques as sound and just damn fun to be able to use in a fight.....