William Brand

Consider it reserved and welcome aboard, Lad. By what name shall I list your wife?

Two? Who else am I adding to the Roll Call? I managed to drag my girl friend along. What name should I use for her on the Roll Call?

Some of them were, but there were others that you never saw. Believe me when I say, everyone I showed it to made a sort of 'what is it?' face. Even the ones who recognized it immediately said 'A foot...?' in a tone that was incredulous, not flattering. I tossed those designs at once. Here are two designs with subtle changes... One with the elements separated a little more. One with a hint of cheekbones. I should note that I like the wings on this design much more than my design two years back. Not only are they more accurate to the period style, but they also look like white capped waves.

As a pressed man you might not get a vote, but as a player of the stage you do. However, I must counter with this...your examples are primarily engravings and a flag has to be simpler by design. I too would love to make a very detailed skull of evil, but I've learned to reign myself in more and more over the years when it comes to pirate flags. Simplicity and iconery over detail. And as for a foot...I worked with several feet designs when making the 'Myyyyy....FEET!' shirt from PIP. Skeleton feet make for very poor images at a distance. I tried numerous layouts with feet when making the t-shirt and everyone I showed them to agreed that it didn't come across well. Some couldn't even tell what they were.

Many moons ago we discussed the possibilities of a flag for the Mercury. Mostly we discussed my overabundance of designs in this old thread... http://pyracy.com/index.php?showtopic=9836&st=20 Much was discussed. Much was thrown out. Nothing was ever soundly completed. With PIP of 2009 upon us once again, and with the numbers of the Mercury crew swelling to more than we've ever seen in years past, I thought that I would take a new stab at the design. This one is based on numerous period drawings, sculptures, paintings and the like. I researched a wide avenue of examples from the 1700s to create a more accurate feel and style than any of my earlier attempts. I threw out the astrological symbol for Mercury. I tossed the flamboyant, modern wings in favor of an 18th century motif. I lost the date at the bottom. Let me know what you think of this little number. I still need to tweak it a little, but I already prefer this one far beyond my first. See updates in the design below

Two? Who else am I adding to the Roll Call?

This thread has always been on of my favorites, for many reasons. It's a great opportunity to see changing kits and put faces to names. Keep posting those pictures, everyone. There are some very fine outfits of late.

I have a pole hatchet that I use as a tool in camp. It came in handy when driving in the tent stakes, and it was carried into at least one skirmish. Still, a stone will drive a stake as easily as a tool plucked from off ship.

Exquisite work. Most commendable.

As of today, we are well over the 80 pirate mark. This is a good year for numbers.

"Thou must have a good time." "Thou must not bathe above three times in a fortnight."

August 6, 1704 - The Navarra First bell of the First Dog Watch Amador Pessoa was not a man of surpassing wit, and as the first bell came and went he was found among his fellow crewmen puzzling over the words of De la Cruz. He looked down at the food set before him, but the phrase 'You're almost fat enough' kept going through his head and this put him off his food. "Are you not hungry...?" said a fellow sailor, reaching for his plate. Pessoa brushed him away hard enough that he almost upset the man and the bench he sat upon. There was some good humored chuckles at this. Then Pessoa began eating meager bites, if only to stave off those who watched his full plate greedily. He chewed the food with no real relish, but accepted more of it all the same when the cook came by offering second helpings. "You never serve twice." Pessoa observed. "We're shy a man, I think." the cook said, serving the extra fare to the few who'd have it. Then the cook looked about. "Where's that cousin of yours...?" Pessoa grunted and glanced around the room unconcerned. He seldom thought of Zapatero as his cousin, for they were but distantly related on his mother's side. Zapatero was nowhere to be seen. Pessoa shook his head and was returning to his food when something in his stomach went very cold all at once. He stood up a little, but not so straight as to bump his head on the overhead beams. He peered into the badly lit corners and edges of the room. Zapatero was not there. He set aside the plate and began moving about the lower deck, slowly at first, and then carelessly shoving sailors aside as a momentum of concern built in his guts. There might have been protests at this, had it not been for a kind of stern, almost frantic expression on Pessoa's face. Then Pessoa found himself facing the Lieutenant across an open space in the throng. De la Cruz was looking at him with no real expression. He had just chanced to be standing there when Pessoa looked his way. Pessoa blanched at the emotionless face, for there was something there in the young man's eyes. Something purposeful which gave Pessoa pause and understanding at the same time. De la Cruz did not speak, but Pessoa could hear the words from before in his mind just the same. 'Your blood is in the water, Pessoa.' Pessoa's jaw tightened, for the Lieutenant's words had not been metaphoric at all. He now knew the purpose of the shots he had heard before and the cost of them.

Then welcome aboard the Mercury, Lad.

Thank you for the consolidation of threads. Wow. We seem to have a great many things to say about this festival.

August 6, 1704 - The Watch Dog Faustino Quinones watched Tudor from the far edge of 'Port Spain', a nickname given to the frigate's port side by Robert Hollis, owing to the many Spaniards housed among the guns there. Faustino, one of many onlookers, watched Tudor with an altogether different interest than the others. While his fellow Spaniards continued to appreciate the Steward openly, remarking time and again about the Captain's 'luck', Faustino kept his opinion to himself. He agreed with them on some level, for the women was fair, but his estimation of her were loftier and born of other desires. His envy of the Captain stemmed not to base needs but to the idea of having a Steward at all, and the other luxuries touching the Captain's position aboard ship. Faustino was man of ambition. More to the point, he was a man of opportunity and this was an opportunity like no other.

Tudor found Lazarus seated on an unmarked cask. He had a rudely turned pottery cup in his hands filled with something dark. He smiled to see her walk in, but it was a thin thing. He was tired. The galley had a kept heat to it that was stifling, and what little air came in by the weatherdeck door only served to remind them that it was only just a little cooler out there. Syren was at the door, fanning herself with a plate. She looked both better and worse for the day's work, but she was on her feet. A Spaniard remarked on her not ten feet away and she didn't so much as roll her eyes. Lazarus started to get up when the Steward came in, but Tudor waved him down. She helped herself to the rum barrel, measuring off a healthy ration. Then she served out some food for herself and ate standing. Everyone was quiet, content to share the room without talking. Lazarus uncovered a coper pot, revealing a fair sized bottle and nodded at it, but Tudor waved it off. Then Christopher Newstubb was at the door begging the use of a good knife, for he could not find his own. Lazarus shook his head with a wry grin and sent the man again with a kitchen knife almost too long to be practical. Like the rest of the ship, the kitchen had settled into routine.

Did I say wonderful? I meant, remarkable.

Wonderful work. Very well done in my estimation. I look forward to the finish.

Bienvenue, Monsieur. You should begin your own event where you are and we'll travel there.

I'm sure that I can get them up to 4X, so that's no problem.

I own it and I have found it useful, as have other pirates on the Pub hoping to build and understand such things. It's a good, simple book with easy instruction.

At first I didn't laugh, but as it progressed into absurdity, I couldn't stop laughing. Yes. I know the type. Best to come from humble beginings and to have stories of bad luck, fair luck, and good luck in honest proportions.

Right...I have May on the brain. Fixed.

Ransom has already answered this one.

I have long wanted to design a shirt which touches on my two obsessions. Pirates and Firefly. I've finally done just that with my Pirate Shirt (Pirate/Sea Rover as it translates into Chinese) by creating something that Jayne or any pirate might wear comfortably about their respective ships. I'm selling these on both men and women's shirts for $20.00. This cost covers shipping and the shirt. Please send payments to my paypal account at sweet_h2o@excite.com by June 11th. Shirts ordered on or before June 2nd are only $18.00, so take advantage of the discount. Wear them with pride at your next shiny shindig or pirate gathering.