William Brand

Welcome aboard, Mate!

A very happy birthday, Mate!

A very merry Christmas to everyone!

Aye, a good salt and a fine purveyor of drinks and adventure. Happy Birthday, Mister Pew.

Thank you, mates. We had a fine evening. My sister watched the kids so that Tracy and I could go to dinner and the movies and unplug from life a bit. I also received a great Turkish Pestemal towel (period correct!) and a fine chart magnifier that Tracy purchased from Goose Bay Workshops. I love getting kit additions. I can never justify spending money on such goods in the face of other needs about the house, so it's nice to be spoiled with new kit.

Tony...wow. That is a good shot! And Tony does it again...move over Uncle Sam. I WANT YOU FOR THE MERCURY! And this photo of so many good ships passing in close quarters...just perfect.

I'm hoping that these will inspire a few craftsmen on the Pub into fabricating and selling some of these.

The variety of these tools is amazing. Here's another Wheellock Spanner Combined with a Pistol Ramrod and Priming Flask from 17th century Germany. A rare Italian priming flask and combination tool. Fishskin, silver, brass and iron. 8.125 inches. And...perhaps one of the best spanners I've found... Combined stiletto, wheel-lock spanner and priming-flask with scabbard from Germany. c. 1660 Steel and copper alloy Length: 36.6 cm, overall Length: 23.5 cm, blade Width: 1 cm Weight: 0.32 kg Some fantastic early spanners can be found in this thread... http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?p=80826

There are no other tools on this one, but it's an excellent priming flask from 18th century India.

Combination gun tool comprising spanner, pricker, hammer and steel, of engraved steel, marked 'Antonio Nabarro en Madrid', Spain, 18th century.

18th century gun tool inscribed 'SOI D'EUSTAQUIO DE YBARRATA'. Height: 3.4 in, Width: 2.2 in, Steel combination gun tool comprising hammer, fire steel, whistle, two prickers and screwdriver, acquired in Seville, Spain.

17th century, Spanish screwdriver with a handle enriched with baluster mouldings, engraved with foliage with a heart-shaped piercing, marked 'Maria Myrandea'.

Another 17th century combination gun tool from Germany. It combines a wheel lock spanner and powder tester, with a cranked head pierced for three sizes of winding pins and a handle forming the measure. Some similar tools...

And another fine one from the Ottoman Turks. Ivory and gold. If I ever win the lottery.

And another nice priming flask made of ivory.

I came across this wonderful 17th-Century Steel Wheellock Combination Powder Flask, Spanner Wrench, Screwdriver and Pricker. It's made of Of polished steel construction, the tapered octagonal flask with spring-loaded spout cover, Side-mounted square spanner and pricker. Domed pommel with integral screwdriver. Steel ring mount. Length: 8-inches. http://www.collector...g01/Lot-183.htm

Great lyrics!

He's 16 in dog years minus 10 ferret years and two cow years. This is modified by the lunar calendar compensating for every third leap year according to the Order of the Clyster After St. Peregrine Laziosi, deceased, as interpreted by Marco Giovanni of Oristano. Mission is a complicated person.

Fellow Decemberists Unite!

I'm working on some projects concerning Spain in the Golden Age and I'm looking for any surviving images of Spanish flags for the period. Anything from Navy to Merchant Jacks. I know that the Cross of Burgundy appears on most of them, but I'd like a period example of the style, since the look of the cross is a little different from example to example. I'll also take any examples of Spanish ship pennants and variants of ensigns.

I could take Lily in a fight. (provided I was really quiet and sneaky and she was already asleep)

Pressed man, ad infinitum.

Some early photos from Thursday. I've got several hundred to sift through yet.

"It thinks of stuff and then it becomes legend... and lore." (Raphael Mission talking about his brain) "He dislocated his shoulder...at the waist." (Jim talking about what would happen if Chrispy were to fire the 'Cannibuss' fully charged with shot)