William Brand

I scolded Tracy for vapouring around the children. She laughed. Vapouring is her new favorite word.

The question was not if a man would come into possession of an expensive or exotic weapon. This was the question... None of us said that a sailor would not get his hands on such a weapon. Rather we said that it's likely he'd sell something of pronounced value and not keep it for reasons both economical and practical. We also stated that if he did keep it, we've seen no direct documentation about it. In short, we're left to considerable speculation in the absence of information. Well, speaking of Middle Eastern knives, Big Mike is currently working on one jambiya and I've discussed another with him. He's always willing to take on a commission. Even more so now that he's moved into the shop.

And any example is made trickier by the lack of specific names or terminology. Anyone keeping records at the time is just as likely to use European terms to describe Middle Eastern weapons, so an Englishman is might write 'knife' or 'sword' without ever being more specific.

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You can tell that it rolled over to Starboard all at once, as it's laying upon another boat. Great painting! It looks like a plethora of monmouth caps and tricorns.

No, I mean find a style with good documentation and give it to a true knifemaker and have them bid out a cost to make a one of a kind piece. Any knifemaker worth his/her salt will take your design and replicate or build off a design according to your instructions. You can get a one of a kind piece, handmade, with the materials that you choose. This prevents you from wearing a piece that anyone else might be carrying. It allows you to add personal touches. You get a better made knife than you might through a cheaper replica company. You also get a knife that will take abuse and can be used without fear of damages to the blade.

If you find something you like, get as many images of it as you can and bid it out. check your private messages.

You're excused. Having lived in the Middle East, I can tell you that a market there is a thing not to be missed. The Arabic Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem alone is one of my favorite places in the world. You can still buy hand made backgammon games and bottles blown from the same blue glass they've been using for 4,000 years. Here's another kard.

A good knife and one that a sailor was likely to keep for a tool as much as a trophy is a kard. An Arabic kard has a simple design. It's generally made with bone or wood handles and it it is very similar to some English styles of the same period. The bolster, pins and materials are not so rare or strange that a European wouldn't find it familiar, because there are trade knives of the period that are similar in shape and size. I would recommend a shorted one with simple fittings.

I covet this 18th century Ottoman piece.

I'm with Hook on this. If you have a 'lovely' weapon it's more practical to sell it to keep a crew paid and a ship out of drydock. Weapons are practical first, second and third and costly, bejeweled weapons tend to be ornaments of the wealthy. However, there is a higher percentage of 'decorative' muskets, pistols and blade weapons in the Middle East where shell inlay and wire inlay are prevalent. Brass wire and shell are not costly additions and they a very traditional in the Middle East. Middle and Far Eastern weapons of the period also had prevailing details in pierced silver and brass. These are considered common to the area. It's best to think of these weapons as 'ornate', but not costly. In the case of this example, the Damascus steel in the fittings and barrel are worth more than the cheap brass and mother of pearl inlay. Another example of pierced brass fittings. Jewels, pearls and gold become another matter entirely and pirates would probably sell these. Gold and jewels equates directly to rum and women.

DAY 49: 1606 map of Pennsylvania by the master engraver and cartographer Jodocus Hondius (1563-1612). 1606-VirginiabyHondius.pdf

DAY 48: 1690 - Pennsylvania map by John Seller. 2 up on letter sized paper with crop marks. 1690-PAJohnSeller.pdf

I used to say the same about Fort Zachary Taylor. It's hard to branch out on a budget. We need to start selling black market girl scout cookies.

My parents still believe that you can catch a cold if you don't wear a coat. Astrology of the Rhinovirus.

Aye. We've talked about it both ways. Of course it's hoped that any re-enactor will tell the public stories as often as they'll listen, all day, all the time, but it was also proposed that we do an after hours events between players of our little theater as a tool to hone the art of being somebody else. I think that one of the ways that we can focus on the public by day is to call them out to perform and be a part of various 'acts', excluding direct battle participation. Examples. Battle examples 1 - During the battle we could have some 'fort citizens' on the wall during the battle narration that interact with the crowd by passing a spyglass or two and wagering on the outcome. 2 - We could have a scabby beggar mingling among the crowd. 3 - Some callous, high society dandies could be talking about the outcome with a removed indifference or haughty laughter and comments. 4 - If we had enough troops we could march them onto the ramparts part way through the battle, so we have the arrival of fresh troops and the departure of wounded. 5 - Speaking of wounded, we really could use a second surgeon as a 'fort doctor' for the fallen soldiers and people of the crowd could be called upon to stand watch over the wounded. We might make 'stretchers'. 6 - We could use a priest pray for the living and dead alike. 7 - We could have market vendors among the crowd. Ivan Henry's 'chicken vendor is a great new example. I water vendor with a cask and cup offering to refresh the crowd. 8 - We could pass 'public notices' among the battle audience that are printed up in a period style. Wanted posters, leaflets against pyracy, etc. This would make the experience less of a tour and more of an interaction during the battle. The same could be applied to all things during a 'pirate trial' on the parade grounds. The same vendors, beggars, and publications could be circulated about the crowd. We could introduce many pirate prisoners and ask members of the crowd to guard one prisoner or another. We should add a public servant (flanked by a soldier or two) that moves among the crowd with quill and ink and asks 'citizens' (tourists) to sign a petition calling for the capture of one pirate or another or begging assistance from the govenour or magistrate to suppress pirates. Each tourist would be asked to sign and to place their mark upon this or that document. Anything to get them personally involved. Arguments could break out between various players on the subjects of suppression versus the profit and trade of allowing pirates. A priest could encourage people to witness what befalls pirates who go against the will of God and King by inviting the public to speak with a pack of chained or detained pirates, so that they might see the evil which befalls men who seek a life of sin and most evil murder. During your surgical presentation we could bring a wounded man that you could tend in the moment and ask participants to help bind one wound or another and have basins for them after to wash their hands of blood. Too graphic? Pirates could attempt to sell to the public large lots of goods such as great bales of cloth or casks of vinegar. All of these ideas require volunteers and more pirates, but that's always been the idea. More pirates!

We need to do the stories in the round. We've talked about it every year going back eight years, and we've still never really done it. Just characters sitting around the fire telling stories about their days of pyracy. I'm a freak, but I still want to do this some year.

The deadeyes are fantastic!

That's what a small sword should be.

I'm sorry, Matt, I missed this one before. It's amazing. There is an elegance and beauty in simplicity and craftsmanship. That's a great piece.

I would prefer a re-edit of 3 to a making of 5.

Thank you for the updates.

This is outside the Golden Age, but I thought I'd share it anyway. 1764 - Boston Bay 1764-BostonBay.pdf

DAY 47: Rules for the Society of Negroes, 1693 written by Cotton Mather. It's set up at size, so it needs to be printed on legal sized paper and trimmed at the crop marks. 1693-SocietyofNegroes.pdf

Going back to the first hat. The problem with the example at the start of the thread is that it brings up more questions. Was it intended to be a tricorn, or is it an example of a poor man's alteration? Is it tricorn shaped on purpose, or from long wear and abuse? The picture is an example of men in old, well worn clothes. The hat of each looks well weathered. I have seen many hats abused into new shapes or altered by use of work and weather over time , so that the resemble tricorns, bicorns and the like, without being tricorns by design. The problem with a single example, is that it cannot be compared from enough angles to support fact over speculation. Still, it's one of the most interesting images used in this particular debate.