Gentleman of Fortune

If that doesn't work... I will take my digital camera with me to TORM. There will probably be several there. Or I could just buy you one and send it to you.... Whatever ? Greg

i should have on my pirate brethren t-shirt... so if anyone spies me, say hello! greg

Yeah... that literally was my project... I just didn't have the time or tools to move it from the back burner to the front burner... So I gave it to Patrick. He is a gung ho kind of guy... Keep up the good work Pat. I got a closet full of projects that are unfinished, so when you complete the sword let me know. Greg aka GOF

Take a look... cool stuff! http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/p...e&iSaleNo=14627 Greg

Maybe I am not just looking for the right words either.... I got a few more results with searching for Ash Dowel, by the largest one online is 48". I am assuming that I can e-mail those companies and see if they can do 96" or longer.... Greg

I did a quick google scan for an ash pole (between 1-1.5 inch diameter) to attach a boarding pike head to. I am not coming up with anything.... I think for our period, we need at least 8'. Any ideas? Greg

Rats... You could always do one with REAL re-enacting women. Donate a portion to breast cancer research and $Cha-Ching$. Of course, you would have to have a great big pirate charity ball too.... I'll charge nothing for the idea except to get to hold the lights during the shoot! Greg

*snicker* I agree. Unless of course, you are going after the sparrow look, in which case you are kinda obligated. Good luck

I am going to the UK (I live in Germany) to visit some friends (I used to live in the UK) and I am going toThe Origianal Reenactors Market How bout you? Greg

DP Gregory... I just saw your signature graphic for the first time... Neat! And Skull Pirate Carter.... have you been gone for a while? I haven't seen you posting. Glad your back though... Greg aka GOF

Ugghhh.... Just how nearby is it? This sucks as last years TORM was great, and this can't help but pull vendors away! Anyone from the Isles car to give your take on these competing Events? Foxe? Tall Paul????? Anyone???? Greg aka GOF

I am spoiled for choice right now for fabrics for this justaucorps project, and can't seem to make up my mind. I really want to go with some silk grosgrain (blue) that I picked up at TORM last year, but I really don't have a lining for it yet. The piece is just about 3.5 meters long. I was hoping to find some red grosgrain silk for the turnback cuffs... and TORM is only a few weeks away... That being said, I bought some watered taffeta silk (red) that I half thought could be the lining for the coat.... but its 5 yards of watered silk taffeta, which would make a nice justaucorps in its own right.... Pardon me for thinking/typing out loud.... Or, I could do a wool... as I have some nice wools. I noticed though that all the wools I have bought seem to be earth tones, browns, tans, orangish ones. I must really be attracted to that pallet as I have scads of those colours. And then, a few years ago, I snagged some 100% silk velvet (on a linen base). Whoaaaa. To be honest, I never felt real silk velvet (most of what we buy is silk backed with a synthetic pyle) until I bought this stuff... Its crunchy! Sadly its blue... kind of a light blue. I am really not into blue. But the fabric is gorgeous, so I bought it. And I got 14 meters of it........ I am saving that for something special, or more correctly, saving it for my skill sewing level to increase Sooooo..... I have about a month to decide, and then we can start this group project! Greg aka GoF, aka fabric whore.

**snicker** GoF

Wow... PirateSSe small world! My birthday is on Halloween too. mmmmmm..... Scorpios! Greg aka GoF

And maybe that is just one of many different ships biscuts made. If its for a contract, you can bet they are going to cut some corners. Greg

Yeah... I saw that picture of the grenade launcher in the Osprey book too... and I was so fascinated that I bought the Hand Mortar kit from TRS. You can follow the chronicles of the project here http://www.gentlemenoffortune.com/handmortar.htm I need to update it though, as it is finally complete and I am awaiting delivery. I can't imagine how you would "convert" the grenade launcher to fire a grappling hook. I would think that you would have to modify the grappling hook to be launched from a grenade launcher. I am curious as to how much windage there would be on a grappling hook and how far it could be "launched". Greg

Now I had a pic of a proportedly early 18th c grappling hook but I will be dag nabbed if I can find it now.... IIRC.... It was a 3 pronged affair... one long rod, pointed ends bent to form an eye in the middle (so it looks like a big upside down W with the middle part having the eye. The third arm was then welded to the other two prongs above the "eye". From looking at it, I would have said that each of the arms were about 10" long (if straighten). Ok... I know, that is clear as mud... Greg

*snicker*

Yeah peep show is a favorite of mine as well... I would love to see it in person. All that freakin detail is overwhelming! I love the jug with cap and the broken pipe front center bottom.... Greg

Yeah... but is it from a private collection? I have searched for it to get a look at it if its in color, but haven't been able to find it... anyone got a link? Greg

Rats... I like your line of questioning. Its a breath of fresh air to my tired ol' sails.... Anywhoo... I would imagine that there were various sizes of diameter of hemp rope on a sailing ship depending on its intended use. Those like Foxe, Royaliste, and others that have actually spent lots of time on a sailing ship might have a better idea. But, Hemp is different than anything else, IMHO. Sissal is nothing like it... I have some 10mm Hemp line, that I was going to put in the Signature Graphic contest when it is ressurected.... How much do you need??? Greg

Hey folks I get a lot of e-mails to my mailbag over at www.gentlmenoffortune.com One recently asked So, anyone have anything else to add? thanks Greg aka GoF

Hey tightpants, maybe I am missing something here... Going back to the original discussion, which I believe started with a discussion about encampment water containers. The point I was trying to make was this Wooden containers for liquids, in a size manageable by a re-enactor, was bound by wood during the GAoP. Yes hogsheads and tuns could be bound in iron, but smaller containers were wood bound during the gaop. And the two photos that Foxe posted in this thread backs that up. That is all I said, and that is all I meant to say. Now, if we have proof that "smaller" containers (that is anything under a hogshead, about 60 gallons), I will retract my statement and jump on the iron bound bandwagon. And as we have said earlier, some things you just have to work around. Period stockings comes to my mind. But, just because your average viewer doesn't know the difference or can't tell the difference doesn't make it correct... which I am sure you are not saying. Which is why, at the end of the day, the things that I can take care of I will try my best to do so. I won't force my agenda on anyone esle, but I will provide comment when asked, or participate in open discussion opportunities like this. Greg--- we will have to continue this, in person, at TORM.

I think what I would do would be to get the Godwin boarding axe, and then put it on a bench grinder to thin out the spike a bit... But I am kinda anal about stuff, sometimes for no aparent reason. Maybe this is one of those times. Good luck! Greg

Well Captain Alva... Yours is just one of the approaches to pirate re-enacting, and for that matter re-enacting in general. We try to have a "live and let live" approach, at least here at the pub. As has been determined in missives here on this forum, and countless of other forums. You can do what you like. Some people re-enact many different periods of history. Some are just shackled to one particular period and that is enough for them. And still others have one period that they are infatuated with and pursue it to the minutest detail, and then have another "blow off" period that they have an "anything goes" attitude. What gets my panties all knotted up are those that take one period seriously, and then disparage those that take their “blow off” period seriously. Granted, the percentage of pirate re-enactors that take it seriously is miniscule compared to the throngs of Ninja Pirates, Zombie Pirates, Jack Sparrows, and Fairy Pirates, we are nonetheless dedicated to trying our best to combine our own research with wading through incongruent historical documents to get it as close as we can. I still enjoy seeing the juggling pirates at festivals and the kiddie/crowd entertainers too, and I am not shouting at them to, “For God’s sake man, get a correct pair of shoes!”. That being said, I thought that Rats was seeking out opinions on Loyalists Boarding axe, so I obliged and gave him my opinion. As as most of the folks here at the pub know, I try to base my opinions on what would have been reasonable for the 1680(ish) to 1720(ish) timeframe. Rat appears to be trying to build an authentic kit for 1690-1720, by the company he keeps, the images I have seen of him, and his line of questioning here at the pub. More on Boarding Axes. Captain Alva has touched on a interesting point. That is, during the 16th-19th centuries, Hundreds of thousands of axes (hatchets, tomahawks) were being sent to the Colonies for the colonist and to use in the Indian Trade. There are hundreds of different examples, styles and shapes. The Le Salle wreck (1686) contained barrels full of Axe heads for this purpose. To me, it’s a no-brainer that a pirate, whose job it was to intercept shipping commerce, would avail himself of an axe if he needed one and it presented itself. Again, the GAoP is the near the begging phase in a lot of clothing, equipment, and weapon development. I would venture that there was no standard Boarding Axe pattern for in the GAoP, and that most of the axes depicted cover a lot of ground (from Halberd types to bearded axes). So, in reality, I think it would be better (if authenticity is your goal) to have a plausible spiked tomahawk, than it would be to have a boarding axe that matches a pattern that we know was used 30-70 years later. But hey, do what you like Captain. Greg aka GoF