Gentleman of Fortune

I'll echo Gordon I believe that a ship of the period would have any number of signal flags or country flags on board already. So when a "pirate" flag was needed, it "could" be fashioned out of available flag material on board. Foxe has posted pirate flag data before, and they all were not black with skull and x bones... some were yellow, green, red etc. These colors would be available on an ocean going ship. For my own "personal" flag, I am cannibalizing wool flags. Hope to post it when its ready. GoF

I am gloating a little, please forgive... I had a really cool Dutch Hanger made by Old Dominion Forge that was unreal. There are still pic on my site. I sold it last fall to fund other projects, and while I was hesitated a bit to sell it, I at leas knew that I had another custom blade on order, that would take the sting out of parting with my Dutch Hanger. I put the order in (that is, got on the waiting list) in 2007. With an estimated delivery date of Summer 09. Well, summer 09 is right around the corner, and the maker has sent pictures of the sword in progress, so I thought I'd share. To me, this is the quintessential GAoP sword, as it was only made (the style anyway) from around 1680-1720. There is a "period" picture of Black Beard, and the hanger he is carrying is this style. Plus, there are pictures of Admiralty types with these at their sides. Too cool Close up of grip/hilt Yeahh Baby!

Just personal experience. I have tarred some knitted monmouth caps with stolkholm tar. I don't think it would be possible to tar then knit. It all comes out a sticky mess. While the lanolin in the wool naturally provides some waterproof qualities, its the fulling (which binds the actual wool fibers to each other) and the tarring that would really do the job. GoF

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After a long absence, I have some Grenadoes back in stock. Just in time for the spring/summer pirate season too! more info on GRENADOES in Gerneral Contact me via PM for purchasing details (Paypal works best for me)

There are some really great folks chiming in here with info. I'll just add a little. You really have to watch the upholstery stuff, as it can be very thick/heavy as its intended for furniture not clothing. Here is an Italian vendor, I have seen the stuff first hand.... Drop dead gorgeous. http://www.luigi-bevilacqua.com/eng/index.html click catalogue, Damasks, then check out 31945 Which reminds me, sometimes the pattern/style of Brocade is wayyyy later than GAoP, so keep that in mind. The absolute bomb... in my opinion, is this http://www.e-luxus-fabrics.com/soie_us/index.htm They make a reproduction Bizarre pattern that is to die for... if you are into such things. I contacted them a while back... I think a 1.5 meters was going to run about $500, which would be enough for a waistcoat (using linen for the back panel :) If you check out e-luxus above, make sure you check out the other time periods.... It will give you an idea of what styles were in fashion during each time frame. and of course, there are always some useful links at my site http://www.gentlemenoffortune.com/Links.htm GoF

Great thread... You guys are doin wonders for the hobby... keep up the good work! GoF

There are only so many ways to make a grappling hook.. 3 tine or 4 tine. The ones that I have seen that have some providence for 18thC seem to have been made 3 tine. I long bar bent with the rope loop at the top, and the 3rd tine (shorter bar) "welded" into the the other two. That being said, as long as it doesn't look like a factory made (in China) grappling hook, I think that this is an area so not covered and researched that I think you could get by with a reasonable facsimile. For Example, here is one on eBay now http://cgi.ebay.com/SUPERB-18TH-CENTURY-NA...93%3A4|294%3A50 or item number 320342974783

I believe 2 dark browns and 1 tan are spoken for... anyone else need one? GoF

I have some Monmouth Caps coming in... check out my thread in Thieves Market if interested

Nice work... Price Ranges?

Ahoy It has taken me a while to find the right wool that didn't cost an arm in a leg. I will be getting some monmouth caps in in the next week (or so). If you are interested at all, please let me know. I should have 3 Dark Brown and 2 light gray/Khaki and will be large in size, unless I hear otherwise. $45 shipped, pay when they are ready to go out the door. Here is one that is available NOW. $42 Shipped It was fulled soon after this photo was taken.. it should fit an XL head size nicely. Thanks GOF

Continued... Misc I was at an antique shop last year and found a few boxes of Cotton Velvet. It was in the form of old curtains but it looked like it might make an interesting project. Some of them hung in more sunlight and were faded in places... other seemed ok. My goal was to make a red raggedy old justaucorps that was torn and faded. If I made it in the early style, It would be a great impression to do a lower class fellow with a 30 year old coat that had been used abused and repaired a bunch of times (Like all Gunnister mans stuff). Never did it... SO I am selling it. I have Red (that has the most Sun fading) Burgandy, Teal/Blue and Forest Green For each color there is plenty of fabric to make what you want. I didn't measure it all, but the nicest is probably the Green and there are 4 panels that 8 feet long and 44" wide. If you want to try to make your own stuff, here is an opportunity to get some interesting fabric on the cheap. $25 per color or all of it for $100 shipped

CONTINUED WOOL WB 1 & 2 $15 each both for $25 88" x 65" Old wool blankets make great short jackets. I am a big guy and I got a short jacket out of one of these easy with room to spare. 100% blankets are getting harder to find... so I'll make it easy for you. These blankets are basket woven and have been washed multiple times in their carrers. They have that nappy tight woveness that was great for nautical clothing during the GAoP. With two, you could make a long frock coat, great coat, or Justaucorps. Or just a neat short jacket. WB2 $15 80" x 60" Same as above but tighter woven and more nappy and a little smaller. Light blue. Would make a sweet sailor's jacket WBP $15 78" x 62" $15 Same as above but really think and Nappy. Its pink... or salmon. A popular color (easy to dye) in GAoP. I made my short jacket from this blanket's brother (or sister) WG $15 84" x 64" $15 This blanket is a little thinner than the above, but still a nice piece of fabric for your progject. This one is a mint green color Buy all of them and I'll pay the shipping.. so thats $70 shipped PM for payment details

I have been going through my stuff... again and found a few pieces of linen that didn't make it out with the last batch. I'll post more as I find em L5 $75 Shipped This is a big piece of linen 7.7 Yrds 60" wide. It probably from the first quarter of the last century As far as weight goes, I would say its on the heavy side of "Light" or on the light side of Medium... so a 3 or 4 on a scale of 1-10. Some slight storage marks but it has been laundered. I'd use it to make a shirt, chemise (if you don't mind a heavier material) or for lining of just about anything. LCP Embroidered/Patterned Beige Cotton 4yds x 58" $30 I bought this a while back as the pattern was reminicent of 18th century embroidered/patterned fabrics. I thought it would make a great looking waistcoat under my plumb colored Justaucops It reminds me of the silk one from the V&A that Jack Roberts posted in twill... L20 Shirtweight Linen Yrds x 48" $30 This is a nice sized piece of lightweight linen... hankercheif maybe... certainly shirtweight. I washed it in prep for making a shirt and that is as far as I got. LC Indigo Checked Blanket Cover Linen $30 This piece dates from the 1910-1930s and is a linen blanket cover. You put a wool blanket in and button it up. Its made from two pieces of checked linen 30" wide and 160" long. Depending on your size, you should get two shirts out of it. Pictures for follow, Shipping is not included PM me for payment details

Good info guys! I'll just add, that if you are not up to drafting your own patterns, Reconstructing History's patterns are well worth the $. You get a little History of the historical garment you are trying to make and original examples are cited. They can be tricky at times to put together, if you are less than an intermediate tailor/seamstress... but there are enough folks here (see the above two posts) that have trodden the path that they could answer any questions you may have and pass on some hard earned knowledge. Good Luck, and post your progress!

I have a book on Cotton printed textiles... I would say that some of the ones are great for GAoP, let me find my book and i will see which ones suit us best. Not a bad price either... This will give you a rough idea... http://www.musee-impression.com/gb/boutique/default.html its from the printed textile museum in France.... I went there and bought

SOLD... all of it. W-D Mustard/Khaki Wool med/heavy 4.7 Yards x 60" I was visiting relatives in a sleepy little PA town during the summer of 05, and my brother in-law told me about a little auction that he liked to go to. I am a sucker for a flea market, garage sale, or Auction so I glady left the wife and kids with her sister and we took off. My curse is that the cool things for sale is always directly proportional to how much money I have in my pocket. I didn't have much, which ensured a great find was in store. We got to the auction with very little time for the preview, the time to look over items before the auction started. Wouldn't you know, part of the auction was boxes and boxes and boxes of clothing and fabrics from an estate sale. I only had time to look at a few, and really didn't get to seem much more than the top layer of things in the boxes. As luck would also have it, there were a few other clothes/fabric whores attending in the crowd, which kept me from getting them for nothing, and I made sure I returned the favor. Anyway, I did get a few boxes, though I missed one with about 10 corsets from the mid to late 19th century AGGGGGHHH! But i got some really nice wools and this piece is one. I love this wool, and hate to part with it. I kept thinking of what I would make with it. I am a big guy, so a later Justaucorps isn't always in the cards as they take a TON of fabric. But its definitely enough for a pre-1710 style as there are not as much to the skirts. I am guessing that the material is from around or before WW1. There wasn't any clothing in the box that was newer than that. Mostly end of Victorian period - Edwardian Period stuff. W-E Warm Khaki/Orangish Medium Weight Wool 8.8 yards x 60" As much as I love W-D, I like this one more, and there is more of it. It came from another box (I got 3 boxes) in the above sale. This is a big piece of fabric. And I was saving it for something.... a special clothes making occasion. Its enough to get a late Justaucorps AND a pair of breeches. Make a waistcoat of out of the water'd silk (see the Silks ad i have) and you would have a cracker jack gentleman's kit. There is plenty of fabric for women's clothes as well. Let you imagination be your guide as this is a nice English earthy tone. First come first served... Let me know if you need any more info. PM me if you are interested

SOLD all of it. Moving into the wools The English really liked wools. They were masters of its manufacture. While other countries royalty and upper classes would be found in the finest silks and other fabrics, wool found a place in every Englishman's (and English woman's) Wardrobe. From the King on down to the lowest of peasants, wool was the Fabric for England. First up is: W-A Grosgrain Wool 5.5 yds x 60" med weight Yards Grosgrain fabric has a ribbed appearance. It was very popular in centuries past. Some say that "Grog" gets its name from the Captain of a ship who invented it. He apparently wore a Grosgrain Coat, and was known as old "Grog". Can't confirm that, but none the less, here is 5.5 yards that is 60" wide. The color is a brownish orange... I'd say burnt orange, but I have a lot of burnt orange wool... this one is more subtle. Its a lighter style of wool, that is, its not like a blanket, so you won't be sweating to death in it. I was going to make a Justaucorps out of this.... now is your chance to do the same. W-B Melton Wool Burt Orange 4 Yards x 60" I picked this up from a Swanky fabric shop in London about 8 years ago. There were going out of business, and had this Nice Italian Melton on sale from 40 Pounds sterling a yard to something more reasonable. I bought it without an idea of what I would use it for, but there maybe enough to get a decent early Justaucorps or definitely some breeches. Almost too nice for a short jacket, unless you were an officer... I would say this is a heavier weight wool. Made by RIOTEX. Style "Ricky", Color Orange. The orange is a little brighter than the above grosgrain, but still in the "burnt" family. Not a Halloween Orange W-C Herringbone Twill Wool 8.8 Yards x 60" Whenever I can find interesting quality wool at less than $10 a yard, I usually jump on it. I saw this wool at a "The Original Reenactor Market in the UK about 5 years ago and thought it would make a nice suit... Justaucorps and breeches. It certainly is enough material. Its a lighter weight wool... at least re-enactor wise and its a nice "Salmon" color. There is enough here to make a dress as well, if you are into that kind of thing

I have but a few left, which I am saving. See Taylor Rose Historical Outfitters for Silver Buckles, I sold my remaining stock to them (except for a few pairs of each for emergency) GoF

Silver "A" has been sold

Its always nice to see (and hear) that folks enjoy the site....! Gentlemen Surgeon Its in need of updating again, but here is a link if you have yet to stop by. Gentlemen of Fortune