Gentleman of Fortune

Thanks again for the kind words and suggestions.

I have added the Royaliste to the ship page.

Now I am looking for other topics to cover on the site. As you can tell, the theme is more of the Authentic clothing, as weapons, Famous Pirate Bios, and Flags are really covered on other web sites.

I have been toying with the idea of putting info on "What does an Early 18th Century Tavern Wench really look like".

Any other suggestions are greatly welcomed.

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I have already made some changes regarding font size and such. I did not realize that folks would not have BlackAdder font.... not sure what to do about that.

Still learning about this web site stuff!

And does anyone know where I can find info to link to about 18th Century medical stuff?

Just took the plunge and bought my own domain name. I had an old site called Red Flag... I change names and move the content over to

http://www.gentlemenoffortune.com/

Its still a work in progress but I would appreciate ANY critisism (positive or negative)

Thanks

in advance

Greg

Dorian

The group has some great guys in the Hampton area. Bloody Davey hails from those waters and lives maybe a mile from the Mariners Museum.

If you have not already, check out the Piratebrethren's yahoo group. You are just in time to take part in the 6000th Post contest (complete with Prizes)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/piratebrethren/

I too have been trying to find an authentic sandal for my impression. Unfortunately, I got a big foot (sz 12).

Personally, I thik the best sandal to get would be this one, made by ecodragon.

It is (or was) a 100% Hemp sandal that looks to be a traditional style for the period. And, it is made of something that sailors would of had access to (all the ships riggings were hemp).

Sadly, ecodragon went out of business and is no longer making anything. They sold their remaining stock to grassroots natural goods.

My second choice would be hemp sandal 2, it is 100% hemp from ecodragon as well but has the upper part of a more modern style. They have them in men's sizes 8-10. I would cut the modern hemp straps off and try to splice in some hemp cord in for the straps though... but that is just me.

3rd Choice for me would be this clog. They have these in men's sizes 8,9,10, and 12. I would again cut the clog upper off and splice my own hemp cord onto it for an authentic style. But this is going to take some work.

Now, if your thinking... "dude I could care less what they are made of and how they are made, I just want some freaking sandals!"

Then this is the sandal for you!

They are made with nylon "rope" and melted together (not spliced or tyed), but they "look" like rope sandals. And you can get them in any size. Check out the neptune and barbados styles.

Hope this helps

Gentleman of Fortune

I got my Track of TW catalog yesterday. A whole lot of catalog for 7 bucks!

but I must say that 98% of the catalog seems to target the F&I or civil war market. I looked through it pretty hastily but the only long guns I found for our period were the French Fusil "C" type 1680-1730 and a Queen Anne style English Fowling gun.

Has anyone every ordered from Rifle Shoppe?

Their stuff looks incredible but I have only heard horror stories of delivery or attempted delivery times.

I'll second Hawkins....

I just moved from Germany after 6 years in the UK (out in the fens of East Anglia).

That country has a different dialect for every football team it has!

You can go/drive 5 miles in any direction and hit another town/villiage and they will sound "different" than the last one you were at.

Thank God i don't have to listen to the Archers anymore!

Very interesting and helpful.

I would be interested to know what they meant by "silk" and "silver" in that refrence.

Do they mean silk as in a piece of material (like covering the mould with cloth as is evident in later (1740+) waistcoats and Justaucoprs, or any kind of silk, such as silk thread "wound" around the mould.

Alot of the "earlier" buttons seem to be silk thread would around a mould that also contains silver and gold foil pressed into depressions in the mould.

again here is a sleeveless waistcoat that is purportedly 1700

does that look like silver, thread, silk???

Keep posting anything you find!

Thanks

IS it possible that the present (and last century) are the only times that people thought that pink wasn't cool?

oooops... even the dreaded nazis used it as color indication for the armor troops on their black uniforms! (even the evil sinister ss panzer divisions!)

I thought about using the Pink and Green combination on a Napoleonic Dragoon impression...

Pinks ok with me.

And any of the pastel colors seemed to be hip in the 18th Century.

AkashaZuul

I didn't mean to imply that the fabric was not expensive.... I fully understand that it was very expensive. My point was that, for the rich, that is one of reasons that they used so much of it in their clothing. My silk grosgrain jousaucorps used about 6 yards of fabric!

It shows off how much money you have... or in my case how stupid I am to spend that much money on something that I have worn 3 times in the last 4 years!

And because the fabric itself was so expensive, they re-used it later.

I am not too sure about "not wasting" fabric in 1700s fashion. Maybe for the lower classes, but for the rich, the idea was ot show that you could AFFORD lots of expensive fabric.

But I digress....

I think the problem that mature "stitch nazis" have (or at least me) is when someone is trying to REPRESENT a Golden Age of Piracy pirate to the public. I think there is a line (and not too fine a line either) between having fun at a festival (in a fun costume) and trying to eductate the public.

I have often seen folks with very unauthentic costumes in front of the public saying "this is what a 1710 pirate wore" and "this is what they did" when a pirate most certainly did not wear East German Jackboots, nor did he have a polyester joustaucoprs and cary a late 18th century flintlock.

So if ones intent is to be a "living historian" and "educate the public" I think that there should be a higher standard of authenticity. But for eveyone else who just wants to have fun, drink, and shout arrrrrr!, Live and let live

BlackJohn for Senior Class President!!!!!

I have come to the same conclusion myself (with the help of the Brethren of course!)

I am still striving for as high a standard for myself but, will practice a live and let live policy. Of course I will lend a hand if asked.

The other thing I am realizing is that there is so much an Ego trip thing with being the most authentic (etc etc).

It is painfully obvious whose kits are realistic and whose are fantasy (even for the public). But if we are at a Festival Celebrating Pirates (which is a whacky thing to do anyway), who really gives a whoot.

Just spread out the honey and see how many flies we can catch!

*is there some kind of rehab group for re-enactors*?

Ok I admit it, I am a stitch nazi. There I have said, it and I feel better already.

But over the years and especially recently, I have discovered that I am not the center of the universe as I had originally thought.

Every day, people live their lives and have good days and bad days with sunshine and rain.....

I can't change the world and I am not the patron saint of re-enacting.

That doesn't mean that I do not still highly value authenticiy and trying to replicate the past with anal retentive obsession.

It just means that I do what I do and I let others do what they do.

For After all, we go to Pirate FESTIVALS. Its a festival. Wear what you want and have fun.

And if there are ever events that say 1710-1725 kits only, than I hope that is what shows up and I hope that others respect that.

I think they will

group hug?

So... where are the Extant clothes for the 1690-1720 period?

I was kind of dissapointed that the Bath fashion museum and the V &A have a majority of 1750-1790s stuff on display.

Are there any existing sailors clothes from our period?

I understand about using common (or even common sense) materials for sailors/seamans jackets 1690 pattern or whatever.

However, my question was if anyone had any information on buttons for a Gentleman's Coat/Justaucorps.

I doubt that a Gentleman that could afford a silk coat in the early 18th (1700-1720) Century would put bone, metal or wood buttons on such a thing.

The example I sited above is from Historical Fashion in Detail, but it is of a 1730-50 coat.

The buttons on pre-1690 Justaucorps coats that I have seen are the really rounded type.

Once again the 1690-1720 period has fallen into the black hole.

Any help?

I am trying to find some good photos of extant clothing for the 1690-1720 ( Actually, closer to 1720) with good shots of the buttons. I would settle for paintings etc.

Most of my books don't have good photos of Gentleman's clothing in this period....

I know that later in the century the buttons were buttons that were moulds covered in fabric with designs embroidered into them

but the earlier ones seem to be a wooden mould wrappedwit thread and have designs woven into that....

What do you guys think?

I love you guys!

Maybe this topic might be more for the lumieres than here but....

I have discussed the Golden Age of Piracy with some re-enactors/living historians who are dedicated Hogarth fanatics and base a lot of their impressions off of his work.

Hogarth was born in 1697? and really got started in 1720 with his most popular work from 1730 on.

Being that this is kind of late for Golden Age, and that the Golden Age is between to major fashion trends (Baroque and Roccoco). How much weight should one give Hogarth.

Now I know I am gazing at the navel here but I am kind of curious.

In the Hogarth prints I have seen the stocking are tucked under breeches, the shoe buckles are fairly large etc etc (which are all right on for mid 18th Century).

Anyway.... just curious if anyone had any ideas on this.

BlackJohn? ???

I think the sailors got the nickname from working with tar/pitch on the ships so much that they had the stuff/smell on them constantly....

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

n. 1. A sailor; a seaman.

1. A thick, black, viscous liquid obtained by the distillation of wood, coal, etc., and having a varied composition according to the temperature and material employed in obtaining it.Coal tar

See in the Vocabulary.

Mineral tar

(Min.) a kind of soft native bitumen.

Tar board

a strong quality of millboard made from junk and old tarred rope.

Tar water

a - A cold infusion of tar in water, used as a medicine.

- Knight.

b - The ammoniacal water of gas works.

Wood tar

tar obtained from wood. It is usually obtained by the distillation of the wood of the pine, spruce, or fir, and is used in varnishes, cements, and to render ropes, oakum, etc., impervious to water.

v. t. 1. To smear with tar, or as with tar; as, to tar ropes; to tar cloth.

[imp. & p. p. Tarred ; p. pr. & vb. n. Tarring.]

To tar and feather a person

See under Feather, v. t.

BlackJohn

Actually, the link that I meant to post WAS the Rifle Shoppes!

Although TOTW has TONS of parts and stuff. I have ordered their new catalog and its on the way. When It comes in I will let you know how it compares.

Thanks for catching the slip up and posting the link!

(PS I am saving up for the handmortar! )

I meant to say (in the previous post) what TRIM are you using with the frock?

AkashaZuul

I found some really righteous %100 silk grosgrain in London about 5 years ago.

It was extrememly difficult to find and was quite pricey (about $50 a yard) and I needed about 6 yards for the Justoucorps... yikes!

I am still looking for some decent trim for the buttonholes and am trying to have the *right* buttons made.

Historcial Fashion in Detail is pretty sparse on its early 18th Century stuff.... at least for men. I think that there is a picture or two of a 1730 justaucorps or a waistcoat and but not much else.

When I lived in England, I was able to spend a good amount of time at both the V & A and the Bath museum of fashion but they too did not have much in the way of 1690 - 1720 men's clothes.

Egad!

Have any pics to post of you in the 1794 dress?

Sounds beautiful.

I would say that it depends on from what period you want your pirate image to portray.

One of the the best bootmaker for 17th and 18th century is Sarah Juniper out of the UK

17th C boots should look like this

Pricey but none better (IMHO)

Looks like you are doing a great job!

Historical Fashion in Detail says that the one you are modeling it after (at least the color) is salmon pink ribbed silk.

Do you think they mean Faile, Moire', Grosgrain?

What are you using to make your frock?

What kind of trim are you thinking about?

Love to see more of it when done!

Have you tried www.trackofthewolf.com?

There catalog alone is worth the money.