Cap'n Pete Straw

-- Arrested -- Handcuffs. ("Liz" gave you "arrested? Man, that one is confusing).

There are several sources for kits, but I swear by Dixie Gun Works. Their online catalog can steer you to many good kits (try searching for "flintlock" and "kit" for starters). One advantage is that many of their products have very useful on-line reviews written by other buyers, which reveal such helpful things as "very easy to build" or "the parts did not fit well and the gun was far more complicated than my skill level." But there are other sources, and I am certain that others will chime in with their preferences. Don't buy anything until you hear from Hawkyns, IMHO.

WHAT!?! Sell them? What, are ye insane? (ask me sometime about the $5 Civil War fleam I found in an antique store; the guy had NO idea what it was. It could easily fetch me $50, $70, or even $100, but it will remain forever my $5 fleam... next to my $40 bone saw). Thanks for the input, especially about the Japan Tower barrels. One has some inscription which has been scribed off... and it appears to be Japanese lettering under the abrasion -- so I am not surprised to hear your post. I was quite sick (fever, heavy medication, etc.) when I purchased these yesterday, so I need to give them a very, very careful examination. Okay, no time like the present. I just looked at them under better light, and without a raging fever. One is marked "JAPAN" and "HAWES"; the other clearly had "JAPAN" and something else, which may or may not have been Japanese lettering (or LG or EG, or some other mystic runes), but all has been obliterated by heavy scribing/filing. Otherwise, they look fine. They both need to be cleaned -- the HAWES one more than the other. I may save all my live firing for the Queen Anne that I am assembling. Your assessment of the "Middle Eastern" one appears dead on. I would have to be in mortal fear for my life to try to live fire that one... and I would resort instead to using it as a club. It is one hell of a nice looking prop, however. Upon examination, I realize the the necessary retro-fit work needed to make it fireable would be wiser spent in building a new one from scratch.

The sounds of innumerable women making out with each other.. panting, sighing, orgasming... Sorry, my wife is up to Episode 3 of "The L Word."

HAH! VICTORY! I picked up the "Dead Men Tell No Tales" poster, but it was at a "Poster Plus" store that was going out of buisness. $3.99, with the 60% off sale... that would be.... A Dollar Sixty! Yeah! Also picked up a $7.99 PotC movie poster at 20% off. You do the math... my head hurts. And two Orlando Bloom Legolas posters for my daughter (also at the sale $1.60 each)... but I'll find a LotR chat area to brag about those. Uh, no. I won't. But thanks for the tip ... I wouldn't have even thought about looking for the poster -- or any pirate poster, actually ... if you hadn't mentioned that.

"The L Word" The computer, you see, is housed in a custom built recycled weathered old barn wood armoire, a few feet away from the big screen TV, which is housed in matching custom-designed entertainment cabinet. Both of these are situated in our main family room, which also houses our roaring fireplace... ...My lovely wife rented the first disc of "The L Word" series, but it isn't keeping my attention (it's about a bunch of lesbians, and is sadly, IMHO, as non-gripping as I predicted), which is why I moved from the sofa to the computer armoire and am talking to all of you folks.

(Damn! I wasn't on time to jump ionto the "Batman" thread... maybe it will come back around...) -- bubbles -- Liz (sorry -- very early sexual escapade... cannot relate details in this PG forum, 'specially one that I let my son have access to... but that's the FIRST thing that came to mind)

VICTORY! I be the king of all plunder! In a flea market today I picked up three (three! Count 'em! Three!) flintlocks! You heard me -- three! For a measly hundred clams! Three! One Hundred! Me! Two seem to be very close in design to a British sea-service pistol (they bear the "Tower" and "GR" crown marks). They look very much like the one in this picture: One is in real decent condition, the other is rather banged up. After a little clean-up work, I think these will both fire. The third is a bit of a mystery. It is extensively inlaid (with mother of pearl, or faux ivory, or bone?) with thin brass ornamentation all over. However, it cannot fire without extensive work... the flashpan does not make contact with the touchhole (there is a sizeable gap), I suspect the entire lock should be replaced, and -- worst of all -- there appears to be a serious "lip" inside the end of the barrel of the gun, which would have the undesireavble effect of stopping any bullet from trying to get out. The whole thing has the appearance of "folk craft," which is odd, considering how much real hardware seems to have been used. However, it makes an absolutely wonderful prop! Nice haul, eh?

Actually, PM me. Let's talk -- I can help you.

Agreed.... their stuff looks good from the pics. I have been all over their site, but have not seen the finished product in person. Ummm... let's talk (not now -- later). Another member here (an immortal one) will have the ability to provide a first-hand review of someone else's work within the week.

Once again, PotSM is available here (Chicagoland) in great abundance (still cannot find El Fantasma!). Pokemon and YuGiOh have been scarce... Have not seen the new (second) series yet...

-- skull -- CROSSBONES ... must relate eyepatch thing. Made my son a pirate costume for Hallowe'en. It turned out fantastic. I sewed a fake parrot to the shoulder of his baldric (it was shagged out after a long squawk), so it looked as if were perched there. Well, after Hallowe'en festivities, the parrot had taken rather a tough beating, and one of its eyes fell off. We replaced it with an eyepatch. When anyone asks this very well-dressed pirate where his eyepatch is, he simply points to the bird. Anyway, that leaves us at: crossbones

.... Oops, sorry... I read too fast sometimes... I thought Merrydeath said "Cap'n Pete" had to say the second thing that came to his mind. I retract my "HEY!" Can I just say... "#6" PPhil? Why do I think you and I watched all the same TV shows? I used to race home from working at the Bristol (then "King Richard's") Renaissance Faire every Sunday evening in time to catch Patrick McGoohan... One week I thought I screwed up, because it was clearly some old western, and it turned out to be the episode "Living in Harmony." Anyway, where were we? Oh yes.... -- parrot -- Eye patch (there's a cute story there)

HEY!

AWESOME! Thank you.

So, if you will excuse a completely naive set of questions (pretend -- just for a moment -- that I ... NO WAIT! My friend has never been there)... Admission fee? Other hidden costs? (other than transportation and housing) Is this simply a walk-in event? Hours? Are there peak daily times for the event? Or is is 24/7 for the full period? (I mean, people sleep, don't they?) Very specific location? (address? A certain beach? An entire town? What are we talking about?) I am trying to get this on my annual schedule... This information helps paint a more complete picture.

...And the easily-slit-open corset! Let's not forget that! ... In fact, let's all think about io for a minute or two... or three...

I had me one o' those, but some bespectacled brat with a lightning-bolt scar on 'is forehead grabbed it from me. I raised me cutlass at 'im, but he pointed that thar belayin' pin at me, and when he yelled "Wingardium leviosa", me cutlass flew into the air... ...Then he jumped on the back o' a hippogriff, and flew away. Serious. I need me a drink.

The horrors of torture show, however... his left leg is permanently hiked up at an odd angle...

I got TWO of the Aztec Gold coins... Trying... not... to... open... packages....

I was just saying that in the context that ... I just figgered I'd finally get my kit (and act) together JUST when no one wants to play pirates anymore!! Actually, it has been my life-long hope that the 18th-century men's long frock coats (you know -- like the ones EVERYONE wears in POTC) will come back in style. There was hope in the 70s but, no, I remain disappointed. Crap.

...So embarrassed... don't know what to say here... Used to work at the local Ren Faire many years ago. And I own a completely authentic, extremely detailed Klingon costume (with all the makeup, forehead & all)... My Klingon "Ship" has cruised the self-same Ren Faire in full costume a few times (No, I wasn't with them).

I will hug them and squeeze hthem and call them George. Actually, I call it "my pirate stuff."

BLASPHEMER! An un-believer! Persecute! Kill the heretic!

To each their own... but I have obtained the most excellent deals on eBay, and through Amazon.com, and other online sources. You need a credit card, some time and patience, and a bit of sales resistance...