Monterey Jack

I'll be sending em a note later this spring with the site info, class outline and all in case they want to reference it for a later date. Good luck with yer class! I hope ye'll let us all know how it goes!!

Thank'ee for the thoughts, RM! Your class sounds like one I wouldn't want to miss; let me know if you offer it again anywhere. My group likely wouldn't be able to make it this year with the other events we're teaching at, but once the HMCA website is up we'll be setting up dates for 2007-10. The release of the book should help with that as well. Do ye know if they are planning to teach historical or theatrical cutlass work?

Nice work, das!!! Can you give me the source for this quote? Likely the alum and lime was imported,(and the linseed oil?) but the manzanita bark-tanning makes perfect sense for the locals. I think we're a step closer to native tanning with this article. I suppose the next step would be looking at similar chemicals that produce the same effect as the lime and alum.....aside from sitting down with a raw hide and a sharp knife and scraping the fat and hair off by hand. I've done that and I don't wanna have to do it again to make caribbean-tanned leather. Curious that they don't mention the method of breaking the hide; stretching it or rolling it to make it loose and pliable for the bags. Still, we're a step closer! Well done!

Looks like fun; I wonder if they'd be open to some classes in historical maritime fighting techniques? The non-black powder kind o course. Don't want to step on any toes.....specially if those toes are connected to a flintlock! :)

Thank'ee Cap'n! I was completely taken by surprise by this guy. Everyone else in the group either shrugged and said, "sure, sounds about right" or were real supportive. To most of them its all muzzleloading so who cares? I do enjoy the more laid-back atmosphere o this forum, though. Just wish there were more of ye in the Pacific Northwest!

Could you elaborate a bit? Do you mean he is critical of your work in progress kit, or that he doesn't like buccaneers infringing on his turf or ??? I think that everyone's kit is "a kit in progress" and I don't fault folks for trying and being at a different spot along the route/way to being correct. Its the ones that aren't even trying that get my goat! GoF I mentioned to him that in trying to create a crossover kit, with items that I could use for both caribbean buccaneer and voyageur / longhunter I found many similarities (previously discussed here last year) bewteen the two. When presented with the findings he completely overlooked the similarituies and said anything comparing buccs to colonial civilians was a long shot at best. I even went so far as to give him dates of ships frequenting both Caribbean and East Coast American and even Canadian ports, diseases brought up to Boston from Martinique, weapons used by both French and English in both areas...even survival techniques, shelters and cooking methods. He wouldn't budge. He takes everything straight from historical documents (admirable) but if it ain't written it didn't happen as far as he's concerned, while I tend to build upon what was written, based on the people, the situations and the materials at hand at the time. I've come right out and agreed that the cultures are not the same, but than items of clothing, weapons, utinsels, etc., could easily in many cases be used in both cutlures. He ain't havin it in his little textbook world.

I've about exhausted my searches for Arrawak tanning; if you find anything I'll buy you a round at the virtual pub! On the lighter side, I wore my bucc kit (still as always a work in progress) to the local Heritage Faire over the weekend. Aaside from one Russian sailor from the 1800s I was the only mariner in a sea of longhunters , voyageurs and scouts. The kit was very well recieved, in spite of a few folk yelling "arrrgh matey!" from across the room. Just jealous they didn't think of it I suppose. I talked to afew more voyageurs about my suppositions that aside from locale, many items from the voyaguer/longhunter culture could easily interchange with the buccs. Most were in agreement, but I catch continual grief from one muzzleloader that is very very protective of his hobby and will cut me no slack. He is a perfect texbook colonial re enactor and the idea that he'd have to share his artifacts with a scallywag realllly upsets him. Bummer is, we're in the same muzzleloading group , though I have more allies than he does among his own people. If I get enough support, there may be a new bucc group in the pacific northwest.

We're a handful of folk shy of being able to afford gettting the instructors flown out for the workshop. Any who intend to make it to the class please consider signing up before April first, as that's when we have to have the travel funds allotted. See you there!

We'd love to use one of the big name ships, but the problem is that the shoot will take probably two, possibly three days to set up, start to finish and most of them can't take time like that out of their schedule. Plus we can't pay them and they really can't spend the time with us when they could be doing something more lucrative. When the book finally hits the shelves you'll definitely see it here!

Greetins all~ Not sure where t post this so I'm startin here. The Historical Maritime Combat Assoc has found a publisher for their upcoming book on maritime fighting styles. The text is done, the publisher has accepted the job, but the only thing left is photos. We would like to use the deck of a ship, be it schooner, brig, etc. something that looks relatively 18th-19th century. It doesn't need to even be seaworthy, just provide us with the backdrop for about 200 photos illustrating boarding weapons actions. The HMCA isn't making anything on this venture, in fact we're paying to have it done, so I'm afraid all we can offer is credit in the acknowledgements section to the owner for the use of the ship. We would like to be able to shoot before June if at all possible. Either in Michigan, Oregon or near Maryland. Feel free to distrubute this request to anyone who may be interested. Any help is greatly appreciated; please contact me here or off-list at maritimecombat@aol.com Thank you!

Aw, c'mon now.... Elvish Preshly was seen with one just last week... >>>>> Cascabel Elvish Pricey, more like. Hey, was he singin "Ye ain't nothin but a sea dog"?

I work in a leather shop and made both my tricorne and vest out of leather, so I get to wear em on a daily basis and man does it increase leather sales.

Yeah, I agree; Nice looking pieces but a tad too Elvish fer me....

All~ I need some detailed accounts and backgrounds on river pirates, specifically during the 18th-19th century anywhere in North America or the Caribbean. Web searches aren't turning up much except a brief mention here and there. Are there any thorough written works out there specifically on RPs?

Hey.................... sh*t happens........ Sorry couldn't help meself wit that one................. Hey, if you're guano continue with the jokes, I'm outta here!

Just finished reading the historical account of the Speedwell (1712) and its privateering commission around to the pacific coast of South America. She and he sister ship Success, took about ten ships in all, soetimes swiping them while they were at anchor. Every time it was flour, sugar, tobacco, wine,fish and occasionbally some coin to pay off a garrison. They even went so far as to steal a ship full of bird manure. Turned a tidy profit when they discovered it was needed for fertilzer at the plantations. That's what your average pirate ends up taking. Doesn't make for great adventure, but certainly means you have to depend on character development. As for women.....there was a comment about Deadwood awhile back. Calamity Jane would've been a great pirate. Otherwise lose the makeup, the nice gowns, the educated vocabulary....and you'd have a better approximation of the rougher side GAoP women.

I still walk the line a lot in this field; I want to be historically accurate, and am for much of my gear, but sometimes.... Well, take for instance my coat and hat: 1750 officers coat and tricorne. Accurate in design, but made out of leather. Why? partly because I work in leather on a daily basis and have it readily available. I do try and used the aged stuff to give it an historic appearance, and I've had many many people come into the shop and want to know where I got the antique coat. Its all hand sewn using a hand-waxed linen thread; i don't own a machine and probably never will. Now, occasionally I catch flack for it from those in the know. My reasoning is that A) Its a historically correct pattern available at the time. B)Its entirely made from materials available at the time. C) Its made in a manner consistent with how items were made at the time. The only stumbling block is that its not documentable in any texts, though there are documented leather waistcoats from about the late 1600s early 1700s....though rare. Now, do we stick strictly to textbook examples or do we extrapolate based on what we know was available and was was possible even though no one took the time to write it down? Same holds true of my baldrick / sword frog. I have one for the custom 1690s hanger and dirk that is accurate for America in 1700, and I have one set made of (backed with) smoke tanned south american boa for the caribbean stuff. Perfectly period, available materials, but undocumented. I don't see the reason to draw so harsh a line and so far I haven't been in any brawls with the on-site historians

The HMCA just loaded a mess o' swag on Cafepress.com. These items 'll help build the new website, dedicated to maritime weaponry of the 17th to 19th centuries. Just make yer passage to: www.cafepress.com/hmca and enjoy! yer patronage is appreciated!

Okay, I know I just mentioned this one on another post, but since todays theme seems to be coats, go to ebay and check Long Leather Renaisnace Medieval Pirate Coat. Its my old one, it'd pre-Elizabethan and real comfortable. Last of the shameless plugs for today!

You can also go in and look under Long Leather Renaissance Medieval Pirate Coat on ebay and check that puppy out. Shameless plug, as its my old one! The design is pre-Elizabethan, but man is it comfortable. I'm only getting rid of it cuz I just made one that's an 18th cent design I like better.

I want a Tshirt with this one: quare est rum absentis (why is the rum gone?)

Hey I know Davenriche, he and I were in Tournament Productions togther. How the hell is he doing, I haven't seen him in a few years. He's doing really well, teaching swordplay all over the country it seems! Drop him a note; better yet come on down for the class!

The DEMAS website is now set up to accept Paypal, and has included a list of local hotels as well. Just go to www.davenriche.com and sign up now!

Just sent ye a private message about it! Actually the instructors are open to holding the class just about anywhere, especially places with natural piratical settings. Cost depends a lot on how far we have to travel and how long we're stayin'.

Yep! Got everything he's ever done and have seen him four times: 1981,1985 1993 and 1997. Even named my python Alice.