Monterey Jack

Cost and methods of payment will be up on the site by Monday from what I'm told. Tentatively, the cost will be $110 per student for the weekend if paid in full before April1, after that it goes up to $125. Also on the site will be local restraunts and hotels.

Yr Gwyliad, The Welsh band of Elizabethan period "privateers" is looking for 6 to eight more folk to round out their crew for fight demos, choreographed swordplay and interactin with the public at the Shrewsbury Renaissance faire in Kings Valley Oregon. We're nowhere near as nice to look at at Drake and t'other big name sea dogs, just simple dealers in maritime aquisitions as it were. Whether ye'r male er female,(over 21 with a car) if ye can take instruction, enjoy a rough semblance of authenticity in yer character and costume and are willing to learn swordplay from the ground up we'd like to hear from ye! Or if ye have some experience theatrically let us know. Drop a note t me mailbox here and I'll be contacting ye

John Lennox, Director of Art of Combat out of Michigan will be doing the smallsword work.

And interesting to spar against as well. Unlike the pike, where once you get inside the distance you have control, the gaff hook can be drawn back to catch your arm, back, or even hook your cutlass if you've maintained contact on the shaft.

From what I've seen, no; they were meant to stab and little else. Gilkerson doesn't show any with hooks between the 18th and 19th centuries, but I'm not going to go out on a limb and say it was never the case.

I'd prefer not to, so I'll hold out that you know something better that we don't. I've been twice in my life to the park and that's my favourite attraction. Its lasted all these decades and is even more popular now "as is". Improving on something that already works often ruins it.

The tentative schedule is now up for the classes, though we will be adding private lessons and an officers' smallsword class as well. The instructors bios are in place as well as a few of the pics from the Michigan class. Patrick, if ye'r readin this I'm lookin forward to meetin ye!

Professional leatherworker, author and instructor of maritime fighting styles of the 18th-19th centuries. .....only cuz drinking isn't really a paid art.....

Check out Gilkerson's "Boarders Away" volume one (With Steel); there's an entire chapter on em. Not too many had hooks, because it got in the way when stabbing boarders thru the boarding nets. Most appear to be very slender and spikey and not ornate at all. Military records of the time refer to simply holding them in front and thrusting, and not moving the point off your target even a little, because once the enemy is past the tip ye'r screwed. A lot of them are referrred to as half-pikes because when used on ship they were originally half the lenth of the land pikes, about 7 feet or less. there are references to quarter-pikes of 3 feet, but I don't think there are any surviving examples, just repros based on what they think was on board the Constitution. Ye can get the Gilkerson books on Amazon for about $65 and they're worth evey penny!

Exactly my thoughts as well, Hawkyns, and I'm a big Tim Roth fan. The movie couldn't even keep me awake. If I want wires and such I'll watch Crouching Tiger, etc. Hey; they could do a version of Rob Roy that way: Crouching Tartan/ Hidden Dragoons. No? Ah well, its still early and the rum be flowin.......

The only time you're going to run into problems storing your blade in a leather scabbard is if the leather is Chrome-tanned or Alum-tanned. I store mine in vegetable tanned leather all the time, even if they are dyed on the outside, with no problems at all. You can also oil the inside of the scabbard with knife oil or any natural oil and that with coat the blade evey time you sheath it. Chemical tanning was happening in the 1700s on, but the chemicals involved were known to be deadly even then. Besides Vegetable tanning, there's also smoke tanning and brain tanning. Those leathers won't harm the blade either, unless moisture gets trapped in the scabbard over a prolonged period. As far as the wool / oil lining, I've only heard about it from other re enactors and never seen any documentation of it. If you have any historical sources I'd be interested in reading them.

My wife has asked me to find out if there are any pirate-related ringtones out there ; specifically from the PotC soundtrack, voices, etc. Any ideas?

I got to examine a "figure 8" cutlass from 1760 at a local knife show and this particular scabbard was entirely of leather, which doesn't necessarily speak for all the models of the period. I would imagine the scabbard would be prone to rot over a short time and wood would be a necessity until the leather could be replaced.

Calico Jack spent Christmas in Cuba with Anne. He and the crew partied for a month, ran out of everything and went "shopping" again.... Guess even pirates get the Holidays off.

Nice to know my Ex's mother is still working.......

Looks good! Good to see ye're startin the young 'un out on the piratical path as well!

Thank ye, sir; I look forward to seeing the picture. I'll also look into the types of shops you mentioned.

My technical abilities stynke mightily, so: Papanheimer Rapier (Rod Casteel) Swept Hilt rapier 1700s American Cutlass French Briquet Custom Dutch hanger Matching Dagger 8 Bowies 2 Navajas Three different Tomahawks 8 plain cutlasses Britich Dragoon pistol 1 slung shot 2 Boarding axes 4 sabres Sinclair Sabre assorted practice blades all over the garage 2 Cap n ball Colt walker repros and a 9mm Sig .....and me breath after m' wife's home made habanero salsa.

Fer some reason this be a brighter, clearer image than the other link; leastways on my computer it is! This is the link I be forwardin t' friends!

That be not too far in the future Willie; We've already had requests to do this thing in Maryland, Michigan, Calif, and Georgia, so if the response is fair and a place to have it (preferably a ship, but a gym will do) we could be seein ye real soon. Join us at MaritimeCombat@yahoogroups.com to keep up on where we'll be next!

The highly successful Boarding Actions class will be taught again this year in Lansing Michigan in August 2006. follow the link below for more info. http://artofcombat.org/public/thespis/Conv...ardingclass.htm

I don't know of too many faires that don't insist on tying weapons in place; problem is, it becomes optional far too easily. Just because its tied doesn't mean it stays tied. Unfortunately the ones ewho play by the rules are the ones most in danger of getting injured by the nuts who don't tie down. Outside the gates of my camp, its tied; inside when I may need it for a demo three times an hour, its loose.

More info as things are added; the info isn't on the website yet but you can email Steaphen Fick for more details! Davenriche European Martial Artes School Announces the West Coast Debut Of the Historic Maritime Weapons Seminar Saturday, May 13 and Sunday May 14, 2006 Santa Clara, Calif. Presented by the Historical Maritime Combat Association Join us for a weekend of history, instruction and hands-on practice in Cutlass ~ Military Sabre ~ Boarding Axe ~ Tomahawk ~ Dirk /knife Smallsword And Improvisational Weapons Instructors Gareth Thomas, John Lennox, Steve Huff and Steaphen Fick will first take the students through a series of basic classes familiarizing them with the history and use of the weapons. The weekend will culminate on Sunday with a three hour workshop making use of all the previous classes in mixed weapon “boarding action” scenarios similar to the style of fighting used in close quarters aboard ship. Scenarios will include Cutlass vs. Smallsword, Cutlass vs. Boarding Axe, Cutlass vs. Tomahawk and Knife/Dirk, Double Cutlass and improvisational weapons including Belaying Pin. Singlestick Tournament Saturday Night! For More Information on Fees, Future Updates, Tournament Rules and Location Click on the Address Below: www.knight2day.com

I completely agree, Now, this may result in the conversation moving to another forum, but as far as uses.... James Keating is about to release a video on the "fighting bandana", using it as a blocking/trapping device when all else fails. I've worked out some of his theories and they work great against knife and tomahawk and I may be presenting them at the Boarding Actions Class this coming May. However, aside from some mention in Asian MA I haven't found anything in WMA that historically documents the use of the bandana this way. IMO the sailors wearing these things might think of it in a pinch, but its not something they would have thought to train with. Any thoughts are always welcome.

At the risk of being a party pooper and stirring up old embers, I must toss in that there is no evidence whatsover of western european sailors wearing headscarves as we know them to be today. . No, probably not as we know them today, but laborers throughout history have used a variety of headwraps in their daily routine, so its a close enough equivalent for me. Plus you're right, they look great!