Monterey Jack

heh heh.... Its a group that can only be found by those who already know where it is....

I don't know that we want to get that popular! Here, GoF just showed me this link to get to the yahoogroup: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TraditionalBuccaneers/ Kind of a back door ti I can figger out why you can't find the group just going to the directory.

Yeah, just found that too; bummer is I was hoping that people just doing a blind search would be able to find it thru the yahoogroup directory and that doesn't seem to be the case. Maybe I need to change the settings. Glad to have ya aboard!

No worries, Joshua; if I can just figure out why no one can access the new yahoogroup yet, it'd be a big help, though. I'll keep in contact with Blair and all my findings and updates will show up here and on the yahoogroup. And if it can happen in NS, who's to say we can't make it happen in Carolina, Florida, California....or Jamaica?

Til we figure out the problem, you can email me at the address below and I'll put you on the group myself: pelhafyn@juno.com

It may take a certain amount of time to be entered into the system. I can't find it going in blind, but on my Yahoo control panel its there as well as the messages I've posted to it. here are some confirmation addresses they sent me: Group Email Addresses Post message: TraditionalBuccaneers@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: TraditionalBuccaneers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe: TraditionalBuccaneers-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com List owner: TraditionalBuccaneers-owner@yahoogroups.com I'll give it 24 hours and then see if its accessable.

The address got left of the last post. I need to stop typing so bloody fast. TraditionalBuccaneers@yahoogroups.com

All~ For those interested in taking Traditional Buccaneering into the field of rendevous-style gatherings, shoots and buccaneer related treks and camps, I've set up a new yahoo group. This carries on the the direction Patrick Hand has introduced which has so many of us hooked. I don't believe in any way that it'll detract from this forum, just enable folks who are taking this direction to gather and trade info, photos and ideas that will help introduce Traditional Buccaneering into the area of living history events. Buccaneers are somewhat accepted by the rendezvous and black-powder crowd, but as an entity of its own its never taken off to any large degree. Hopefully this will help with that. There is nothing up there yet, as the site is just hours old, but I plan to begin adding related material this week. Hope to see you there!

Alright, after talking to Loyalist Arms at length I decided to create another yahoogroup specifically for in-depth discussion of this topic. Its an open group, allowing readers to see what's going on as far as traditional buccaneer gatherings, post photos of weapons, clothing and gear and to help promote Buccaneer Bay in Nova Scotia. There obviously isn't anything there yet, but I plan to add some stuff over the next few days. The address is TraditionalBuccaneers@yahoogroups.com Doesn't mean I won't keep posting here, but now we have an exclusive site to play on as well.

Hey, who sez it has to be a fantasy? If a mess of folks can create a Rendezvous and a bunch of black-powder shoots around the country, why can't we come up with a centralized buccaneer bash. Not that we should call it that. I agree that the actual butchering could be an issue, but we could always pack it in fresh and go from there. Otherwise nothing in your post sounds all that fantastical. I'm hopin t see a bunch of you in Nova Scotia next year, m'self!

This just in from Blair Higgins: Gareth, <okay so now you know me real name...> Great to hear from you again. Wow, sounds like you've been busy drumming up recruits. The site should be ready to host campers by 2007. Of course, we're still working on financials and planning right now. The drilled well, septic, and road and electricity are already done. This piece of property was formally a campground, so a lot of facilities are still in place. Just needs some clearing, tidying up and a few new period correct buildings, canteen, orientation center, some staff, etc to start. If you can bring em in, I'm sure we can allow them to burn up some black powder and make a little noise. We will have spots available for the tents, cook fires, etc. Yes, the media will be on hand for such an occasion.

Maybe not all of us; my schedule between work and teaching with the HMCA takes up most of my summer. I think we're off to a great start getting this down just by having these conversations!

Yah... mine was made by some guy who stamped his name in the blade..... Tiawan I have to find a better one..... I might just go with a hanger, a machetti works, but it looks like I was to poor or lazy to get a real sword..... but it IS functional...... Sounds like I have one from his cousin, Hecho en Mexico. You can find some sweet machetes from Martindale Cutlery in Birmigham England. There are some nice cane knives that would work not only for plantation work in Jamaica (mine) but could concievably be used in a boarding action.

That looks like the one Neumann lists as 1780 British. If you're getting it from Grendel's Cave on eBay examine it closely. They're made in india and many of them come over with the tang rusted thru to the point that they break when dropped or with continued use. they are also 1.5 pounds heavier than the originals and seriously blade heavy. If, howvere you're using it to carry and hang at your side for effect, they do look darn nice.

Yes! I'm probably gonna be living back in Maine when this opens up, so I'll defintely be taking some trips up there --- sounds like a blast! I've been in talks with Blair Higgins about bringing the HMCA up there for demos, and I'm hoping to help raise enough interest that we (the forum here) can send about 20-30 traditional buccaneers up there in 08. For a long time, til folks start coming to visit it, it'll likely be a wilderness that the buccs can camp and shoot in. They need some type of draw early-on to show the place's potential and get investors interested. permanent structures are a long way off; til then its period tents against the elements and living off what you can pack in with you. Maybe we should start a drive here to get a group of buccs together for it. Srt the date as summer 08 and go from there.

Nah; for buccaneering you wouldn't want the big fancy bowl type anyway. The cutlasses of the late 1600s still looked a heck of a lot like falchions with a knuckle bow and a half clamshell guard. Look up hunting swords and infantry hangers as well to get a feel for a turn of the century cutlass circa 1700. George Neumann's "Sword's of the American Revolution" has a whole section of cutlasses from the period that'd work. Or, like Patrick, get a wood-handled machete. very much the working man's long-knife! And usually under $50.

I am happy to announce that the tentative schedule is now posted for the 7th Annual ISMAC in Lansing, MI and can be seen at http://artofcombat.org/public/thespis/Conv...on/schedule.htm -There are over 60 classes offered during this 4 day weekend. We will repeat the 5 tracks of classes every day. There are many exciting new classes this year (some of which have never been taught at a WMA workshop before) and many of the old favorites are back with new perspectives. -The 'Master Class Blocks' were a great success last year. They give you the rare opportunity to concentrate on a specific principle of combat with one weapon for the entire day. This year’s themes are: The Offensive use of Tempo in Italian Rapier Play Controlling Measure in Staff and Polearm weapons Entering the fight in Italian and German Longsword - We will repeat the Boarding Actions class which gives you the chance to board a 100 ton, 110 foot long paddlewheel boat traveling down the river to learn Cutlass, Boarding Axe, Bowie Knife, Sabre, and more! -Once again, we will repeat the Rapier/Smallsword and Singlestick tournaments as well as private lessons with the instructors! AND AMAZING NEW ELEMENTS THIS YEAR: - Thursday we will have 4 hour classes on the popular Fundamental Principles theme. There will be Knife, Longsword and Rapier for those who wish to hone and refine these skills. There will also be classes on Measure and Time for those wanting to examine one of these complex principles with a variety of weapons. - We have added a Knife tournament on Friday night for the first time, which will be sponsored and run by Raven Arts Academy. - Saturday night prior to the Rapier/Smallsword tournament, you will witness the first ever Instructors’ tournament! - Have it your way. Stefan Dieke’s Liechtenauer Longsword class will be designed based on what YOU want to know. Those registered will send questions to us and Stefan will build a class which answers at least 1 question from each participant! -The World Premier PRACTICAL Duelling Shield class. You may have seen this strange dueling weapon demonstrated before, but you never had the chance to wield it until now (we will provide the Duelling shields). You will even see how these techniques are quite applicable today if you need to defend yourself with a 6 foot table top -There are many exciting new classes including: ‘The Dueling Bowie”, “Parkyns Cornish Smallsword? and Wrestling”, 4 ½ hours of the “Universal Principles of Flexible Weapons”, and many more. Registration will be available soon. If you have any questions please let me know. This promises to be an amazing year and I am quite excited to see how it is shaping up. I look forward to seeing you there!

Forgot the Buccaneer Bay Link: http://www.buccaneerbay.8k.com/

I think we talked about this piece someplace else on Twill as well. I really like the doglock, but I've been hearing that the india-made pieces are heavy in the stock, not as slender as the originals and hence a bit awkward to lug around, let alone shoot. The French one also has sling mounts and a bayonet fixture that the doglock doesn't. At least not yet. Loyalist is making plug bayonet for it, but it won't be ready til the end of the year. Incidentally, has anyone looked into "Buccaneer Bay", the living History camp Loyalist is trying to start up in Nova Scotia? They're hoping it will eventually have the draw that Colonial Williamsburg does, but they are a long way from the finished product and still looking for sponsors. Might not be a bad way to both help them (even a few period camps and a shooting contest would draw the media) out and go buccaneering; and it may cost less to get to than Jamaica.

I can do 1700; no problem clothing-wise and plan to pick up either the Loyalist dog-lock musket, or at the latest the French musket circa 1717. I want to be as close to accurate as possible, though when I'm laying out the big bucks I'm going to temper that slightly with what I really want to own. The Dutch cutlass and dirk are 1690 so that's out of the way at least.

I like the idea of a relative time frame, though for folks who've been working on a "generalized" kit we could draw the line at, say, 1700-1715 (Dampier's death). That way between 1670 and 1715 we have a slightly broader spectrum to work with. It still will have a few shaky spots, fer instance my pistol is 1738, even though similar ones were made earlier. Using Dampier for our main souorce is a really good idea; keeps everyone on the same page so-to-speak, and makes it easier to back up our info. That's not to say we shouldn't be able to expand upon certain items if we feel it logically falls within our time frame. Jamaica sounds like a great plan. I don't think I'll personally be able to afford it, but if there's any way the HMCA (Historical Maritime Combat Assoc.) can get involved, teaching demos of boarding weapons use, it could possibly pay my way out there. I have one fight partner that already has a period bucc kit, he's just not on the forum. He and I would be happy to spend a weekend in jamaica teaching the use of cutlasses, machetes, hand axes, belaying pins, long knives, boarding axes and the like. Hurricane, if you're reading this can you give me some details? Either here or in private. Does this sound do-able?

Thanks Patrick; I'll get on that tonight and start floodin the forum with pics! Seriously, I will toss a couple out to get some feedback now I know how to do it. BTW, is that a machete in the lower part of yer photo? I just got one off eBay that was made in Britain around WWI and was shipped to Jamaica, where the owner replaced the wood grip with a carved mahogany grip it the shape of an African figurine. very cool. It'll go great in the smoke-tanned boa constrictor / pigskin baldrick I have in mind. I'll try and get a shot of it tonight.

No worries on this end; an' I just got me latest issue, so they are a-circulatin'!

Looks like we be in the same boat, there Cap'n. I have a mees o pics but haven't figgered out how t post em or for that matter how to set up me own blasted avatar. Interested t see how its comin along, for ye though.

Aye, and a second one fer Cap'n Bo...he's tonights designated drinker.