Deadeye

As far as thhe look, and size goes, I would imagine them to look somthing like a Backwoods. You can get them in any gas station or convenience store, they look very rustic, and claim to be "Hand rolled" though I doubt it, with the numbers they put out. The problem with them of course is they are an aromatic, and though smell wonderful, do not have- what I would imagine, anyhow- a period aroma... But I have been wrong before, and could be wrong again...

*Late-coming to the party.....* I once stole a Government pen while ON a governement ship... Does that count? (I wont say which one, but it was really large with a flat weather deck)...

Time to throw in my (long awaited, I am sure) $.02... I am sure that it happened. I do not have the book with me at the moment, But I remember Cordingly saying in Under the Black Flag (to paraphrase) that Pirates were uniting to throw off the restrictions of society at large and that homosexuality would fall into that catagory. I know that it happens even today in the modern Navy. I have heard the "Sea Stories" from my co-workers who have spent lots of time on ship, esspecially before women were allowed on-board. It even coined a joke "It Aint Gay when You're Underway!". But it still didnt happen as much as it would be made to beleive by society, stories, or the Village People. I bet dollars to donuts that it was the same back then. of Course I am sure Roberts or Teach never instituted a "Don't Ask, Dont Tell" Policy

My family and friends call me "Boola" cuz when i was 2 months old my dad would go "boolaboolaboolaboola!" and i would die laughing so the name stuck... At the armory i used to work at, they called me "Bulldog" because my Master would sick me on anybody who he thought was stealing from us. In High school it was "Chewie" because of my waistlength, ultra thick brown hair and my uncanny Wookiee Howl. At my Squadron they call me "Daddy-o" because of my greased up hair and cuffed jeans. and of course i have also gone by may names that I cant list here But my favorite is the one my wife calls me...

If it works for you, thats great, but i have seen some bad stuff come as a result of WD-40. One of the problems with it is that it is water-soluble, so it comes off with water, and can also hold moisture. But on the other hand, i know some people who i really respect swear by it, and their things look great after decades, so what the hell do i know? I dont use oil, unless it has metal peices, but on a standard Leather scabbard, i will use a bit of Dr. Martens greasy shoe wax. Provides great weather protection and is nourishing to the leather, without shining it up too much.

I agree, Passionate, Charismatic, I hate to say it, but inspiring (not that i beleive what he did, but.... oh you know what i freakin mean! lol) and to be honest, he did a lot of really good things before he went totally off his rocker... the Autobahn, the volkswagon (yeah i'm a car guy) and did some good things for the German economy. As far as bombing Japan, Patrick, I think it was a necessary evil. Yes there were a lot of lives lost, and while that is terrible, there would have been soo many more lost were the war allowed to continue. Sometimes I think this country is a little too afraid to flex our muscles and tell the world "you mess with us, we'll stomp you like a marlboro". Teddy Rosevelt told the world with the "Great White Fleet" and FDR did it with "the Bomb". <<Stepping off my soap box now>> sorry if i offended anyone. God i love history....

I'm no expert, i suspect like any other pike... the pointy end goes into anyone you want killed or maimed, only on a shorter scale... (sorry, had to be the wise-a$$)

I would recoomend just shining it up every so often. Any of the ways described above will work great. for permanent seal, You might try an automotive clearcoat. I have never tried it, but it could work... But i claim no responsibility for any mishaps or bad-ideas-that-seem-good-at-the-time that come as a result of exposure to hazmat fumes ( i know, i work around this stuff all day)

Even Though i will admit to only a rudimentary knowlege of swordsmanship at this present time, I have to agree with Master Hawkyns. Age and wear on a seasoned blade is a badge of honor. It like scratches and fades in your favorite leather jacket, or even a scar that represents a signifigant moment in your life. It's like my dad always says (and i think it holds true for blades too!): Scars are like tattoos with better stories! besides, only an officer and a Gentleman carry shiney, "pretty boy" swords!

Jib- get yourself some White Jewler's Rouge from Home Depot -i think its around 2 dollars- and a buffing wheel you can put in your cordless drill. Use a green scotchbrite pad to get any rough stuff off. then apply the rouge to the Buffers wheel while spinning and buff to a nice shine. This can be done on any metal peices of the blade. Apply oil immediatly.

On my High Carbon blades (i.e. 5160, or 1090) i used two different methods: Display and normal usuage: i used either 3-n-1 oil that you can get at any walmart. it is cheap, and works well as long as you oil regularly. For long storage i used Vaseline or Paste wax. For blades and utensils i use for eating, like my Dirk, and forks, I use olive oil, cheap, non toxic, and ads a bit of flavor to your meals

I would have to do some digging. The Master armorer i apprenticed under had a reference on it in one of his books, but since he died i have no access to it. I always store any of my blades out of the Scab since i had one rust and pit very badly while stored in one. You can also monitor the humidity the blade is exposed to easier, since sometimes humidity gets trapped in the scab. Of course as you mentioned, all of my scabs are made with modern tanning processes, and i honestly dont think one of them is vegitable tanned. One tip i do have on this subject though: if you coat your eating knives in Olive oil, it works wonders and is non toxic!

Thank you for the info, GoF, but i must also raise one more question... His colonial Buckle shoe sells for $109 on the web site. Why the 20$ price hike? is that going to include shipping as well? forgive me for being a penny-pincher, but times are tough now.. TIA

I have actually heard a resturaunt in Kenya i think, called "Carnivores" where they serve water buffalo, and zebra, and many other "bush food" animals. I found it fascinating and would love to try any of it. I beleive that wiping an animal off the face of the earth is wrong, but as long as there are Plenty of em... i say serve em up! to quote dennis leary "Bring me a live cow! I'll cut out what I want and RIDE the rest home!"

I didnt see on the site, maybe i wasnt looking hard enough, but if they are available in wide sizes, I am all in.