Captain Midnight

Is there an on-line link to the back issue that has these lantern plans?

Here is mine, I would be glad to add any Pub members as friends. Captain Midnight's Myspace

Sad news...Evel Knievel passed away today at the age of 69. He was a true American icon. I can remember thrilling to all of his exploits when I was a little boy in the 70's. He was one of my childhood heroes. Rest in peace, old friend. I will never forget you. "By MITCH STACY, Associated Press Writer 6 minutes ago Evel Knievel, the hard-living motorcycle daredevil whose jumps over Greyhound buses, live sharks and Idaho's Snake River Canyon made him an international icon in the 1970s, died Friday. He was 69. Knievel's death was confirmed by his granddaughter, Krysten Knievel. He had been in failing health for years, suffering from diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable condition that scarred his lungs. Knievel had undergone a liver transplant in 1999 after nearly dying of hepatitis C, likely contracted through a blood transfusion after one of his bone-shattering spills. Immortalized in the Washington's Smithsonian Institution as "America's Legendary Daredevil," Knievel was best known for a failed 1974 attempt to jump Snake River Canyon on a rocket-powered cycle and a spectacular crash at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. He suffered nearly 40 broken bones before he retired in 1980. Although he dropped off the pop culture radar in the '80s, Knievel always had fans and enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in recent years. In later years he still made a good living selling his autographs and endorsing products. Thousands came to Butte, Mont., every year as his legend was celebrated during the "Evel Knievel Days" festival. "They started out watching me bust my ass, and I became part of their lives," Knievel said. "People wanted to associate with a winner, not a loser. They wanted to associate with someone who kept trying to be a winner." His death came just two days after it was announced that he and rapper Kanye West had settled a federal lawsuit over the use of Knievel's trademarked image in a popular West music video."

I would like to inform everyone that as of today, I will no longer be accepting orders for the Whydah cartridge box replicas. I have been overwhelmed with orders, and when trying to work alone and fill them all by myself, it is too much for me to handle. I have to squeeze my time to work on the cartridge boxes between my mundane life and job and family responsibilities, so sometimes I fall behind. I am making every effort to satisfy all remaining orders for the boxes. Willie Wobble's box was mailed out this morning. You should have it in time for PiP. If I still owe you a cartridge box, be PATIENT. I will get it to you as soon as I am able. I am leaving for Iraq sometime in January/February, so I will have the others done by that time. All of you that have ordered from me in the past, I thank you sincerely for your business and your patience. I wish all of you the best!

Mandolin and Jaw (I call it Jew's) harp.

Do any merchants out there offer an escopeta similar in style to this?

I've had a good experience with Kass' short jacket pattern as well. Kass herself gives very prompt and courteous service, and I am well pleased with the pattern. The only problem I had with it at all is I believe there is a bit too much of a bend in the elbow of the sleeve pattern, which causes the elbow on the finished garment to "pooch" out too much when your arm is straightened, but this can be easily remedied by just straightening the curve of the pattern a bit before cutting your fabric. Other than that, it is a great pattern. I highly recommend it.

Here's what I use. It is a calabash, waxed inside and out with beeswax. It is shown here without its shoulder strap attached. I need to make a carved wooden stopper for it, however, as I don't believe cork was used this early.

May I join the Tall Pirates Club? I am 6'-4"....

Mr. Hingerty led Jonah to the cable tier. As they approached, Jonah could see two people examining the door and speaking quietly to each other. One was a good bit taller than the other, and as they neared the figures, the shorter one looked up. Jonah could see right away from the delicate and soft features that the shorter one was a woman, and a rather attractive one at that. Mr. Hingerty cleared his throat. "Rummy, Captain Brand has given me instructions to deliver this fellow to you. Fresh from the prison in Martinique, he is, and claims to have knowledge of carpentry and blacksmithing." Rummy studied Jonah under an arched brow. "Welcome, sir. I am Rummy, the Master Carpenter here." She held out her hand. Jonah took the hand, and was surprised that though it was quite a bit smaller than his own, the grip was firm, and the hands rougher than he would expect a woman's to have been. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms. Rummy. I am Jonah Greene, but most call me Midnight." "So, Mr. Greene, you know a bit of carpentry and blacksmithing, eh? How much do you know, and where did you learn?" At this, the other figure looked up and eyed Jonah intently. "I am actually a cobbler by trade Rummy. I apprenticed to my uncle William Greene in Coventry, Rhode Island back in the colonies until I was sixteen. During my free time, I enjoyed visiting with William Wright, who owned a carpenter's shop in the village, and Hugh Morrison, the blacksmith, both friends of my uncle. Watching them work while they told me tales and legends that they thought might enthrall a young boy taught me a lot. Little did they know, what actually enthralled me was watching their hands ply their trades, and seeing what developed from their efforts." "So you actually learned the trades from watching others? Hmmm. You must be a quick learner, Rummy said. Jonah smiled. "Aye. I am that. I am no expert in either field, but I have learned enough to get by. I am pretty much self taught in those fields, and my skills do not come from myself alone. I was blessed by the Almighty with them, and I do my best to use what I was given. I don't question the reasons why I have them." "Well now," said Rummy, "what do you think of the damage done to this door? It was damaged when a certain Tawny made his escape, the knave that he is...tearing up my beautiful woodwork!" Jonah studied the damaged door. It was splintered a little in some areas, and a few of the iron nails had been torn out. "I think it can be repaired easily enough. It should be a small matter to smooth out the splintered spots with a plane and a bit of pumice. Is there a blacksmith aboard, or would we need to send ashore for some nails to replace the damaged ones? "My apologies, Mr. Greene", Rummy giggled. "We do indeed have a blacksmith. This fine fellow is Jonathan Hawkes, our smith. He and I have been discussing replacing the latch on this door with a heavier one. The original was never meant to secure a desperate man, as you can well see." Jonah stuck out his hand to Mr. Hawkes. "Jonah Greene, sir. Nice to meet you." Jonathan Hawkes peered at Jonah with a look that couldn't be discerned whether it was one of scorn or suspicion, or both. The fellow did not take Jonah's outstretched hand. "Hmmmph! We shall soon see what you are capable of, "Midnight". With that, he turned and stormed away. "Don't mind his ill manners, Midnight", said Rummy. "He doesn't mean any harm. He's actually a decent enough fellow if one takes the time to try and know him, he's just a bit rough around the edges." Jonah shrugged. "I hope so," he replied. "I don't want any enemies aboard. I am just happy to be free and at sea again." Rummy winked and patted Jonah on the shoulder. "I think you'll do just fine. Now let's go stow your gear and get you into some dry clothes. You look pretty chilled. Are you hungry?" Jonah's eyes twinkled and he smiled. "Aye! So hungry I could eat a whale!" Rummy laughed at the new man's sense of humor. The thought of Jonah eating the whale rather than the opposite made her giggle. "Aye. I think I will enjoy having you around, Midnight, if for nothing else than to make me laugh. Say, I have this sole on my shoe that is torn loose at the toe. Do you think you could take a look at it?" "Certainly!" said Jonah, their voices trailing away as they headed back out the door.

Gentlemen, thank you kindly for all of your accolades. It is my pleasure to try and give you all something that you can be proud of, and something as historically accurate as I can make it. With that being said, it is true, as Blackjohn states, that the slats may not be part of the flap. But all of the evidence I have seen and studied suggests that they are. Please see my previous post in this thread detailing my reasoning behind this belief. I disagree with the idea that the slats formed some kind of divider inside the box, as there would be no reason for them to have stitch holes like they do if they were a divider. Those holes were used to fasten them to the leather somewhere. However, should anyone of us ever be able to study the original box or see photos of its interior construction, or be able to speak with some of the museum personnel who have, I would be more than happy to change my construction methods to match the original. Unfortunately, from what I understand, trying to get any definitive answer out of the museum staff is like "pulling hen's teeth", and we only have one photo of it that I am aware of, and it is a bit grainy and doesn't really reveal any true detail. I would love to actually speak with someone who had handled and studied the original, so that I could replicate it exactly. Until then, I am left with nothing but speculation, educated guesses, and sketches of a puzzle which is missing pieces to work with.

Jonah Greene stood on the deck of the Watch Dog, his eyes scanning and absorbing every detail of the ship's construction and ornament, or at least what could be gleaned considering the adversity of the weather. His attention was drawn to the decks and the planking, which he at first thought might be fir, but upon closer inspection, turned out to be larch, a fine building material. The ship had fine lines, was pleasing to the eye, and was well armed. Jonah was glad that his first impression and views of the ship matched what he had earlier imagined that she might look like. If this was to be his home, then it would be a fine one. Jonah turned to Captain Brand. "Thank you, sah. She appears to be a fine vessel, indeed. I will do everything in my power to keep her in top order. Aye, Mr. Hingerty, let's go have a look at those tools. I'll need to know what I have to work with." As Mr. Hingerty led him to the Master Carpenter, Jonah could hear the sound of music from elsewhere aboard the ship, and despite the chill in his bones from the rain, his heart warmed.

Jonah Greene sat in the wash tub soaking the grime of nine months in prison from his limbs. It was almost a strange feeling being free again, and as the filth was washed away from his body, he began to feel once again like the man called Midnight, rather than a caged animal. He could almost feel the call of the sea, beckoning his soul, and he bowed his head in a silent prayer of thanks. Tears brimmed at his eyelids and his heart lurched when he thought of the fates of his comrades who had been captured with him, but he tried his best to swallow his grief and think of the future. He was free, and his life had a new lease. As the bath attendant signaled that his time was up,he stood and stepped from the bath like a new man emerging from a baptism. He had a new captain and a new ship to look after. As he dressed, he tried to visualize in his mind what the Watch Dog might look like, and as he did so, a smile came to his now cleanly shaven face, and his heart felt the better for it.

Outstanding! Great job, Mab!

The tall man eyed Captain Brand with a look of sincere gratitude. "Sir, I have been imprisoned here since November. My men are gone, my ship is gone. I have an inevitable date with the hangman. If you have a place for me aboard your ship, I am simply one of your sailors, and am grateful to you for my life. I am called Jonah Greene, but to most of my friends and my enemies in these waters, I am simply called by the name "Midnight". "I can serve you well. I am a trained cordwainer and blacksmith, or at least I was in my former life, and I know quite a bit about carpentry as well."

The man looked closely at Captain Brand, examining his features for any glimpse of trust he could grasp, and lowered his voice a bit. "I know not where they have been taken, sir, but they were never confined with me. I know not whether they are dead or alive...my hope is that they are alive, as they were good men, every one. I would imagine that they were purposely not placed here with me because I was their captain aboard the sloop Fortune, which was my ship."

Although he squinted from the light of the lantern, the tall man shot a look of extreme disdain towards the French marine, who, catching the look from the tall man, lowered the lantern a bit so that it shone not so brightly in the man's eyes. The tall man turned to Captain Brand: "Sir, I have been imprisoned here for nine months. I was captured as I came ashore with a few friends seeking supplies for our ship. I am from the colony of Rhode Island in America."

An unusually tall man of solid build stepped from the shadowy depths of one of the prison cells to the barred door. His face was unshaven and his clothing disheveled, but it was evident from his closely cropped hair that he might have once worn a wig, perhaps belying a past that might have once been better than his present. He stood at the bars with a straight, dignified stature, and peered through. In a deep, unfaltering voice, he called out in an accent which was English, but evidently not from England: "Captain, could you use another good seafaring man?"

So my questions remain: what height would be considered a normal, or standard height for heels on period shoes, and what would be considered high heels? And would black be more common than oiled brown as far as colors are concerned, or would either be quite common?

So, gentlemen, what would constitute a "high heel"? The heels on my shoes are about 3/4"...

So then, it is safe to assume that the heel was pegged to the sole (which itself was stitched to the upper)with wooden pegs? I am familiar with the various methods of attaching the heels (i.e. stitching, pegging, nailing, etc.), I just wanted to know which was the most common method of attachment for an early 18th century shoe, with a particular interest in the Whydah shoe simply because it is a definite find from a pirate vessel. fwiw, my shoes are NOT 100% accurate replicas of the originals, as I could only do such work by closely examining the original, which I have not. But they ARE 100% hand made by myself in period appropriate construction methods (although not exactly like the Whydah shoe). I have only seen the archaeological drawings of the shoe, and the few photos of it shown on Gentleman of Fortune's web site. My shoes are cut in the style of the Whydah shoes, straight-lasted, with a stitched sole, and butt-stitched heels, but I was not aware that they were butt-stitched as well on the side-seams, which I had already overlapped and stitched before I found this fact out. I also did not make the heel quite as tall, as I am already a tall man (6'-4"), and I felt that the lower heel would be more comfortable on my feet to tramp about in all day. Granted, they are not extremely low heels, they have a decent height to them, just not "high heels" so to speak. The latchets on them are narrow (3/4"), and were designed that way from my own pattern of the Whydah shoe. Also, FWIW, I tend to agree with Foxe in his assessment of high heeled shoes on board a ship...imho I would almost bet that most of them were lower, although I might add that climbing rigging in shoes such as the Whydah shoe would have been easier, as the higher heel would help grip the lines better. I have actually experienced climbing with high heeled footwear myself, and can tell you that the heels are a great help. I was a lineman for an electrical company for several years and wore climbing boots with a pronounced heel which "gripped" the climbing spikes strapped to my legs. If I were to make a pair of shoes that were meant to be replicas of the Whydah shoe, I would go with the higher heel, and would butt stitch my side seams as well as the heels, but my shoes were adapted to meet my own comfort needs and could be better described as indicative of a common sailor's footwear rather than strict replicas of the original shoes.

This seemed to be the best place to ask this question, rather than start a new topic, so could anyone tell me how the heels of period shoes were attached? Specifically, I'd like to know how the heel of the Whydah shoe was attached, as I am currently building a pair of shoes based on its design. I know the heels were nailed on in many cases, but could they have been stitched on as well, like the soles? Has anyone actually seen the Whydah shoe up close, other than the drawings of it that are out there? Any help anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated. Also, one other question, it looks as though black was the prevalent color for shoes, but could they also have been oiled brown? Thanks everyone!

Thanks Patrick, I'll have to go out and buy that one!

Ahoy! I once saw a link to a site mentioned on the Pub somewhere about diagrams and deck plans for historical ships, but the link that was posted is now dead. I am looking for schematic diagrams and deck plans for an armed sloop of the 1700's. Can anyone help me find such a thing? I am looking in particular for a single masted sloop such as a Bermuda, Virginia, or Jamaica sloop. Any help would be so greatly appreciated!

I had posted a fantasy-type version of my flag earlier in this thread,but I will probably retire that flag in favor of this one, which is more historical looking than the old one. This is the flag that will fly from the mast of my ship from this point forth. It is all black and swallow-tailed (the pic looks like it has a white triangle, but that's not actually part of the flag), and the bones form the Roman numeral twelve--the midnight hour. Thanks to William Red Wake and Black Mab for technical advice in the design.