Captain Midnight

The one I wear on the shoulder of my formal coat is simply a silk ribbon about 6 or 8 feet long, fringed on both ends, and simply folded into a double loop and pinned to the shoulder at the seam with a silver brooch. (photo courtesy of Jamaica Rose of No Quarter Given)

Happiest of birthdays to ye, Bilge!

I would rather have to agree with this assumption.

I am sorry to hear of your loss, my friend, and offer my sincerest condolences. I will keep you all in my thoughts and prayers.

My facebook profile: Commodore Midnight

While I don't doubt the fact that this wreck is probably that of the Queen Ann's Revenge, I seriously doubt that this is Blackbeard's sword, and even if it was, it was most likely not the one he used to fight with. With the historical accounts recording in detail the savage ferocity of the last fight that Blackbeard put up, it is highly unlikely that he would have used such a flimsy weapon. This was a type of decorative "dress" sword used by officers and gentlemen, and would not have withstood serious combat use. With that being said, the sword is beautiful none the less, and is definitely worthy of note as a relic which could indeed have come from Blackbeard's ship. It would be awesome to see it replicated...

That is VERY nice work indeed!

Those were my thoughts, too, Cascabel. I just don't see the necessity of traversing aboard ship, thus my failure to see the logic in the belief that these Spanish guns were not as accurate for that reason. If, for whatever reason, the gun did need to traverse, my instincts and experience with field guns tell me that a two-wheeled carriage such as this would make it easier. Hypothetically speaking, I could take a ship armed with cannons such as this, along with good quality iron shot, and well-trained gunners using English naval tactics, and could do battle every bit as effectively as any other English vessel. One simply has to know which tactics work best and how to utilize one's weapons to their highest potential. With all due respect, it wasn't the Spanish guns that weren't effective, it was the gunners and the tactics they employed...

After some really intense digging on the internet, I finally found a true Spanish naval gun on its proper carriage. The one in the pictures I previously posted is not a naval gun. Although similar in style, that one is a seige cannon. This one is a proper naval gun. It stands no taller than any other typical naval gun on four-wheeled carriages, so it would have been just as easily run in our out of a ship's gun port as any other naval cannon. Notice the small trails of the cannon. Although I am not sure of the need to actually move it from side to side in a naval context, you can see that it would have been easy to do so. All one would have to do is simply pick the trail up "wheel-barrow" style and pivot it on its large wheels wherever it needed to aim. This is the type of gun I intend to replicate. The cannon is located at the old Customs House in Portobelo.

I've been reading up on the Spanish guns, and have read a couple of different accounts which refer to the two-wheeled Spanish carriages as being inaccurate. Here is a quote from one of the sites: This is taken from this website: The Spanish GalleonsCan someone help me clarify this just a bit? Try as I might, I can see no valid reasoning to this assumption. I can understand the part about the inferior quality of the iron in their shot affecting accuracy, but the part about it being difficult to train their guns to the right or left due to the two-wheeled carriages makes no sense at all to me. It is a simple matter of picking up the trails and pivoting in whichever direction the barrel needs to go. On the contrary, if anything, it would seem to me that it would be FAR easier to pivot a two-wheeled carriage to the right or left than a four-wheeled style, so I'm not sure I put much of my faith in that assumption. Then I read that the two-wheeled carriages might be hard to run in and out and reload. Again, I don't put much faith in that statement, either. I served as an artilleryman on a gun crew in Civil War reenacting for many years; I can tell you that a bronze "Napoleon" cannon on a two-wheeled carriage twice the size of the Spanish naval guns will move with incredible ease forwards or backwards if wanted, and the Spanish naval guns would have operated on a ship under the same principals, and if rigged with pulleys like any standard naval gun, can easily be run in or out for loading, even with their wooden trails. So what kind of theory does this information form for me? I believe that the Spaniards were not as effective with their naval artillery not because their guns were inferior or defective, but possibly rather because of the inferior quality of their ammunition, and because of their naval artillery tactics. They usually did not employ their artillery long range, but instead would attempt to close in with an enemy vessel and give a broadside and then board, whereas the English would stand off from afar with their vessels and batter the Spanish from a long distance with their cannons. This enabled an English vessel of smaller size and less armament to defeat a seemingly larger, more powerfully armed vessel.

Thanks for posting this! What a great idea! It's funny you should post this, I too, have been working on a cannon that can be fired safely at festivals and parades without black powder. As in Christina's post above, my cannon will be a carbide-fired type, and as such, will not be intended to fire a projectile of any type. However, unlike most carbide cannons seen these days, mine will have a bit of a "twist" to make it a bit more unique...I will post pics of it soon, most likely under its own thread so as not to hijack this one.

What a wonderful place for an event! It looks absolutely beautiful!

Beer. Pistol or cutlass?

Covering a curved wooden scabbard with leather is really not as daunting a project as people imagine it to be. Just be sure to use lots of patience. What I do with mine is basically this: after the wooden core is finished, I glue the leather to the front of it with plenty left over to wrap around both sides and overlap each other at the back. Then, using a sharp razor knife, I simply cut through both layers down the center of the scabbard back from the chape to the tip, following the curve of the scabbard. After the excess is cut away, this leaves an open seam down the center. Simply stitch the two sides together, similar to lacing a shoe up, making sure to draw the two sides up tight with each other. Moistening the leather before stitching will help it stretch and draw up to a nice, tight seam after stitching.

Aye. The coat of arms I have chosen to replicate on my cannon is this one: this bronze cannon located at the old presidio of San Francisco, was cast in 1679, and was still in service well into the 1800's, although by that time, the Spanish occupants of the Presidio had allowed the gun carriages to fall into a severe state of disrepair. According to the history of the Presidio, it is believed that this gun was cast in Peru.

Korisios, I believe that the two carriages you posted could pass for Spanish carriages, with the exception of the wheels. Most Spanish carriages I have seen pics of tend to have either solid, or nearly solid wheels, rather than like the ones shown. Here are a couple more pics of a replica Spanish gun carriage built for a museum in England (I think). Notice the massive, nearly solid wheels shown.

Very nice indeed, Vintage Sailor! Thank you for sharing that! Now we have an early style two-wheeled carriage and a later, updated Spanish four-wheeled naval carriage of conventional design. I think that I shall have to build two carriages; one of each style. The barrel could be swapped around to either one depending upon the application I wish to use it for... If you don't mind me asking, what is the provenance of this particular carriage?

I've done some long thinking on the subject, and I am now leaning towards making a Spanish cannon proper with the distinctive two-wheeled carriage design. It is not originally what I had planned, but because I want the piece to look the part and be a good representation of a Spanish weapon, I have decided to replicate the Spanish carriage as well. A two-wheeled carriage was not as efficient aboard ship, but it is really what they had, so I will build it like it is supposed to be. Here are pics of a proper Spanish gun. This one was probably a field piece due to its large size, but from the sources I have read, the only difference between their field pieces and their naval guns was the size. The carriage designs would have been identical or very similar. This gun is a true Spanish artillery piece standing guard at the Castelo Sao Jorge fortress in Portugal.

Flint and Silver and Pieces of Eight by John Drake are absolutely wonderful works in my own humble opinion. I could barely put them down and grieved knowing that I was nearing the end of them. I am now preparing to buy the third novel of the series, Skull and Bones. The language in the books can be harsh sometimes, and a bit alien to Robert Louis Stevenson's own style, but when one stops to think of coarse, desperate men who've spent long months or years at sea, it is not hard to imagine them speaking like that at all. I give two thumbs up to John Drake and his series.

Thanks PoD! I think I'm all set on the barrel now, but if any of you run across any naval carriages of the four wheeled type that are distinctively Spanish, that will help a great deal! From what I understand, the Spanish held onto their two-wheeled naval carriages well into the 18th century, but when it was realized that that type of carriage seriously hindered aiming and accuracy, they were finally abandoned in favor of the four wheeled type. It is a Spanish four wheeled carriage I am seeking. I think it would be very similarly built to the carriage in the picture that PoD has posted above, but I think that this one is "beefed up" a bit because this is either a howitzer or mortar of some type and would thus need a stronger carriage. Thanks mates!

If you ever get to upstate New York, be sure to visit Ft. Ticonderoga. They have a large number of fancy bronze cannons on the ramparts. Some Spanish, some Dutch, some French, etc. Most have the fancy dolphins and coats of arms. I have not been there for many years, but I was fascinated by all the ornate bronze guns. They are not original to the fort, but as I remember they were donated by a wealthy benefactor at some point, I think in the early twentieth century. >>>> Cascabel Thank you Cascabel, I will definitely have to keep that in mind. My wife is from New York, so perhaps at some point when we go for a visit to her family, we may have to make our way to Ft. Ticonderoga. I have always heard tales of how impressive it is there. As for bronze guns...I do love them!

I don't mind you asking at all, Korisios! I am planning to build a replica cannon that can be used in parades, festivals, and other similar events. This cannon needs to be safe, and able to be fired with many people looking on, or from a parade float. Thus, I am building it in the form or a carbide cannon, which is basically nothing more than a noise maker, as nothing is placed down the barrel that could act as a projectile. However, unlike most carbide cannons that are seen, my version will be built to mimic a real historical cannon. The carbide, which is an inexpensive chemical used to fuel miners' lamps, is found in the form of small pellets, lumps, or powder, and can be obtained cheaply and easily. When mixed with water, it produces a small amount of acetylene gas that makes a loud "BANG" when ignited. After reading the novel Flint and Silver by John Drake, in which the favored gun of Israel Hands is a Spanish 9 pounder, and coupled with the fact that I have always admired Spanish culture, I became enamored with the idea of building and owning a Spanish cannon. I am also writing a story in which my own ship, the Revenant is a captured Spanish vessel, so its guns in the story are likewise Spanish guns. Spanish cannons from the 17th and early 18th century often times tended to be more ornate and fancy than other contemporary European cannons, so that attracts me to them as well. I have seen photos of an original Spanish gun now located in California that bore a heraldic crest in the form of a double-headed eagle along its first reinforce, and had ornate "dolphins" (lifting loops); features that I intend to incorporate into my replica.

Dorian, I am the one that is humbled, mate. I am blessed by the kindness and patience you showed me, and even more blessed to call you my friend. I am so very glad you like your package, I hope the items will serve you well. Careful with that rigging knife, it will take and hold a razor's edge, as it is tempered tool steel from Switzerland. It is my version of a British MOD rigging knife, only I gave my version a mahogany grip with brass bolsters. Merry Christmas, brother!

Ooooh! That is VERY nice indeed, Silas! Great job!

Very nice pics, everyone!