Bilgemunky

Anyone have any insight as to what pistol Abe Lincoln is firing in this preview (about 43 seconds in)? I'm thinking it's a Palmetto 1763, but would value some expert testimony :)

You can see pix of the Palmetto 1763 here.

Thanks all! Was a fine birthday indeed - ending with me plunging my hand into a bowl of liquid nitrogen (a first for me.) Sadly my hand remains intact and I don't need a hook, but there's always next year!!!

Bah, who am I kidding? $35 plus shipping for the last of my spare buckles - I believe that's what I paid. These ones are silver plated, so I hope yer feelin' fancy

PM me and we'll work out the details.

I don't know, Scotty - now that PoD has bought his, these buckles are TWICE as rare as they were a couple of weeks ago, and prices have necessarily skyrocketed

Thanks for the for kind birthday wishes, all! It's been a more hectic birthday weekend than I'd anticipated due to some family matters, but I've still managed to squeeze in some festivities :)

Gorgeous!!!

I just got this for my birthday. I think it answers your question as concisely as possible and leaves no more room for debate. Case closed

I definitely have a spare pair of the tarnished brass buckles which I would happily part with for $30+shipping (that's what GoF charged - no markup for a fellow pubster!) I think I also have a pair of silver plated, which if I can find would be $35. Let me know, PoD!

I don't want to steal business from Bagley, but if now's not a good time for him to crank out some buckles I might have an extra set or two somewhere.

Welcome aboard, mate!

Ever since reading Cap'n Slappy's writeup about ya in Pirates Mag, I've been salivating to know just what Electric Pirates Entertainment, Inc./EPE Holdings, Inc. does? Searching out the weird is a grand venture, but surely that alone doesn't put food on the table? I'm guessing your documentary work might be a piece of the equation?

Tomorrow night will be a Bilgemunky Radio you WON'T want to miss! Featuring The Pirates Charles' brand new album Conquer - IN ITS ENTIRETY!!! But that's not all - members of The Pirates Charles band will join me live on the air to discuss this new CD for an online listening party! Any fans of the Pirates Charles and their off-kilter brand of pirate rock won't want to miss tomorrow night :)

Bilgemunky Pirate Radio

I don't have need at this time, but that's a fine looking hat at a great price! I'm sure someone will grab it :)

That's some gorgeous work. Your etsy store looks awesome!

I'm pretty psyched about this. I played for a few months, but soon found I couldn't play enough to justify the expense. At best I dabble in these games, and can't commit the time to get my money's worth (let alone compete ingame with the hardcore gamers.) But with the free system, maybe I can poke my head in again and see what's new. I do miss it a bit.

Looking forward to it! As best I recall, I'll be doing some pirate DJing on the boat on Friday, and ashore on Saturday. See you all there!

I've always been a fan of the basic, functional cutlass. These look to be two fine specimens!

I just made a donation, as well as a post on Bilgemunky.com inviting further donations from my readers. Hope it helps!

Bilgewater - probably the best advice you can get is to not trust that question to a forum. I don't believe any of us are lawyers, and law is rarely simple or clear. The "correct" course of action would be to consult with an attorney. But in this world you could consult an attorney three times a day and still be unclear (although certainly accrue no end of legal fees.) You might also consult your sheet music - does it come with written consent to perform? I'm not a musician, but this would seem like a reasonable thing to include with purchased sheet music.

Failing that, if I were you I'd call my congressman. If he gives his blessing, you're golden. Odds are good he never considered asking people to pay to perform his song, and will simply be flattered you'd like to cover it. Plus, congressmen are often quite happy to do favors for constituents, especially when said favors cost nothing in tax dollars or political capital. Or he might say no - life's a gamble.

I know there are many, MANY bands that play Disney songs at live events, and never once have I heard of Disney so much as saying "boo" about it. Many bands also use Disney tunes on their CDs - and I believe most of them have purchased the right to use the music on a predetermined number of CD printings. Generally speaking, recorded music or broadcast music (such as my radio show) are held under tighter scrutiny than live performance or local cast (such as a wedding DJ.) Ethically speaking, I think that's appropriate - live and local usage of a copyrighted tune hardly measures the same as mass distribution, and by and large many copyright holders seem to agree. What the law states, however, is often a different matter, and it only takes one ass-hat to ruin your day with a lawsuit. I've very occasionally heard of copyright holders going after live performers for using a song, although usually those are big-ticket artists who've never written a pirate tune.

Most pirate/shanty artists are very accommodating, though, and largely happy to let you play their music at events. So ask and see what happens. Just be careful about misinterpreting permission to play an occasional live song as permission to record it, and also be careful about "traditional" shanties that actually aren't (there are several songs that folks assume have been around since the 1800's that are actually relatively new, and still under active copyright.)

Oh, and just to be on the safe side, I am not a copyright lawyer, so please disregard everything I've just said.

I think it's too subtle. How about "Steamin' Pile of Ship"? With a title like that, listeners will KNOW yer a band to contend with!

I don't know how much time I'll be able to spend at the festival proper, but on Saturday I'll be Pirate DJing at the Seize the Bay Festival/Party at the City Centre Marina, right alongsides the Tallship Festival. Stop by for a drink and some tunes - pirate garb highly encouraged!

Facebook - 'Seize the Bay' Event

If any experienced pirates would like to make a little coin this weekend in Chicago, please shoot me at email at bilge@bilgemunky.com. No particular skills needed, just a fun, recognizable pirate look (meaning more hollywood than historical), along with an outgoing, friendly pirate persona. Oh, and availability Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Email me if interested. Sorry it's such short notice, but I just got the call five minutes ago myself

I've found this site very helpful:

Instant Antique Guide

I once used their vinegar/salt method on windlass blade and was reasonably happy with the results - created a nice patina, but no real pitting or texturizing. One thing to bear in mind, no matter what method you use, is that there might be a lacquer on your blade (there was on mine.) Until you remove it, good luck getting any method of aging to work!

A while back I got a first edition of Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates for about $30. No idea if that's technically a good deal or not, but I was more than delighted to fork out the cash.

Aye, I'm not certain that Harbormaster and I can peacefully share the same thread

Thanks all!