Bilgemunky

It all depends on what yer lookin' for, mate. "Billy Bones and other ditties" is aptly named. It features the absolutely brilliant pirate song Billy Bones, and the rest are pretty much ditties - i.e. folksy and nautical, but pretty tame. If ditties are what you're looking for, this would be a great buy. I generally favor something with a wee bit more edge. You can read my own thoughts on this and other pirate albums on the reviews section of Bilgemunky.com. Best o' luck!

I can also be counted in. I have some fancy new threads that are still in the works, so they might be a close call. But even if they're not yet done, I can always show up in slops and a shirt :)

I certainly understand how anyone that has to drive an hour or more would pass this one up. For me it's only about 30 minutes. I was there for the opening acts today, and what they lacked in numbers they made up for in enthusiasm. I plan to go again tomorrow in proper attire to help add what I can to the atmosphere. This is only their first year, and yeah, it's a bit lackluster. But I certainly applaud the effort, and with the right support, maybe next year can be better OK, that aside, I have to share this little gem. The schedule called for a pirate invasion at 3 pm. So at about 2:50 I look around and notice the schooner Denis Sullivan pulling in through the breakwaters (worked on her two summers ago - fine ship.) The crowd is all watching this proper wooden tallship pull in toward the dock, awaiting the pirates. Then we hear some loud "Args!" from behind us. We turn around and see the pirates pulling in alright - aboard a modern yacht!!! The Sullivan was there for a completely unrelated event entirely. Ouch!

I'd tell ya, Hawks, but you Scots make me nervous - what with throwing those trees around and such I live in Concordia - the historic district down near Marquette.

I don't think I've seen this posted yet - they don't seem to have done much advertising: Port Pirates Festival Taking place in Port Washington, WI

I haven't seen their product first hand, but you might check Pyrate Leatherworx.

I'm hoping to make it up, if you have room for one more. I have a few factors that might interfere, but as I live only a short distance away (~1.5 hours) it can be a last minute decision, if need be.

I've not yet attempted to make it for real, but my flag is something like this:

Try ebay - I imagine there's plenty of folks looking for a costume, and prolly not half as picky as the folks around here

Well mates, I'm finally getting me own frock coat made - my one concern is material. From what I've seen, wool seems one of the most popular choices, and somewhat fancier lookin' than cotton or duck, but I worry about the heat. Granted, I live in Wisconsin, so that's only a concern about three weeks out of the year, but I do hope to wear this thing in warmer ports now and again. What are your own experiences?

Quality and cheap don't exactly go together - not in the strictest sense of the word. However, as this is for a costume, and as you're apparently just getting started, perhaps you're just looking for something that looks cool and is made of some sort of metal substance, as opposed the the plastic things available at the party shop. In that case, I'd go here. I wouldn't take any into combat, but they look pretty sharp (sorry, couldn't resist )

I recently had the opportunity to interview a direct decendant a rather famous pirate. Actually it wasn't so much an opportunity as I finally got around to it - he's my neighbor. And not so much a pirate decendant, more a privateer. But I digress... Anyways, he hails from the hearty stock of Sir Francis Drake, and he had loads of interesting things to say. You can read the interview at Bilgemunky.com.

Well, first I'd steer you towards piratejewelry.com and celticjackalope.com. Pirate Jewelry has a wide selection of sterling rings and pendants. At this time, Celtic Jackalope only offers one piratey piece, which is a lovely aztec-medallion type deal. The picture on the website is a little too dark to see, though. There's a better one (and a review of the piece) here. Also, Celtic Jackalope about three weeks away from releasing a VERY nice skull and crossed-swords ring - looks kind of like a pirate coat of arms.

Center Stage Costumes has some new baldrics that I think look pretty high quality.

I found these guys on the web a while back: Running Wild

I've never seen their work firsthand, but PirateDocuments.com sells a selection of personalized letters of marque and such, and claims they look very authentic.

Y'know, I really try to stay out of these things, as they're rarely worth the effort. But cripes, Hurricane, you're so freakin' proud of having your own opinion, and yet you frame it in such a way that anyone who dares disagree with you is a redneck lemming. Be careful calling others arrogant, mate - you seem to be on a high horse of your own.

Thanks for the tips thus far - it sounds like there's definitely hope No worries about the gay community - our lives aren't exactly sheltered, and as long as we don't accidentally stumble into one of those clothing optional cafes I've read about, I think we'll be alright.

My family and I (being my wife, 15 year old son, and sister-in-law) take an annual summer road trip. We were considering Key West as our destination this year, but we want to make sure our son enjoys the trip, and he's dreadfully at "that age." While the ocean alone is enough of a reason for the rest of us, our son requires a little more excitement these days. I know there's the new pirate museum, and he's fond enough of pirates, but he's mostly excited about creepier things - haunted places, cemetaries, vampire tours, and such. We took a trip to Salem a few years back and he adored it. So, being as I'd love nothing more than visit Key West this summer, but have to convince a gothic teen that visiting sunny florida is a GOOD thing, can any of you familiar with the area suggest some destinations/activities he might be able to get excited about?

I'm sure they'll do what they think best, although when a thread reaches its 15th page, I think it becomes rather unwieldy. But that's just me.

After the whole Keith Richards fiasco (he's in the movie, he's not in the movie, he's in the movie....) I won't take any rumor as fact. But this has started popping up on several legit news sources: ---------------- Next 'Pirates' film plot revealed Thursday, February 3 2005, 11:48 GMT -- by Daniel Saney The storyline of the next Pirates Of The Caribbean movie was revealed earlier this week. The storyline of the next movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, was described by Walt Disney Chairman Dick Cook. He announced: "This time around, Johnny (Depp) returns as Captain Jack Sparrow and is caught in yet another tangled web of supernatural intrigue. It turns out Captain Jack owes a blood debt to the legendary Davey Jones, ruler of the ocean depths and captain of the ghostly Flying Dutchman. "If Jack can't figure a crafty way out of this one, he'll be cursed to an afterlife of eternal servitude and damnation. And as if that weren't enough, Captain Jack's problems throw a huge wrench into the wedding plans of the blissful Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), who quickly find themselves thrust into Jack's misadventures." Dead Man's Chest should be released next summer, with the third film following a year later. ----------------------------- So what I want to know is what on earth was Jack Sparrow doing getting into a blood debt with one of the Monkees?

I have a baldric from museum replicas - wouldn't really be my first choice if I were buying it today, but we work with what we have. Anyways, one of my biggest complaints about it is the buckle - shiny chrome and whatnot. I've considered just replacing it, but that would require breaking the rivets, and I've had trouble finding properly sized replacement rivets. Another option would be simply removing the chrome finish (not sure what kind of metal I'll find underneath.) I've done some small research online, and most methods seem to involve harsh chemicals (which wouldn't seem ideal since the buckle will still be attached to the leather) or buying special fiberglass pens. I have a basement full of sanding paper, steel wool, rotozips, dremels, etc... Anyone have any experience with removing chrome? I don't care if I bang up the buckle a bit, so long as it's functional and could pass for period.

Based on the cover and the cast, and the fact that this title only seems to be available from foreign websites, I think odds are better than average that this is actually a retitled pirated (ahem) version of "Conquest", which is very piratey, but certainly not based on Pirates of the Caribbean. er... not that I would know about such things.

I caught some bits and pieces of Fox's new show, "Johnny Zero." The main character gets a job at Captain Jack's, a pirate-themed restaraunt. His boss (Jack, I presume, spends all of his screen time in full-on pirate garb, right down to a real hook (Johnny asks how he lost his hand, to which Jack replies, "poker game.") They spent a couple of scenes throughout the episode at Captain Jack's, right down to Johnny having to don an octopus costume and hand out booty at a children's pirate party. I don't know that pirates will play much of a roll in future episodes, but thought it worth sharing.

You forgot option #6: shimmery rayon w/ sequin detailing