Capt. Sterling

Honestly, if you can handle some basic leather work, get some leather from Tandy, I think Jas. Townsend sells the garter buckles... just stitch them into place and punch the holes accordingly. Garters are not only thin width wise, but the leather is not heavy, mine stretch with regular wear. Also in the meantime, the guys did use whatever came to hand, ribbon, string, and such...

Larger sizes, not too cheap though http://www.kentuckybarrels.com/wholebarrels.html Just a word of caution, kegs need to stay wet in order to stay together unless the hoops are secured... once the wood dries out the hoops will slide out of place... since no one I know of currently is making wood bound kegs/barrels, I hate to say it, but replace the metal hoops with wood if you can or cover them. The wooden hoops would need to be secured as well...when looking over the wooden bound barrels at Jamestown, the wooden hoops were nailed into place and the nails camouflaged.

Whew....Thank God, I didn't promise ye nothing...

To the true FB of ALL times... Many happy returns of the day!

The gathers are spaced evenly with the gusset sitting on top of the shoulder

I would adjust the gathers on this shirt move toward the front and space more evenly... these appear to pull toward the back of the collar.

Neck reinforcing patches, I am thinking you mean the triangular piece that covers over the end of the slit across the tops of the shoulders? These are referred to as gussets... are you including the gathering stitches along the neck gusset edge that trapped inside the collar?

Right then, the body of the shirt is too wide in this picture... the drop shoulder should fall off the shoulders by about six inches or so...this looks like almost a foot on each side... To find the proper body width... measure on the left arm from about 6" to 7" below the natural shoulder, up across the shoulder and the back of the neck to the right natural shoulder and down 6" to 7" on the right arm.

Digging up someone is not half as much trouble as filling in the cellar after the event is over...I just don't know how those WWI guys do it....

Faggoting at the neck opening seems to serve not only a decorative purpose but also reinforces/strengthens that bottom of the opening. There is sometimes reinforced stitching at the bottom of the side seams as there can be stress at such places as well. As the Am. Rev. War rolls around, you will sometimes see a heart shaped patch sewn over the bottom neckline opening to serve as a reinforcement. By the 19th century, a neckline pleats over to form a placket, which is stitched down at the bottom for reinforcing. Initials were often applied to show ownership, they can sometimes be seen at the bottom corner of a shirt or at the bottom of the neck opening as well. As to the neck pulling backwards slightly, I can't say exactly why that is happening, although I have noticed it with many shirts, especially where the back gathers are pulled tightly together toward the center back...I keep my gathers evenly distributed across the back between the two neck gussets (even though the gathers really aren't very pronounced) Also, perhaps it is because the neckline is not yet cut curved but consists only of a straight line cut across the tops of the shoulders. (although the gussets seem to be an attempt at such) As I always wear my shirt collar buttoned with a scarf or cravat around my neck, I don't notice the backward pull. As to shirts trying to "correct" one's stance... not sure they were designed with such in mind as the basic style covers a number of years prior and afterward. If anything I would think the fit of the coat and weskit, and certainly in a lady's case the corset, would be more a determining factor regarding such.

We're just reading....

The Verneys & Tobacco Coast, A Maritime History of Chesapeake Bay in the Colonial Era

Well Syren, I am going to sit down and join ye in a read...just purchased "Tobacco Coast, A Maritime History Of Chesapeake Bay in the Colonial Era" ...just shy of 100 pages of bibliography and references alone...Ships and Shipbuilding, British trade with Africa, American and South-European Trade, The Tobacco Trade, The Merchant Marine, Masters and Marine, Prizes and Privateers...and more all in the book... I think I am going to be very happy.

Pecos Rats the Pirate... yippee yearrr!

Aye, he just might win back the title of FB #1!

Well Maddogge's plan is to practice holding his breath... the weight of the armor will pull him right down to the bottom and he will just walk to the ladder along the harbor floor. Tough bastards those marines...

Aye but where was yer coat, breast plate and helmet?? Back at the camp...

Aye that was great... it would not have worked out better if it had been rehearsed.

Oh no a boarding action is far less tiring...the excitement gets the adrenalin flowing before you even commence. Thus tons of energy. The adrenalin doesn't kick in with the Walk the Plank contest until you realize..."damn thanks to these clothes, I'm going to drown!" By that time its too late and you are already completely worn out. And where was the full clothing??... none of us had on shoes, coats, gloves, waist sashes and we were Not carrying any weapons... hmmm maybe next year.

YES! Finally.... 8 out of 8 on the second.

Damnation...won't run fer me... Rumba ye broke it!

Lesson for today... Pyrates = untrustworthy Pyrate Hunters = guaranteed to get the job done. Hell, when we do a hanging, we always hang someone, even if its me!

^ a prime example of late 17th century turtle head lace < Ouch Red Cat, feel better V Pass the question along

Well we won't be wearing bells, the jingling sound will be the shackles we sport in order to arrest all those wee ones you corrupt! See ye there!

Will be stepping down from the story...