Zephaniah W Nash

Kass-- I know with you dealing primarily with patterns, it may not be too much of a problem, but I know shipping costs could be problematic with some British business. My in-laws live "over the pond" and insisted on taking their Caddilac -- their old, decrepit Caddilac -- with them. Us still being here often get enlisted to send parts to them, and it's not at all unusual to spend more on the shipping than the part itself...

Personally, I haven't ridden in so very long, that I feel sorry for whichever poor horse gets saddled with me re-learning how to do it. The poor thing will surely be just as confused as I will be. Not to mention, if my wife gets her way with my father, she'll be riding an English saddle (that's the only kind of saddle she's ever ridden). He'll be scandalized by it, but for some strange, unfathomable reason, she can usually manage to get away with whatever she wants. Is it really normal for a person to get along with her in-laws so well...?

It's the family place, so overall, the only thing that will be legally "mine" at this point is the one-acre plot required on the mortgage, but there are 86 acres overall -- with the hopes of adding another twenty in the not unforseeable future (a neighbor talking about selling, and if we can all swing it together...) The family has been on the place -- considering all the in-laws and out-laws -- since the close of the Civil War. My dad owns two horses at this point, one of which can be seen in the 2004 movie The Alamo as Col. Travis' horse. A family friend provided all of the horses in the movie in exchange for a certain amount of money (that amount being something we can't drag out of him -- even though enquiring minds want to know!) and the training. So, if it ever becomes necessary, I do have access to a horse that is trained for mounted swordplay. The only famous member of our family:

We've started the very, very beginning steps for housebuilding. Okay, just clearing out some of the brush and scrub where we want to build, but you gotta start somewhere... This will be the view off of our front porch, of a lovely pasture -- will often be plowed and not that lovely to some: You can't see it in this picture, of course, but directly ahead will be the Brazos river, easy walking distance past the treeline: And this is what I really like, what will eventually be the view from the back porch: And the machine we're using to clear the place, gotta love a Caterpillar:

True enough, Rumba, but this is Texas! We just about issue handguns at the border when people come through, and they were worked up over non-firing repros... The more I think about it, the more I think the person who was asked to peace-tie might have done something else to cause annoyance, and that was the easiest remedy the organizers could think of at the time.

At Scarborough Faire back in the Spring -- yeah, I'm behind the times, but I only now remembered it -- I heard someone talking about having to peace-tie their repro wheel-lock firearms. These were obviously non-firing weapons (okay, obvious to anyone who knows anything at all about firearms), but they were required to be peace-tied, though not to walk into the faire, but to participate in the parade. Not a word was said to me at any time about having my repro flintlock stuck through my sash, or through my better half's sash after she foully stole it from me. Is this something anyone else has ever encountered, or does peace-tying typically only apply to edged weapons (as has been my experience)? I'm thinking it may have just been an over-zealous organizer, but it was all a second-hand experience at best...

If he looks that much like me, I don't know whether to offer my congratulations, or condolences -- and if it should be to you or him...

My best -- even if belated -- wishes to the both of you, sounds like you both are on equal footing as to just who is the lucky one. And that piece of paper is just that -- the important part is the commitment you both make, not what the state says you've made.

I've got a couple of pieces from Baltimore Knife and Sword myself, and couldn't be happier with them. A bit pricey, perhaps -- at least on my current budget -- but well worth it. They were approximately $250 each, but I did buy them from an independent dealer, rather than directly from BKS. The advantage there being that I could get them in my hand before signing over a good chunk of money. They might only be borderline "cutlasses," more along the lines of light footmen's sabers, but... I've posted this pic on another thread, but I wouldn't know where to find it again, so here you go:

Julius- Would greatly appreciate any patterns you happen to have. I've been mostly using my existing - purchased - belts and baldrics to follow as best I can. You can send me a PM here, or just e-mail to thtrgoon@hotmail.com Silkie- The suede I found makes a nice pouch - though I can't vouch for period correct-ness, either. Plus, some of the larger scrap pieces and the remains of the not-so-good baldric cobbled together a nice little flogger. Finally, I can keep me crew in line. Or, they'll enjoy it too much -- time will tell...

Thought I'd try my hand at something new -- and while I had plenty of respect for you craftspeople out there, there's even more now. Found our old leather tools, and bought a bit of scrap at Tandy's, and started a few small projects. Pouches -- Started with a pretty basic drawstring pouch, and no problem, though I'm not sure that I'm using a good weight of thread. Any suggestions...? Flintlock holster -- Not too bad, though it is a bit messy here and there. I don't mind a bit of a rough look, but the first one may be a bit too rough. More practice should help out, I would think. Baldric -- Pretty much a huge failure, apart from the learning experience. Used too light of a leather, to start with. Left some of the lengths wayyy too long, in places that, to fix, I believe I might as well start over, salvaging what material (buckles and such) is still useful, and use the leather for any light, smaller pieces I need. I think I'm off to a fair start, though, and will post any progress, if anyone is interested. And, any advice that I can't already find by surfing through existing threads would be appreciated.

And while you're at it, why stop with the ears...? Just use your imagination...

I'm with some others here - this has not been a bad thread. Some knowledge gained, and few fights. I've always been pretty firmly convinced that quite a few arguments on message boards are as much - or more - a fault of the medium than those arguing. When you're reading dry text, it seems that it's often easy to take something in not at all the spirit it was intended. I always try to do my best to give anyone posting the benefit of the doubt in reading their post in the most agreeable light. I think I've ended up being right more often than wrong, particularly here...

That's pretty much what I'm getting at, HarborMaster. Plus, it's along the lines of folks doing things their own way. There's them that like to put on pointy-toed boots and a $200 Stetson, and there's them that make a living at cowboyin'. I'm not saying either is better than the other - well, okay, that $200 Stetson doesn't mean you can brand a steer, but you get my point...

Just a tiny little quibble. That's all. I promise... I know lots of cowboys. You know, the real kind, that make their living off of... um, what was it...? Oh yeah, cows. I even make a small bit of my own income from beef. At least half of 'em don't even own a horse (we happen to have two - one of which is a movie star - and I do still have to saddle up now and then, for which my derrierre ain't usually happy). Cowboyin' is done 99% from a pickup these days. Just sayin'...

And I forgot to mention the "after action debriefing" that went on at Hooters. Nobody at all had anything to say about the table full o' pirates. And if you believe that: bridge, sale, etc.

I think I've shown the basic design here - or in another thread - at some point before, but we have the real article now. T'ain't made historically accurately, it's just fabric paint on black fabric, but it's what we had when we had time to do it (and when I say "we," I mean my loverly wife - the one with the talent).

A few pics from the terrorizin' o' Barnes and Noble. Might have more when folks get around to sending their pics around... Yes, I talked back to her again... Where's that monkey? I want to shoot something!

I know I definitely lean more towards the entertainer side than the re-enactor side, on the few times I get to do more than just dress up and show up at an event I have nothing really to do with. My kit isn't the most historically accurate, and I'm fine with that. I'm even one of those horrid, horrid boot-wearing pirates. I just don't wear shoes. Not even in "civilian clothes." Don't even own a pair. Two pairs of boots and some rubber flip-flops do me just fine. So, in that, I'm bringing a bit of my ownself into my persona. I'm also pretty small potatoes in the company kept here as it comes to re-enacting. Fort Worth just doesn't have much of that sort of community, at least one that I'm involved with (for reasons of my own). I did get to be involved in a very small event on Saturday - Pirate Day at Barnes and Noble. Scoff if you will, but it's the event I had available, so I was involved and did what I could. It seemed to go over well, and more people seemed to enjoy it than didn't - and that makes me happy. Story time for the little kids - they loved it. They could care less if my boots were accurate or not, they had pirates reading them a story! Had a bit of a historical presentation for another group (kids and parents, most of the kids were less interested than the parents). I do think we hit on a happy medium regarding the historical accuracy - or lack thereof - of our kit. We explained during the Q&A exactly where we weren't accurate in our clothing. Used what some might denigrate as a teaching tool. I wasn't a bit surprised that when we asked if anyone knew any pirates from the movies or from books, that we mostly got characters from PotC. I was, however, surprised, when not a single person there could name an actual historical pirate, so we got to spend some time waxing poetic about Blackbeard, Anne Bonney and Mary Reade, Jean LaFitte, Henry Morgan - yeah, we jumped all over history... What was rather disappointing was the child (eight years old) who called out in the middle of the presentation that "Pirates weren't real. They're just make-believe." I exclaimed how impressed I was that a five-year-old knew so much. When he pouted that he was, in fact, eight, I simply said, "Well, it seems as if anyone can be wrong, when they talk about something they don't know anything about."

I had been assuming - without realizing it - that the kraken was sent to "fetch" Jack for Davy Jones, rather than just killing him. And yes, this makes it another parallel to Empire - I don't think that Jones would want to give up his favorite decoration, and Jack does owe him either service or a hundred souls...

For what it's worth, my wife has filled in bits of her kit now and then at - of all places - Target. A "peasant skirt" for $10, though it's not really accurate - more of her landswoman look. A pair of cotton drawstring pants for $12, I think they were meant as pajama bottoms. No pockets, and hang to just below the knee. Scarves are easy enough to find there, though usually with some really awful patterns - even for today, and lots of the cheaper straw hats. Not to mention costume jewelry - some of which will work at a bit of distance.

Mimi- Shhhhh! Just wanted to see what would happen...

Reading this thread is eerily reminiscent of the conversations last night... Three of us went to see the movie. My two companions thought it was the best thing since sliced bread, and I really enjoyed the movie, but thought the first was a better film. That seems overall to be about the same proportion here - so now I'm just another statistic. When I was pointing out why I liked the first one better, everybody was taking that as me panning this one - not my intent, but they insisted that I explain why I liked the first better, and there you go. It will likely help if I go back when the crowds have thinned a bit, because the kicking of the back of my seat doesn't help my mood - not malicious, just a smallish theatre. And the only spoiler in my review: Who else was shocked by Elizabeth carrying Jack's baby...? I was floored...

I'm a fervent believer in Shinerbock, meself. Texas microbrew that has started getting shipped about outside the state. The flavor of a dark beer, but without sittin' so heavy that ya start getting full before ya start getting buzzed...

Not that much of an event, I'll admit, but here in D/FW, we gotta take what we can get. Now, I'm sure this has nothing whatsoever to do with the release of a p'ticular movie, but the Barnes and Noble in Arlington, TX is having a Pirate Day, with the booksellers and all wearing garb - at least them what's got it. The others will be getting by with Hawaiian shirts and leis (and no, I'm sure there won't be a single comment from me asking anyone if they want to get "lei-ed"). It was very, very difficult, of course, but they've talked my better half and I (she actually works there, and would be there anyway, but...) into coming in to do story time for the little ones, and host a discussion about Historical vs. Hollywood pirates. Why, our names and faces are even up in... well... not lights, but on posters, at any rate. And since she's worked there, we've written about half the other employees into the crew, we might as well call it "Scandalous day."