MorganTyre

Nothing quite like nice ropework. Pricing can be tricky. For the more high-end stuff see how the guy over at marlinespike.com prices his wares. Looking forward to the pictures.

How much does that thing weigh?

Revisited because I know that this has been a topic of discussion before. However, has anyone tried (or dealt with as a supplier) the products from - http://www.ushist.com/props/personal_items_2.htm#item5 They are certainly priced right. I happen to be a fan of smoking clays but am always cautious of online dealers. The date listed on the site is mid-eighteenth century but the shape of the bowl on the churchwarden is a dead-ringer for a pipe listed in Dunhill's pipe book as being dated 1700. This was when the transition from the flat heel to a spur began. Any thoughts? As I said, the price is certainly right.

I've also read some about some examples of stripping taken prized of the castles and ornamentation - both to lighten and quicken the ship and to conceal it's original identity. Will look to me references to come up with an example.

Considering both the wall and the crown existed is it safe to assume that the variations and combinations of the two (manrope knots, etc.) would have developed at this time?

Fascinating info. Thanks Foxe

It seems most of the more elaborate knots we all know were inventions (or at least made popular) of the 19th century. Does anyone know of any (possibly scholarly) work on dating knots?

Here's a semi-related question - What knot was typically tied in log lines? I know this will vary wildly and GAoP era is probably impossible to know but I am curious what sort of knots were on the log lines you guys have seen.

From Justin's game site (linked above) - "Kubb: A fun Swedish game in the throwing-things-at-things genre. Note: While I have seen it asserted that this game probably goes back to period, I've seen no evidence of that. " As far as how late it was played, it is still played (there is a link there for the british kubb federation) so I assume it was kept alive in one form or another through it's history (which may have extended through the GAoP)

The best resource I know of for early games is Justin's rules to period games http://www.waks.org/game-hist/ Some of the games are a little early but most were still being played into the GAoP

Snopes addressed this one quite some time ago - http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/brass.htm I don't have the time to figure out the math but just looking at this table http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase...bles/thexp.html and how relatively close on the scale brass and iron are it would take a huge temperature change before the difference in size between the "monkey" and the cannon balls would have any noticable affect so the whole "feeze the balls off" is questionable. From personal experience I've taken a torch to frozen turnbuckles many times (stainless steel into bronze) and it takes ALOT of heat for the difference in the expansion to make any difference and that difference is measurable in feel more than anything. Sounds more like a good story than history. Is there anything official from any historical period referring to any thing on board actually called a "brass monkey"?

I can somewhat address two of those: http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/brass.htm - Addresses the brass monkey myth. http://snopes.com/lost/false.htm - the disclaimer to this page - http://www.snopes.com/lost/sixpence.htm - which is the actual origin of that particular myth. Both of those are nice stories but I'm afraid neither is true.

The Hern site specifies (somewhere) that these guns are for looks only and shouldn't be fired. Of course this is a liability disclaimer and I would expect as much. However, has anyone heard any stories of problems firing the hern guns?

Let me add to the welcoming voices. Welcome to the pub and please feel free to post more.

Sorry again, I didn't really mean to make that earlier post sound fussy. I read it after writing it and thought - wow that reads more negatively than I mean but I couldn't think of a better way to write it so I just added the disclaimer at the end. Glad to know neither you (Kass) nor Patrick took any offense. Now that I've let everyone know exactly where I'm coming from and how I want some level of ye-olde authenticity I'm off to go finish that PVC black-powder cannon I read about somewhere....

Hehe, to defend my post about making some fids that "at least fit in with my costume" - I should clarify that in real life I am a modern rigger and so frequently am seen with tools of my trade. In fact, as I type I have a tube of a dozen or so sail needles and a palm in my pants-pocket. I intend that my costumed alter-ego be the period equivalent. If I should happen to have a fid shoved in a belt it is not to be confused with an impromptu weapon or something there simply as a prop to look "salty" (such as a belaying pin - which I also mentioned would be out of place off of a ship) it's there only because I was heading from one job to the next and got distracted to the point where the tool was temporarily stowed and forgotten about - much as the needles and palm in my pocket. More likely these assorted tools (fids, serving mallets, balls of tarred marline, etc.) would be stowed in a chest or in use at my camp and not just miscellaneous gear slung and stowed about me like bits of seaweed and marine detritus hanging from a ghost pirate in some old movie. And in defense of my use of the word "costume" I meant it not in the sense of a halloween costume and all that that implies but "the prevailing fashion in coiffure, jewelry, and apparel of a period, country, or class" (as websters defines it) - which to me extends to the general look of griminess and desperation, ragged clothing, stench of tar, etc. that is consistent with the working poor of the era be they shipboard or wharf-side. As far as I'm concerned this is more appealing and certainly more authentic as most of the modern reenactors I've seen which - while stunning in their finery (and I do envy their kits) seem just too clean and well put together to fit with my idea of what months of life at sea will do to you. Pirates to most of us symbolize freedom but in reality first and foremost they were desperate, poor, and short-lived and it's that look I'm aiming for with my "costume". Of course this is all hypothetical as in real life I am desperate and poor :) so assembling pieces I am satisfied with is very slow going. Now, if that all sounded like a rant - I apologize. I don't mean to sound snippy. I just wanted to make sure you guys knew where I was coming from.

I think you mean belaying pins here. They have more of a handle to them. http://www.tallshipbounty.org/belay_04.jpg Great shipboard weapon and I suppose acceptable to carry if your persona is a ships carpenter or a rigger but otherwise (being as it's an essential piece of gear not really allowed off ship) not something likely to be shoved in your belt while playing cards at the tavern. That being said, I once held an ironwood pin that you could probably kill someone with. Historic question - most belaying pins I've seen are wooden. However, I have seen some iron ones on a modern replica ship. Would iron pins be historically accurate?

Very nice tools Foxe. What is it that you work on that you need all those fids? Also, what sort of head does that hammer have on it? From the profil it almost looks like a claw hammer. That actually brings me to a historic question... What would a period ship-board hammer look like? I personally like a ball-peen hammer for working line but obviously there is nothing period about that. I'm curious about rigging tools, not something that a ships carpenter might carry.

A good buddy has taking a liking to the hat pictured here. Does anyone know anything about it? Is this historically accurate? Is it GAoP? Is it or anything like it available anywhere?

I just went to the hern site. Very fast loading, no problems. Saw they now sell a full scale english swivel gun 1750-1815 . Very cool looking gun. At only $426 it looks like a great first buy. Anyone else have any opinion on the matter?

Very nice. What did you use for the balls? Edit - disregard. I just re-read that you use surplus grenades.

Any idea what the wall thickness of the steel hollow balls on that website is? And where might I find a supply of baseball grenades? This one sounds like a fun project.

Very nice fids. What is the metal ring for? So you can drive it with a mallet without splitting the fid? I've not really had the chance to use a traditional wooden fid, what with 99% of my splicing needs being modern double-braid. I think I may go about making one or two. At the very least they fit in with my costume. What size line are you splicing? Capt. Midnight - That's a great book as an intro to marlinespike seamanship. Among your standard lanyards, etc. there are chapters with plans for a small seachest (of the sort one might store ships papers in), chest beckets, drawings for cleats, rope-stropped blocks, deadeyes, etc. I feel compelled to caution you though. Depending on which edition you are getting there may or may not be instructions at the back of the book for splicing double-braid (yacht braid) line. DO NOT FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS!!! The method illustrated was samson ropes original suggested splicing instructions and the end result is a very weak eye. The core of the line isn't buried - just cut short right before where one would bury it. This means on one side of the eye there is no core, just cover so this side is only half as strong (or so) as the reported line strength. In an ideal world both sides of an eye are loaded equally and so are only supporting half the load as the line itself so - all things being equal - the eye is in theory pleanty strong. However, this isn't a perfect world so thanks to friction or any of a million other reasons one side can be loaded more than the other meaning the bulk of a load may be hanging on cover alone. If you want to learn modern splicing techniques (and I highly reccomend it) try looking at new england's or samson's current splicing instructions. They aren't the best splice in the world (I use a modified version of samson's instructions which I can explain if you are interested) but they are a million times better then the one in the book.

Enigma - Are those arcs steam bent or sawn? My eyesight what it is, I can't make out the grain well enough in the picture to be able to tell. Also, a detail I would like to see is the method of attachment for the vanes. Do they run in a groove? Are they held in place by a bit of spring steel (like latitude hooks etc. reccomends if I remember correctly) or something else entirely?

Fantastic instruments. Any chance I can get you to post (or send direct to me) the general measurements and proportions for that backstaff? I've always wanted to try my hand at building one and I do have access to the tools and materials necessary. I had a copy of Latitude hooks, etc. but it was loaned out to someone who has since moved so I don't imagine I'll see it again. Besides, if I remember correctly I didn't care for the way the vanes attached. Seemed crude and at best fuctional (if I'm remembering correctly) and not necessarily historical though I don't have any real backstaffs to examine in person.