Cascabel

Before booking a place on Duval St., you need to find out where on Duval it is located. Duval is a quite a long street, and if you are on the wrong end, you will be no where near the festivities, and have a very long walk, or need take a taxi. You need to see that you are near as you can be to Mallory Square and the Green St. area. >>>>> Cascabel

Thanks most kindly fer the birthday wishes...... Hoping to see some of ye at Dana Point this coming weekend. >>>> Cascabel

Take a closer look at the horns, me lad... Raw horns usually look pretty rough. The animal they came from was non to careful about keeping them smooth and polished. Natural cow horn usually has layers of different shades, which become apparent upon sanding or scraping them down. You could wind up with a lot of suitable light colored area to work with for scrimshaw. I especially like the light brown or tan colors, as these make real nice ones to carefully thin down until they are slightly translucent and you can hold them up to the light and see the quantity of powder inside. This was a fairly common practice during the period, and if done carefully, does not weaken the horn too much. I have one I made like that quite a few years ago, and I also did some highly detailed scrimshaw work on it that shows up beautifully when held to the light. You could also make a nice flattened horn, if that suits your fancy, and have a wider surface to scrimshaw. Horn drinking cups can also be made from some of the larger horns. (I'm not talking about those huge "Viking" looking things), but ordinary flat bottomed cups that can sit on the table. These also look nice with scrimshaw work. Horn was a commonly available material during earlier times, and used for all sorts of items. Most of which were not "horn shaped" small boxes, like an antique snuff box that I have, powder measures, spoons, hair combs, handles, jewelry, etc. All of which lend themselves to decoration by carving or scrimshaw. Have fun with what horns you have. I'm sure you will make someting useful !!!! BE AWARE THAT MOTH LARVAE WILL EAT HORN. ALWAYS KEEP A THE PLUG IN YOUR POWDER HORN, AND STORE UNUSED HORNS IN PLASTIC BAGS. PREFERREABLY WITH MOTH BALLS. Moths seem not to bother horns unless they can get inside, so the plug prevents this >>>>>> Cascabel

'Fraid not, Royaliste, me lad. They would take one look at ye, and know that they were actually yer beloved pets dressed as children, and put them in the baggage bin ! >>>>> Cascabel

Now I could be wrong on this, but the last few times I have been in an airport, I've been told that my checked luggage had to go in unlocked. It could just be an airport-to-airport thing, or a situation with the security at the time, as I prefer my luggage to be locked down (as I have had friends who have had perfectly legitimate items stolen from their belongings). It's very likely that no one will be foolish enough to pull a whole attache out of someone's luggage, but I'll be honest I worry now when I put anything of value on a plane anymore. Again, differences in interpretation of the regulations by different airlines. You would be foolish to just leave your luggage unlocked. One of the main reasons for locking it, (considering that luggage locks would really only SLIGHTLY inconvenience a thief), is locking it prevents accidental opening if something snags one of the latches during handling. They sometimes require it to be PRESENTED to them unlocked for convenience of easily opening for inspection, or at any rate, they don't like the excuse of not having the key. However, you should be allowed to lock it after they look inside. I advise having the key handy and opening it for them, but INSIST on being allowed to re-lock it. This is a reasonable request, and if you have a problem, insist on speaking to a supervisor. A lot of newer employees are not as familiar with the regulations as they should be. >>>>> Cascabel

I'll be there. Hope to run up on some of the folks that post on this here board. The No Quarter folks will know where I'm at. >>>>>> Cascabel

A thought or two on the subject....... We need to not lose sight of the fact that the reason for the very existence of these festival type events is ENTERTAINMENT for the public. The people attend these things for the purpose of their children and themselves being entertained, and they expect to see a version of what they think a pirate is. The picture that they expect is generally a Hollywood type of pirate with a certain amount of flash and panache. Pretty much what might be seen in a safe pirate haven like Port Royal, where them that had the fancy duds would feel comfortable wearing some of it, and not mind drawing attention to themselves. In reality, real pirates dressed for working aboard ship would be about as interesting to see as a crew of modern day construction laborers hanging around on lunch break. Sort of sweaty and grungy looking, but not something to keep your attention. I firmly believe that 100% authenticity has it's place at historic sites and museums, but festivals are about entertainment, and if the public has a good time, they will return next year and the event will survive. I think that a certain amount of "living history" is a good thing, but there needs to be a heavy emphasis on entertainment for a successful event >>>>>>> Cascabel

Keep in mind that there are slight differences in interpretation of the regulations by different airlines. Call first to be sure to be in compliance Some require that the weapon be in it's own SEPARATE lockable container. An inexpensive padded attache case will suffice for a couple of pistols, as long as it is lockable. By airline standards, the flimsy locks already on luggage seems to be sufficient. That container can be placed INSIDE of your suitcase usually. Having it inside of another container prevents dishonest baggage handlers from being tempted by an obvious gun case. Other than those differences in interpretation, weapons are not a problem to travel with. Also bear in mind that non-functional "replicas" fall under the same rules as the real thing so that airline personel do not have to make a decision on what is real and what is not. Under absolutely NO circumstances are you legal to carry gunpowder in any quantity or in any fashion on a commercial aircraft. They will arrest you on the spot. Loaded ammunition in the form of regular modern cartridges is O.K., but that does not apply to our needs. As far as I know, black powder is not available anywhere in Key West. There is simply not enough demand for it for any sporting goods store to stock it. If you are flying into Miami, and planning to rent a car and drive out to Key West, e-mail me, and I'll give you a location where you can get your supply before heading out to the Keys. As far as having left over powder goes, when you are ready to leave, I will likely be able to buy your leftover supply, or someone else will. >>>>> Cascabel

The way it works at Pirates in Paradise is this. I am usually one of the safety officers, as well as being part of the cast, so this is the correct nformation. There is generally a cast call for the participants in the mornings, with weapon inspections and a general daily planning meeting. If you are new to the event, it would be in your best interest to attend. Only those that are approved will be allowed to fire weapons, and then GENERALLY only aboard the ships. Safety officers must be present for all firing. As far as carrying them with you, there is no problem with both swords and pistols, but I HIGHLY advise that you leave them in your belt and don't go pulling them out and waving them about. Peace tying of both swords and pistols is highly advisable, as you may be in crowded bars full of drunks who may think it is O.K. to pull out your weapon just to "see" it. Sometimes firing is allowed in the streets with prior approval. As far as sword fighting goes. ABSOLUTELY NONE if you are not part of an officially participating group, and only in designated fight circles. It's too easy for a tourist to wander into harm's way unknowingly. If you have any questions while you are there, seek me out. I'm usually easy to find. Or feel free to e-mail me any time. >>>>> Cascabel

I have membership in a rifle range about ten minutes from home, or I have several places available where I can just go out in the woods and blast away to me heart's content. Once in a while, I'll just touch one off from me back deck. My neighbors are used to my occasional "test firings" >>>>>> Cascabel

Back to ye, Claire..... I don't care much for pipe cleaners in touch holes. For one thing, they are not stiff enough to clear a badly plugged one, and also the small wire they are made from can break off in the hole if it gets hung up and you pull too hard. Then you have a REAL problem. At some point when time permits, I will be writing an in depth article for NQG on flintlocks which will include detailed cleaning instuctions along with info on how to make them work reliably, plus lots of other useful info. >>>>> Cascabel

Aye, and don't ferget to THOROUGHLY clean the face of the breech. The Queen Anne pistols are especially prone to getting the touch hole clogged from the inside from crud being packed up around the breech face. Always run a touch hole pick all the way through the hole until it touches the inside of the barrel on the far side after cleaning, and before firing for the first time when it's next put in use. They also tend to get the touch hole clogged during very heavy use, depending on humidity conditions. ALWAYS keep a touch hole pick handy, and be certain it is of a size that will fit all the way through the hole. If the priming goes off, and the weapon does not fire, and you are certain you did not forget your main charge, then the FIRST thing you need to do is see that your touch hole is clear. (I have seen them clog so badly that it can be a struggle to get the pick through the hole). Once you are certain the hole is clear, re- prime and it should fire. >>>>> Cascabel

If the jag is TRULY the correct size, the cleaning patch will wrap itself around it as it is pushed into the bore, and upon pulling it back out, the patch will sort of "wrinkle" slightly, and the wrinkles will catch in the grooves of the jag. If it is the right size, a jag is a most excellent way to clean. If it is too large, it will get stuck in the bore, and if too small, the patch will come off. It sounds as if the jag you have may be too large, but not being able to examine what you have, it is hard to pass judgement. The jag with cleaning patch should EASILY be able to fit in the bore with only slight resistance. Using a jag will pull LOTS of crud out of the barrel with every stroke, because as it wrinkles into the grooves, it also is pressed against the inside of the barrel. The only thing you need to be wary of is that it can also push crud down into the barrel on the down stroke, so always look down the barrel to inspect the face of the breech when finished. >>>>> Cascabel

For more reasonably priced motels, you would be well advised to not stay in Key West if you can help it. (That is assuming you have your own transportation.) Much more reasonable prices can be had on the other islands leading up to Key West. Marathon is about the half way point in the chain of keys, and barring traffic problems is maybe an hour's drive from Key West. There are LOTS of islands between Marathon and Key West, and all of them have a lot of the older type "Mom & Pop" motels with reasonable prices. The closer you get to Key West, the higher the prices seem to get. My thoughts on it would be to start looking when you get to Big Pine Key, which is about 45 minutes from Key West. That is where I stayed before I became part of the cast. There are small motels on all of the islands, so check on the way to Key West, and decide which is more important, convenience or saving a considerable amount of money. Of course, if you don't have a vehicle with you, this advice is null and void !!!! >>>>> Cascabel

Ahoy to all..... I'm part of the cast again this year. I'd be happy to meet up with any of ye. If you show up, be sure to look for me. It would be fun to be able to put a face with the names I see on this board !!!! >>>>> Cascabel

Back to ye, Redhand.... I would have to have the pistol in order to do a proper job. The least it would be is $50.00 to make one. Without actually seeing the pistol, that is the best I can tell you. The job almost always involves lengthening the rear lock screw slightly, or making a new one, and usually the front screw head needs to be made rounded if it is not already that way(not a big deal), in order not to catch on your belt or sash upon inserting the gun into your belt or sash or withdrawing it. Sometimes it can be more involved than that, such as on the Harper's Ferry reproductions, which have a recessed lock screw, and an oversized hole trhough the stock and require the making of a filler bushing. >>>>> Cascabel

The belt hook that Dixie sells LOOKS nice, but I advise caution. It is a casting, and sometimes castings, especially thin ones like these tend to not be very strong. A forged hook, or one cut from thick sheet metal will bend rather than break under stress and can be straightened if need be. Try it if you like, but keep in mind it may break in use. Be particularly cautious of thin BRASS castings. The one they sell appears to be copied from an original, and looks very good from a decorative standpoint. >>>>> Cascabel

HOW 'BOUT THAT, IT WORKED !!!!!!!! Thanks, Claire..... >>>> Cascabel

O.K., With a bit of help from TalesOfTheSevenSeas, I'm attempting to post a couple of different belt hook designs that I fabricated. Take note of the longer length which I prefer, and also the anti-rotation pins and holes to receive them in the sideplates. (I hope the pictures open O.K. I'm really not 100% sure how to do it. Computers are not my specialty) >>>>> Cascabel

That hook in the photo from Thunder Ridge is sort of what I am describing. I can't tell from the picture exactly how it is attatched, but in order for it not to rotate around the screw and damage the stock, it NEEDS to have some sort of pin to stabilize it. On the ones I make, I use the rear most lock screw, plus a pin that enters the side plate. I also prefer a hook considerably longer for security. That one is the right general idea, but you would be amazed at how easily a short hook unhooks from your belt when walking or sitting. >>>>>. Cascabel

No, the addition of a belt hook was just a convenience that could be added to any pistol. The "Sea Service Pistol" was an actual model designation with official dimensions and specifications as laid down in writing by the Navy of whichever country you have in mind. Actually, the Sea Service pistols of most countries were considerably different from those issued to land forces. Usually, they were a bit more "clunky" in appearance due to being made stronger to withstand the rigors of naval service, and generally were less nicely finished. >>>>>> Cascabel

I have fabricated belt hooks for all my pistols. They make for very comfortable and secure carrying. They are also a 100% authentic way to carry a pistol. The holster as we think of it today did not exist in the 18th century. Those people that had reason to carry pistols just shoved them in their belt or sash if they were too large for a pocket and did not have a hook on them. Carrying of large pistols at the time was mostly something done by people on horseback, and the pistols were carried in saddle mounted holsters. Sailors on board ships (other than pirates) were issued pistols immediately before battle from the ship's armory. It was quite common for pistols aboard ship to have these belt hooks. Belt hooks were also seen on pistols carried by Highlanders, as they were among the few that used them in battle on foot (other than sailors). Another advantage of the belt hook is that the entire pistol can be seen, adding to your chance to show off your neat looking pirate stuff !!!! Trying to shove a flintlock pistol into any kind of a holster is a compromise at best. Usually the lock parts interfere with a good fit. The hooks were available in various lengths, and I much prefer the longer ones to prevent the pistol from being dislodged when sitting down. The hooks used on the Scottish pistols are a bit short for practicality in my view. Pictures of these hooks can be seen in 'Boarders Away' by Gilkerson. >>>>>>Cascabel

As far as firing original antiques goes, I have done it quite a bit myself. It depends a WHOLE lot on who is doing the inspection prior to firing, and just how knowlegeable that individual is. Most folks that work on modern guns and a LOT that work on muzzle loaders don't really know what to look for when inspecting an antique with the intent of it being safe to fire. A quick once-over by the event safety officer WITHOUT complete dis-assembly including breechplug removal or x-ray of the breech area is NOT sufficient for a safety inspection on an antique. I have also seen way too many incidents of overloading and improper loading procedure even today to always put the blame on the weapon itself being at fault. The only thing that saves a lot of people from a serious accident is that most of the time they are using guns with very thick barrels of modern steel. Most of the earlier period pieces did not have the thick walled octagonal barrels seen on the average re-production. Early period thin wall barrels even if made out of modern steel would not stand the kind of overloads that some people use. There seems to be a dangerous lack of information out there on what constitutes a proper blank load. The correct load is not "That wasn't loud enough, I'll add more powder ". I am not advocating loads so light as to just go "FOOP", but there is definitely a correct live load and a correct blank load for each weapon. Besides being dangerous, overloading is wasteful of powder. There is literally TONS of mis-information out there, some of which is dangerous, and some of which is not. I've been dealing with flintlocks for well over 30 years, and have seen a lot of old wives tales, and just plain bad information passed around as the gospel truth. >>>>>Cascabel

My all time favorite pirate movie is Treasure island starring Charleton Heston as Long John. A truly WONDERFUL casting job in all the secondary characters also. Once you see it, you will throw rocks at most other pirate movies and all other versions of Treasure Island in my humble opinion. It is available for rent, and can be had for as cheap as $9.95 on Amazon.com. My second choice would be Roman Polanski's 'PIRATES' mostly for the character portrayals of Capt. Redd, and Don Alphonso. I also like the Disney version of Treasure Island, mostly for Robert Newton's classic portrayal of Long John. I never did think much of the Errol Flynn type pirate films. (sorry if this is blasphemy) >>>>> Cascabel

Aye, a well run event. I was part of the cast last year, and had a great time !!!! >>>>>> Cascabel