Cascabel

Another of my favorites is The Duelists, with Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel. Set in the Naploeonic wars, and very well done. Great story !!! >>>>> Cascabel

I so wanted to say "Bore-y Lyndon" after I saw Cascabel's response because that is exactly what it made me think of, but it seemed inappropriate. I should really see that movie instead of just relying on the satire to inform me. :D It may be a bit boring by today's standards, with not a whole lot of explosions, car chases, etc., but great costuming, a good story line, and some well researched period battle sequences, along with most scenes filmed using natural light. >>>>> Cascabel

That particular one in the picture is one of the non-firing die cast replicas by Denix. I would love to see a functional reproduction available. I always thought the miquelet locks were exotic looking. I plan to keep an eye open for the results of Vintagesailor's efforts. He produces some interesting pieces..... >>>>> Cascabel

Barry Lyndon.....

The barrels of the ones I have examined always looked to be locally made, even if the locks were salvage items. The locks often were also locally made, but not usually of the same quality as European locks. If you look at the example you posted with the fancy carved stock carefully, you will notice that the cock is not even of sufficient reach for the flint to contact the frizzen !! Compare it to the other examples. If that was the original cock, it could not ever have fired. Many of the firearms from the region are very crudely made, but some are also of excellent quality. Some fancy weapons from the Mediterranean area, including even ornate daggers that were not even sharpened were apparently intended to be "gentlemanly jewelry" to look good with some of the elaborate outfits worn by the rich. I have seen a lot of crudely made blades with very fancy handles and scabbards intended to be worn just "for show". Many of these short blunderbuss type barrels had a bore that tapered for the full length, which would render them very inefficient as firearms, as the pressure of the charge would push past the shot as the bore increased in size, greatly reducing the power. A properly made blunderbuss barrel is straight bored for most of it's length, and then flares toward the muzzle. A lot of the Mediterranean type blunderbusses also have quite an exaggerated amount of flare to the barrels, which is typical of the region. Be aware also of the REALLY crude pieces that were produced in the last hundred years or so strictly for the tourist trade. A lot of inexperienced collectors get cheated out of their money on these things !! >>>> Cascabel

I think it may be a matter of "where", rather than "when". Most, but certainly not all of the examples of old originals of this type that I have encountered are of North African or Middle Eastern origin. Of course, trade existed between the Mediterranean area and the rest of the world, so the style was not unknown elsewhere. European made examples usually have more traditional proportions. They often were made incorporating European made locks salvaged from older weapons, and there was always a thriving gun parts trade going on also, so one must be careful when evaluating some of these things as to origin and age. You can't just go by the markings on the lock when looking at old guns. Style of decoration, proofmarks, matching quality of all parts, fit and construction of parts, etc. all need to be looked at to reach a conclusion. This discussion may be better served in the "Lock Stock and Barrel" section. >>>>> Cascabel

Avast there, Shipmate !!!! Glad yer still around. Good to hear from ye..... >>>>> Cascabel

.......and pure gold is quite soft, like lead, so individual links could be twisted off easily to pay for something if needed. Seems to me that one of the gold chains found on the Atocha was made of links of one ounce weight each. How convenient !! >>>> Cascabel

As Patrick has stated so well, this is not Twill. This is a forum for anyone to show off the things they made, and to let others know, who might be interested, on how they made them. 777pirate4, you are welcome to personally disagree with the wearing of beads in or on pirate garb, but this is not the forum to state those disagreements. If it is something you feel strongly about, take the issue to Twill and start a discussion there. This forum is for anyone to show off their talents for making things — anything — that might relate to piracy in any and all of its many forms. As stated in the intro on the main page, "Pyrate CraftA Devil's Playground of sorts, all are welcome & encouraged to participate. Share the secrets to fabricating your kit - clothes, props, & items. Show off what you can do, or sit back and learn from your betters. This is not the place to dispute or critique Period Correctness, but a safe place to share & learn the how of what each other can do."

The Japanese pistols that you refer to vary immensely in quality, and must be evaluated on an individual basis. They are usually referred to as "TOWER" pistols by most people because of the lock markings. I have never determined if the variation in quality is due to different manufacturers of these or if it is a matter of when they were made, with the lower quality ones being built towards the end of the production runs, or possibly a combination of the two factors. Most of them that I have examined have various glaring faults. Some problems being more serious than others. However, ALL can be made to function with some work. It is mostly whether or not you consider the amount of work to be worth the time or expense. All of them have bad geometry, which is a matter of internal lock variations having to do with the relationship of the tumbler to the sear, and also the angle at which the flint hits the steel. They also usually do not have properly balanced springs, which has to do with the strength of the frizzen spring in relation to the mainspring. There are also usually hardness issues with the frizzen and internal lock parts. I have also seen some where there is a gap between the lock and the side of the barrel large enough to allow powder to work it's way down behind the lock with potentially disastrous results if it were to ignite. They also benefit greatly from a bit of re-styling to improve their appearance. Again, all these things can be corrected and a decent pistol can be had, depending on how much work is needed. I have been told that there are a few that have bad barrels, but I have not run across any. All that I have dealt with have had quality issues regarding the locks, which can vary considerably on the inside, while appearing quite similar externally. They also have had problems such as the lock to barrel fitment previously mentioned. >>>> Cascabel

It seems to me that there would be very little need to traverse a cannon on a ship under way, as the ship is moving horizontally, and the target is also in motion horizontally, so the gun will naturally come to bear on the target anyhow. It would be just a matter of getting the proper elevation for the range, and waiting for the right moment to fire, keeping in mind the roll of the ship. Minor adjustments, if needed would be done using handspikes, which are large levers used like prybars and also used to adjust elevation. To set the elevation, the large wooden wedge is positioned under the breech manually while the weight of the barrel is held up by the handspikes. >>>> Cascabel

A "real" treasure chest would actually have to be rather small. The popular conception of a couple of pirates carrying one of those big hump-backed chests overflowing with gold would be impossible. Gold is actually heavier than lead, and one of those huge ones full of treasure would require a fork-lift to carry it, and would likely burst open from the weight of the gold, or the bottom would fall out. >>>>> Cascabel

Actually it is "waistcoat" but spell it anyway you want. Spelling was not standardized in the early 18th century. Regional accents have be reconstructed using the phonetic spellings of the time. Mark Indeed it is spelled "waistcoat", and often, (but not always) pronounced "weskit".... >>>>> Cascabel

Ahoy, Chrispy.... In response to your message....... For some reason the system would not let me reply direct to you. I used early model Brown Bess locks on the blunderbusses that I built. I don't have any spare locks on hand. You can probably get a lock from Track of the Wolf, or The Rifle Shoppe (if you don't mind waiting forever and being outright lied to about delivery times). You can make a replacement lockplate and use the internal parts if you want a different looking lock, and even a different style of cock. I like the Brown Bess lock because of the excellent geometry. ( this does not apply to India-made repros). There are also good repro French musket locks available from the same sources. Any of the large musket locks would likely suit your purpose. >>>> Cascabel

If you ever get to upstate New York, be sure to visit Ft. Ticonderoga. They have a large number of fancy bronze cannons on the ramparts. Some Spanish, some Dutch, some French, etc. Most have the fancy dolphins and coats of arms. I have not been there for many years, but I was fascinated by all the ornate bronze guns. They are not original to the fort, but as I remember they were donated by a wealthy benefactor at some point, I think in the early twentieth century. >>>> Cascabel

Aye....., and like any good pyrate, you have a black heart !!! ........ of course, you have an unfair advantage over the rest of us. We have to work at it, you come by it natural-like !! ;) >>>>> Cascabel

I have heard of the company, but have not seen any of their products "in the flesh". Did they send you a sample to examine ? >>>>> Cascabel

It appears that the barrels, or half-barrels are securely tied down also. A good idea when both hands are occupied on a rocking ship !!! >>>> Cascabel

Kinda makes you wonder about the intelligence of somebody that would put something outside that could be tossed into the back of a pick-up by a couple of guys very quickly, especially something that valuable !!! >>>>> Cascabel

I have always wondered if some of these laws are written so as to be deliberately vague so that they can be left open to interpretation by law enforcement officers and judges based on individual circumstances, or if it is a typical case of legislators writing poorly conceived and badly worded laws about subjects they know absolutely nothing about, and refusing to consult with people that actually know something about the subject in question. Once it is signed into law, it is usually the innocent and well-intentioned people that suffer for it. It happens all the time here in the U.S. also...... >>>>>> Cascabel

Well said, Suh !!!! >>>>> Cascabel

My very first PiP was 1998. That year it was hosted on the grounds of the Buccaneer Resort in Marathon for the first part of the week, and then moved to the park at Higgs Beach in Key West for the remainder of the event. The event didn't happen at all one year, (I think it was 1999). In my early years at the event, we had a great many more sponsors supporting it, and many of us were assigned to put in appearances at the sponsor's locations. Many of the hotels supported us generously with rooms for the participants in those years. We had activities and appearances all over Key West in those days. One of my favorites was at the Mel Fisher Museum, which always had lots of tourists and kids in attendance. The Schooner Wharf bar was a great supporter and the surrounding waterfront area was always full of pirates and vendors with music and other piratical shenannigans. Several of the local sailing vessels besides the schooner Wolf wanted pirates on board for their sails. We would fire on each other as we passed to entertain the paying passengers. Often the vessels had pirate musicians on board also. I was not aware of the bit about Raven taking down the signs after she got fired. Amazing what you can find out years later !! Got any more info about that ? >>>>> Cascabel

We'll have to meet up in the next day or so! Where the heck are ya? :) We can catch up with you at the end of hurricane season party...... >>>>> Cascabel

Braze and myself got into town late last night...... >>>> Cascabel

I tried, but I just couldn't resist....... Bad pyrate !!!! Not PC.... :lol: >>>>> Cascabel