Barmy John

Wow! Awesome Greg! I remember you mentioning a sword like this a couple years ago!

Back in May I inquired about these shoes at G. Gedney Godwin. The photos were so bad online that I sent the following e-mail:

"Dear G. Gedney Godwin Sutlers,

I am interested in finding shoes which are correct for a late 17th/

early 18th century impression. These shoes look promising, but I have a few questions.

Are these straight lasted?

Will the latchets fit a 3/4" (19mm) buckle?

What colors are available?

Do you have mens size 12 (US)

Do you have a larger picture that you could send?

Thank you very much for any and all info!"

A few days later, I received this response:

"Sir,

VERY hard to get for us right now. I can order a pair for you..But they may be several months to get. They are straight last come in brown, or black. 1" latchet, but can

be cut down. Sorry, haven't any in stock to get you a pic."

So, I am led to believe that they are not terribly interested in selling these shoes to anyone, since they:

A. Don't have any.

B. Can't get any.

C. Can't provide better photos before ordering... and that alone will likely take months...

I think I may have to order some shoes from England. They may take months an cost an arm and a leg, but at least they'll be correct!

If anyone has actually managed to see, let alone BUY a pair of these shoes, I'd be just as interested to hear a review...

Sterling, your photos are great. I think using photos of period garments is the way to go. Information gleaned from paintings can be difficult to accurately decipher without knowledge of the garments themselves.

Cap. Sterling, I edited my post after my earlier reply. Yes, I think that you are right about the heavy fabric & buttons not being adequate explanation for the large buttonholes shown in the painting. The worked areas do seem too big for that to be the reason. I had remembered them being somewhat smaller. I am unable to tell from the painting whether all or only part of the buttonholes are opened however...

As far as I am aware, lower class and work clothing generally had buttonholes sized to accomodate the buttons, though with thick fabrics and heavy buttons, holes may be slightly larger as needed to to allow easier fastening and unfastening. Buttonhole stitching was extended as decoration on many fancier garments including the use of completely false buttonholes, but I think this would be unusual on more common clothes.

That having been said, those buttonholes sure look big...

Title: The Peepshow

Year: 1718

Artist: Willem van Mieris

Technique: Oil on panel

Dimensions: 57,1 x 48,2 cm

Object number: SK-A-4941

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

Perhaps the function of these shoulder knots was as an aid to identification rather than as a means of stabilizing a baldric...

Before rank insignia were devised, the rank of an officer was determined by whether one epaulette was on the left shoulder, or the right shoulder or both. Later a "counter-epaulette" (with no fringe) was given to those who wore only one.

(Epaulette- Wikipedia) Since most if not all of the illustrations I've seen show shoulder knots on well to do gentlemen types or officers, perhaps this fashion represents the beginning of the epaulette, and is the outgrowth of various knots and shoulder sashes worn as military identification in the early to mid 17th century...?

Well, here's one of the clamshell hanger replicas we've been waiting for! The "Dutch Cutlass" is back and on the Museum Replicas website. Its not as pretty as the ones from Old Dominion Forge, but there's no waiting list, and you don't need to sell the farm to buy one! :)

Museum Replicas- Dutch Cutlass

It looks to me like the seated man with the kerchief has an extra waistcoat too... Any ideas about these folks wearing TWO waistcoats? Perhaps wearing a short sleeved coat on top would provide protection for the clothes (like an apron?) or the body (warmth?) and leave the arms less encumbered for work? Seems a bit odd though... I suppose removable coat sleeves had dissapeared by the mid/late 17th century...?

Since this shows two identical waistcoats which fit the known ASC specs I have postulated that they may in fact be the slop contract waistcoats we've been discussing.

Hey Foxe, Is it my imagination or does the man standing on the left holding the cup and hand on the book appear to be wearing a long sleeved "ticken" waistcoat with another sleeveless waistcoat over it...? Am I seeing that correctly? Isn't that more striped fabric visible hanging from beneath the sleeveless coat?

Curious...

I've been looking for the dutch cutlass that Museum Reps had a couple of years back.  A really sweet shell guard with knuckle bow on about a 28 inch curved blade.  It appeared in their catalogue for about 2 issues and was gone.  Never been able to find one since.

I traded e-mails with Museum Replicas a couple of months ago and they said that due to repeated requests they plan on re-releasing their Dutch Cutlass in Spring 2007