Hawkyns

Bloodrose-- email???? Our crew is going but I've seen nothing. Was that a general email? Hawkyns

Thighbiter- question about the "free fire zone". What are the powder regs, safety regs, etc.? Who is doing weapons inspections, are we maintaining standard 18th C standards regarding cartridge construction, loads, ringing barrels, and safety zones? For the cannon, same thing? If you need, I've been artillery and musket safety officer for a number of groups for 20 years. I understand you worked with one of my gun captains, Duncan McGuyver, at Baltimore, so you know what sort of things we work with. Free fire zone just sounds like a recipe for disaster unless carefully moderated and controlled. Hawkyns

Put the crew of the Mermayde down as definite. Not sure of numbers yet, but we will have a period camp and at least one of our cannon. Hawkyns

Thanks, Iron Jon, but that's the wrong side. I'm looking for the letters of marque that were issued to the royalists, after the beheading of Charles. Hawkyns

Does anyone have the wording, or can direct me to where i might find the wording of the letters of marque issued by Prince Rupert during the interregnum? I keep seeing references to a number of Admiralty sites, but my access is blocked. Any of our Brit friends? Foxe? Thank you Hawkyns

And why, Captain, would ye want to go waste time with the townies when we can sing around our own fires and drink cheaper with the rum we brought ourselves? That is assuming, of course, that we are allowed fires in our camps and it is not a dry site???? Hawkyns

A few years ago, I had the privelege of talking with Kit Ravenshear and handling a matchlock he had built and finished with period finishes. Absolutely correct (I saw the documentation) and not one of us would have paid money for it. The black paint on the barrel was similar to roofing tar and the stock looked like it was painted with redwood deck paint. The polished wood finishes we see are a product of the later 18th century or very fine guns of the earlier period. Many earlier guns have also been refinished to a later standard. Miltary arms were cheaply finished in a manner that would hold up to abuse and weather, absolutely ugly to our eyes. I have a couple of early pieces that I have let the metal age and patina naturally, and finished the stock with black leather dye and butcher's wax. Not pretty by a modern standard but they look more natural than a fine polished stock and blued steel. Hawkyns

The Mermayde is based out of Southern New England. We are looking for people who are interested in the authetic side of the hobby, primarily living history and battle re-enactors. The Mermayde sails in two eras, as one of Drakes ships and as a privateer in the 1690's. Reasearch and oing it right are our watchwords. Are ye interested? Hawkyns, Captain

Thanks Captain. That's "crew camp"- the C sticks on the laptop. I've put it out to the crew of the Mermayde, I would say you will have at least some of us there. Probably bringing at least one cannon and the usual assortment of swords and muskets. Any combat conventions or black powder rules we should know about? Hawkyns

Thighbiter Waht about the option of a rew camp- period, of course. Space available? Firepits for cooking allowed? The usual amenities- wood water and straw? I'm thinking of asking the crew of the Mermayde, but need more detail first. Hawkyns

Just to hark back to the beginning of this thread for a moment. My grandfather was born in Warwickshire at the beginning of the last century. The term 'wench' was still in use and meant nothing than an unmarried girl. he used it fairly regularly. I'm rather afraid the rennies have much muddied the waters concerning this. Hawkyns

My cousin in England has been researching our family tree. While going over the charts on Christmas, I find that I have an ancestor, William Turner, that dates from around the early 1700's. Wonder if he was a seagoing man? Hawkyns

Thanks, Steve I've tried putting my Irish hilt and a late 16th cut and thrust into one of the Elizabethan hangers and they just don't work. Unless the hanger is made of sole leather, or has a metal backing plate, it just twists the hell out of it and it refuses to hang right. The wider, shorter blade just isn't long enough to balance the hilt. That's why I think the baldric must be correct. But thanks for looking, if I find any more I'll post here. Hawkyns

I'm having a rather extended debate with someone concerning how Elizabethans carried their swords. I am aware that the normal carriage for a rapier among the gentry was the girdle and hanger. However, it is my contention that the heavier blades such as the backswords and Irish hilts do not lend themselves to such a carriage due to their weight and balance. I believe that they would be carried in a baldric, which hold the weight and balances the sword better. I have some documentation on this from the Funeral Procession of Sir Philip Sidney, but little else. Does anyone have other reference to the baldric being used during the Elizabethan period by lower classes, or especially in the north where the Irish hilt was more common? Thank you, all. Hawkyns

As a general overview with a decent writing style, I'd recommend "CAVALIERS AND ROUNDHEADS: THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR 1642-1649" by Christopher Hibbert. As Steve Said, there are lots of books with lots of viewpoints. My own bookshelf holds about 3 feet of ECW books. Hawkyns Royalist Officer and scurge of the rebels. :angry:

That's an excellent piece of leatherwork from Tom at Brute Force Leather/Fallen Angel Fashions. he does some really great stuff. Kathryn has one of his fabric creations, I'm looking at getting her a leather one. Hawkyns

I've currently got 4 Darkwood long blades and a couple of daggers. 3 of them are rapiers for fencing and I have one of his shell guard cutlasses for re-enactment. I couldn't be happier with them. Those who know me also know that I am hard on blades and use them as they were meant to be used. They hold up well and have given me no problems over the last 5 years. Never seen any problems with the finishing, though. Well made and well finished. The weight on the cutlass is about half that of a similar blade from Armour Class. Good value and well made pieces. Hawkyns

More than weather, it depends on what you are actually going to do. If all this is for is to walk around faire, then whichever suits your fancy and purse. If you are actually going to be doing any work, crewing a cannon, hauling line, fighting,or going aloft, then I recommend the short jacket. I have found that the longer skirts on the weskit have a tendency to get in the way, especially when crewing a cannon. Hawkyns

Interesting. Yeah, I'd seen that and wondered about it. And it is strange, because all of his other stuff was pretty much spot on, his ECW art in particular. I understand there is a new book out about him, showing lots of his artwork. Haven't seen it yet though. Hawkyns

What's your defi nition of almost none, Ed? Is there any visual evidence at all? Not to open a can of worms, and not to disbeleive you, but some of Angus MacBride's artwork shows Armada period sailors in neckcloths and head rags. I know he took most of his inspiration from period renditions, but was this a case where he did not? Secondary source at best, so not reliable, but was his work based on a primary source? Hawkyns

Chiming in here. I won't be at PiP, I'll be at the Reenactors Fest, so take my words for whatever you think they are worth. I an a big believer in the rounded point, blunted edge for combat. Ihave been working with the dime (or nickel) sized rounded tip for about 10 years and have been very happy with it. I got my first training on combat blunts from the ECWS/Sealed Knot people who came over for the ECW battles back in the 90's. I am a big supporter of Armour Class and own 3 of their blades, but i know the time cn be long and the money is defi nitely not cheap. Still the gold standard, though, INMSHO. I've also have a Darkwwod blade, that happens to be an almost exact copy of my original 18th c blade. Nice shellguard, breat blade, rounded tip. It is a little lighter than my AC blades and not as thick in either the spine of the edge, but I'm OK with that. Sometimes my wrist requires a lighter weapon. One other blade that I've worked with is the Double Canelure from American Fencing Supply in SFO. the blade ca be cut down and rounded (slow and careful, don't heat and kill the temper) and makes a creditable banger blade. Shell guards can be hammered out of brass or sheet steel without too much difficulty, and a wood grip is easy to drill out and carve to shape. I've played with a lot of sword systems over the last 25 years. For the best look for the public, I have to go with the blunt edge and no mask look. We also require no thrusts. Any of these blades is too stiff to put a thrust into someone without hurting them. and I don't care how good you are, crap happens in a fight, they move towards you as you thrust, you slip on the grass, they miss the parry, etc. So keeping to edge only and going at 1/2 to 3/4 speed looks good for the public and is safer for the participants. Training is a must. I do not favor giving someone a few quick lessons with a sword and letting them use steel on the field. Amyone with decent training can usually interact with someone from another school after a few sessions of joint practice. Set your conventions, make sure they are understood, and then work up from dead slow. Shouldn't be a problem for a decent swordsman (or woman). The one cardinal rule here is DO NOT LOOK AT THIS AS A COMPETITION. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHO WINS!!!!!!! It is a martial art, and martial arts requires training and the willingness to get some bumps and bruises. The new fighter can get the steel version of buck fever and start laying about himself or thrusting as the adrenaline kicks in. That is why I don't reccommend letting anyone do this wha has not had some real training prior to PiP. For what it's worth..... Hawkyns

Thanks, CA. Now I can figure if it is worth it or not. Hawkyns

Well. I looked at that. There seems to be a lot of old info about RF2, and a fair amount about the addition of gaming to RF4 (bad idea, IMNSHO), and damn little about RF3. No listing of presentations, classes, entertainers, or a sutler list, or info on the ball. I really want to see if this one is worth attending in terms of the participants, but there's not enough info to judge. The schedule link still goes to RF2, so these guys are not exactly on the ball about telling us what is going on. That is not a good sign, as far as I'm concerned. Hawkyns

Anybody heard any more about RF3 in Gettysburg? I still don't see any updates on the website. I've got reservations at the Eisenhower, but I'm beginning to wonder if this is really happening. Hawkyns

I'm in need of a picture of Morgan Adams from Cutthroat Adams. I'm looking for a picture of her in the white dress from the slave auction. Done many searches but can't find this one. Anybody got a link. Hawkyns