Hawkyns

If you take the GAoP as 1680-1720, bandoliers of bottles (apostles is a 19th century term) are definitely period for the first 20 years. Matchlocks were in service with the British Army until 1711. Smaller regiments and trained bands were still using bandoliers at that time, even if the prestige regiments had changed to battalion boxes and belly boxes. Hawkyns

Sounds to me like you are not using enough powder for the blank. Our standard battle cartridge is 100 grains of FF for a .62 musket. I generally figure 150% of bore size in grains. Some of ours even use FFF. We never ram and we never wad, but we never have a problem with getting a good solid crack. Pour the cartridge, give the butt a good solid thump to settle it and keep your muzzle up so it doesn't settle back down the bore. Hawkyns

Just another quibble here. it depends on how authentic you are working towards, but there are very few accurate left handed blades. You just did not get to be left handed. Even to the begining of the last century the attempt was made to force everyone to be right handed. So it might be to your advantage to learn to fight right handed and carry your blade that way. Hawkyns

OK, you lot. During the maelstrom battle, our favourite little pirate is shown firing a double barrelled blunderbuss. Any clue where this came from? Was it a real piece or a movie dummy? I'd really like to acquire one of these. Hawkyns

Hey Cap'n. What's your planned date and event for Essex, CT? That's the backyard for us, no more than 30 minutes away. Let us know what is going on and if there's anything we might be abke to help with. Hawkyns Ship's crew of The Mermayde.

All of them. a couple of times. There's quite a community of Goreans out there. Hawkyns

People seem to be forgetting a couple of things. First, this is for all re-enactors, not just pirates. Looking at the pictures, I would say the pirates are very definitely in the minority. Second, as this is mostly a market faire, it would be good to note that there are several around the country in the spring early summer- Kalamazoo, Fort Frederick, Mansker's Station and others. One more faire, in the off season and especially timed to allow christmas shopping would be a great thing. Now the only question is what kit to wear? Pirate, Long hunter, Elizabethan, Viking, SS Gebirgsjaeger, Congo Mercenary........... decisions, decisions...... Hawkyns

Right! That was one of the prime reason I left one group which I was a former member of....discussing everything in it´s smallest detail... form a registered association... and forgetting about what really is important: To have fun and meet new pirates on events. Aye, there's the rub. Fun for me and my crew is doing it right, living the period, facing the challenges our forefathers faced and overcoming with period technology. Living in a rainstorm with only a canvas leanto and no gortex or nylon. Cooking on a fire, making do with period rations. Operating at night without flashlights. learning how the period cut of clothes changes your body dynamics. yes, singing period songs around a campfire and having a jar of rum is fun. If we all stopped drinking tomorrow, it would be no big deal. Wouldn't miss it that much and wouldn't change my attitude to what we do at all. Fun is many different things to many different people. Living and surviving without modern convenience and comfort is what I call fun. Hawkyns

Yes, the standards are low, far lower than they should be, though it varies from kingdom to kingdom. Point is though, they will never get better if we don't take a stand somewhere. The Society has gone through various periods, both up and down. right now, the split is becoming more and more pronounced. Very very good on one side, and gods forsaken awful on the other. Doesn't change the fact that the governing documents of the Society are specific about pre 17th C. Bare chested highlanders may be ugly, but they are period- ish. We may argue about the actual kit of belly dancers, but we know they existed. Pink hair- well bad taste is everywhere. Somethings can be changed, some can't. But we have to start somewhere. Hawkyns

OK, jumping in with both feet. Warning, this will probably piss some people off. Tough! First- I've been a member of the Society for 30 years. I've been to the last 29 Pennsics and have been on staff for 10. I'm a double peer and my Laurel is for Authenticity and Black Powder. I am entirely sick of seeing GAoP kit in a Society that specifically states that pre 17th C garb is required to attend event. Tricorns, frock coats, flintlocks, long weskits, etc. ARE OUT OF PERIOD!!!!!! I lost track of the Jack Sparrow clones at Pennsic. Not only is it OOP, it shows a specific lack of imagination. The abomination that was the rolling pirate party should have been banned from the start. All of the above mentioned items were there in abundance. Why, i have no idea. Look, I do privateer in the Society. Elizabethan, as in one of Drake's men. I do the research, I spend the money, I take the time, and i do it right. Pirates and privateers are perfectly period. People need to get a clue that pyracy did not start with the introduction of the Queen Anne pistol and the tricorn. All i can say is that the people who do it are bloody lazy, and just want another excuse to drink too much rum and act like idiots. Because 95% of the tricorn wearing, frock coat adorned, flintlock waving pirates at Pennsic, have no bloody idea of history. Hawkyns

do know what you mean. I spend a lot of time and effort making things right and sometimes, watching what other people get away with, I do feel more than a bit burned about why I spend so much time and effort to get things right. On the other hand, I can't just let go and play silly buggers with history. My solution has been to occasionally get involved with some larp/scifi/pseudo-reenactment of something entirely non historical. Since I read a lot of fantasy novels, there is a lot of scope. I was very interested in the Horseclans in the 80's, but the fan groups seem to have gone away. Things like Conan, Druss, and Gor are where I let the imagination go. I've been working on recreating some of the sort of kit from the art of Caldwell, Valejo and Bell, and recently, Royo. Besides, the eye candy of those genres is a lot better than slops and shirts. I find I can wear the stuff at cons, some ren fairs, and even gatherings specific to the fan groups of the novels. It's a way to let go and have fun, without compromising my views on history. Unlike many here, I have little or no interest in space opera, so the Star Wars, Star Trek types don't hold my interest. I do have An la Shok kit from Bab- 5 and I've been looking at Serenity with interest. Ultimately, though, it comes down to my love afair with the blade. A blaster or disrupter can never have the beauty and allure of cold steel. Hawkyns

The Crew of the Mermayde and any other pirates who wish to join us will be gathering at the Armory Tavern and Hotel on Main St in Middletown CT next Friday, Jan 19, at 7PM. Garb is encouraged, period weapons are acceptable (don't go overboard), and we welcome all The tavern has a good bar menu, a full dinner menu, and a nice ambience. Join Us Hawkyns

It's one of those terms that seems to have multiple definitions, depending on the source. Plimoth Plantation refers to them as cassacks (cassaques) and I believe Stu Peachey does, too. Although I've got so damn many of his books and others from his publishing compnay it will take forever to find it. Hawkyns

Hey Ed- first reference I've seen to the 'privateer's pennant'. Got chapter and verse on that by any chance? Especially references dealing with late 17th c. Thanks Hawkyns

There are many schools and groups out there working on Western Martial Arts, and they range from groups doing little more than choreographed stage work to full contact sparring. Some use wooden practice blades, some steel blunts, some wear masks and protective gear, some don't. The idea that pirates on this board could ever come together to agree on a particular weapon/armour standard/combat convention seems like more than a bit of a pipe dream to me. My own crew fights with steel blunts (mostly Armour Class) and follows a variation on the SK rules- edge only, no head or neck shots. No masks or armour, not choreographed, and pulling the blows just at the point of contact. I work mostly from Silver's manual, but also use some of Terry Brown's info and some of the style from the Highland Broadsword manuals. Hawkyns

No, you can't. But with enough reading and thought, you can get closer to a 17th C mindset. It depends how far you are willing to go to find the mindset. Are you willing to ditch 21st century comfort and hygene standards (that's a biggie)? Are you willing to ditch 21st C manners and deal with people on a 17th c standard? Are you willing to do the research into the life and times of the period in general, not just as it applies to your specific character? We will never get a complete change of mindset, 300 years is just too big a gap. But we can get a lot closer than you might think. It just takes work and a willingness to ditch most of your current social knowledge. Hawkyns

Agreed, Greg. The female issue is, as I said, minor to me if they look and act the part. Your comments concerning men go right along with Kass', that the male side of this hobby, even among re-enactors, is not doing such a bang up job of getting it right. Between too many captains who can't navigate, gunner's who have never fired or have no clue of how to fire or maintain a piece (one of my particular hot buttons), sailors too heavy to climb the rigging or too out of shape to haul a line, enough "bloody lord generals" to populate the Admiralty, and pirates who can't handle a cutlass, we have little scope to worry about the percentage of women pirates. As I said, when it comes to faire or festival- I don't care. When it comes to living history, I do. Hawkyns

I know you've met them Kass, but most here have not. I think, though, that the issue is more than dressing as men and this thread is the place to expand on it, since we are already into the discussion. As we agree, most women who put on men's kit, do so to 'look cool'. They don't want to actually do the jobs of the sailor, or actually be a sailor, just wear the clothes and the weapons. That's fine if all you are doing is wandering about a ren faire or a festival. When it comes to re-enactment, though, a different attitude is needed. First, we have to get past the idea that men all wore 'captain's coats'. Women dressing as men need to be wearing the simple, basic sailor's kit. We've already covered this to some extent, but I have to say that when I've seen women dressing as men, they go for the flashy, not the common, even moreso than the men do. Next, if you are dressed as a sailor at a re-enactment, you need to be able to do the job. That means hauling guns, cleaning weapons, hauling firewood, doing all the jobs that the guys do. When it comes to battle scenarios, you need to be able to take your place on the gun crew, or pick up a musket or sword and go into the line. In short, if you want to dress like one of the crew, you have to be one of the crew. I've dealt with a lot of women under ams over the last 20 years. Some good, some bad, some great, some bloody awful. The good, and especially the great, are the ones that don't need to feel female. They are the ones who get dirty and bruised and sweaty, and don't care. They are the ones who are willing to live under re-enactment conditions in the summer for 3 or 4 days or more and not mind that there are no showers on site. They don't care if their nails get chewed up. The clothing can be done, it's easy. It's the attitude underneath it that determines, for me, how accurate we are to history and how many women under arms we can deal with. Hawkyns

All right, Kass- here's the other side. Your comments are based on the premise that a female wears male clothing, but that is all. What about the female who turms out in male clothing, but goes the whole route? Breast binding, male haircut, no jewelry or nails- in other words does as was actually done in order to not be noticed. I've had them in my unit- even going so far as to use the men's room when in kit. I think that's the difference. Most of the women who wear male kit do nothing else for the impression. They continue to wear makeup, don't even tuck their hair up, nevermind get a correct cut, and do nothing to disguise their curves. That is is what is wrong with the female doing male impression. Do it right, make it so that you can actually pass as a male, and I really don't care about the numbers. Hawkyns

There are a few. National Muzzleloading Rifle Association is the black powder equivalent of the NRA. Most re-enactment societies hold a school of the soldier early in the season to get people back up to speed, the details would depend on the time period and the location. I've done more blackpowder demos and classes than I can remember, Cascabel also. If you get the chance, the National Parks Service also runs classes for it's interpreters that are sometimes open to the public. What are you looking for- small arms or artillery? Hawkyns

Pirate stuff- POTC DMC- the 2 disc set Don Maitz' Pirate Calendar Pirates- an Illustrated History by Nigel Cawthorne Travel candlesticks for the seachest a carved leather mermaid non pirate a short light stand that will travel like a tripod on the camera bag a stand for the bandsaw Sharpe's Fury- the new one by Bernard Cornwell Boris Valejo and Julie Bell- The Ultimate Collection two more calendars- Olivia's Betty Page and the Valejo/Bell fantasy Highlander season 6 (now I have them all) B&N gift cards and a few other books and small items Hawkyns

He would, but I wouldn't reccomend this as a way of doing it. That shoulder baldric carry works very well on horseback, and tolerably on foot, as long as you have a hand to staedy the piece. Let it it swing loose with both hands used on the standing rigging and I will guarantee that the butt will get hooked under the ratlines. Hawkyns

Blackjohn I was thinking exactly the opposite, that it looked like an early 18th c piece. Particularly that extreme curve in the lockplate looks like one of the early so called banana lock plates like the first pattern and before pattern Bess. Hawkyns

While I think posting the research in Twill is fine, as long as the headers are very specific about the date involved, I am highly opposed to the possibility of crossover from plunder posting sources and ads for suppliers. We have a box for that. If that becomes the case, then I think you would be better keeping it all in the PiP box with multiple headers there. Hawkyns Twill Moderator

Pardon me. I was under the impression that things were still up for discussion and changes could still be made. Obviously I was wrong. I was also under the impression that the attempt was to be made to make this more than just the ordinary pirate festival. Wrong there, too, I guess. Nevertheless, I will take my absurd stitch counting ideas and return to the museums where they are normal. I see where the wind lies, and see no reason to remain on this tack. Good day t' ye all. Hawkyns