Hawkyns

Mifflin is one of my favourite spots, even with the aluminum overcast. I'm teaching at the School of the Musketeer in a couple of weeks and I'll likely have at least one cannon (maybe Nightingale, my swivel). I'll have a camp set up with a couple of my troops and be teaching all day and singing until late into the night. Anyone who wants to learn matchlock musketry would do well to be at this muster. We'll likely be doing cannon and swordplay demos as well. Hawkyns

The accusations are valid for both groups, equally. I know a good number of rennies who give the authentic SCA types grief for being stitch counters and anal about documentation. There's no moral high ground, here, on either side. There are just as many rennies who spend large amounts on nonperiod materials and accesories because it fits their fantasy. Make no mistake, I have no problems with the low cut satin bodices and the acres of cleavage, but historically it would have earned you a trip to the stocks as a wanton. And I've seen my share of sneakers at Faire, too. Hawkyns

Well, that cartridge box would be at the top of my list, that's for sure. Beyond that, I think the 'ditty bag' items would be the best. Buttons, buckles and seals are always on my 'acquire' list. Personal items like pocket knives, pipe tools, gun tools, and game pieces would be useful. The sword hilt pieces would be interesting, especially if you seel them as individual pieces instead of complete weapons. Very few places sell the parts to let you assemble your own edged weapons. I don't see the firearms as being practical, there being a number of people already doing good repro's of period pieces. Clothing likewise, you'd have to maintain a huge stock. I'd love the ship, but I'd need to get the one from the museum, since no way do I have the patience to do the planking and rigging. Hawkyns

I just picked up some white on white linen brocade from Burnley and Trowbridge and had it dyed a dark rose. That'll be my new weskit with tie-on sleeves. Frock coats get in the way for me. Evne in the winter, they're generally too hot to dance in, and if I'm looking for weather protection I want hard, coarse wool. Hawkyns

I understand about not selling the artifacts (not happy about it but I understand it ). I've been to the museum a couple of times in the past year and a half or so. I think my biggest disappointment in the store is that it seems so targeted at the average 7 year old. Tshirts, toys, and kids books, in my opinion works against you. Sure, you'll pick up the catchpenny tourist money, but in doing so, I think you lessen the image of a serious archeological endeavor. I understand the work needed to produce the books neccesary, but why does it all have to be in one or two large hardbound volumes? How about something more like the Royal Armouries Monographs, 60 or 70 pages, softbound, dealing with a particular group of items. The pottery, for example, or the firearms finds. The Mary Rose Trust does quite a nice job marketing and selling single sheets, about 11x17 on stiff paper, that are the archeological drawings of a particular item, with a brief description and history. Suffice it to say that yes, I want more than just a photo of an artifact with a one line description. Photo, line drawing, dimensions, materials info, and anything else known about the artifact are what I'm looking for.. I have noted that the published archeologists notes seem to be much more common and popular in Europe than in the US. I can go to just about any museum over there and find softbound books on most of the finds pertaining to that museum and similar ones in the country. That seems to be decidedly lacking over here. Hawkyns

DECK!! OK, guys, I think we've moved more than a bit away from Twill type topics on this one. I'm going to move it over to Pirate Pop. Hawkyns Moderator

The Rogues Made in Texas Hawkyns

Originally started out as my SCA persona- Roderic Hawkyns, OL OP OGR OM OSC KoE OG .... I found that as I developed into various different re-enactment societies, it was easier to maintain the same name. So Roderic exists in about 5 different timelines from 1580 to 1760. Roderic was an out of the air pick when I joined the Society, 28 years back. The Hawkyns part came about ten yeas ago when I got serious about Elizabethan persona and decided to claim a distant relationship with Admiral Sir John Hawkyns. The y is a period spelling and shows up in some of Sir John's writings. Hawkyns

Thanks, Foxe. I thought there'd be more for that area. OK, what do you have for West Country or even Yorkshire- Robin Hood's Bay area. Smuggling, in the Brit sense, just doesn't hit the radar much over here. I'm off to a re-enactor's market for the weekend. Be back Monday, so I'll catch up then. Cheers!! Hawkyns

I was going to send this as a PM, but then I thought there might be more general interest. Being on the western shores of the pond, I'm having trouble finding resources on the 18th c smugglers of the Fens and the southeast coast of England. Can you recommend any books, especially anything I can find through Amazon.UK? Thanks, Mate!! Hawkyns

OK, so maybe the re-enactor me has a split personality, also. I always 'think* in re-enactment terms, and in ways to make myself more a person of the period. When I'm responding on the list, If it's info or sources or whatever, I use standard English. When I'm on the roleplaying sections, I drop back into the broad Yorkshire dialect. should be fairly simple. The fact that I rarely venture off Twill or Hot Tub should also make this reasonably easy to determine which is which. In terms of fantasy vs reality, I deal with enough reality to pay the bills, keep a roof over, and keep the cops from the door. Why is the fact that I prefer the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries over the 21st a problem? hell yes it's escapist. I'm not particularly thrilled with our current time, and see no great reason to immerse myself in it if I don't have to. I'd give the neighbor's kids to have that working time machine. For other comments, see my sig line. Hawkyns

Anybody else likely to show up? Hawkyns

I guess I have 2 real worlds. Mon-Fri, 8:30-5:00, where I deal with all the gits who think they are somehow special because they are CEOs and Division Chairman, and the rest of the time. I allow very little spiilover between the two. At the job, I have to play the part of the corporate drone, no matter how these idiots gall me. At home, I am by no means the same person. Gwen and I (we use our persona names all the time, BTW. legal names are for jobs and families only) do as much as we can to maintain our personas. I guess by doing that, you could say that the persona is the real me. We don't have anything like a standard life. We don't have kids, so we can do whatever the hell we want. Since we do 3 different periods, it is easy to do a muster just about every weekend. Weapons are a part of life, I train a couple of times a week and there are some in every room. We have more garb than mundane clothing. We have a very loose attitude to the standards and mores of the modern world, and find the rules very confining, so we push them as far as we legally can. So I guess I'd say yes, we live in persona. Hawkyns

Next weekend is the Kalamazoo Living History Show http://www.kalamazooshow.com/ One of the biggest indoor shows in the country. Lots of clothing dealers, books, firearms, edged weapons, plunder of all sorts. It's big enough and important enough for me to fly in from CT. Clarissa and I'll be there, look for me in the tan bumfreezer, canvas slops, ticking shirt and grey cocked hat. Hawkyns

Steeleye Span Tonights the Night Hawkyns

One thing that I have noticed about the earlier patterns, which were in fairly common use for the period, is that they are mostly portrayed without the lower jaw. That goes for both military badges and gravestones. Hawkyns

Without more info, it's hard to say. First thought off the top of my head is that it may have something to do with Tarleton's Dragoons. They used a death's head badge and their uniform was green. Eventually they became part of the 17th and they were melded with the 21st. The 17/21 still use that badge. Just a guess, though. Hawkyns

I think there are probably as many answers to that as there are people who have a problem with it. I know I've been dealing with it for nearly 20 years in half a sozen different groups. None of them are immune, but it does seem more pronounced in the pirate community. If I had to guess at one reason, I'd say because there is such a wide difference between the reality and the fantasy. From Pyle to Hollywood, there have been hundreds of depictions of pirates, most of them wrong. People get an idea in their head and run with it, and when they run into us, they find that pirates were not, for the most part, flamboyant anti heros. They don't like the concept that most of these guys were working seamen, lived a dirty, dangerous life, and had short careers as pirates. By showing up and presenting the reality, we are raining on their parade and many people can't handle having their fantasies messed with. Tar stained slops, sweat soaked shirts, and an iron hilt cutlass just doesn't draw the ladies like silk breeches, a brocade weskit with no shirt, and a fancy rapier. Sure, there are other reasons. Some don't like the ruthless killer aspect of reality. Some are jealous of the money that we've put into our authentic kit. Others want to be entertainers, not re-enactors. You name it, they're out there. Don't let it get to you. As I've said before, there is room for all of us. You just have to pick your events for the ones that support your impression. Hawkyns

Men of Harlech stop your dreaming Can't you see their spear points gleaming See their warrior pennants streaming To this battle field Men of Harlech stand ye steady It cannot be ever said ye For the battle were not ready Stand and never yield Hawkyns

Hmmmmm...... Stitch counter doesn't bother me, when doing serious shopping, I actually carry a fabric loup with counter marks on it. The 'n' word doesn't particularly bother me, either, but then I spent 6 years as a WWII re-enactor in an SS unit. Old documentables- now this I'm not so happy with. sort of conjures up images of Colonel Blimps with white mustaches and muttonchops carrying magnifying glasses. Hawkyns

If this damned winter doesn't end soon, it may become a year round activity. Here in CT, we just got another 8 inches of snow, night time temps are still between 12 and 20 F, and there's more predicted for tomorrow. And that's SOUTHERN New England . 4 weeks from this weekend is the first major of the season. 5 days under canvas. Could be interesting. Hawkyns

It varies a lot. I can't think of any units that allow modern boots, but there could be some out there. Some do use the 10 foot rule but the guys I know are a lot more accurate than that. Here is a web site for one of the New England groups http://www.snowshoemen.com/ They're a good source because they do some earlier stuff as well, time period of the GAoP. Rendezvous tend to be farb fests of epic proportions. Wear lots of leather, carry a rifle and a huge knife, and make sure you have a dead animal on your head. Don't get me wrong, there are some good fur trade re-enactors who take it very seriously, but they are not the primary group you meet at rendezvous, at least not here in the East. The level really depends. I know a lot of people who hand stitch and hand dye all their clothing. I know a lot more who pay specialist tailors to have them custom made. Others only hand stitch the visible seams. The F&I folks and the trekking community tend to be the most accurate of all the various periods I've come in contact with. These are the guys who spend a lot of time reading period journals and researching things to the Nth degree. Just in case you're bored and need another board to get involved with, they are here http://frontierfolk.net/mb/ Hope this helps. Hawkyns

First, weapon. Check out club butt fowlers Description http://www.earlyrusticarms.com/pricesandde...escriptions.htm Picture (top weapon) http://www.earlyrusticarms.com/gungallery1.htm Here's another http://www.narragansettarmes.com/americanClub.shtml Not going to be cheap. I saw another today at the Elverson trade fair for 895. It is going to be available as a kit for around 6. That one has an English side sear dog lock dating about 1660. Should be avaialble by Dixon's Gun Fair. Next, fabric. Check out hemp canvas and linen. Very common for labourers' and sailors' shirts and other clothing. http://www.hempbasics.com/fabric/natural_hemp_2.htm Last, beards. Very common for Dutch, French, and English, unless you were puritan. Fairly closely trimmed, though. No ZZ Top's Hawkyns

If this is one of the Japanese pistols from a few years back, the problem is likely that your frizzen is not hardened. Many of these came out without a good steel frizzen. the flint scrapes nice lines in the face, but narry a spark in sight. Try this http://www.trackofthewolf.com/categories/p...partNum=KASENIT Follow the directions and you can case harden the frizzen and get sparks. You may need to change the mainspring too, but I'd harden ther frizzen first. Hawkyns

Well, Gwen and I have two outfits in s similar vein. We have the hard core authentic kit foe when we're doing most things, and especially working on ships, and we have more fantasy type stuff for the occasional faire. That's when Gwen can wear the revealing, tight, stuff that I like, but has no connection to history, and I can dig out the black leather and silver studs look. We don't use it much, but once or twice a year we'll bring it out. Hawkyns