Hawkyns

I always put a leather washer between the pommel and the grip. Cut it out of 6-8 oz leather (heavy belt weight), cut to shape, punch a hole for the tang to go through and then put everything back together. The leather acts as a compression washer and stops things loosening up all the time. If I have a blade that rattles at the hilt, I will put a similar washer between the blade's ricasso shoulder and the point of contact with the guard. Hawkyns

mmmmmm......... Sorry, Rumba Rue, not true, not with the crowd that I hang with anyway. If anything, we become more period correct after the public is gone. Then we don't have to keep stepping out of character to answer stupid questions, or maintain a politically correct attitude so as not to offend the punters. We go to musters where we maintain a 24 hour guard mount, sing all the period songs after dark, go back to period speech and syntax. There are musters where we are tactical for 4 days straight, 24 hours, with night battles, scouts, and landings. I have done 2 weeks and been damn sorry when it was over. I have lived in Plimoth Plantation and other historic sites, living the life after the public and paid staff has gone home. It's when there are only re-enactors about that the magic kicks in and the 21st century slips away. Would it work for 5 months? Don't know but I can easily name 24 people who would love to try. Yes, we are 21st century people. Are we happy and comfortable in this century? That's another story. There's a good number of us out there who feel really out of time, who put up with the 21st century, but never really feel comfortable. And no, I don't thank everyone who has brought us to this century. I deal with it, and I am proficient enough to earn a good living, but I really think I could be happy with a max tech level of around 1760. Hawkyns

Well, .....no. Charles I has just come to the throne. The English Civil War starts in 1642, Charles isn't beheaded until1649. Cromwell (ptuigg) doesn't desolve the Rump and become Lord Protector until 1653. However.... the rumblings are there, there is already bad blood between the Puritans and the Church of England. No pity forthe Puritans on my part laddie, they have still not received all they deserve for the way they screwed up England and the Colonies. Religious freedom my left buttock. They just wanted to enforce their will on everybody else. In truth, there was a fair amount of religious tension in the colonies. Not everyone was a puritan, there were a good number of C of E members who were just over here for the money. New England bought intoi the Puritan BS. The Virginias did not. Maryland, under the Calverts, was, for all intents and purposes, a Catholic colony. But certainly, in a New England puritan colony, you would toe the line or suffer in one way or another. All in all, the show sucked. It was set up to create fights between the participants in the name of drama. The people weren't shown how to wear their clothing and it showed. Tool skills appear to be mostly unknown among this crew. And how can you starve in New England in summer, with a thousand acres of land, a boat, and a sea full of fish? BS- the lot of it. Hawkyns

Re- the Armour Class swords. I own 3, the shell and ring guard hanger, an earlier version of the tower hanger proto mort, and the Irish hilt. I have them all with the combat blunt blades and I just can't say enough about these weapons. Over the last few years I've put them through a lot of combat scenarios against other blades, musket butts and barrels, and pikes and halberds. They have held up far better than I would ever have expected. No saw-blading, bending or any hint of blade failure, the grips are all still tight, and the bindings still in place. The weapons I've put them up against acan not say the same, however. All the american made 'combat' blades they've gone up against have serious nicks on the blades. I will say that these blades are not particularly for inexperienced combattants. They are a bit heavier than your normal combat blade and require a strong wrist, especially to do a full swing and then stop before contact. The Irish hilt in particular is a very heavy piece and requires wrist and arm to manoeuver. On the other hand, there is very little than can stop a sweep or wide parry from this one. The edges and points are rounded to as reasonable a safety margin as can be expected with a weapon designed to hit people. Mke no mistake, though, an overplayed cut or a thrust that is not pulled will do damage to your opponent. if you are serious about stage or re-enactment combat these are the blades for you. They will not do fast, showy, wrist flick moves, but will give a solid feel of real combat that needs whole body involvement. Hawkyns

Umm.... I'd have to disagree with that. Wheellocks need a spanner to wind them up, flintlocks are a quick pull with the hand. The springs on a wheelock are particularly sensitive and prone to taking a set when left wound. That is particularly true of the 16th and 17th C wheellocks. Hawkyns

EHHHHH????? You've seen it? I thought it was NEXT week?? Confused, please splain..... Hawkyns

Oy! Scupper! What did I do wrong mate? I'm part of this too, remember? In fact, as I recall, you kept both feet on Terra Firma, while I was takin' me chances with that narsty rope round me neck. Actually, I know lots of people who will pay for a picture of me with a rope round me neck, so this will be a big business opportunity. Hawkyns

All joking aside, the first period encampment can be a scary place. I would bring Clothing and weapons (obviously) Spare clothing- something linen in case it gets hot and something wool in case it gets cold. A cloak of waterproof material, preferably wool. Most people who have a bad time at their first period bash do so because they are not equipped for whatever mother nature will chuck at you. Be prepared for 50 in the morning, 80 in the afternoon, and 40 by about midnight. Remember, just like they teach you in Outward Bound, 'cotton kills'. Eating gear- bowl, plate, knife, spoon (forks are for sissies) and a tankard AND mug. you'll appreciate the mug if you need a warm drink and have to drink hot coffee from a pewter tankard. Most of the time I take a period mug and skip the tankard. Folding stool, period chair, chest, something to sit on. Lantern and candles. If you'll be staying till after dark, (and that's when all the best singing is) you'll need something to find your way to the jakes. Any period games, or pastimes like musical instruments. I'd have a book in the car, just in case it's really not your cup of tea and you're stuck there. An open mind. Period events can be overwhelming for someone who is not ready. Ask questions- re-enactors love to talk about thier kit. They'll explain what, where and why. Don't worry if you are not up to scratch for your first show. As long as you are interested and take advice, you'll be fine. It's the folks who always seem to know 'a better way' who get harrased by the re-enactors. Better does not equal period correct. A full purse. Most decent re-enactments have a sutlers row and lots of kit and toys to acquire. The 4 day I'm going to this weekend has 100 plus sutlers in attendance, all 18th C period correct. HAVE FUN!!!!!! This is one hell of a great lifestyle and I wouldn't trade it. Hawkyns

On Wednesday, I'm off to the 18th c Market Fair at Ft. Frederick, MD (Wonderful 18th C shopping for anyone in the neighborhood). I'll be camped there for 4 days and part of the joy of this site is a live fire range. So... I'll be taking the Loyalist blunderbuss and sea service pistol and live firing. I'm thinking a blunderbuss load of about 80 grains of FF with 8-10 .34 balls. Thoughts anyone? Cascabel? Black Deacon? Hawkyns

Ye've got t'get yersel a copy of Treasure Island, the TNT version from about '91 starring Charlton Heston, Julian Glover, Oliver Reed and Christopher Lee. Best version ever made. Only available on VHS, but Amazon does carry it. Hawkyns

Ummmm...... certified? by whom? NPS has a certification program but it's primarily for NPS employees. There are some re-enactors who get an NPS ticket, but it only really counts at NPS sites. There are also some re-enactment societies that have schools of the soldier, but it is often handled on a unit level basis. I've fired at re-enactments and festivals all over the East coast and have no official ticket for pistol or musket. I do have them for cannon, but that is a completely different set of rules and requirements. Mostly, it's handled by the event safety inspector who will give you a run through and make sure you know what you are doing. If you are part of a participating unit, your CO takes responsibilty for you. If you are a solo, you may be brigaded with other solos or you may be assigned to a unit, where you will be checked again by the unit safety inspector. Either way, I have never heard of rules such as you say, and I've been shooting black powder at re-enactment for more than 20 years. Hawkyns

Wow- too many places to mention. For clothing I like Barkertown Sutlery or Druid's Oak; for firearms- Loyalist Arms or Track of the Wolf; general gear-Townsend, Panther, or Smoke and Fire. For blades, I don't do mail order anymore because I want to handle them and check the balance before I buy. Actually, that's how I'm dealing with 95% of my purchases now. I buy what I find at the 18th Century trade fairs. Fort Frederick, Kalamazoo, some rendezvous, or similar places. That way, I tend to find the small craftsmen with the one-off pieces. I've been doing this long enough that I want the unique and different, not the same pieces as everyone else. Hawkyns

Ah, now, Captain, I hates t'be disagreein' with ye, but disagree I must. I've done some work with backsword against rapier (Silver vs. Di Grassi t'be technical). Backsword as fought by Silver or even in the Lannaireachd style is similar to cutlass. Lots of arm, not so much wrist, and strong diagonal cuts. Like any other fighting style, it's a question of controlling the distance. If'n ye let the rapier man keep ye at his point, then it's his fight. If'n ye strike hard and move him off line, then get inside his point, it's your fight. Hawkyns

I like the Land Rover Defender, myself....... Got a couple of the blanket shirts. One I left as is for 18th C, another I cut the collar down for 17th century. I love that coarse wool. Really keeps me warm. Hawkyns

I found out about this when I was talking to Braun MacAsh a couple of years ago. Never having dealt with the west coast/Hollywood style of doing things, I didn't know about this idea. All the theatrical work I've been involved with has used blunted steel. The custom sword makers I deal with are primarily concerned with stage work, also. I guess the logic goes like this: on the stage you really need the sound of steel on steel and aluminum just doesn't have it. In the movies you can add it in post production. Part 2, at least according to MacAsh, is that the movie people are much more reluctant to use steel where there is a possibility of a major star getting hurt. Personally, I like the steel. The threat of actually getting hurt gives me that extra 'edge' and makes me really concentrate on what I'm doing. Plus, as I tell my students, any time you pick up a weapon and walk into a fight with it, you can get killed. Martial arts are inherantly dangerous and the risk is always there. Some of the 'sanitised' things they are teaching today, where bruises are looked down on as bad, makes a mockery of martial arts. As sensai used to say 'Pain is the best teacher'. Hawkyns

Depends how accurate you want to be. The boarding pistol with bayonet works for mid 18th C, but is not credible for late 17th. The lockplate is too straight and the entire pistol has extremely 18th lines and furniture. That's not to say you couldn't use it and be happy with it, but being able to justify it in the earlier period would be a fantasy. To truly be able to deal with the 1670 date, you'd need to go with the doglock from the same company. That's basically a cav pistol from the English Civil War period, 1640-1650. The dog lock is heavier and longer, if that's a consideration. Like so much of this game we play, it depends on what you're doing. If you're only doing pirate festivals and having fun with it, the baording pistol would be fine. If you do a historically accurate impression and intend to do living history and re-enactments, the doglock would serve you better. Hawkyns

Agreed, Deacon. Mostly, what it looks like is a slightly more curved version of the British pattern 1742 infantry hanger. http://www.gggodwin.com/58.htm Here is a cheaper and slightly more curved version http://www.atlantacutlery.com/prjProduct.asp Don't know about the Godwin version, but the AC one is common among 18th C re-enactors. Decent solid brass hilt and a so-so blade. Definitely made for looks, I wouldn't trust the blade to fight with. Nice thing is that it comes with a decent scabbard with brass furniture. In the forge scene of PotC, nost of the weapons seen to be pretty much variations on this theme. Hawkyns

I took the cruise in Barbados about 10 years ago. I did it as the night cruise, so you weren't allowed to go in the water because of sharks and barracuda (I guess they were more active at night). Great cruise, though. Rum flowed like water, wonderful BBQ and one hell of a calypso band. We had that ship rockin' with the dancing as we rolled back to the dock. Hawkyns

A neck stock...... E's a gentleman, E, is. Next y'know, e'll be eatin' at the tables o' the bloody gentry....... Seriously, though, there's not much difference between sailor and pirate/privateer for the 18th century. The 'pirate image' owes much more to Hollywood and Howard Pyle than it does to reality. Piracy depended on opportunity, who's watching, how the voyage has gone, and if a bit o' quiet larceny is really going to upset you. Townsend's stuff is top of the line for off the peg clothing. I've been buying from him for the last 15 years, both clothing and gear. The only way to get better is to get custom tailored. The 18th C shirt will feel odd until you get used to it. It does not fit or feel like a modern shirt. Hawkyns

HMMMM..... That gives pause for thought..... I've seen several variants, but no others with the EDGE 1739. Interesting. The one I got came from CA as a prototype, but it fits all the specs. If that's what they're selling now, then it's a good repro. The wood on mine has the proper swell under the forestock. The ball butt seems to be more attributable to the pattern 1756. The early pattern, or pattern of 1718 doesn't have such a pronounced ball butt, at least according to the pictures in Bailey. All in all, though, much of this is moot. Different armouries, over a period from 1718 to 1756, means a huge number of variations in the weapons. That doesn't even take into account local armoury refit, field repairs, and bodging together from broken weapons. I'd be very surprised if even Tower Armouries wall of weapons has identical pieces. Either way, It sounds like we've all got some excellent weapons. Hawkyns

Matelot is a British navy term for sailors. Generally refers to non-officers . Hawkyns

I just got a Sea Service from the same people who make them for Loyalist Arms but made to the specs of a chap in CA. Same lock, with a truck mainspring, but stamped EDGE 1739 and the crown and cipher below the pan. This really is the Early Pattern, with the 12 inch barrel, wooden rammer and banana lock plate. It has a couple of features that I think are a little better in the detailing, like having the beaver tails cut into the wood above the trigger guard. Sparks like a charm, and I can't wait to put powder and ball down to see how she groups. Reference for info "Pattern Dates for British Ordnance Small Arms 1718-1783" De Witt Bailey, Thomas Press, 1997 Hawkyns

Just a reminder, the Kalamazoo show is this weekend. Major opportunity to shop for living history supplies from clothing to weapons, to books, to neat stuff for your seachest. I'll be there in my New England privateers rig, all day Saturday. Anyone else showing up? See my first post for the link. Hawkyns

Smiling Fox Forge https://secure.cros.net/smilingfox/buckles_...ategory=Buckles Excellent quality. Hawkyns

One of the tricks I learned long ago is just before blade contact, give your wrist a half twist. Makes blade to blade contact more on the flat and preserves the edges. Of course, BOTH combattants need to know how to do this..... An interesting point is that some historic manuals actually seem to indicate this as a recommended procedure. Makes sense, too. If a blade has a particularly sharp grind to the edge, and the steel is not so good as modern steel, then edge on edge should have done a serious number on historic blades. After way too many hours studying blades at the Tower Armouries, Wallace Collection, the Met and Higgins, as well as every other museum I could find with steel on display, there does not seem to be a signiicant number of saw blades on display. The backside of that argument is that saw blades would have been discarded or reforged, and the question we addressed a bit back, were blades that sharp? For naval issue cutlasses, the jury seems to still be out. For rapiers and civilian hangers, they most certainly were sharp. They must have had a way of preserving their edges, and the wrist twist seems at least logical. Hawkyns