Tar Bucket Bill

Hurricane, Do you happen to know the approximate [or exact] dimensions of the openings of the buckles? In other words, what width of belt would those first three take? Thanks alot. -Tar Bucket Bill

No, those are more the full drawstring liners. I saw something somewhere that just showed a simple band inside the crown --- possibly linen, but I can't remember all the details now. That's why I'm looking for it. I'd like to add one correctly for my cocked hat. I've been checking other pirate crew sites and forums and vendors specializing in hats, but have not found it yet. I suppose I could wing it, but then I may make it incorrectly. -Tar Bucket Bill

In regards to either linings or sweatbands, I think someone once mentioned that a simple linen sweatband can be sewn into the cocked hat. I seem to recall seeing a photo example of this simple linen sweatband SOMEWHERE on this forum or online, but, like an idiot, I cannot not find it anymore. Does anyone know of this image? If not, can someone supply an image and/or instructions that would be rather authentic with keeping in the period of GAoP? Thank you very much. Tar Bucket Bill

Thanks for the tips Captain Midnight. I've had my Loyalist Arms doglock about two and a half years, and it sounds like mine has a different finish than yours -- not a really oily finish. It feels rather dry. I'm not sure what that means. I've also noticed recently that the one I bought looks a little different from the one they have on their website now too. I think it's mainly a different buttcap. I don't know what kind of wood my stock is made from. It looks like it is stained to resemble walnut though. Dark brown and slightly reddish. Good luck with the project, and I hope to learn of your progress and see additional photos on this web site as you proceed. Cool project. -Tar Bucket Bill

Captain Midnight, How did you remove that finish by the way? I also have one of the Loyalist Arms doglocks. -Tar Bucket Bill

I've been wondering about that image of Stede Bonnet. Where is his hair? Is it drawn tightly behind his head, or has it been shaved off? I have not read any eyewitness accounts of his execution. There is another well known etching by Robert Dodd of a pirate about to be hanged at Execution Dock, and he is also wearing a waistcoat, frock coat and what looks like to me to be a white night cap. I don't know when the image dates though. The white night cap would be pulled down over the face just before the execution of the hanging. If I find anything regarding clothing and the gibbeted body, I will post it here. But so far I have only those 2 eyewitness accounts of William Jobling and James Cook in 1832. Apparently they were clothed. I have seen a couple other etchings or pen and ink drawings of gibbeted bodies, and it looks like the artist drew scraps of clothing on them. I don't know the dates or the accurracy of those depictions though. It seems to me that the culture back then was rather modest. For instance, a man in his shirt without his waistcoat was considered in his underwear, wasn't he? And I did read the other night that when women were hanged their legs were tied together around their dresses so that the dresses would not billow up and show the undergarments during the execution. So I find it difficult to image that a totally naked body was tarred and displayed in public. However, there is the continuing humiliation part of it still to consider. Some of the descriptions about tarring and gibbeting I have read have said that the body was stripped naked and tarred or dipped in molten pitch, etc. and put into the gibbet cage --- with no mention of putting any clothing back on the body. I'm inclined to think that someone was stripped after execution, tarred and then at least partially reclothed. Maybe their head was even shaved before or after execution to make the tarring easier like with the James Cook gibbeting in 1832. I'm still looking for good first hand accounts though in the period we are interested in. So far --- nothing. I'm interested in what you found about the tar too. I have some Pine Tar and it's more of a dark brown color. I tarred a piece of hemp twine with it and it is a rather transluscent dark brown on the twine. It doesn't quite cover it completely opaque. Does this sound the same to you? -Tar Bucket Bill

Yes, that was part of the idea. However, they become rather huge spectacles of a gruesome fascination with the public. And at least by the 1830s people took tours and gathered in large numbers to see the gibbeted offenders --- by boat when near a river and such. And also, people began to feel very sorry for the gibbeted offenders and started demanding that their poor, wretched remains be taken down and given a proper burial. Public outcry grew and in some cases began to side with the offender. Thus, the intended reaction meant by the authorities diminished very much over time and started producing some opposite reactions. So it was abolished after 1832. And of course public executions were later done away with for similar reasons I think. As far as gibbetting, and etc. are concerned, another part of the idea was to keep punishing the offender in the afterlife by denying them a proper Christian burial. It seems people's belief about this was rather strong back then. I think I also read something regarding gibbeting that part of the idea was to keep the offender suspended between Heaven and Earth so that their soul could not rest for the crimes they had committed. And regarding burial, they were sometimes buried face down and in unconsecrated, unmarked graves ---- probably for similar religious beliefs and reasons. A good website I found regarding the history of English Judicial hanging can be found at this web site. It will give you a good basic history of it with some eyewitness accounts of various aspects of it. http://www.richard.clark32.btinternet.co.u...k/hanging1.html As pirates, it's probably a good idea for us to try to get into the mindset of what the implications of executions and thereafter were for people of those times. -Tar Bucket Bill

From accounts I have been reading lately about the execution of pirates, it seems to have been common practice to hang them from a gallows near the low tide mark [within the intertidal area of course]. Then the body was normally taken down after a half hour or hour and chained to a post still within the intertidal area and let the tide ebb and flow over it three times. And now I understand this to be a duration of about 36 hours for the tide to do this. Then the body was taken away to be buried in an unmarked grave or given over for medical dissection and study, or tarred and gibbeted or hung in chains at a different location than where the execution took place. Here's a web site that has an account of the gibbeting of one William Jobling in 1832. The last person gibbeted in England. http://www.richard.clark32.btinternet.co.u....uk/durham.html This, of course, is 100 plus years after the time we are concerned with though. But I wonder if the procedure changed much in that time. Here is another description of the gibbeting of one James Cook, also in 1832. A slightly different procedure though. ~~~~~~~~~~~ James Cook was convicted of a gruesome murder in Leicester. He was executed on Friday 10 August 1832 in front of Leicester Prison. Afterwards: "The head was shaved and tarred, to preserve it from the action of the weather; and the cap which in he had suffered was drawn over his face. On Saturday afternoon, his body, attired as at the time of his execution, having been firmly fixed in the irons necessary to keep the limbs together, was carried to the place of its intended suspension." His body was to be displayed on a purpose-built gallows 33ft high in Saffron Lane near the Aylestone Tollgate. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ I have not found any detailed descriptions of Kidd's tarred and gibbeted body to know whether clothing was also present or not. And of course, Jack Rackam's and Charles Vane's bodies too. And I've also seen nothing that says their heads were shaved before tarring. So far, one can only offer conjecture based upon some much later procedures. -Tar Bucket Bill

My brain is having a bit of a problem wrapping itself around this concept. For those of you who are faint of heart, you may not wish to read any further, for I hope to spare you the imagery that the following can conjure. In "Under The Black Flag" by David Cordingly, he mentions that after a pirate had been hanged "It was usual to allow three tides to pass over them before the bodies were taken away." Does "3 tides" refer to 3 days of high tides, or does it refer to the tide washing over the body 3 times in the same day? If it is the former I have issues with it, especially if the body were to be put into a gibbet iron. If it is the later then I can see that this would have been a quick affair, but probably awashed with a couple more tides until authorities untied and dragged the poor dead wretch from the post it was secured to. And if the body were to be tarred and placed in a gibbet iron and hung on a gibbet, was the body tarred while still cloathed, or was it uncloathed? I have never seen any reference to this. -Tar Bucket Bill

Yes, I met a few people at your booth, but not you. Perhaps another time. I asked what the level of difficulty was in sewing the breeches from your pattern. I was told it's so easy a monkey could do it. I don't think I'm that high yet on the primate scale when it comes to sewing though. I'll probably have a lot of questions as I try to tackle making some drawers, breeches and trousers from your pattern. I hope to mostly properly hand sew the articles, so I will want to use the correct hand stitches and so forth. And just know this forum is here helps quite a bit. I've seen some discussions regarding the sewing of some of your patterns. -Tar Bucket Bill

Okay, I guess I did a bit of a quick sail by. Um, in one of my books entitled "The Mode In Costume" by R. Turner Wilcox, 1942 there are a handful of black and white illustrations of men wearing a wide embroidered [and sometimes fringed] baldric made of either silk or velvet. By the way, the word "Costume" in the title of the book does not refer to stage costumes, but more to mode of dress. Here's a quote from the book. "Baldrics of leather or embroidered silk or velvet were worn, from which the dress sword hung, the fashion lasting until after 1695." Do you know of the engraved portrait of Morgan in his dress finery? It looks to me like he is wearing a fringed, embroidered baldric in this portrait. I do not believe it is a sash. Also, [and I am reluctant to cite a movie], if you've ever seen Roman Polanksi's "Pirates" with Walter Matthau, Matthau's character Captain Red is wearing a wide fringed, embroidered baldric. I don't particularly like citing a movie costume though, because movies can be notoriously inaccurate. -Tar Bucket Bill

GREAT!!!!!!!! I just bought THAT pattern package at Reenactor Fest in Chicago. I did not realize that a drawers pattern were included within. Haven't read the contents yet though. -Tar Bucket Bill

Some of the articles look like they'd be interesting to read. Do you distribute any magazines to any bookstores in Indianapolis, Ind. or the surrounding area? I'd like to keep my eyes open for them. Thanks. -Tar Bucket Bill

Perhaps someone here can be of help. I am looking for images and detail information on fringed, embroidered baldrics that were used close up to 1700. They are kind of a dressy affair. Photos of existing ones would be a plus of course. I especially am having trouble trying to find out how they exactly attached to the sword scabbard. I'd like to avoid conjecture, so that I can be as accurate as possible when attempting to construct it. I've looked through all the postings in Captain Twill and have come up with naught. I have only found a couple illustrations in one of my books, but it just does not show the details enough to show how it was constructed and attached to the scabbard. Any assistance you can offer is much appreciated. -Tar Bucket Bill

Who then sells a pattern for drawers of the early 1700s period? Tar Bucket Bill

Thank you both very much for the kind comments. It was fun to do, but took me a while and many other similar designs before this one just "clicked" with me. I looked at old engravings and sculptures and such as inspiration so that it would hopefully look more like a design of the 1700s. If I could just now find some wool bunting that would be great. I have no idea where to find it though. I might just have to use linen instead. Tar Bucket Bill

So far, I have found at least something I like reading about in these magazines. However, I am more interested in getting into the meat and crossed bones of the historical aspect and living history/reenacting of it than say "A Pirate's Journal" and the article of the interview with a corset maker, and the like. To me, it seems they tried to make something for everyone --- all things pirate, for both sexes, whether fanciful or historic in nature. I'm a graphic designer and illustrator, and I design layouts, etc. for a magazine, so I can't help but make some comparisons. I have to agree that the paper is very nice. The photos are nice and generally well color-corrected too. However, I think they could do better with the line art of the old engraved images. They look a bit too fuzzy. I do not know what they have to work with though. That can make a big difference. Also, they need to watch their editing. I'm finding typos in all three issues. Misspellings and sometimes even words repeated within a single sentence. Several of us, despite our job duties, proof read our magazine and mark them up for the editor. Going through it with a fine toothed comb helps a lot. All in all, it is very nicely designed and layed out and has good illustrations and photos. And their printer is doing a wonderful job too. Just my two cents worth. Tar Bucket Bill

This is the flag I designed for our crew almost 2 years ago and was approved by the captain for our shippe "Carrion" last year. The Latin "CRUOR ET NEX" means "blood and death" but in the most bloody, violent and graphic of meanings. Our captain [Graves] mentioned that the scroll reminded him of tentacles, which was unintentional. But he liked it more because of that fact. The captain painted a version of it, but I only have a REALLY fuzzy image of it. Not very clear. It is my intention to some day sew it, and use separate pieces of cloth, stitching and paint to detail it as in the image I posted. Tar Bucket Bill

Curious about tar and pitch for a couple of reasons. I have a pint of Pine Tar I bought from a horse supply shop years ago. It's manufactured for HORSE HEALTH PRODUCTS which is a Division of Farnam Companie, Inc. in Omaha, NE I think it is sold for the treatment of horse's hooves. But isn't pine tar just pine tar no matter what the ultimate usage? No, it's not Stockholm Tar though. This is a sticky gooey brownish black substance with a sharp odor. As an experiment I coated some hemp twine with it using my finger and thumb. The hemp twine now looks dark brownish, but not black. I'm not sure how long the twine will remain sticky and tacky, because I just coated it. Is this pine tar I have usable for my ropes, twines and such? And how exactly should I apply it? It seems far too thick to brush it on rope and twine -- that's why I used my thumb and finger to work it in. Should I thin some pine tar out with turpentine and then apply it to ropes with a brush? Not sure really what to do here. When pirates and highwaymen and such were executed and then "tarred" and put into a gibbet iron for lengthy display, what kind of tar, or pitch, was used? Sometimes I see something used for this referred to as "molten pitch" or "hot tar", or that the body was just "tarred" to preserve it longer. I think I once saw a reference that Captain Kidd was dipped in molten pitch. Pitch is normally hard and brittle though, isn't it? -Tar Bucket Bill

One more question Kass --- regarding thread color for this prick stitch. I see by your photos that you used a thread color that matches the pattern color in the material. My waistcoat is a deep dark olive wool [except for a natural linen back]. Would it be improper to use a natural linen hand sewing thread for the prick stitch around the edges? The light colored thread would probably stand out against the dark wool. Not sure if that's improper or not for the time period or what was common back then. Tar Bucket Bill

Fantastic Kass! Your instructions and diagram help a great deal. Thank you VERY much. Tar Bucket Bill

Thank you for the excellent explaination. I think I know what you mean. You barely catch the material underneath the top layer of material? And is this type of stitch strong enough to take abuse without those little tack stitches popping loose? Would you happen to know of a diagram for this prick stitch too? Tar Bucket Bill

Kass, and anyone else who knows, What kind of stitch was used to topstitch around pocket flaps and other sewn-together pieces? Or were they topstitched at all? My friend put together a waistcoat for me and told me I will need to topstitch around the pocket flaps, down the front, etc. He just suggested a running stitch -- one row. Is there a different stitch or anything I should consider instead that would be authentic? Thank you in advance. Tar Bucket Bill [definetly a novice when it comes to sewing]

Regarding hat blanks then. Where can I find a wool felt hat blank with a nice WIDE brim? Wider than 4 1/2 inches. I was looking at hat blanks on the Judith M web site and thought one of those might work. http://www.judithm.com I'd glady hear more suggestions. Tar Bucket Bill

Yes, Salem Bob. If your friend can provide further information about how hats were cocked up (especially around 1716) I'd be much obliged. These little weird hooks that Clearwater provides that go onto the ribbon cord and then hook into the crown just don't seem right to me or my mates. They don't stay put very well on mine either. Tar Bucket Bill Graphiker1@aol.com