Graydog

Try any place that balances tires. They may have bulk used tire weights they just throw away and these often are lead. We used to get lead from places like these many a MANY year ago. They were FREE back then as it actually saved them money to have them carted away. Not sure if that still is a good source.

Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger. I have been reenacting since the early 1970’s and the most over the top dangerous event I have ever seen was at a Pirate reenactment event battle in 2007. This event no longer takes place. I don’t want this to be anything other than a safety discussion, so I will only be listing the items that got me concerned. I will not be sharing what event, where, or who were involved. Hang on to your horses: No true crowd control just an unsupervised rope hanging maybe 18 inches off the ground. Anybody that cared to could walk on to the “battlefield”, heck even in the middle of the battle. While the majority of the people belonged to some priate group or another, these were unaffiliated groups with zero discussion of safety between them. This was grossly exascerbated by the fact indivudals (as in customers at the event) could just walk on and be a part of the battle (oh, they did have to be in costume). There were zero controls on the individual participant. There were maybe 100-200 people running around shooting and sword play haphazardly with a general concept of two sides. They did not even identify which side would “win” the battle. No safety briefing, no safety rules, and nobody that you could even take a safety complaint to. The event organizer was not present, he didn’t see a need to attend his own battle event. Since there never was any from of checking any participant for anything, only the Lord knows who had been drinking and to what extent. An informal musket line was formed and a pistol firing line formed. The pistols formed behind the muskets at a distance of about 15 feet with people expected to shoot between the musket men in front of them. Muskets used ramrods during the battle and were ramming paper down the barrel to ensure a nice loud report. Oh, and there were no safety zones between firers and their targets, that was an individual responsibility. There was a trapdoor rifle cut off to pistol size firing blanks so powerful it blew the pistol out of the firer’s hand. In most cases this battle was comprised of various pirate groups. In one of the groups the people firing weapons weren’t allowed to load because they weren’t “certified” by their group to load their own pistols, but it was ok for them to fire their pistol unsupervised that they didn’t know how to load, nor handle a misfire in, plus they were told to shoot between people in front of them 15 feet away. A large caliber cannon being fired with no identified safety zone and the gun crew just fired when the area appeared clear. Some people literally sticking their gun barrels in their mouth after firing them. Smoke coming out of the vent looks cool! (If you really need to wrap you lips around your gun barrel and blow, try not doing that in front of the children in the audience, who will treat a gun just like you do.) All weapons universally overloaded directly from flasks. To include Falconets that were stuffed with powder from a flask till they “sounded” right. A person got a misfire on their percussion pistol yelled “Hot gun” put the pistol on the ground and then ran off to play with their sword leaving the misfired pistol abandoned on the ground, loaded and capped, available to anybody to pick it up and nobody watching it. (Remember no crowd control) When I made the mistake to open my mouth to ask about safety I was shouted down and told to shut-up because they had been firing weapons for over 10 years and nobody had been hurt. To this day I am amazed they didn’t hurt somebody. Given time I fully expect they could have killed somebody. It’s the only time I have started a battle by being in the very rear, then backing up, and finally turning around to flee the field in terror for my own safety. I followed up with a letter of complaint to the event organizer. In hindsight, I should have filed a formal complaint with the Fire Marshal that permitted the event. So, yes there are some BAD events out there. Always remember your safety is YOUR business. Fair winds, -Greydog

Happy Birthday to Jamacia Rose who has done so much to further this great hobby, is spot on with her history, not to mention No Quarter Magazine, and is an all round first rate Lass. Hip Hip Hooray, says I. Fair winds, -Greydog

Great example of the nanny state in action.

Many hard to find pirate films can be found at Belle and Blade. Their Website: http://www.warshows.com/

To me Cutthroat Island was flat as a movie because the lead male role was Matthew Modine. He is just fine as an actor but was a terrible choice to cast as a rogue. It just did't work. Every time he was on screen it was horrible.

Devil's Spew

According to my sources just recently Gold Coast Festivals has cancelled this event for 2011. If true they have not put that info up on their website. You know how rumors are, I'd suggest you contact Gold Coast direct at goldcoastfestivals@gmail.com to verify before planning to attend or not to attend.

One stop shopping. The ATF offers all state firearms laws on their webpage dedicated as such. Just find FL on the right side of the page, click on it and read the laws yourself. http://www.atf.gov/publications/firearms/state-laws/29th-edition/index.html

cleanser

Bunnies

Zither