Dutchman

don't know the first thing bout 'em so i wont say anything about how grand or junked they are... but from a safety standpoint. second group of photos- second down has a close up of the lockplate. your steel/frizzen is not sitting properly due to the cock screw and upper jaw resting on it. set the cock to half or full and ensure the steel does not rest against the flashguard and sits flat on the pan. if there is a gap you may want to get someone to adjust it for you. best case scenario- you may loose your prime and be embarrased when you pull the trigger. worst case scenario- highly unlikely though- a spark is introduced somewhere and the bloody thing goes off when it shouldn't. If you are proficient with weapons please disregard the next part. but if you are looking for a decent primer- In addition to finding a local competent person to learn from- get ahold of Cascabel or No Quarter Given and get a copy of "Flintlocks 101" Looks like a fine piece and for $40 is a steal!!!!

and yes your backstaff. its a beauty for shure. I just hope it does not break anywhere near as easily as mine did.

lady seahawk, at this point anything is possible. and since none of us were there all ideas are valid to suggest and its entirely possible. Ok i took a measurement and for the ribbon to work across the back for me its got to be ATLEAST 40 inches to meet, nevermind tieing. But as a figure eight across the front it works just fine. until we can figure out the length i'm inclined to put my rationalle of mounting to the chest with the ribbons to the bottom of the possibles pile. I will still hold to the tactic but not the use of the ribbon. I'm leaning towards Sterlings idea of a wrap on the frame to improve grip. but why two? maybe one as a grip, the other as a tether?

red handed jill, i love the second shot with the crew member walking the forestay. looks like a darned good race!

sorry got sidetracked- drooling on a backstaff. anyhow, i'm not convinced on anything yet- but the ideas are running wild with possibilities. around a yard would be tight for the back idea, but would work around front. if its just a couple feet each, we go back to the functional grip idea. maybe it was just covering the mechanisms. drats- sewing and swords????? possibly the third weekend in september? 13/14 just got off the phone with the better half- she's in if thats a good date.

M, thank you again for taking the time to post this little gem. confusion on my reading then. i got it from the book page- not your statements, appologies. i was under the impression the ribbon was still connected. ah this is so frustrating- wasn't someone working on a bloody time machine? (Dutch looks around and kicks sterling in his good leg- no reason). ok if it was tied at the ends. here are some possibilities. X across the back, arms in holes weapon secured center front by the knotted ends. X in front, weapon secured at the X, loops around arms and shoulders. not secured in the back but why with such a fancy ribbon? can it sling under an armpit? is there anything in past military use similar that we can compare to? a leather version of something similar maybe? was there anything on the gun that would look like a connecting point? a ring or slide? was this just an extra waiting to be finished later. this could explain the missing innards and barrel. i find the missing trigger odd. it likely would not just corrode out over time without leaving a residue of some sort. any others???????

matusalem, thanks for the work in posting and letting us drool over it.. if the weapon was found wrapped and being such a nice piece, i wonder if that is how our friend protected it from the salt air? From here out I'm looking at the ribbons from a tactical view including the psyche of a gun fight and is purely speculative. this is a longie so bear with me. the ribbon was tied in the middle and not by the grip of the stock you say? Playing with my pedersoli queen anne (ok ok different weapon all together) the balance point is directly underneath the pan, just foreward of the trigger guard. provided the sun king pistol was even remotely close in balance, tieing the ribbon there would interfere with the workings. if the ribbon is behind the trigger guard you can fowl your hand in the ribbon easily, but hanging does put the weapon in a good natural alignment to grip it and allows it to be tucked into something. while we can confirm that the ribbons were indeed on the weapons and used for retention, i suggest that they were still carried tucked into something. this prevents them from swinging, fowling in lines, or heaven help our pyrate- losing the prime by hitting the pan with something. so why tied four point in the middle? lets look at the weapon. its obviously a beautie and probably the most dependable firearm this fellow has. keep it near and dear says I. durring a boarding the notion of standing upright on deck, taking a good posture, extending your arm and firing is a good way to end up feeding the sharks. this is certainly not likely to happen below decks either. If our pyrate carried multiple pistols, could this be his last ditch shot? As a last shot, it would need to be already out, not tucked away somewhere. in time of suprise or fear you duck and tuck your arms in towards your chest.... four points would work well for attatching it here... somewhere, somehow..... so imagine... you are below deck cutlass in one hand, pistol in the other, sun king strapped to your chest. you are bent over (lets be realistic- there is not much room and only one direction to go), fire your pistol and jab away with the cutlass. someone steps from behind a bulkhead and takes aim. reach to your chest, pivot the sun king and fire. not beautiful or swashbuckling romantic, but its practical and works. I know its coming..... well you have to aim. no you don't. this technique is called point of sight, point of impact and is currently used with handguns for close quarters. weapon from holster in hand straight up to the armpit (weapon is still pointing down, spine of thumb is in the armpit), look at target and rotate weapon up onto target- first shot. punch arm forward- second shot. arm fully extended second hand supports weapon and get sight picture off of front sight- third shot. a well versed pyrate could get a single shot out at any time using a similar technique. remember you're only fifteen to twenty feet away. It may not be center of mass, but you are going to hit something!!!! back to the ribbon- a problem with securing it this way is you now have a loaded weapon on your chest aimed at your chin. not the best idea. these are just my views based on current training standards and how they may relate to this practice. it is certainly not gospel and is open to others input and thoughts. of course none of us were there so we shall never know.

oh poor sterling... ok enough picking on him about his foot. we all understand the blood lines of the noble class- i'm sure that gout does feel alot like a broken foot. look at the bright side. if you are all lamed up, this will give ample opportunity to call me and give play by plays.

double post- sorry

well here is my rationalle. When I'm teaching at the academy, One of the other instructors always inevitably mentions pirates and firearms (they love to distract me so they can take a break), so i have to go into the whole boarding tactics lecture. Part of it is the blunderbuss was the original close quarters battle shotgun and pistols were tied off- a modern day equivilant is a combat sling for rifles. therefore pirates were close quarters combatants. the length of the ribbons is an important clue to add to this lecture. Although probably never proveable, if the four ribbons are long enough the pistol can be secured mid chest, which is where the current training trend has shooters doing all the weapons functions from. this would also favor the drawings of the cartridge box being stowed center belt durring a fight. pistol and box are close together for ease of loading. just my two cents worth yayaya i know throw the empty gun, but how ya gonna throw it if its secured to ya on a ribbon. besides i would challenge that it might be possible to reload atleast twice with pistols (three shots) within range durring boardings. think about it. the boats are approaching each other. you are within pistol range and shoot. twiddle thumbs while boats get closer...... twiddle..... twiddle..... ok throw it now!!! i highly suspect there would have been multiple shots BEFORE boarding mixed with lots of cover and concealment. Now once boarders are away, oh yeah one shot and throw it or use it as a club! if you have multiple weapons do you want to shoot them all and then have to reload or board? no. shoot from one and have the rest ready to go for the thick of battle- not nuicanse shots. the ribbons keep them from falling overboard durring a boarding and close at hand while ducking and weaving onboard the pirate ship.

maybe, mabe not

matusalem, the bandoleer. how long were the ribbons?

broke hoof....... calvalry......... this is so easy i just won't say it.

sorry kiddies, too much fun stuff keeps popping up. can't let this one go.

raging tool must have an unlimited fender budget. wonder how often they are actually brought aboard.

sterling is right, back to PiP, sorry for sidetracking. lets see if i can use what i learned this week. No i will not be attending your splendid event although i'm certain that fine opportunities will be had to rekindle friendships and experience new ventures while broadening my own horizons while nurturing recruits who all show excellent opportunites for improvement.

well it was not a total waste. I made one cry when I stole her cruiser. said it was not fair. lets see.... thats why we carry two keys???????? Although i was told to not cuff the recruits to their cars even if i could get the cuffs away from them. happened twice. The academy hedged me this year. said i could not say anything to belittle or offend them durring scenarios. bad guys go through this briefing as well im sure. I'm so disgusted.

Ah stuborn broken foot stories... I broke mine in three places one night... as my friends tell it t'was my confirmed bachelor party as me first fiance left the night before- a bit of stage fright i guess. anyhow, i was good and souced (was after the witch doctors brew), fell (passed out, whatever) backwards off the second story balcony rail, but was saved by my foot that held me hanging by a rail spindle until i was recovered by the local fire department. jolly nice fellows, glad i already knew them, else i would have been toted to the E.R. by my own medic unit. That would have been sad..... anyhow. my endearing friends decided i was best off passed out on the couch. I awoke the next morning and realizing SOMETHING of importace had happened to my foot and I wandered off to the hospital where i had a friend X-ray said swollen hoof. sure nuf- three places. The E. R. doc wanders in and says "oh dutch- thats going to need a cast" Well i was still pissed off about wasting a bit of coin on that ring so out the door and back to work I went. I strapped my foot into my boot and hobbled around as EMS Sprint Supervisor for six weeks while it healed. Back to the issue at hand............................................................................ I never whiiiiiiined about it. So would you like tafita around the edges of the cart?

Good captain sterling. I would hate to see a fine a man as yourself hobbling around the field of battle at PIP. Might i offer my services and build you a wagon of four wheels where you may be properly pulled around. I'm sure Rats Or Mad dogge will tend to you. Why I'll even throw in a couple pads of straw so you do not fatigue your nether regions as you watch the world go by. I think I even have a flower sack you can use as a shawl to keep the cold night air of Key West from enflaming the lungs. I'll even offer you a shore side retirement.. there is a herd of sheep that need tending to........

ah i've flown bananna republic airlines before. say hi to snake when you see him. third world pilots are a blast, safe landings are good, but there are better ventures. My favorite is "PINGGGGG" hey, where did this hole between my feet come from? I'd rather drink my rum out of the cask but if you wish pewter tankards help yourself. its ashame to loose the flavor though. I got ahold of some ground root mixed with coconut milk, courtesies said to drink and not offend..... zow!! no worries of malaria there!!! stuff would not let anything live in your blood stream. rum has never been the same since. unfortunately, i'm required elsewhere for a few weeks at the end of nov, beginning of december. Although by the end of it there will be 25 police recruits that will be more than happy to send me away. I get to spend a few weeks doing my favorite thing. shooting guns and trying to inflict permanent emotional dammage on recruits. Although I was very dissapointed with last weeks results. I made it the entire week without a complaint from a recruit. i 'must be mellowing in my old age.

an interesting note. look at the bottom of croches interview. there are discussion topics. seems our boys at sea rats have plugged themselves for parts. on to the point. Mr. Croche appears to be all in favor of historical, but we know how that goes in hollywood. Matt if you have an inside source with him and see what we can do to help the efforts, that would be awsome. I just heard from kevin, the writers have his book. if we can get ahold of the production companies email maybe we can start a campaign to support an accurate portrayal. anyone know how to find this info out???

Again its nothing against Mr. Croche and his fine collection. We all know hollywood would rather go with the spotty bloodthirsty history rather than what others have surfaced as the more likely character and events that make more sense.

well nothing against Mr. Croche but he lost me at Johnsons first vivid accounts of Blackbeards exploits. *****Sigh***** Two hundred ninety years of tradition uninterupted by research. Oh I can only hope it does not turn for the worse. I agree with you misson, on the surface it is not looking good for the historical front, but by golly there will be lots of blood spilled with all of Blackbeards victims for sure.

don't let the old scot fool ya. its that bloody leather fire bucket he was swigging out of at beaufort. tried to drink us all under the table with that one!!!! he just chromiefied it and put a lid on it!!!!!

think i'll stick to fish......... the john smith record is in his journal and is one of the few matches recorded similarly by one of his crew. not the fluffed smith version twenty years later.