Wayland

I'm not going to delve too deeply into the science of optics but a quick google for something like "circle of confusion" should illustrate why out of focus point sized objects appear basically round. As already pointed out, it's odd isn't it that nobody ever noticed "Orbs" until cameras with powerful light sources mounted close to the optical axis came along. Believe what you will, but I prefer the empirical approach of science to hocus pocus.

Out of focus object or dust close to the camera and illuminated by flash. No supernatural explanation required. Take it from an ex professional photographer.

Thank you, It may never make me wealthy but I consider myself to be rich in many other ways.

I haven't heard or seen that one before (for a techie, I am soooo far behind on texting lingo)... I may just use that one... I can hear it now, "Well you see <input user name here>, that is a Eye Dee Ten-Tee error!" I make plenty of those...

. . This is the sort of stuff I do for a living.

I've heard this explanation before but have not been able to track down any historical references to verify it. W.H.Smyth has various definitions and uses for the word "Monkey" and it's derivatives, but none of them seem to connect to this story. There is an interesting article here.

Thank you, landscape photography is what I do when I'm not doing the living history stuff so it's nice to have an outlet like DA or my websites to show it on.

I'm on DA but not as a Pirate I'm afraid. Waylandscape

Has anyone read X marks the spot: the archaeology of piracy? I was wondering if it's worth getting?

Knitted or cut cloth?

Oh dear.....What have I started.......

Not sure how useful this info is, but I've just found out that the sulphur dipped spills were actually called "Spunks" pre 1900. Now I can see why that name has dropped out of use on this side of the pond, but I don't know if it has the same unfortunate connotations over there in the colonies.

That would certainly work better for borrowing a light from a fire or some such, but the sulphur is used to take a light from just the ember on your charcloth.

I should just add a word of caution. You don't want to go breathing in the fumes from the burning sulphur, they can do nasty things, especially if you're a bit asthmatic. Wait for the violet flame to disappear and the yellow flame of the burning wood to take over before you go lighting your pipe with one.

I just cut them with a knife. Think of a sliver of wood about the thickness of a match stick. Shave the end to a fine point and then dip the point into some melted sulphur. Allow to dry and store in your tinderbox. I usually shave and dip both ends so I get two lights from each stick. I don't think I've got a picture of any at the moment and it's snowing outside so I don't really want to go out and take one cos I'm a wuss.

This one? I think it's an Angler fish. Deep sea fella. The locals up there think they are lucky I as far as I can tell.

I use flint and steel very regularly as part of my school talks and demonstrations. My method is here and you can also find a video someone shot of me doing it .Of course that is all based on how the Vikings did it but there is not much difference until the invention of the match. Linen tow is often used for caulking and good dry oakum would probably do the trick too. For lighting a candle I usually use a spill of resinous wood, shaved to a fine point at the end and dipped in molten sulphur. These can be stored in your tinderbox and when the sulphur is touched to your charcloth ember, it ignites and if you wait a moment the burning sulphur will then ignite the spill. This method goes back at least to the middle ages.

That makes very good sense of where an "honest fisherman" would get the sort of materials needed to do the job. I'm sure this type of thing would have been done back then to mark personal equipment, I just wish I could find the smoking gun.

That was a few years back, working in a Viking longhouse in Northern Norway. I had been commissioned to hilt and scabbard the scramaseax you can see in the foreground.

Not the C&W musician? Nope, never heard of him I'm afraid. According to the old sources, Wayland the Smith was the son of a giant called Wade and as my surname is Waidson I was given the name many years ago and it sort of stuck. These days I'm better known as Wayland than by my given name, so there you go. We seem to have a fleet of moderators on this thread. I wonder if some kind soul could correct the spelling mistake I seem to have made in the thread title? It should read "Kolrosing"

Nah... I be named after the Old Germanic Smith God on account of my surname and a liking for beating metal into submission. I also do Early Medieval living history too.

You've got me stumped. I've only ever used oil which is the way it's been done for a thousand years or so in Scandinavia. These new fangled chemical mixtures could be doing all sorts of strange stuff I suppose.

Ahh... The oil usually makes the sawdust go darker so that could be why it isn't showing up very well. I don't know about the sealant but that might well act the same way.