MadL

For th' most part I understand th' "GAoP" spans from aprox 1650 through 1730; depending on whom ye be quoting, give or take 20 years. As for tattoos, earrings, other personal articles; it would seem that historic records them self where quite sparse during th' period, probably due t' th' turmoil and abrupt changes in who controls what where and just how much (or little) they wanted th' mother land t' know they had found (or acquired) upon th' high seas and in ports abroad. Me suspicions be that there is much that will never be known or discovered no matter how deep we dig or how many times we dive for once th' "modern world" began setting outposts throughout th' Caribbean there was much deceit and deception among those who ruled and those who did not and those who wanted to. As far as records in England or Port Charles, they only know what they were told; as far as "pirates" in general, there appears t' be far too few accounts on record compared t' how many pirates there are believed to have been and I refuse t' believe th' few English pirates on record be th' only wolves upon th' sea at time, so with th' masses who were either killed and sunk at sea, or diapered and simply gobbled up with th' haze o' time, I would think that saying they all looked, acted, smelled, and tasted like any common Englishman o' th' time would only be a rather ego driven conclusion. Well, that be me take on th' matter, then what could a heretic German/Irish American possibly know - I will return t' th' coal mines and me peasant sauerkraut stand now

Fer make'n Bank Shots!!

This be th' part where me own brain begin t' burn...since when does th' GAoP belong exclusive t' "European dog decent"? Me own pirate figure, including me real life family tree, come from Germany & Ireland. As I understand many a sailor throughout th' period had Irish or Scottish blood as well as English dog blood; me own Mad L's family unit had set sail for th' New World only for th' poor way a German fisherman and Irish lass was treated in England where they met and tried t' make a life.... (long history, still working out details; father left Germany shortly before th' end o' th' Holly Roman Empire control; refusing t' convert t' Catholic or Protestant he just wanted t' live in peace. He met me mum, a sweet Irish tavern lass who had also left her homeland and found herself in England - still working out exact location - but being a Celt she was really nothing more then a slave. Twas after an English cure who framed me da for stealing a loaf o' bread, that was really stolen by he's own bloody son, that me father secured passage upon a trade ship t' avoid th' hangman's noose, along with me, a stout lad o' about 12, 'n me mum we set sail...then encountered Spanish pirates, taken prisoner, then around th' end o' 1600s th' English began t' attempt entering th' Spanish controlled Caribbean where th' ship we were imprisoned upon was captured; a couple o' our now English captors recognized me da 'n mum 'n was about t' hang'em from th' yardarm when he pleaded for me t' flee, over th' bow I went ne'er t' see either o' them again....for me that all began in 1661 when I was born t' a Germanic fisherman 'n an Irish lass, it now be 1709 'n I roam th' Caribbean 'n beyond offering me services t' any rouge pirate or buccaneer crew what fights what I have now learnt t'a be a cruel rule o' England, France, and Spain.) ...'n that pretty much covers th' heart o' th' GAoP and shows that NOT all pirates 'n rouges upon th' seven seas where o' English make. Also one may point out that some Celt clans throughout history had various body mark'ns as well. Now, WHO among ye stand t' call me 'Heathen'?

Odd, th' only 'problem' I had with Black Bear was with me first pair I ordered, I requested 'buckle' cuffs and described them as 'tabs on both sides'; instead they came with No 'tabs' and All button holes for lacing... And yes, when I complained they said there would be a charge t' correct...but th' color was indeed what I had expected. I do naught know about yer 'ugly yellow', nutmeg is itself a brownish/red color. I do know matching color over th' internet is seriously a flawed account - I had a pair from a Florida maker that I returned...th' color was fine, but some how "linen" translated into "wool" , I suppose even printed words tend t' look different on different monitors Naught sure about th' communication break down, however Black Bear tis not actually a 'pirate' group but more a 'Civil War/Colonial' type group so their faire time be different, and sometimes goes much longer then our wee So. Cal shows go, they can be 'out of the office' for weeks even months at a time so I usually try t' catch such places around end o' year or Jan/Feb for by late Feb they can be rough group t' catch up to....even our own west coast Blackbeard vendor can become a month or more between responses; tis th' way it be with true show folks. Sorry t' hear ye have had this much issue with them; me last pair o' button front linen came speedy indeed, but naught "perfect" I would say; had a tailor measured me for them they would surely fit looser (but they are 'off the rack' so me wide girth accepts th' fact), and if I could walk into a place, I had hoped they would be a bit 'darker' perhaps even a bit 'redder' as in me drop front from th' same maker, but I learned a long time ago that when choosing colors over th' internet ye make a best shot and get something close t' yer target - all depends on th' quality o' photo taker, th' lighting when/where th' photo was taken, their monitor's calibration t' yer own, and even th' ambiant color(s) from th' surroundings where the photo be taken can all play in giving a much incorrect image of what th' true article's tone be....again, sorry t' hear ye ran int' such an issue, I had similar issue with a leather maker (east coast) where I thought for a while that me coin was long gone, but then it finally came, then I spent a entire year t' get me shoes (plus extra coin for shipping t' return th' first pair) but once they came I can naught be happier with them. Have ye checked their site for a calendar o' events he travels to? That may give ye an idea o' best times t' contact?

Tattoos have been found in various human races since virtually th' dawn o' time, I believe Poopdeck Pappy was quoting various Navel descriptions from a recently ran National Geographic show for each one o' them were discussed (even interviewed one fellow who 'collects' them) and yes they are modern t' semi-modern, they did not exactly give dates to their origins and even at one point said there is no record o' when the first one was stamped. However I think th' "period" request was for that o' th' GAoP, for that so far no one, naught even National Geo, has been able t' offer up. I think it may have been Mission who read one passage somewhere but there appeared t' even be questions about it...I think that was earlier in this very thread (too lazy t' look back, still recovering from bad cold). Now National Geo did have one chap they believe was from VERY early man who had ink marks upon he's body, it'was indeed a very interesting show, even covered modern day gang markings.

WHEEEEEE! It Be An S&M B-Day Party Aboard Th' Good Ship Queen Fairy!! Where Be Th' Birthday Girl, Thar Be a Big Hairy Booty Swing'n From Th' Mast Fer Her?!!! hold on now, I thought we supposed t' be string'n up th' Guest O' Honor for this part????

Naught only he be on th' wrong shore, but he has Gone Over T' Th' Dons!!!!! Oh well Tiger, we will forgive ye fer make'n a wrong turn 'n set'n port in th' wrong ocean....but we must talk 'bout yer new friends Fair Winds Tiger Lee, show them backwards swamp pirates how Real Pirates party!!!

Hey Wait A Minute!! Didn't MerryDeath just have a birthday last year?? Me thinks th' women on this ship be take'n advantage o' this whole 'gift giving' thing!! ....just who let them on board anyway, I thought we had Rules!??!

I Bent Me Pricker!!! How am I t' tighten me Turk's Head with a Bent pricker?!!? Blast these cheap Taiwan made prickers!! Bent needles be useful but Bent Prickers will n'er do t' tighten me Turk's Head!!! ....now I gotta buy a new pricker!!

check t' see if yer muffler be loose, just grab it firmly with hand and shake it back and forth, if it moves more then a couple inches then ye may have some loose bolts. Some men carry Trojans, me, I carry a spare wrench. ::hold on now....Black Syren?? now I am confused....::

No real violence?!! Bloody vegi pirates....don't do nuth'n at all!! Even chimpanzees get t' eat their young ...well they do, I seen it on National Geo!

::voices from th' back room:: "all right men, th' Moderators be down by one, we can takes them now so get ready..." "oops, scratch that, it appears th' message came too late! Th' Moderators be back up t' full force now!!" "Fall Back! Fall Back!" "we will have t' wait til another day!!"

well ye just keep practicing Cannibal, one day she will let ye remove th' training wheels

did he just call me a flowering chimpanzee?? (Well who wouldn't want to be a flowering chimpanzee?) ...well, I have been known t' de-flower a few....

American McGee: Alice resumes shooting: STAGE CALL FOR CHRISTINE! Christine, Put That Child Down And Report To MakeUp!! ROLL'EM!

Hershey bars and nylons....hmmm? ::puts strawberries 'n whip cream back in th' frig:: Quartermaster James; is that legal??

did he just call me a flowering chimpanzee??

I set sail upon a drink'n vessel once, but th' capt'n he too got drunk 'n it sunk

Black Syren; I do naught believe it be yer 'funny bone' Quartermaster twas aim'n t' tickle ...leave it t' a Quater Master t' fire prematurely 'n hit th' target too high

50% Black Hibiscus tea / 50% Cinnamon Apple Spice tea with a shot o' lime juice ...will chase it all down with some rum once it be all gone

Aye, I did sign up....I think... but twas from work, at a time that all chaos broke out, then I lost th' map 'n me compass.....been too stubborn t' stop 'n ask fer directions ye know I will have t' pull int' port 'n retrieve me password!

Ah, th' wench stuck th' pistol away int' storage before I could get me hands upon it...says I can have it after th' move be complete and all it unpacked....(they have only been 'packing' for neigh two yarrr now!! ) Story: That tis almost a dead ringer!!

Christine has stolen a young lad's virginity on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride?!!?? ... th' park has been soiled, it will ne'er be just a Small World e'er again...

But Cascabel, where would he keep all th' photos o' all th' tarts 'n strumpets he meets at all them ports they travel?? Ye know they did naught yet have "wallet size" back then!

I am still waiting for him t' write th' book on barrels, th' author says he is in midst of another project surrounding a post GAoP ship right now and is also writting a book on canvas water buckets, but I have him on me list t' watch.