BILLY BONES

Somehow, I didn't post the last comment, but it says I did. Anyway, there's actually 2 Blackbeard movies. One is filming in IOWA as we speak. It's about boys conjuring up Blackbeard's ghost The Pat Croce one is supposed to be a blood & guts real piracy version. If anyone knows how to get ahold of Croce so that I can send him my resume, please help me out! I've sent requests to every web site he is associated with, and nothing.

I read that you were concerned about weight as far as how a flag will fly. When I was constructing flags for POTC III, I was surprised to see that no matter what the material (within reason) the flags flew just fine in a stiff sea breeze. Most painted flags from this period were painted with an oil base pigment, and were much more durable. When painting, again depending on the type of cloth, the oil from the paint may spread into the surrounding fabric, but this was a hazard even pirates faced. The pigment itself did not. The paint took about 3 days to dry (to the touch). I had some arguments on pirates over the ratio of the flags on the staff and on the fly. The production designer wanted to keep the flags on a 3x5 ratio (only a lot bigger!). I felt this was absurd. Although "official" naval jacks were generally around this ratio, infantry flags were generally square. Let's get real. Unless a pirate had an ensign made for him by a private contractor, as some appear to have done, you made it out of whatever material was available and with whatever quantity. Some flags were small, some were large. Some were close to square (we're talking European pirates here). It's true that some flags were appliqued on one side, and the field cut out on the other side to reveal the design. This, in my opinion, had nothing to do with weight, but difficulty. If you've ever tried to match designs on both sides of a flag and sew them too, you'll see what a difficult proposition this was. Now do it with a 25' flag. Nowadays, we can use products that will adhere your design to the field before you sew. If you're a student of flags, you'll also find that in the early days of the US flag, many had sewn stars on one side, and the stars cut out on the other. Sewing stars is HARD!

OK, It's a ship full of women. I may need to stay in my cabin. I'm scared, and yet fascinated. I've got some deserted islands too---and a couple of sword canes. I couldn't afford the skull either

I have two more lovely ladies on my crew! Why couldn't I be this fortunate in my social life? Oh yeah, it's me.

Well, on average, I have the most gorgeous crew that ever plundered the main. Thank you Black Syren! Take that Rackham!!! I'm always open for more ruthless ladies---and I wouldn't mind another man or two to even out the seating at the swell pirate parties I hold on deck every Wednesday. JOIN! SIGN ARTICLES! LET ME HAVE ENOUGH CREW TO MOVE ON!!!

Both the charming and beautifully deadly ladies above have signed articles, but I need more who wish to follow the sweet trade--or kill some time. Lasseter and a brother from Glasgow have also signed. Remember, you can sign on with my crew even if you already have yer own. Yer just gaining me on YOUR crew as well.

If you are already playing or want to, and are on Facebook, let me know, and maybe we can make our crews bigger! Kelly Farrah

The site doesn't really show all her cool stuff, but I bet if you contact her--she'll show ya more stuff!!!

I know a beautiful young woman in Santa Fe who makes really well done jewelry. The skull and crossbones stuff looks period and contemporary at the same time! Visit My Website Pirate jewelry Tell her Billy Bones sent ya and she'll probably charge ya more. Naw. tell her.

It's my opinion that Captain Johnson took much of his information from transcripts of trials, personal interviews, and in some cases, first hand knowledge (as in his chapter on Bartholomew Roberts.) Naming your sources wasn't stressed back in 1724, and naming living pirates or ex-pirates wasn't good form---or even healthy. Once again, the values of 300 years ago can't be judged by ours. Also remember, that much of his information was hearsay, and probably to some extent, contained the embellishments of the person being interviewed. If you were putting down the history of contemporary piracy (Somali pirates), you'd use current newspapers and trial transcripts (often written with bias by officiating clergy in Johnson's time), as Johnson did, and would try to interview those individuals that figured in it as best you could. You might make it a little more lurid, for the pleasure of your readers, but I think you'd have it all based on a good foundation of fact. Johnson was a contemporary of "the Golden Age". How far off could he be? Would you print a volume of lies about the current piracies, with no fear of being found out? No one really knows who Johnson was, or if his real name was even Johnson. He seems to have a working sea knowledge, and there are some who believe he may have been a participant in the sweet trade to a certain extent. Remember also, that other than Bucaniers of America a century earlier, there had been no comprehensive collection of piratical occurrences. He may of had an inkling that his book might be received well, but I'm not sure he would have had the motivation to write a totally fictional volume of made up stuff.

The pistol sold. Thanks for your responses! BB

There is no scarier movie than "Pirates of Treasure Island" starring Lance Henrikson as Long John Silver. The Admiral Benbow Inn was filmed in somebody's garage--- You know, I don't have the time to write all that's laughably wrong with this movie. It's incredible that it was even conceived, let alone actually filmed. The wardrobe is amazingly bad, the script, the giant bugs (yes, giant bugs), the wigs, the sets, and what's really scary, is that I haven't worked on a movie in so long, I'd work on the sequel right now if they called me.

After a successful sale a couple of weeks ago on this site, I find I must sell yet another pistol. It's a Loyalist 1730's British Heavy Dragoon. Aged and used condition, but has only shot about 6 blank charges in a film. Has the belt hook. Email me, and I'll send pics. kfarrah1718@gmail.com I want 150.00 + 15.00 shipping, which is half of a new one without the belt hook! Thanks, Billy BTW, I'm not trading or coming down in price! I AM a collector of early books on piracy, exploration, and buccaneering---if you happen to have such an item you'd wanna part with.