Stuff for sale

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

I was able to cover my trip to the Fort DeChartres event and so will not be selling my blade after all.

Thanks to the Pub members who purchased from me to make this possible....

Bo

Edited June 6, 2011 by Capt. Bo of the WTF co.

[Cuisto Mako]

I would take your loyalist shoes. My only worry is that they are too small.

Depending on manufacturer I wear 9 or 91/2.

I think this was discuss earlier on another post, but I don't remember the result, do loyalist run small or big?

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

I am much the same, depending on manufacture a 9 or 9 1/2. These fit me well for new shoes,and I have "duck-feet" as in wide spread toes! The only problem I have is that if I wear anything with heels of any significant height, I also have to have ankle support as in boots. The buckles are mounted slightly off-center to the outside so they wouldn't ride on the bridge of my feet and make blisters. I would like to guarantee the fit but as I know about being hard to fit shoes for....

Bo

[Cuisto Mako]

I'll take a chance. Do you have a paypal account?

you can send me an email :

meninge"at"hotmail"dot"com

thanks

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

Sorry, I barely know how to post pictures and respond to e-mails! Haven't graduated to pay-pal yet.

Postal MO or one from a bank is best for me here. If you want them you are first respondant.

PM me for mailing info exchange. I am going to be outside trying to work the forge some more so I might be awhiule getting back on this afternoon or evening.

Bo

[William Brand]

Save aside the topmost 'striker' for me and let me know the price. I'll have to ponder on the linstock.

[Slopmaker Cripps]

* deleted *

William Red Wake beat me to the punch while I was typing... ;-)

-Adam C.

Edited May 27, 2011 by Slopmaker Cripps

[William Brand]

Sorry, but I've wanted a striker for ever so long and that's the one I like. Bo, will you be making any more worms and strikers?

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

I make one or two strikers a day to get my arms and hands in shape again. I've been dormant so long I need reconditioning. This has been dependent on the weather as my smithy is somewhat exposed to the elements. What size of worm do you need? I was going to make some of the brass wire small-arms gunworms like the ones from the Whydah exhibit. The bigger cannon worms I will do on request as i don't know how much need there would be for ready-made ones that may need adjustments "at-the-muzzle-in-the-feild" if that makes any sense. The one in the photo is about 1-1/4".

Anyhow, that is the same style of striker I had figured to build for you, how ironic is that!

Adam, I can duplicate that one as it is my favorite design. This is the type I usually make and the odd-ball ones are just made from randon size pieces of spring steel I had lying on the forge. That said, no two pieces are ever the same. I just make each one as it comes off the anvil. i don't like doing mass-production, I like individualism in everything.

Bo

[William Brand]

Well, feel free to make more of that style. I'd love choices and I'll probably take a pair. Do you think you could fabricate a pair of dividers for use on a map? Styles vary, so I'm just looking for function over form.

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

I will try those dividers, looks simple enough and I have plenty of rivets and stock that should work for them. I'll try to make a nicer pair like those on the bottom, but most likely they'll end up looking like the first pair as out-of-shape as I am!

Bo

[William Brand]

Let me know the price on those as well. Anything to help you with travel money and fill up a few gaps in my kit.

[Slopmaker Cripps]

Sorry, but I've wanted a striker for ever so long and that's the one I like. Bo, will you be making any more worms and strikers?

William,

No need to apologize! This is just how the game/fates work. Honestly I shouldn't be spending money, but like you I found the style appealing to the eye.

Bo,

If you're going to have to make a new one from scratch, I really ought to do some more research first and get you to make me one that is perfect for the interp program I am putting together ( Spanish Franciscan in La Florida). Let me see what I can find, talk to some of my fellow archaeologists, and then I'll get back to you. How much do the fire-steels run?

Also, since you have your own forge, do you happen to do knife blades as well? Still exploring various options and what not, but there's a possibility I might have to go the custom route for this knife I'm looking to add to the above mentioned kit as well. If I have to go custom, then I'd like to go with someone on FF or here on the Pub just to "keep it in the family" as it were...but like I mentioned, I am still just exploring options regarding it at the moment.

Cheers,

Adam

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

I would recommend going to one of the established well known knifemakers, I am not that far advanced as I only play at this and don't spend a lot of time at it. I kinda specialize in small stuff and don't make a lot of the same thing. Maybe someday when I'm dead my stuff'll be worth something.

As for strikers, I love to do different ones and I never charge much for my stuff. I tend to do crude and rough looking practical items on purpose rather than items that are high-end artwork. I try to keep in line with the suttlers and merchants and the current rate for plain functional ones without chisel/file/artwork on them is about $8 each. Some fellers are asking $10-12 but I'm going to stay at $8 for now.

I just sent two custom strikers to California and I think it was under $4 to send them USPS. So if you come up with a spanish design you like, get me a drawing or photo and I'll try to duplicate it or a reasonable facsimile for the current rate plus the shipping if you like the result. The ones i just made i posted in the First Mates Forge forum. They are from an original design from out that way I believe. They had a screwdriver on one end so they had to be tempered differently on that end than the striker surface. It was a good challenge for me and I was able to make them work the way they should on both counts.

Thanks for the inquiry, and let me know what kind of striker you find. I'll be happy to give it a go.

Bo

[Tartan Jack]

I really like the sword. But, no funds myself to pay for it . . .

[Slopmaker Cripps]

Bo,

Sounds great! I have examples of Spanish strikers for the period, but I am waiting to hear back from some of my colleagues to see if any were found here in Florida (the objective of the project is to get as close to the Florida material culture as possible...if that's generic period Spanish and a mention in some documents, that's fine...I just want to make sure there isn't a Florida example sitting in a museum somewhere that I somehow missed/forgot about). Will let you know what I find out, should be a couple days....dig season just kicked back in full-swing and communications slow down drastically as everyone is out in the middle of nowhere for days at a time.

Cheers,

Adam

[silas thatcher]

bo, would you by chance have one of your boarding pikes ?? dunno why i think i need one other than the "coolness" factor !!

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

Silas: Haven't made any since the hog-spear. I've been out of gas for the torch for a long time and that is the only way I can cut the sheet-metal to shape before going in the forge. I guess I could hack-saw or chisel it all the way but the cost would be....

I have the torch refilled now, just bad weather and it's hard to get much done between rainstorms and such.

On the pikes; I have looked at over a dozen designs and seen the artifacts of the Whydah. I could make them like the Whydah example pretty easy, I used the same type of design on the double linstock. These need to be fitted to the wooden shaft kind of like the old shovels by pinning it through the shaft after letting the wood for the linguets. But to be totally honest and up front with everyone, you can go to Jas. Townsen & Son, buy the India made leaf spear head for $25, then go to a commercial roofing supply store or go on-line and find the 1 1/4" X 8 foot tar mop handles for about $12-14. They are already made hardwood handles with a tapered end and all you have to do is slide the pike head on and pin it down. You'll have about $50 bucks or a little less when you are done and those India made pike/spear heads look exactly like the original "cheapies" the Kings used to have made to issue the lowly common foot soldier. The pike was the cheapest weapon around and Kings Like cheap weapons when it comes to arming the untrained masses. In fact, many of those pikes were actually made for the French, Spanish, and English in other countries and sold to the armories in bulk, so having an India-made pike is really pretty historically accurate. I can make them but the cost is going to be considerably higher and I suck at woodworking/carving/inletting.

There are two types for sale right now on the FF forum that are made by established blacksmiths. One is the leaf type pike/trade spear design with the socket to slide over the shaft, it is going for $100, the other is a long spear type theat has the tang inserted into the center of the shaft as if you took a broken sword blade and made a spear out of it. It is also $100. Just to give folks an idea of what other smiths get for a pike. I saw one of the leaf ones made by another reenactor blacksmith two years ago and for the head alone he was gettin $65.

Not that I wouldn't make one for someone if they really want it, but if it were me, i would go with the India made pike head and the roofing mop handle. They are only props anyhow, unless you plan on marching out in company strength as pikemen to do battle.

OK, sorry for the tutorial. It is a boring overcast gloomy day and I don't know wheter to fire-up the forge or just read. Can't tell if it is going to rain or not.

Bo

[Beowoulf]

32 waist ... jesus....

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

32 waist ... jesus....

No, not jesus but there are many who are certain I am Satan's offspring.

Bo