The Buccaneer Project

[JoshuaRed]

would the hunter/buccaneers have slashed through thick tropical jungle?

How else would they get to the savannahs? Kidding. But pigs are tenacious little thugs and would have fled straight into the thickest woods they could find to hide once wounded.

[Patrick Hand]

Just a quick bit on the vegitation of Hispaniola....(Haiti) (I have to find a better reference...)

"Hispaniola is made up of an alternating series of mountainous ridges, long valleys, and flat plains. The mountainous areas are heavily forested."

I think the Logwood cutters, and the Hunters might want some protection on thier lower legs... with all the snakes and crocs (to make machete scabbards ) that are around...

I still have to look up more info on Haiti, vegetation, snakes, climate.... the info will help determine what a Buccaneer would carry and wear. (Wonder how the political climate is now..... might make an interesting vacation....)

Right now, I've been getting sidetracked looking up early period Long Hunters and Trecking groups (I figure that much of what they do, will also be period for Buccaneer, just without the heavy enfleuince of the Indains)

[Animal]

I have been following this thread with great interest, Patrick. I read the book on Capt'n Morgan and found it interesting. They gave a fairly decent discription of clothing worn as I recall. If memory (what I have left of one) serves me correctly, their legs were bare and they went barefooted. The issue of snakes and such just came with the territory I guess. You get bit, you get sick or die. As for the political climate in Haiti now, I think I would go to Costa Rica if I were you. After the hurricanes did a number on them last year, things are fairly unstable there. (As if they were stable before?)

Animal

[Belladonna Bess]

I think the main reason for my comment was really that the image of the boucanier (to clarify I mean the hunters and not Morgan's group attacking Panama etc) slashing through thick tropical jungle didn't match what was in my mind. So I thought why and realised that I visualised them in more a grassland environment because of them hunting cattle. Interesting where the images in your mind come from.

I'll have a quick look around for vegetation information on Carribbean islands. I'm curious now. I want to know which species they have and whether thay have any I know from other parts of the world.

If I start talking Latin names you have permission to throw something at me!

[John Maddox Roberts]

The current state of vegetation on Haiti won't tell you much about the same 300 years ago. Except for a few small regions, the place has been just about denuded of greenery by people foraging for firewood, still the principal fuel there. Efforts at reforestation always fail because people come in and uproot the saplings for fuel. The human situation is pretty desperate there, as it has been for many years.

[JoshuaRed]

Wasn't much of Hispaniola naturally deforested by the throngs of cattle left by the Spanish during the time of the buccaneers? I thought I read somewhere that they pretty much wiped out alot of the vegetation.

[Patrick Hand]

After looking at the picture that Foxe posted, I was wondering about the hats.... I figured that they were made from old cut-down felt hats... so tonight, I decided to see it that would work....

https://pyracy.com/gallery/details.php?...625&mode=search

Shows the result......

I think it came out prety good, It fits , and the bill is not so large that it would get snagged in anything, or get hit by the barrel of a fusil....

I keep thinking that it needs a hatband... something to "fancy" it up.... but it is just a work hat.... so I will have to think some more about that.....

[JoshuaRed]

Hey THAT is nice! I really admire all the effort you're putting into this, Hand.

[Fox]

Patrick, I LOVE the outfit, particularly the hat! I'm not convinced that the buccaneers in the picture aren't bare legged - I reckon they are, but experimentation may suggest otherwise.

I think you're dead right about the little extras making all the difference to the kit; for example, I think just swapping the large brimmed hat in the first pics for the peaked hat in the second set will completely change the outfit from what might have been construed as bad "Reni" gear to an absolutely unique authentic buccaneer outfit. Keep going man!

With regards to "snapsacks", I think the answer is whatever you want it to be. The debate has been raging in ECW circles for years over whether a snapsack is a square flat bag with a shoulder strap worn on the side, or whether it's a long round "sausage" bag worn diagonally across the back. I think personally that unless anyone comes up with a period picture labelled "snapsack" it could probably mean either. At the end of the day it's a sack you keep your snap in. What shape is a "lunch box" nowadays?

[Salmagundi]

Ahoy Pat, me scurvy crewmate!

Kinda pricey, but Gator Hides are available.

Also, Texas Knifemaker's has some Russell blades that aren't too expensive and are close to butcher knife style.

--Mr. Salmagundi

[Gentleman of Fortune]

WoW Patrick!

You are the man! I love watching someone do research, ask questions, and try to build their kit as accurate as possible!

You are doin a fine job and are quickly becoming the expert yourself.

Don't worry about looking "piratey". A rule of thumb would be, "If it looks piratey to modern eyes, its probably not authentic!"

I don't know of anyone doing this "period" or Genre of GAoP but I would bet you are at the forefront.

Keep up the good work and keep the update post coming!

GoF

PS

Can you post some pic of you in the kit (all the parts) that you have so far!?!

[Patrick Hand]

Can you post some pic of you in the kit (all the parts) that you have so far!?!

I want to make leather "gaiters" (leg covers) first.... (Should be working on them right now....) ... Then I will start on a shooting pouch... and do more work on the powder horn.....

I've been looking at a bunch of English Civil War pages... found a Suttler that sells period "drawers"(they are simple enough to make....) .... and thier "snapsacks" have me re-thinking the design I was going to use for a haversack.......

I'm also filing (don't have a grinder... so I have to do it by hand.) a knife blade.... well the tang of it, so I can re-haft it.... Will look around at Garage sales for a better French Chefs type of knife (one with a forged in bolster) then I will file the blade slightly thinner , for a period knife.

Most of the stuff, I will make... but a period gun is going to take awhile.....

[JoshuaRed]

Seriously Patrick, when this all comes together, you should put up a comprehensive site with pics on "Becoming a Buccaneer". I'd be glad to help with making the site if you supply the copy and pics. Actually it could be a NICE addition to Greg's already great site. Greg?

[Belladonna Bess]

I agree, this is all looking very interesting. Have you made gaiters before? I made a pair a couple of years back (to look like boots but I find it hard to get boots to fit my calves...). I did a lot of sewing and pinning calico around my legs until I had a shape that fit really well to use as a pattern, and I made them lace up.

The lower leg changes shape a lot as you move. If they is really firm when you are standing normally, you will find your movement restricted. I haven't worked much with leather but I imagine they will stretch and will need adjusting from time to time.

OK, all these comments come from a practical point of view rather than a knowledge of buccaneer clothing, but I thought they might be helpful. My practical point of view is pretty good though because I have worked in tropical savannah and scrub wearing shorts and gaiters (even if modern).

By the way, I haven't got far on the Caribbean vegetation yet but some of the species lists include a good quantity of horribly spiny things - including one legume shrub that I know from person experience, having shredded my hand and leg on it collecting a botanical specimen.

[Patrick Hand]

I was thinking about making an addition to my web page with "The Buccaneer Project"....

Finished the leather gaiters..... dang my fingers are sore...... will post a picture maybe tomarrow or Saturday afternoon..... still have to make the hunting pouch....

Dang and Drat..... I went looking online for blackpowder fowler barrels..... WHY is a .50 cal. rifled barrel less money than a smoothbore ? (Almost half price... )

Also was looking for period copper kettle..... you know there are a LOT of restaurants named "The Copper Kettle" (I think one of the "Trecker" pages had one.... will have to go through ALL those bookmarked pages again.....

[Patrick Hand]

https://pyracy.com/gallery/details.php?...629&mode=search

OK... so I didn't get around to posting the photo untill Sunday.... The .50 cal. Mountain rifle isn't period, but I used it as a prop anyway....

I finished the shooting pouch this morning, still carving the powder horn.

Figure I will re-make the breeches in wool, (I kinda like how the blue turns out....), and the shirt in naturel linen. I also want to make a hunting frock out of linen canvas, then dye it brown.

[Fox]

Lookin' good Patrick, nice work!

[JoshuaRed]

Awesome Patrick, just awesome. You look like you walked out right out of the pages of Esquemeling.

[Patrick Hand]

I started working on the hunting frock (found some brown wool in the fabric box) but the #*%%&&^%*(#*@ machine (can't call it a sewing machine right now..... that's what it WASN'T doing)

Anyway... after throwing and sticking a pair of siscors in the table, I figured I'd just have a rum, and forget about it for tonight......

I'm pleased with how the Pre-authentic stuff is coming out... now I can order the proper fabric, and hand sew everything.... but still have something to "play" with, and I now know exactly how I want the good stuff to turn out (already made the small mistakes on cheap cloth)

I think the hunting frock will definately add to the "Buccaneer look" of everything... I've been surfing a lot of "trecker" and "longhunter" pages, looking at how they do things, and I think a heavy linen hunting frock is the way to go....

I also e-mailed a group that do early period trecking and rendezvouse here in California..... "Hey it said pre 1840s..... a 1680s Buccaneer IS pre 1840s.....(they do from 1600 to 1840.... but most of them are 1750ish) I realy don't think I'd peeve the Buckskinners at rendezvouse for being to early....( they were a cool bunch) and I wanna fire the fusil (when I get it......) so rendezvouse would be a good place to do so..... and the closest to period.......

[JoshuaRed]

Hey they'll be jealous! Buccaneers definitely had more fun defiling themselves on rum, roast pig, bananas and whores in the Caribbean than the Buckskinners had in the frosty North American mountains and such.

[Longarm]

First off Patrick your outfit and determination, are awesome. The fact that the buccaneers, like you, had to make and repair their own clothing and equipment and clothing themselves gives you alot more leeway in fit, looks, and material than you think. Alot would depend on materials available and how well one could sew, carve and create what one needed. This could leave alot room for creativity and self-expression when it comes to accessories.

Secondly, don't you find it funny that the "good stuff" nowadays was the "cheap stuff" back then?

[Patrick Hand]

Secondly, don't you find it funny that the "good stuff" nowadays was the "cheap stuff" back then?

Yah... natural unbleached hemp, is about $16.00 per yard... (ofcourse, it is 52" wide...)

Our group is going to a pyrate dinner tomarrow, and I think I will wear the Buccaneer stuff... Not exactly what anyone thinks of as a pyrate, but I figure it should be interesting explaining the difference.....

I have the "first" version almost finished.... If I get any pictures, I will post them.... Now I can start to replace everything (well most everything) with authentic stuff.... (still have to order the linen,,,)

I think I even figured a way to earn the extra $600 for a Paddlebutt musket.... (it will cut into about 75 hours of my free time, but I figure it would be worth it.......)

[Patrick Hand]

The "dinner" thing didn't work out as I hoped...... OH well.... and I forgot to take any photos.....

I'm making a new shirt (for my "other" Pyrate stuff), outta some small indigo blue checked fabric (OK.... so it's cotton, I got it for $2.00 a yard.....) I really like checked shirts, and got wondering..... I know checks are period.... but would it have been common or available to a Buccaneer? Any thoughts .......

If I decide to use checks, then I will have to find some in linen.....

[jessie k.]

Humble little me has no valuable historical knowledge to add, but I just wanted to say, I'm really impressed with how you've put everything together, and I only hope that one of these days when I begin the process myself that I can do half so well! Keep updating, I'd love to know how it all turns out!

[Jonathan Hawks]

Great work Patrick. Really appreciates the tyme ya be puttin in and what ya be sharin wit the rest o us scallywags.