Top 10 items for your pirate kit

[the Royaliste]

Well, at the risk of being glib, I start with one of these:

Then I add foulies and a non-period flashlight to stay sane and keep alive. Then, especially if you are new or inexperienced, the rest of your gear will look and become quite appropriate in short order!!

ROYALISTE Spreading across the Oceans like the Plague...........

[blackjohn]

Uuuuhhh, ok, I think the Royaliste has raised the stakes on us. I'm out.

[Captain Jim]

Not fair, Royaliste, not fair at all...

[Silent]

That is really cool, I like what everyone put for what they would wair, I'm still thinking about the right outfit for me. What I want to know, have you ever seen a pirate with glasses?

[Durty Mick Moon]

That is really cool, I like what everyone put for what they would wair, I'm still thinking about the right outfit for me. What I want to know, have you ever seen a pirate with glasses?

Aye, I be wearin' glasses....don't use contacts, have not seen any pics of pyrates with glasses, but at www.jas-townsend.com they have reproduction 15th & 18th century eyeglasses. Look in "Personal Accessories" in their catalog. I'm thinking about trying out the 18th century pair fitted with prescrip. lenses....my eyes are also very sensitive to light so I wear round gold metal framed prescription sunglasses with my pyrate garb....I catch some flack about it at times from the "authenticators" but tough crap, I can't see otherwise in bright sunlight...didn't they have tinted glass during the GAoP?....whatever...

[Rumba Rue]

My companion Boats, bought those fold up glasses (the ones where the ear pieces fold) from Jas Townsend and then took them to an optomitrist and had them made into bi-focals and turn dark in bright light.

It cost him a bit, but for him it was well worth it. Everybody always comments to him how much they like his glasses when he wears them.

They may not have been made in the Golden Age of Piracy, but they are as close as possible within the means of us today to use.

[Durty Mick Moon]

Thank ye, Rumba, I ordered them yesterday....we'll see how they work out.....

[Jib]

I few items I have found handy include:

A leather 'jack' strap to hold a drinking vessel on the belt.

A pouch for items like treasure, spy glass, astrolabe, and pirate related items that I let patrons see. I also keep a second pouch for car keys, sun block, cash, and other personal items.

A baldric to keep the weight of the cutlass off my hip and on my shoulder.

A spare bandanna. When one gets nasty I can switch. Also handy for a quick clean up on hot sweaty days.

Ornamentation: Big ear rings, pins, rings, gold chains, ribbions, favors, etc.

[Patrick Hand]

A spare bandanna. When one gets nasty I can switch

Aaaaargh I likes th' sound O' that............. when ye gets nasty.............aaaargh.

[Gentleman of Fortune]

Since the "season" for playing pirate is only a few month away, now is the time to get started on your kit!

GoF

[Rumba Rue]

Well dang, if I could figure out how to stash all the guys I like here and put them in my kit until I needed them, I'd do it!

[Ace of Harbor Bay]

A few months away?

I don't remember the time fer playin' pirate ending!

[Rumba Rue]

Ah Ace, ye ol' scoundrel, ye can play pirate with me anyday!

[Capt. Sterling]

If you have money to spend, you can find folks to make the stuff for

you. The problem here is that for our period, I don't think that

there is anyplace (or any website) where you can go and,

I do reproduction clothing and have been doing it on and off since the late 70s. I am currently operating as The Historical Tailor, Fine Reproductions of Historical Garments, Functional Clothing not Costumes....

I highly recommend that my customers purchase Reconstructing History patterns as part of my service.... I can and often have worked off of original garment diagrams like Norah Waugh's Cut of Men's Clothes or Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion, BUT Reconstructing History's GAoP series is just as good, if not better as they help save the additional cost and time in creating a custom pattern for each customer... Why reinvent the wheel each time when Kass has supplied such truly wonderful patterns. I do believe Reconstructing History does garment making as well....

Hector

[Bloody_Mary_Bonney]

Mary's Top Ten

I just got some new garb so this will be fun...

1.) Clothing now this is going to be broken into sub- catagories

a.First is always for me the Chemise its got to be simple usually white cotton or natural muslin... I dont really care for the colored chemises, it's never looked right to me.

b.Next is in the dressing is a corcet it get a nice shape.

c.After that i put on me bodice, simple black ties up the front bodice that adds a little more suport.

d.After that come the skirts now I do believe i have three now... yeah i should the only reason i do three is cause i want to do a pinning design with multilayers that and i tend to freeze my arse off.

2.) Next for me would be the shoes, I have a cute pair of boots that i got a cute little pair for 60... may not be acurate but there cute damn it! Oh and i'm including stockings and garder belts in this as well. A nice sturdy pair of striped stocking though not period can be really fun. I always like to wear a garder belt with stockings cause i think it feels more sexy.

3.)Third on my list is always a belt to keep your stuff on. I have a simple belt that i tie with a celtic knott that hold quite a bit.

4.) Next for me is what i call the "Bits and Pieces" its what you put on your belt and what tends to make you, you... Once again sub catagories...

a.First there is my "Fox Box" its my "purse" that has a fox face on the front... My story is that i come from kind of a hunter traper family until i decided to head out to sea trying to make some money for myself, in that respect i use a lot of fur. This holds the not important stuff... money, cigs, lighter, phone, id's...ect.

b.Next is the excellent flog my boyfriend gave me for christmas... cause faire brings out the worst in him

c.After that is usually a Tail... Like i said i like using fur... I know I know I'm a killer.... dah dah dah my sister has already vowed never to hug me while in garb.

5.)Next is a bandana! cause it comes in so handy for cheap head gear

6.)Heres my weapons...

a.My bodice dagger "quickening"

b.My tiny pistol replica

7.)Feast Gear and a bag to carry it all in

a.One wooden bowel

b.One Wooden or metal fork or spoon

c.One Dirty canvas bag that you can sling over the sholder (if your freelancing that is if not keep that stuff at camp)

8.)Your Tankard! This is your message about you... lol I'm actually saving up for a new one that says swamp water on it... but right now mine a metal looking cup that says thank you.

9.)Nine is probibly a fan cause pirates are just so darn hot!

10.)My boyfriend, to guard me from all the weird guys.

Thats just about everything...

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

What? No-one carries a flint and steel? How did pyrates strike a fire for the BBQ? This is one of my personal favorites and the most watched demonstration at every event I do. Amazing how quck a crowd will gather when you break this out and make a fire without a match or a lighter!

Of course, you can use the lock of yer firearm to spark the tinder, but I'd say better to have one and know how to use it. Also, a small bottle of oil for yer fireams as well. a quick wipe during the day will prevent the rust from getting the best of you at the events.

Capt. Bo

[Bloody_Mary_Bonney]

Hmmm not to bad an idea

[CaptainJackRussell]

My Top Ten for this year:

1: Basic wear: Pants, boots, shirt, vest, sash

2: Overgarnment: Frockcoat or jacket, maybe a cape (depends on what the day lets to expect)

3: Belt with purse, bulletbag, knife, leather scabbard with spyglass (to spy for Rumba... ), bag for navigators tools

4: Hat. Normally a tricorn, sometimes my "captains hat", looks a little like Napoleon), normally I wear a bandana under the hats

5: Powderhorn or cartridge box, fittet with gun toolkit

6: Weapons. Cutlass or rapier, pistol, blunderbuss...(depends on what the day lets to expect)

7: Jewellery. Necklace, poison ring, whatever (except aztec coins), peasants ring

8: Tools. Belaying nail, flint and striker, thinderbox, marlin spike, knapping hammer, little bottle with cun grease and oil, a completely off-period small first aid kit including pills to cure the headache as a result of the evening before) etc., all stored in

9: Heversack, containing 8)

10: Dog. Gero, rosa or Anny (depends on what the day lets to expect)

Keep ye' powder dry,

Jack

[blackjohn]

What? No-one carries a flint and steel? How did pyrates strike a fire for the BBQ?

blackpowder... I carry a brace of lighters. :)

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

A waste of powder ? A brace of WHAAAT!?!

Capt. Bo

[Rumba Rue]

My top ten for my pirate kit: From a woman's point

1. Mad Jack

2. Rootbeer scnhapps(or however it's spelled)

3. Flask for scnhapps

4. Patrick Hand

5. Lots of acutraments-pouches, do-dads hanging from belt

6. Jewlery, lots of it

7. Tight bodices to push my delights up

8. Scented oils

9. Quick wit

10. Mad Jack

[CaptainJackRussell]

Schnaps, dearest lass'

(it's a german word )

Jack

[Bloody_Mary_Bonney]

soun ds like rumba's got the right kind of idea

[Gentleman of Fortune]

Now I realize that once you hit the "create post" button, the cat is out of the bag and you loose control of the content of the thread....

but....

The topic wasn't really what are the top 10 items in your kit?, but more along the lines of

Here are 10 things that someone new to pirate re-enacting should focus on when they are assembling their pirate impression....

But I find it interesting the things that are carried by the fine folks that frequent this establishment....

:)

GoF

[Fox]

...little bottle with cun grease and oil...

It comes in bottles now? I thought it had to be extracted manually

Amazing how quck a crowd will gather when you break this out and make a fire without a match or a lighter!

The same goes for a lot of period activities. <WARNING. Personal opinion follows, do not take offense> I've found that if you want to make the public smile for 30 seconds, maybe a minute, then waving a big sword about and saying "aaargh" will do the trick. If you want to keep them interested and entertained for 30 minutes then nothing beats some real period living skills: lighting a fire, cooking food, fixing something broken, writing a letter... the list is endless.