Your Rig- knife and fid

[Hawkyns]

A day or two ago, someone posted (lost the thread, dammit) about your rig, being the knife and fid, that was a part of every sailor's kit and was attached by lanyards to the belt. Well, I've done a lot of looking through archeological finds from the sea, and I've yet to find a fid from the GAoP or earlier. Plenty of knives of various types, many with the wood hilt intact. Also, a good number of knife sheaths, but nothing that indicates a fid worn on the belt.

So the question, ladies and gentlemen, is this: was that rig worn in period or is it a 19th century idea? Any body have any hard documentation?

Hawkyns

[Gentleman of Fortune]

Nothing concrete here either... but along similar lines. I have also heard things like belaying pins were "ship" property. Those responsible for ship property would never let a seamen leave the ship with it...

If that is true, walkint around with a belaying pin strapped to you might not be the most authentic idea (unless you were aboard ship).

Maybe fids were ships property as well?

GoF

(I will hunt down the source of the above info and post it when i find it)

[JoshuaRed]

Yeah that would be like carrying the cupholder tray from your car with you around the mall!

[Fox]

Well, I've done a lot of looking through archeological finds from the sea, and I've yet to find a fid from the GAoP or earlier.

From Butler's Dialogues (though he was cribbing from arch-pirate Henry Mainwaring), circa 1634

Admiral: What is it that you here call a fid?

Captain: It is only a piece of iron made tapering and withal sharp at the end. But there are also fids of wood, which are much bigger than those of iron; though both are of one and the same use. ... There is also a certain kind of hammer called the fid-hammer, having a fid at one end, and a hammer at the other; together with a head and a claw, wherewith to drive in and pull out a nail.

I'm pretty sure that it's a fid hammer we can see to the right of the anchor in this picture of 1693

I find my fid hammer a really useful tool, kind of the Swiss Army Knife of its age, and the hammer head make a very good T-bar at the end of the fid, making it much easier to use generally.

Hawkyns, did you notice the info I posted on another thread about Tudor seamen's knives with "chains"?

[Monterey Jack]

I'm out of my depth here, so...

When did the marlinspike actually show up? In what ways was it different from a fid? They appear to have many of the same uses. Or did the Mspike evolve from the fid?

[Hawkyns]

OK, so they did exist. I thought they must have in some form, just never saw the ref. Question stll remains, though, were they ever belt worn?

Foxe- I did see that, thank you. At least I have one reference to doing right.

Hawkyns

[Fox]

Never seen a picture of a man with a fid at his belt. Seen some pictures that could be belt worn fids, but are probably knives. My fids live in my ditty bag, anything worn in the belt when it doesn't need to be in a hindrance.