Scabard

[Pirate Petee]

Any one got any good ideas how I can make one of these.

[Patrick Hand]

If you'r not concerned about making it authentic, you can use aluminum stripping (they sell rolls of the stuff in hardware stores.... and it's inexpensive...) folded over the blade, trimed so it fits, and then cover that with leather.... a little glue will help to keep the aluminum lining from pulling out ..... not period, but it is quick and easy to make....

[callenish gunner]

scabbard for what sort of blade??? and do you have access to leather or to some hardwood and tools

[Skull pyrate Carter]

Wait, wait. Are we even sure pirates had Scabbards?

[Zephaniah W Nash]

Bad Carter, bad! No cookie!

[HarborMaster]

I like that aluminum sheathing. makes it alot more water proof as well as tough. I may try that.

I believe you could trace 1/4 " to 3/8" wider than the outline of the blade onto cardboard. I like a thin card board for most patterns concerning wood. Then lay your pattern out on 1/8" Luan (That is the wood that most interior doors are made from) You can cut this easily. two matching pieces. Then use the scraps 1 or 2 layers thick to build up the space for the blade.

I like to use contact cement ., but once you put the pieces together .,they are really stuck ! So line them up before you set them.

Then do your leather work.

[Pirate Petee]

CAn you get Luan at a normal Harwear store?

[Patrick Hand]

I like that aluminum sheathing. makes it alot more water proof as well as tough.

One of the problems with the aluminum sheathing is that it is kinda thin (you can cut it with scissors) so it will bend easily... so you have to straighten it out every so often..... but it does make a cool sound when you pull out your cutlass..... also it is realy easy to work with......

[Gentleman of Fortune]

actually... not a bad question Carter.....

see, you are being turned to the dark side.....

[Zephaniah W Nash]

Pirate Petee-

If not at a hardware store, then a lumber yard will usually carry it.

One full sheet may be more than you'd ever need, so any friends working in carpentry or any theatre trash would likely be able to get you plenty of scrap (us theatre lowlives build almost everything out of Luan these days).

[Captain Jim]

actually... not a bad question Carter.....

see, you are being turned to the dark side.....

I am fairly positive that the vast majority of on-board swords did not have scabbards. They would have been stored in trunks, barrels or racks pending distribution prior to and engagement. But that is only on board ship. Ashore would be a different matter, where one might not carry a sword anyway, just a knife and perhaps a pistol. If one were to wear a sword ashore, it would probably be a smallsword or something similar and that would have a scabbard.

[Gentleman of Fortune]

oh... no Captain Jim.... you could be accused of coming to the dark side here.

I hate getting into the realm of speculation, but on ships other than pirate ships, weapons like swords were not in the possession of the sailor until it was needed.

If it was needed, it would be in your hand, not in a scabbard.

I can't recall seing anything but a smallsword in a scabbard for GAoP.

Not saying it didn't exist, as we know that swords had scabbards....

This sounds like a job for Pirate Pete. If he could spare a couple hours from searching for boots, maybe he can find us a picture of a GAoP seamen wearing a sword in a scabbard.

GoF

[Patrick Hand]

I can't recall seing anything but a smallsword in a scabbard for GAoP.

GoF... that was too easy.... and your the one who posted them....

[Pirate Petee]

Thanks for saving me hours, Patrick. Back to the bucket.

[Fox]

And Carter thought it was a joke

But, as has been noted, if we're talking authentic then were swords carried that much ashore by the common seaman anyway? Nah, sticks and cudgels were far more common, loads of pictures of them. In my group we keep our swords for proper combat (like, killing pirates), and "camp" fights are usually with other things like axes, knives, and sticks. Two guys going at it with cudgels and knives can look REALLY good. Plus, sticks have all sorts of other uses.

I can appreciate that a sword-less pirate ain't no pirate at all at faire, but try carrying a stick as well - you'll thank me.

[Rumba Rue]

It may not have been necessary in the old days, but at faires, you must have all weaponry sheathed.

[Patrick Hand]

but at faires, you must have all weaponry sheathed.

But RumbaRue, what if I carry a stick like Foxe sujested ? What kind of sheath would I use for that....

[Pirate Petee]

Wasn't it Roosevelt that said something about a big stick.

[Patrick Hand]

Petee..... this might get interesting for Ojai.....

a buncha Pyrates quoting Ol' Teddy, with Peace bound Big sticks.......

[Pirate Petee]

Petee..... this might get interesting for Ojai.....

a buncha Pyrates quoting Ol' Teddy, with Peace bound Big sticks.......

Oh man Am I laughin. so hard right now, I gotta go to the head.

[Gentleman of Fortune]

Ok, ok, you got me....

I guess I should have been a little more specific.

What I meant was

Take a look at this.

From Foxe's Pirate Pics

Above we have a picture of Woodes Rogers and his crew at Guayacil 1712 conducting a raid. Common Pirate wisdom has it that Pirates were loaded for bear with all kinds of weapons everywhere they went.

However, a contemporary picture of pirates actually doing pirate things and what is distinctly absent....???

Anyone.....?

Anyone.....?

Yes, thats right. Weapons.

The only thing that we see that would be considered a weapon is.....????

A stick! Look on the right side, laying on the floor above the tricorn.... a stick!

Now the pictures of Bonney and Teach are "set pieces" or almost portraiture... and they do show scabbards I admit...

But here is another

again from Foxes site.

This is Antis' Crew from 1725 Johnson. We see muskets aplenty, but no axe's or swords or even Beer mugs hanging from baldrics....

And lastly, from Foxe's site

Here are some Bucanneers circa 1700. Now, we know they were hunters, and this is what we see them wearing, hunting equiptment. Muskets and knives, but no swords.

I am begining to think that, though pirates may have been able to own/keep their own weapons of choice, they might not have carried them around with them all the freakin time like many suppose.

Foxe may be on to something with his stick and cudgel thing. We pretty much know that there was no training of sailors with swords or firearms until well after the GAoP. Gilkerson states that most shipboard fighting was wild melee with eveyone seeming to go for headshots, leading us to believe that they were really not that familar with sword use and thus, in non ship-to-ship combat situations, going with something more familar, like a club/belayin' pin/stick, would make sense.

Just a thought.

GoF

[Patrick Hand]

The stick idea does sound like fun....

Something that bothered me about the last two pictures..... where are their cartradge boxes? how did they reload their muskets?

I don't think Pyrates carried their weapons all the time.... when we played on the Royaliste, we took off our weapons...(unless we were shooting at someone) they just got in the way.... (and the same is true of large brimmed hats…..)

[Ace of Harbor Bay]

True enough Patrick! I'll be crewing next weekend on her and won't be wearing my baldric or guns.

Hard to squat down behind the rail and belay a line with that stuff stabbing yer gut.

Also when the battle begins I will be hanging over the side of the ship loading charges as fast as I can and that sort of thing would end up overboard for sure.

I will however be wearing my BOOTS! (and a knife on the belt)

They do tend to protect one's lower legs from nasty powder burns and they don't get in the way at all (contrary to popular belief). Heaven help me if I went overboard, but with more than a couple of years experience climbing all over her, I'm not that concerned.

Oh yeah...and what do you load the cannons with? A BIG STICK!

[Rumba Rue]

Pirates carrying big sticks....hope they are men. I just love a man with a big shtick....

[Patrick Hand]

Petee... I checked out a book from the library on making canes....... now I gotta go out an harvest some good sticks....... let them sorta kinda dry and season...... (cheating on this part.... they need a full year to be right)..... Ojai will be to soon for them to season.... but awh heck close enough.......

Aaaargh.... Pyrate (males.... just so Rumba can think bout it) with Big sticks......

(It all depends on what I can find...... but still sound like fun.....)