Best way to MAKE a flag?

[Tartan Jack]

This seems to be the place to ask this question . . .

I know many of you have made your own pirate flags. So, what is the "best" way to do it?

(I want a plethora of opinions on this one)

What is a way to make it "period"?

What works best "day-to-day," regardless of period correctness.

What is "easy"?

What materials have you tried and what works well? Awful? Works but is a PITA?

What "flutters well"?

What stands up well"

What about fading?

I make a lot of my own stuff already, but would like opinions on flag making.

I have started (but not finished) a flag based on modern "flag material." It DOES NOT look "right" to me, so I quit before I got even half way done.

What "looks good" to ya'll?

(I'm a southerner, if you don't like it, GO SIT ON A THISTLE!!!!! or SLEEP ON A BED OF KUDZU!!!!!) :)

[Patrick Hand]

SLEEP ON A BED OF KUDZU

You can't sleep in a bed of Kudzu..... the sound of it growing so fast would keep you awake.......

(I use to live in Tennessee... lots of Kudzu there......)

[Bilgemunky]

Don't you know anything - pirates don't make things, they steal them! So go out and find someone who already made your pirate flag - complete with your own unique jolly roger, and then take it.

Case closed - it's easy and fun.

Actually, I've never made a flag. If you want to go authentic, I say grab some fabric, grab some thread, and try it. I'll bet actual pirates didn't have the best flags their first time around either. And by the time you make your third or fourth, you'll be an expert

Nothin' beats trial and error, I say.

[Blackbead]

A pair of me best mates made me flag fer me - they used something black and cheap, I think some kind of cotton and then they painted me skull and name on it. I'll try to put a picture of it on here . . .

Now I know this be cheatin' but they used a trick that if ye can get ahold of the necessarys it'll make yer job done easier. I put my logo on a clear plastic sheet and they tacked the flag up on the wall and used an overhead projector to cast the image on the flag afore they painted 'er. Worked like a charm and was extremely necessary 'cause the flag they made me was 4' by 6'. Not as big as they were 'istorical-like but it'll do fer me.

Blackbead

PS: Check out me website fer a picutre of me flag: www.Blackbead-jewelry.com

[Tartan Jack]

Thanks for the help.

I am planning to make several. One of them will be paint on canvas. I am planning on using artist acrylic (reinforced by the post on the POTC movie flags in the thread showing personal ensigns).

Does anyone know what kind of paint they would/could have used in GAoP (I have a knowledge gap on that point)?

Another will be white wool hand sewn on black wool. I "think" this may be more historically correct, but there really is no proof either way. I am only concerned it will not "flutter" well.

Yet another will be a design on a tartan base (not historical, but will look cool at highland games this year). I am not sure of the material yet, but probably white canvas or wool on a Carolina tartan base (in 100% cotton twill).

Let's say I have a large number of flags floating around in my head.

I'll post a pic when I have the tartan one at a games.

Thanks again,

[Gentleman of Fortune]

I think that the standard flag making materials for GAoP were probably wool bunting and silk.

Some of the period flags at the Maritime Museum in London are made from wool bunting.

The trick is, wool bunting isn't made anymore. What it is, is a gauze like weave of worsted wool. If I recall correctly, the other tricky wicket is that GAoP era bunting was 2-ply warp (lengthwise threads) with single ply weft threads.

So even the 20th century wool bunting flags are single ply x single ply threads.

Sooooo.....

I am not sure that there is "the best way" to make a period flag. But there certainly is "a" way.

I am finding old wool bunting flags and "reconfiguring" them to be pirate flags.

This may be a historic approach, since a ship at sea in the 1690s didn't have a Pirates-R-Us to visit to buy a standard flag.

When Foxe's book finally comes out, we might even have a better idea of the range of colors and markings on legitimate pirate flags.

Greg aka GoF

[Tartan Jack]

I spent HOURS today looking at old threads (and trying to get used to this site "search" engine).

A decent thread worth noting:

https://pyracy.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=337&hl=

Also, Foxe had a number of good comments in the last couple years.

I am looking forward to his book (or at least an expanded version of his site). I'd LOVE to see more of the 100 or so ones he has found described.

As for patterns, this one was interesting:

https://pyracy.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=6177&hl=

Also interesting:

https://pyracy.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5539&hl=

[michaelsbagley]

As for materials...

It may not be perfectly period accurate, but i was at a fabric store yesterday, and they had a 100% wool material that was gauzey and of a loose weave... On seeing it I instantly thought of the various discussions on flags and flag making on this forum. I forget the name of the fabric (I should have written it down), but essentially the fabric in question was to be used (marketed as) as a 100% wool backing for quilts.

Now here's the kicker, said fabric was on sale for $2.99 per yard (and is in the 54 to 60 inch wide range).... No, I didn't buy any (I was there for fabric for garb which I got in abundance at a great price :) )...

The selection of colours was not great, but not bad either... I think there was about 6 to 8 colours... Heck, I'll even add a list (which not be accurate, as we've seen my memory is shoddy)

Black

White

Oatmeal (very much like natural unbleached linen colour)

Sky Blue

A pinkish red (and definately more pink than red)

Medium brown

Green (it was a lighter tone, but I didn't pay attention)

There was definately another colour or two... I just can't remember..

Having said all of that, I would be willing to help someone acquire said fabric, but I would prefer not to be hammered by a million requests... So if you would like my help with this, please work as groups... If anyone is seriously interested I could go back and get the name of the fabric as well as a definate list of colours as well... I think the fabric is a regular item at said store (at $7.99/yard and I do not know how loong the current sale will be on.

[Gentleman of Fortune]

Mike

Personally, I don't think its such a bad option until a 2ply x single ply wool bunting comes along

I re-read some of the threads posted above and wanted to chime in on something that Foxe had posted.

The topic was "Black" and he had mentioned that what we think "Black" might have been could have been dark grey, dark brown, dark blue etc.

I have several wool bunting flags whose configuration is listed as black and yellow, or black and white, and appear that way when looked at from a distance of greater than 5 feet or so.

But when you look at it closely, it really is a deeeeeep daaaark blue.

Historically, this may make sense as well, since it was probably easier and cheaper to dye something "blue" than to get a true black.

Greg