Historic Replicas

A Pirate flintlock is more than just a fabricated weapon: it is the reproduction of a weapon that existed sometime in history, and appears just as the original did when new. Too many replicas do not fit that definition, but if you look carefully online you will be able to find true replicas of pieces that can be viewed in museums, or that have been known to exist.

Flintlock pistols are especially sought after by those that either take part in reenactments, or that collect pirate flintlocks or pirate swords of various kinds. However, before discussing that let’s have a look at how flintlock pistols work. It is the firing mechanism that is referred by the term flintlock. The cock, or hammer, was fitted with a tightly held blade of flint and then drawn back to the half-back position, known as half-cock.

You might have heard this term before – it is common in England in particular for an action that is carried out without thought and with no chance of success. That is because a hammer at half-cock is in a safety position, and cannot be fired if the trigger is pulled. With the hammer safely at half-cock, the black powder was loaded into the pirate gun, normally down the barrel via the muzzle (muzzle loading) and then the ball, twisted in a screwed up piece of paper or cloth.

The Blunderbuss was commonly used as a defensive weapon on British, French, and American warships to repel would-be boarders. Most of these weapons are mid-sized, being smaller than most shoulder-fired arms, but larger than a pistol. Although fitted with a butt, the dimensions suggest that most were not really intended to be fired from the shoulder and were instead fired from the hip.
The compact dimensions of a blunderbuss would facilitate use in small spaces (e.g. on a ship, or in a house) and would also make storage easier.

For those requiring an even smaller weapon, blunderbuss pistols were also produced, though these are now less common pirate replicas. The blunderbuss was in use in the 17th century, and is the weapon most commonly pictured in the arms of the Pilgrims. Flintlock blunderbusses were also used by Catherine the Great’s forces during foreign wars to expand Russia’s territory.

Few historical figures are more romanticized and well-known than pirates, the swashbuckling outlaws of the high seas.  With their black flags, pirate swords and flintlocks, their story is a rich and longstanding tradition that began folklore and gradually became the province of popular literature and Hollywood movies. In 1882, Robert Louis Stevenson wrote and released his classic Treasure Island, a spirited tale of pirate Long John Silver, plucky young adventurer Tim Hawkins, and their quest for buried riches. 

At first, the story foundered on the pages of Young Folks magazine, receiving lukewarm reviews and reader response.  Finally, in 1883, it was published and sold as a book, and the world took notice. The young Scottish novelist thrust pirates and their exploits into the public eye, and they have been a cultural obsession ever since, epitomized in our own time in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise- with dozens of pirate replicas being sold.  Furthermore, Stevenson almost single-handedly created the images of pirates that captivate popular imagination.  When most of us picture a pirate, it is Stevenson’s 18th century adventurer, with wooden leg, parrot, and cryptic treasure map, that we see.  

    Trying to make a Roman tunic yourself?

If you are intending to dress as a Roman, therefore, you will need a Roman tunic.  It is immaterial what type of Roman you will be dressing as since they all wore tunics.  There is no reason why a woman cannot also wear a shorter man’s tunic, although it was not traditional.  However, not many people will be aware of that so you and your partner should get away with dressing as twins!

If you don’t want to try that, then do as the Roman nobility did and purchase one.  Everything from Roman replicas to real Roman designs are available to purchase online and are available in a number of sizes.  They are not only essetials if you are involved in the forementioned reenactments, but also if you are attending a function with a Roman theme such as a Saturnalia or similar form of Roman feast.

Roman tunics

were not only worn by the men,  although a woman’s tunic was a lot fuller than a man’s, and was generally full length down to her ankles.  Women, of course, did not go to war in these times, at least not in the Roman army, and their dress was therefore more suited to their duties, which for a patrician lady would be very few since they had slaves to carry out all their work for them.If you want to try it yourself, a tunic is simple to make, and you could almost do it using a large pillow case, or bolster. Alternatively, do as the Romans did and simple cut two pieces of material into identical shapes and sew them together at the sides, and at the shoulders, but cut it long enough to go past your knees once it is belted round your waist.  Although the traditional material was wool, that is only because that was the most common fiber available to the Romans. You can use cotton or any other material, but make sure you can dye it red if you are using it as part of a Roman soldier’s uniform.

If you are involved in reenactments, particularly Roman or Greek, then the tunic will be an essential item of clothing irrespective of what type of person you are representing:  it was worn by soldiers and generals, slaves and senators.  The rest of the clothing worn was generally used to indicate class, with togas worn only by Roman citizens, and different embellishments of it distinguishing the various classes.  The Romans were a very class conscious community. The emperor wore a purple toga with a laurel wreath on his head.

If you are considering theme-decorating a room in your home, which is very popular at the moment, a Roman theme would not be difficult to achieve.  Your dinner parties would be the talk of the town, especially if you were wearing a Roman sword and tunic Or, if you have a military leaning, a tunic, a Roman helmet and a Roman soldier’s uniform. The tunic appears to have been the basic garment in ancient Rome, worn underneath the outer-garments. 

October 31st- Halloween - Time to prepare your knock out outfit.

If you have any intentions of dressing up as a Roman soldier, then the first article of clothing that you will need will be a red tunic (see my previous posts on the history of the Roman’s red tunic).  The Roman tunic will be the base over which all other pieces of clothing will be worn, so it is an absolute must have. 

Next you will need to wear a good set of armor.  The Lorica is the metal breast plate that protects the chest and abdomen areas.   The most common form of the lorica segmenta armor is the piece that has overlapping metal plates helping to cover every inch of the flesh.  The next essential piece that you will need to invest in is a proper Roman helmet, which can be with or without a crest and plumes (think legionnare helmets).  You could also wear leg and arm protection, although this is not strictly necessary unless you are actually involved in fighting.

Here is an interesting source that I found for background on Roman Helmet, particularly legionary armor.  http://www.roman-empire.net/articles/article-006.html

Halloween will soon be upon us so I decided to talk about easy to make historical costumes.  Today I will start with Roman/Greek period pieces, beginning with the roman tunic.

The origin of the sterotypical red Roman tunic is an interesting one.  Greeks, specifically the Spartans, were known for wearing the color red into battles so that their opponents would never see them bleed.  It is quite an ingenious idea really, so it is not surprising that the Romans soon adopted the same tradition.  Before going into battle, the Romans issued red tunics to their soldiers to be worn underneath the Roman armor.  Soon thereafter, the English chose the exact same color for their military forces.  I am sure that the average British soldier had no idea that their famed name of ”Redcoats” had orgins back to ancient Greece and Roman replicas.

Historically, the Roman tunic was made from two long pieces of wool, on equal length, sewn together on either side and at the shoulders.  The tunic was then belted with cloth, roping or leather to create the look we all see in the Gladiator movies. The materials for the tunic were typically undyed for everyday use, but when worn by the Roman soldiers, the wool was stained a bright red to be worn into battle.  A very interesting fact is that the higher the social status of the wearer, the finer the wool.  The highest diplomats in ancient Rome, the senators, doned purple stripes on their tunics to display status.

Roman tunics are fun to wear and easy to make.  More talk on how to construct a Roman tunic and Roman solider costume to come.

People have been killing other people for as long as time. Ancient people didn’t need a machine gun or a grenade blaster to do the job; they simply gathered a couple things from around the house and got to work. We all know cooking oil can be commonly found in most homes, but what about dead bodies? In ancient times when there was no control for diseases and epidemics ravaged populations. In times of the plague for example, nearly every household had it share of dead bodies around.

Historical weapons may not seem practical to us now, but they worked like a charm back then. Boiling oil was commonly used to keep invaders out of walled cities. When soldiers feared rebels were nearing they would boil big vats of oil atop the city’s walls and when the invaders attempted to climb the walls the soldiers would pour the boiling oil on them.

Dead bodies were also used to prevent unwanted visitors into a town. Citizens would pile up dead bodies and use them as a wall. It worked quite well because even the most dedicated invaders didn’t want to risk contracting the plague or climbing over rotting corpses.

Many schools have a day when they allow kids to dress up as historical figures. Some common costumes include; Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Queen Victoria and Sacajawea. There are so many options; you should encourage your child to pick a unique costume. Kids may want to dress as a Roman warrior. And, if they do, parents need not worry much about costume. Keep it simple by using an old white sheet, a thick leather belt and sandals. Encourage your child to make their own costume. If they are dressing like a Roman warrior they can make their own roman shield by following these instructions.

1.) Gather cardboard, glue and some decorations.
2.) Cut your cardboard into a rectangle.
3.) Next take a small piece of the left-over cardboard (about 2-inches thick by 8-inches long) and glue it to the back of the shield. Avoid gluing the ends, or you won’t be able to handle your shield.
4.) Let your shield dry.