Historic Replicas

Pirates and flintlocks go together like jam on toast, like fish to water, like steak and sauce! No self respecting man of the seas would have been caught dead without a proper pistol by his side. This pistols, flintlocks, are made in a variety of sizes, shapes colors.  Some are engraved with ivory, double barreled, etched with markings, made with antique brass or silver. Each one uniquely made, but what they all do have in common is the classic look of a long, lean pistol with flint trigger action and the ability to effectively target any shot. These classic pirate weapons are a neccessity for any pirate costume, and would make an excellent gift for any collectors.

Today’s pirate flintlock reproductions are pretty similar to the ones found in the 17th and 18th centuries. The most popular pirate flintlock pistol features a wood stock, detailed with skull & cross bones and a steel finish barrel.

This practical 18th century French pirate flintlock does not boast much decoration, except for the skull and crossbones embossed into the handle. In contrast to the lean look of a classic flintlock, there is also the blunderbuss. This huge, intimidating weapon was particularly adapted to ship-based combat, where loading a pistol in the middle of a ship raid wasn’t very easy. Move on blunderbusses to come…

Robin Hood is an outlaw of old English folk tales, which may or may not have a basis in actual events. Many accounts of Robin Hood, though not the very earliest, bear a striking similarity to accounts of the life of a Norman noble who was disinherited and became an outlaw and an enemy of the King of England.

In older legends the outlaw’s enemy is the local sheriff, but in later versions the sheriff is despotic and gravely abuses his position, appropriating land, levying excessive taxation, and persecuting the poor. In some tales the antagonist is Prince John, based on the image of John of England, who is seen as the unjust opposite character of his pious brother Richard the Lionheart. You never did see him using too many historical weapons, although I do remember stories where he carried a sword.  In the older version of the story, Robin Hood is described as a nobleman, the earl of Locksley, who was unjustly deprived of his lands. In other stories, he has served in the crusades, returning to England to find his lands pillaged by the dastardly sheriff.

In some tales he is the champion of the people, fighting against corrupt officials and the oppressive order that protects them, while in others he is an arrogant and headstrong rebel, who delights in bloodshed, cruelly slaughtering and beheading his victims. This tale changes a bit for more modern audiences. Undoubtedly he is the inspiration of many fantasy and renaissance costumes -and rightfully so.