Pirate swords and weapons

[M ELEY]

Yes, an amazing find and as you noted, a great tourist draw. Living here in NC, piracy has always been a popular subject! The QAR became stuck on the shoals and Blackbeard moved all of the gold to his other ship ( ), burning this sloop to the waterline. At least a lot of interesting artifacts have come out of the wreck, including a tin syringe that probably held mercury to stave off syphilis (I won't go into horrid details about where the syringe was actually inserted!). This medical device was probably one of the artifacts handed over to Teach by the citizens of Charles Towne (Charleston,SC), when the sea dog held that settlement's harbor for ransom. The price, a chest full of pharmaceuticals to treat his sickened crew!

So you know the mayor, Rick?

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

...including a tin syringe that probably held mercury to stave off syphilis (I won't go into horrid details about where the syringe was actually inserted!). ...

you know that thing in your head that keeps you from saying things?
mine is damaged

you'd be surprised what can fit. i had a bladder stone a few years ago, during the diganostic phase, they stick a telephone pole with a TV camera on the end up the same place and you can see the little devil on a tv screen. they squirt a local anesthetic in 1st tho. rather unusual sensation.

later, they use a slightly larger version when they crunch up the stone with a laser & yank the pieces out. thankfully under general anesthethesia so you don't know what horrors are going on down there, at least until you wake up & take your first red wee.

p.s. - the initial telephone pole was probably about the thickness of a pencil.

[Jim McDougall]

Indeed, it has been a most phenomenal realization in the most recent studies of these pirates, Blackbeard in particular, that the romanticized notions are very different than what they were really like.

Blackbeard, and probably a number of his crew were suffering from a number of STD's from their depredations, with Mr. Beard having been quite the womanizer possibly the most prevalent. His actions in these last days sought more than treasure..medicine.....and these horrendous tools and 'medicines' were his primary goal .

The Queen Annes Revenge as has been discussed has been mostly recognized as the wreck there in this location, however as always thee is some skepticism. In the early days after its discovery, I developed a line of communication with one of the divers, and of course my main objective was to find swords. It became a long standing gag between us that they kept finding cannon, but no swords. Of course, as the ship was abandoned, the prospects for anything as portable as a sword being found were negligible.
I do remember in later years, the 'politics' in the project became quite an issue, and my contact left the project.

It is always unfortunate that those of us who find vicarious adventure and historical excitement in these finds often end up disappointed as the usual traits of such things are tainted by commercialism and other circumstances which become necessary to support them. Still, we hold dearly to whatever measure of truth and reality can be preserved amidst the flotsam.

[M ELEY]

Amen, Jim, to controversy when it comes to wreck diving, claims on who owns it, authenticity. Glad to hear from you, Jim. You have a PM-

[kronckew]

Things come back to haunt you. My earlier page 1 post of a brass gripped pirate sword Jim thought might be Chinese is sort of confirmed. I'll post it in a new thread.

[David R]

A genuine and accredited Pirate sword I have, and one of the true prizes of my collection. (original vendors pic).

[werecow]

Originally Posted by David R

A genuine and accredited Pirate sword I have, and one of the true prizes of my collection. (original vendors pic).

Nice beladah belabang / parang nabur... I like this blade type. Reminds me of the Michiel de Ruyter nimcha.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by David R

A genuine and accredited Pirate sword I have, and one of the true prizes of my collection. (original vendors pic).

This was a fantastic thread!!! and so good to see again.
I had not recalled these parang nabur, which were of course quite probably used in 'the pirate round' as they were distinctly of cutlass type.

Can you say more on provenance and proven pirate assoc?

Well understand this being a prize in any collection!!

[David]

Originally Posted by David R

A genuine and accredited Pirate sword I have, and one of the true prizes of my collection. (original vendors pic).

Indeed a lovely beladah belabang and i understand why you prize it. But what makes it an accredited "Pirate Sword". Accredited by whom. Do we have actual historical references pointed to the use of these swords by pirates in the region. I ask not to be confrontational, but because i would like to know.