• GrouchyGrouse [he/him]
    ·
    2 years ago

    I read a book about pirates when I was a little kid. The one thing I remember is that he was always putting shit in his beard to look more fierce. Like red ribbons to simulate blood in his beard.

    Then one night he decided (probably drunk as a lord) to put candles in his beard so the glow would light up his face. Which promptly set his beard alight and he never did that again.

    I mean this was like a book on pirates for kids so grain of salt apocryphal etc.

    Still funny as fuck to imagine. Oh and he was reported to carry a shit ton of guns. Pistols on pistols. Like 8 pistols and a cutlass or two when boarding an enemy ship.

    • Nakoichi [they/them]
      ·
      2 years ago

      That last part is probably true those fuckers took forever to reload. Way faster to just drop them and draw another.

      • GrouchyGrouse [he/him]
        ·
        2 years ago

        Oh absolutely. I think the Polish Winged Hussars carried several pistols for that reason as well. Have you ever seen Treasure Island? Specifically the one from 1991 or 1990 with a very young Christian Bale as Jim Hawkins. They used the long reload for a great suspense scene. Jim tries to shoot the pirate Israel Hands but his powder is wet from swimming to the ship. So he climbs the rigging while the injured pirate chases him. He climbs all the way up to the crow's nest and reloads only bringing his guns to bear at the last second and shooting him in the face.

        Also a point about those old pistols. The reason the handle is shaped like a club? So you could club a motherfucker in the dome in a melee. Wild times call for wilder solutions.

        I've actually thought about buying a flintlock pistol just for the fun of it but due to all the misfires I really think if I ever have the cash to blow on a non-practical weapon I'd go with a black powder pistol that uses percussion caps. Like one of the old 1851 Navy Colts.

        • Nakoichi [they/them]
          ·
          2 years ago

          Obligatory recommendation to watch Black Sails also (a prequel to Treasure Island)

          • GrouchyGrouse [he/him]
            ·
            2 years ago

            oh damn its about Cap'n Flint? maybe I do need to get into that, Treasure Island was my jam both book and movie as a kid, I even have a soft spot for Robert Newton

            In the 1950 Treasure Island they all say "amen" but he says "arr men" shit still makes me laugh

            • Nakoichi [they/them]
              ·
              2 years ago

              It's also about the origin of Long John Silver and the music fucking slaps so hard and it features Teach and Calico Jack as well. Nassau is depicted as a proto-anarchist society and the whole show is incredibly gay.

              • GrouchyGrouse [he/him]
                ·
                2 years ago

                That theme is right up my alley, damn I need to indulge my inner kid and get on that shit. Thanks for the recommendation.

                • TheCaconym [any]
                  ·
                  2 years ago

                  I can only double the recommendation of the poster above; it's a great show to binge.

          • HamManBad [he/him]
            ·
            2 years ago

            It's such a great show, my only gripe is that I felt like the ending didn't really tie into treasure island as much as I'd hoped. It's really just its own great story with characters borrowed from the book.