Pirate News

The Original Buccaneers

Across history n' the world o'er there have been many who be dubbed "Pirates!" Sometimes ye will have regional varieties that be immediately identifiable by an age old nickname, such as the Barbary Corsairs. Fer Caribbean Pirates ye would likely hear the term Buccaneer. It's certainly popular enough that arrr own Tampa Bucs use it fer their sports team!

Buccaneers have incredibly humble origins, they did not start out as cut throats n' rogues. In the early 17th Century Hispaniola was home to many French hunters who had no land of thar own, who made their living huntin' n' barbecuing wild boar n' other creatures. Thar Smoke Huts were referred to as boucanes, where they cooked all of the meat they harvested from the local wild life usin' Native Caribbean techniques. Effectively they cooked the predecessor to Jerked Meat, as well as Jerky!

Off the coast of these wild islands the "Boucaniers" would see Spanish Treasure ships returning to Europe with New World Riches, as well as the raiders n' early Caribbean pirates that would prey on their cargo. The hunters sold their meats to the pirates n' it didn't take them too long for many o' them to teach the pirates to cook Buccaneer style, n' for the Hunters to learn how to be Pirates!

Usin' thar small sailin' vessels meant to deftly navigate Caribbean islands they learned to creep aboard Spanish merchant ships n' became natural enemies of the Empire. O'ertime the Anglicized word Buccaneer became synonymous with Pirate or Privateer regardless o' nation.

Fer much o' the 17th Century Hispaniola became a large point o' contention between these Buccaneers n' the Spanish. One o' the most popular pirate havens, Tortuga was on a small isle off the northwest coast of Haiti, it was a popular hangout for French Buccaneers!

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The Convenience of Pirate Fashions Outfits

The easiest way to build a Pirate Fashions Outfit is by simply goin' through arrr pre-arranged combinations of arrr various garb n' gear! Fer Example: Take a look at the Port Royal Lady Captain Outfit!

Like all of Arrr outfits the Lady Captain neatly lists all of the recommendations we make when assembling yar clothing. Ye could literally scroll down the list n' add each item to yar cart o' loot on one page. Everythin' we recommend comes from arrr own experimentation aboard arrr ship n' workshop.

The Port Royal Outfit consists o' the Godiva Coat, a Buxom Bodice, a Thick Leather Pirate Belt, a Reversible Tortuga Skirt paired with a Lacy Duchess Skirt, Lady Buccaneer Boots, n' a Tortuga Blouse.

The only part that requires thought be the colors n' sizes o' what ye be choosin', but yar safe bet be contrasts with flashy colors! Ye will also need to choose yar accessories, but most of Arrr Outfits come with visual inspiration so ye will not be left alone at sea!

Browse all o' arrr outfits n' see how easy it is to assemble your Buccaneer Regalia!

http://bit.ly/2oRgzjX

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Pirate Fashions Outfits

Whether ye be a seasonedpirate or a first-time adventurer. Allarrr Adventurers should learn about Arrr Pirate Fashions Tier System!

The first Tier befer First Time Pirates n' Wenches! Itbe an affordable outfit n' a good foundationfer yarpiratey endeavors! Both male n' female variations come with the basics: a top, a bottom n' a midriff piece such as a bodice or sash! These outfits run from $100-$200 typically.

The second Tier be an intermediate outfit! Ferarrr pirates n' wenches lookin'fer an upgrade from the first Tier ye will find awaist coat,footgear, leather goods, skirts, hats n' basic weapons. Thisbe the Officer Tier when ye begin to establishyar clout as an adventurer, n' it typically runs at $200-$600.

The third n' final Tier befer the Captains o' the Ship! This be the tierfer elaborate Frock Coats, Corsets, Boots n' a greater stash o' weapons! Though itbe an advanced tier, there be no reason ye can't add ontoyar Officer's Outfit! Sailors spend between $400-$1200 on a Captain's Outfit.

To make it even easierfer ye to find the outfit ye be lookin'fer we have two distinctive styles. A Gentleman can be Fancyfer a day ashore or Rough like the seas! Both fit neatly into the Tier System but establish a distinct aesthetic. Ye could have a Poor Rough Captain n' a Fancy Seaman.

Fer Arrr Ladies o' Fortune we have a Proper Look or a Sexy Lookfer Tavern Hopping or attendin' the Governor's Ball! Regardless ye will be drawing the attention of many a rogue, friend or foe! Pickin' a style will help ye find what ye are lookin'fer more quickly in an easy to understand manner.

Usin' the Categories n' Style System ye are well onyar way toyar first pirate outfit or upgradin' yourself for a new adventure!

What ye see here isarrr "outfits" and not costumes. Instead of going with a cheap Halloween costume for one night ye have chosen the garb of a movie star or a high seasadventurerhttp://bit.ly/2jm8FuP

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Pirate Waistcoats n' Vests

The Waistcoat be the one item o' Pirate Clothing that separates the swabbies from the officers n' veterans o' the ship! They also be fine coats to have in yar wardrobe when the weather is heatin' up. A frock coat is the best pirate coat, but when plannin' for comfort AND style, we recommend one of Arrr Waistcoats or Vests.

The vest was a standard item o' clothing throughout the 1400's n' well into the 1900's as formal attire. The waistcoat itself was common from the 1600's to the 1800's. The rule fer telling when a waistcoat is from usually revolves around its length. The earliest versions of proper waistcoats were long, stretching down to the calves. But overtime ye can see them get shorter n' shorter. Durin' the later portion o' the Golden Age of Piracy the coats would go down to the mid-thigh, or possibly shorter.

In the late pirate era, waistcoats evolved into Weskits, which barely stretched past the hips. From there we get the normal vests that come about in the 1900's. Fer all yar piratical purposes, check out the Pirate Fashions selection o' Waistcoats! http://bit.ly/2nMXVfH

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Henry Every: The Pirate King

To be dubbed the "King of Pirates" is no small feat! To achieve that ye would have had to operate in multiple oceans, execute the ultimate raid, develop a notorious n' legendary reputation, as well as live to retire with all of yar earnin's! Ye would also need to set off the World's first International Man-Hunt. So that's exactly what Henry Every did.

Though actively pirate fer only a brief period o' two years in the mid 1690s, Every was able to garner the public's eye, n' is believed to have influenced more n' more people to take up a life of piracy.

Originally he was an English sailor aboard a Slave Ship, but he and the other members o' his crew rose up against the Captain at the time n' renamed their ship, the Fancy. Rather than sailing fer the New World, the Fancy raided the West African Coast n' sailed fer the Indian Ocean, assembling a small squadron of ships along the way.

The goal for Every's fleet was to tackle the 25 Ship Treasure Fleet of the Grand Mughal on its way to Mecca via the Arabian Sea. It was believed to be the richest fleet in the world, surpassing many Spanish Treasure Fleets in the Caribbean as well as numerous targets taken around this same time frame around the world.

Both fleets focused on evading and separating each other, the result was a grand chase with numerous small naval battles over the course o' several weeks. Numerous pirates n' Indian sailors died during the raids.

At the end of the raid Every's fleet rendezvoused in French Madagascar and divided the plunder. Even the ordinary sailors each made roughly $125,000 USD, with an additional hoard of gemstones n' loot.

The raid destroyed diplomatic ties between India n' England, n' Every snuck off to the Caribbean evading the English Crown. The Crown set a bounty n' offered amnesty to any o' his crew for his capture.

By 1696, Every disappeared from all records n' any stories regarding his retirement years be taken with a grain o' salt.   

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Pirate Fashions offers FREE Shipping

We now offer FREE shipping on order of $200 or more fer the 48 contiguous US states for everything except the follow item categories: Black Powder Guns, Cases of Beads, and Swords (weapons over 18 inches long).  Sorry we can not offer free shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, US territories, APOs and foreign countries at this time. Those order that receive FREE shipping will be automatically enrolled to the Treasure Rewards Program.

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Pirate Fashions Swords

The Pirate Fashions Arsenal be stocked with many fine weapons! Chief among them bein' Arrr wide selection o' blades! We have three varieties o' swords fer ye to choose from: Battle Ready, Stage Combat n' Display.

Keep in mind maties... We avoid shippin' out o' the US like the plague due to trade regulations, even Arrr Replicas!

Fer those who merely need a decorative weapon we encourage ye to pick up a Display Sword. Most come with sharpened stainless steel blades, but these be purely fer show as they crack and snap easily. They still be a fine piece in a Pirate's Wardrobe, but ye have been warned! No sword fightin'!

Though much stronger, Arrr Battle Ready blades do not come to ye sharpened. They can be used fer sword fightin' but will break with extended usage. Pirate Fashions has two levels of Battle Ready swords ones made with a common 1045 Carbon Steel n' a much better 1085 High Carbon Spring Steel which be the stuff flintlock spring steel is made of.

The Top o' the Line Pirate Fashions Swords be the Stage Combat Swords, designed fer Theatrical Reenactments n' Stage Battles. These be heavy, thick blades- perfect fer extensive combat. They're guaranteed fer life n' we've never had one break! They be made from 5160 high carbon spring steel n' heat tempered, making them the most expensive type o' sword we offer, but also the most hardy!

Most Pirates need only grab a sheathed sword to intimidate a merchant crew to surrender, but in times o' battle the cutlass was an incredibly easy tool to use, though a difficult one to master. It was also short enough to make it maneuverable within the confines of a ship. Many sailors also used a very similar sword called the Hanger, but one weapon ye rarely saw was the famous rapier!

Rapiers were much too thin fer the tumultuous nature o' ship to ship warfare n' mass battle, bein' a much better sword fer a duelist.

Learn more about Arrr Swords on Arrr website! http://bit.ly/2nHUbYC

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Pirate Fashions Outfits

We've enjoyed outfitting the most daring rogues o' the Seven Seas, n' we love seeing how yer garb has fared- as do all who look to Fly the Black Flag.

Visit Arrr Gallery to see the Many Brethren of Pirate Fashions and email yar own photos to show us the kind of Pirate ye have become! All we ask is that ye identify yer weapons n' gear used in yar shots! 

Browse the Pirate Fashions Gallery n' see how other pirates have garbed themselves! Some be Gasparilla Goers, others have gone to festivals such as the St. Augustine Pirate Gather, the Ybor Pirate Pub Crawl, various Ren Fairs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Games n' even several Piratical Plays such as Treasure Island!

We be the Premier Pirate Outfitter and our 4,500 plus customers have all be fearsome rogues that stand out in the crowds! They be authentic, flashy and made with quality materials!

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A History of Tortuga

The settlement o' Tortuga has been featured prominently in Pirate Fiction o'er time, it's time to learn a little about this humble island! While Port Royal n' Nassau were much more prominent pirate ports, we shouldn't forget that Tortuga also has its own Pirate History.

Tortuga Island (Turtle Island) was a small island off the coast of Modern Haiti, orHispanola as it was dubbed in the Colonial Era. Allegedly, when Christopher Colombus sailed into the Caribbean in 1492, he saw the Island n' named it for its Turtle shell shape.

It picked up a small colony of Spanish settlers, but it was lightly populated until French n' English colonists arrived around 1625. The new settlers meant to make a life inHispanola but hadn't thought about the Spanish Military's presence. The Spanish occupied the Island, building a fort after they drove off the colonists. Whenever the military drove off one group of colonists another would appear somewhere else onHispanola, causing Garrisons to shuffle around n' leave unoccupied fortsfer opportunists!

The French saw this n' stole the fort to gain a foothold in the area in 1630, they also shared it with English n' Dutch colonists. The island went through 10 tumultuous years of revolting slaves, Spanish invasions, n' more before "The Brethren of the Coast" made themselves an official organization. It was ashort lived group that the Spanish stamped out, but pirates began to call the island home. It was the Fourth and Final time Spain occupied the Island before England n' France reclaimed the territory in 1655. France removed the English citizens and maintained a hold until 1676 when the island was abandoned.

Throughout the 17thCentury pirates would spring up from Tortuga however. Henry Morgan drew a sizable contingent of French Pirates from Tortuga in 1670 for a campaign in Cuba. France let their pirates run amok, so Tortuga was an excellent place to stash treasure in the formerly Spanish Fortifications.

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Pirate Fashions Rifles and Muskets

Though not as popular in Hollywood as the pistol or cutlass, the Rifle n' Musket were an important part o' a Pirate's arsenal! WeArrrselves stock firing versions o' bothferyar own pleasure. Though we would be remiss to not tell ye about the differences!

A musket was an upgrade o' the Renaissance Era Arquebus, a shoulder fired weapon that was so heavy ye could only fire it effectively by usin' a stand o' it's own. The musket was a lighter weapon that began to appear in militaries as early as the 16th Century. It could also be fixed with a bayonet to convert it into a spear o' sorts. Though inaccurate they were an ideal infantry weapon, n' the range n' power they offered made them valuable aboard ships as well!

A rifle was a weapon that featured helical grooves etched into the barrel to spin a bullet as it was fired. Inturn this would make the shot more accurate. They were also lighter, but they fired a smaller caliber bullet than a musket (.50 Caliber as opposed to .69-.75) They were ideal among Hunters n' Sharp Shooters, but were expensive n' difficult to load so it never eclipsed the musket entirely.

Moving quickly a rifleman could fire 1 Shot per Minute as opposed to the Musketeer who could fire 3 Shots per minute. Fer a hunter or guerrilla fighter who needed to make every shot count, a rifle was an ideal weapon. Butfer a thrifty pirate or a government trying to bankroll an army the musket was more accessible, it could also be fired into crowds or used with other musketeers to deadly effect.

Aboard ships the Musketoon was popular. It was a shortened Carbine version of a musket that worked well for cavalry n' anyone fightin' in confined spaces!

Check out Arrr French Muskets! People may forget that the English n' Spanish weren't the only powers on the waters! The French were able to ship Muskets like these all around the world, n we make firing replicas just like them. http://bit.ly/2nzKv5u

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