Reviewing a Captain Jack’s Pirate Hat is always a treat. For one, it’s a safe bet I’ll be able to write a favorable review (certainly more fun than the alternative.) But also, it’s always a treat to bask in the details of the new hat in question. While nearly every hat by Captain Jack starts its life as a near identical round felt blank, and the initial structuring and weatherproofing (optional) remains reassuringly consistent; the variations in color, style, and accessories make for a mind-bogglingly diverse range of end-products.

The Captain Kidd style is a definite classic, with its upturned front creating a distinctive pirate look. Tricorns are can be worn by colonial soldiers, cavaliers can be worn by musketeers – but really, who but a pirate wears a front fold? Nobody, that’s who. And that makes the Captain Kidd really special.

For some events I like to get away from the “typical” pirate look of black boots, black hat, black heart, black everything, and so I opted to order my Captain Kidd in basic brown, along with a couple of custom embellishments (the black stripe around the edge, and the pheasant feather pin in the front.) As has always been my experience with Captain Jack’s, the hat arrived well packaged and in perfect condition. The fit was perfect, as was the craftsmanship. The oil/wax treatment wasn’t as tacky as it’s been in the past, although the hat was certainly well coated and should handily weather all but the worst of conditions. The only concern I had was the length of the pheasant feathers, which rigidly stuck out what seemed a full foot and a half to my left – I was concerned I’d blind anyone standing next to me if not careful. But this was easily remedied – I simply broke the feathers off at what I determined to be the optimal length. While at it I also ruffled them up a bit, and put some subtle and not-so-subtle cuts along the hat’s brim to lend the effect of this hat being a true combat veteran.

This has quickly become my favorite – and most often worn – hat from my Captain Jack’s collection. This isn’t because it’s inherently superior to the others – indeed, every Jack’s Hat I own is of the highest quality. But rather, it’s because its style best compliments one of my favorite pirate outfits. And this is perhaps one of Captain Jack’s greatest strengths – that each hat carries its own unique flavor and can create a wildly different effect depending on your clothing, face, and attitude. Purchasing a Captain Jack’s hat is more like acquiring a loyal sidekick than an article of clothing, and so I’d always encourage potential customers to think hard and choose carefully. You can’t really go wrong with a Jack’s Hat, but if you take your time and exercise some creative foresight you can select a hat that will convert a typical pirate look into one that’s uniquely extraordinary.

Jack Sparrow did much to open up the world of pirate merchandise. Prior to Jack, finding online retailers of quality pirate clothing was tricky at best. Since Jack, a little online research reveals dozens, if not hundreds, of sources for pirate clothing. But Jack was a double-edged sword – his commandeering of many pirate “staple” items (bucket boots, tricorn hat, dropfront breeches) has led many people to associate these items with pieces of a Jack costume, no matter what the color or who’s wearing them.

This truth is perhaps most starkly apparent with the common frock coat. Be it blue, grey, brown, or black, it seems that most any knee-length coat with cuffs carries a bit of a Jack Sparrow flavor about it. But what are we to do if our goal is to NOT look like Jack? Perfect Pirate may have the answer…

From earlier reviews, we already know that Perfect Pirate makes a fine Jack Sparrow frock coat. But with some newer patterns, they also demonstrate a talent for decidedly non-Jack clothing as well.

With their newest line of original frock coats, the most striking departure from the Jack look is the colors and patterns of the fabric. My own frock is made from a heavy, course-weave mustard gold, with trim in a black and gold tapestry. No one could ever mistake this look for a Jack Sparrow style, and the same can easily be said of the other pattern available at the time of this writing, which is a red brocade with gold trim. Either jacket lends the impression of a pirate more financially well off than the beloved Jack Sparrow – not quite a pirate king, perhaps, but at least pirate nobility.

But coloring aside, these coats also boast a pattern that is entirely different from a Jack Sparrow coat. This sort of detailing may not be appreciated by the average member of the public, but for true students of pirate clothing this sort of characteristic is pure gold. In essence, these coats are much simpler in cut than is Jack’s – gone is the pleating at the waist in favor of a much more basic, yet equally striking, split tail. Also the cuffs are much smaller, which is much more functional than are the oversized cuffs so often seen (and so often seen knocking drinks off the table, for that matter.) Speaking of functional, the pockets are exactly that, as are the primary buttons of the coat itself (pocket and cuff buttons are not functional, but chest buttons are.)

The only concern I would offer for this jacket would be the width of the sleeves – they’re a bit on the thin side, so if your arms lean towards the muscular or chubby, it might make for a snug fit. Even with scrawny arms such as my own I found the sleeves of my shirt uncomfortably grabbed at the inner lining of the coat, but this was easily remedied by unbuttoning my shirt sleeves and allowing them to harmlessly ride up my arms as I put on the coat – problem solved and perfectly comfortable.

I adore my Gold Pirate Coat, and it has become a staple of my “official” Bilgemunky garb. For anyone looking to seperate themselves from the Sparrow look-a-like flock, such a jacket is a definite godsend.

Dressing like a pirate is the easy part. Well, not really. But intuitively speaking, if you’re attending a costumed event, then you already know – more or less – several ways to go about expressing your inner pirate. The tricky bit is how to go about indulging your swashbuckling id when cavorting amongst polite society – neighborhood barbeques, work parties, and timeshare presentations. Of course, some folks will just say, “bullocks” and dress like a pirate anyways. But most of us would seek a more sophisticated merger of between our inner pirate and outer reality.

For years, t-shirts have been the mainstay for wearing your love of piracy on your sleeve (or more generally, your chest), while also dressing in acceptably modern fashion. But Seawolf Clothing has now taken a different tack with their run of “Caribbean Shirts.” And just what is a Caribbean Shirt? Think Hawiian shirt, but for (you guessed it) Pirates!

Seawolf Caribbean Shirts are available in two colors, each with its own pirate-based pattern (each focusing heavily on skull&bones, but with different accent art.) For the purpose of this review I selected the blue shirt, which features smaller monotone jolly rogers against a backdrop of carribean charts. It makes for a more subtle look that does the black shirt, which features larger, more colorful jolly rogers and various pirate phrases all around (booty! captain! pirate!) Which shirt to choose would depend on the personality of the wearer, combined with just how overtly piratey they wish to be.

Upon handling, my shirt was surpringly soft, yet also thick and durable feeling. The shirts appearance itself was as expected with its pirate pattern, but closer inspection revealed two surprising details. First, the buttons – rather than plastic – are actually carved from coconut, and read “seawolf.” And second, the pattern of the shirt blends perfectly with the pattern of the chest pocket, with each image and line of the shirt transfering seamlessly. It’s small details like these that can make or break a quality garment, and the Seawolf Caribbean shirts easily meet or surpass any expectations.

The one caution I would offer would be regarding sizing. With most t-shirts I comfortably wear a large. However, I was literally swimming in a large Caribbean Shirt, and so opted instead for a medium. The medium is a much better fit, although a small may have been even better. In short, they run big. And being as patterned shirts of this sort are anything but slimming I’d suggest that if you’re on the fence between sizes, err small.

I love the ability to dress in piratey splendor while also dressing “normal,” and Seawolf Caribbean shirts fit well into that mindset. If you’re likely to attend any luaus or other Hawiian-shirt-appropriate events in the near future, one of these shirts would be a fine piratey alternative to the more typical flowery sissy prints.

Yar.

The Bilgemunky Logo is a trademark of Bilgemunky Enterprises, LLC

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Pyrate Leatheworx
www.pyrate.org

*note: I adore and endorse the craftsmanship of Pyrate Leatherworx. However, I’ve received many reports of late from dissatisfied customer regarding poor communication and long overdue orders. Prior to placing an order based on this review, I strongly urge you to first read these comments from concerned readers.

The time had come.

Too many times I’ve attended pirate events, had a fantastic time, and then come home to grumpy emails from readers saying, “I didn’t know you were at [Pirate Festival]! I was there too – I’d have bought you a rum!” Now, I’m not the sort to walk up to everyone and say, “Greetings, I am Bilgemunky – perhaps you’ve heard of me.” (Actually, I’d gladly do this, except for the fear of them saying, “No – now please leave me alone.”) But I’m also not the type to pass up the opportunity for readers to buy me rum. What to do?

The answer, of course, was a new hat. But not just any hat – I needed a proper hat that declared to the world, “I am Bilgemunky, hear me roar (and if so inclined, buy me rum.)”

At the time of this writing there are only two hatcrafters that I would deem worthy of making such a hat – and I just happened to be drinking with the crew of one of them when I first had the idea (drinking rum I had purchased myself, I might add.) I mentioned my interest in such a hat, and we mapped out a rough sketch together. And a short, crikey-knows how many months later, a box arrived at my doorstep.

The hat is, in a word, glorious. Pyrate Leatherworx had captured the dream I sketched out, and turned it into a hat of unimaginable beauty. My request had been for a black, front-fold hat with feathers projecting at an angle from the center, and stradled by the Bilgemunky logo. And this they did in full – the logo was a perfect rendering (always a concern, as I’d have trouble if the logo looked at all “off”), and the feathers were a billowing cascade that could make any pirate look conceited and self-important. Pyrate Leatherworx threw in the additional touch of a white band around the trim, and the entire hat is lightly beaten and aged so as to look in great shape, but not too new.

The hat looked great, and it fit great. But did it work? I found out at PyrateCon, where indeed, more than one fellow pirate saw the Bilgemunky Logo atop my head and then ordered me up a rum. It was a wonderful, wonderful thing.

Of course, should you order a custom hat from Pyrate Leatherworx, I can’t promise it will have the same powers of attracting free rum. But I am certain you’ll get a glorious, unique pirate hat. And if you have a custom logo added, it will be artfully and accurately rendered, and thus allowing you to declare to the world your piratey identity (or failing that, simply declaring that you have a really nifty hat.)

The debate is never ending: Who’s better, pirates or ninjas?

Obviously I fall wholeheartedly into the pirate camp, and the reasons are many. I won’t bore you with the full list, but one of the key points is that as pirates, we get to customize our look to fit our own personal prefences. Where ninjas wear black pajamas, pirates can choose from a multitude of colors and styles with regards to their wardrobe. In this respect, Captain Jack’s Pirate Hats has been a longtime friend of pirates everywhere with their wide assortment of pirate hats in many cuts and styles, and in a seemingly endless variety of colors.

But should you be on the fence between pirates and ninjas, Captain Jack’s now has your back as well. Their new “Singapore Pirate Hat” boasts a strong asian influence that’s sure to turn heads in pirate and ninja circles alike. Made entirely of asian seagrass, folded into a distinctly oriental shape, and punctuated with a small feather assortment attached with an antiqued pin, this is certainly a hat like no other.

Like any piece of truly original clothing, the Singapore Hat requires some fearlessness and creativity to properly wear. Adding some additional asian elements to your pirate garb helps, and nicely lends to the impression that you’re truly a pirate that’s been to the ends of the Earth and back. Actually *being* asian may also prove helpful, but is hardly a requirement (and generally speaking, outside of our control.)

The festivals are full of Caribbean pirates sporting tricorns. Be bold – wear a Singapore hat to stand from the crowd and tell the world that you’re strong enough to bear a musket, yet nimble enough to pluck the coin purse from a Dutchman with a pair of chopsticks.

note: This hat is displayed on a skull hatstand, also available from Captain Jacks.

When it comes to period clothing, shoes are one of the biggest hangups around. For a true pirate reenactor (which I am not), the first challenge is just getting into the “shoes, not boots” mindset – boots would rarely have been worn by pirates, if we’re to be perfectly accurate. But even then, the trouble is just starting – historical shoes should be straight-lasted (meaning no left or right), have relatively large tongues and small buckles, be butt stitched, etc. etc. The sad truth is, there’s really no perfectly accurate shoe on the market for the golden age of piracy. There are many close-enough shoes for the casual pirate – some of very high quality. But almost none that would meet the standards of a true, dyed-in-the-linen historical reenactor.

For true period footware, the only real option is to have it custom made. There are only about three companies that do this, and two of them are in the UK. And considering today’s exchange rate, I opted to go with the third company, who happened to be out of Mississippi – C&D Jarnagin.

Jarnagin offers an “Early 18th Century Buckle Shoe” that is fairly close to what would be appropriate to a 1715ish pirate – with a few modifications. The shoes are already straight-lasted and have a considerable tongue – but I made the additional requests for a slightly squarer toe than normal (actually a personal preference) and reduced, 3/4″ latches. Most buckles you see on pirate feet these days are much too large, which is why I special ordered some more appropriate buckles from Gentleman of Fortune (an excellent site for anyone wanting to master the “proper” pirate look.) Jarnagin was happy to comply to my special requests – my emails were answered promptly, but briefly.

The first thing to remember when special ordering footwear is time – this is not a fast process. I ordered several months ahead for these shoes that I’d hoped to break in at Pirates in Paradise, and even then it was going to be close. But Jarnagin assured me they could do it. I measured my feet, placed the order, wrote my check and waited.

As Pirates in Paradise loomed closer, I began to feel nervous and sent some email requests for a status update. I was soon informed that my shoes were done, and “should” be there in time. I opted to forward a few extra bucks for expedited shipping, just to be safe. And indeed, the shoes arrived with a few days to spare, thus allowing me to work with them before heading off to the Keys. I carefully affixed my Gentleman of Fortune buckles and strutted my new shoes around the house.

Fit: Length and width-wise, these shoes were pretty much perfect. And yet my feet still slid all over the place. Soon I realized the problem was that no matter how tightly I chinched them down, I couldn’t make the shoes fully tight on my feet – I guess my feet are just to skinny. This was easily remedied, however, with a little experimentation. The final, working setup I found was to place some insoles, trimmed to be the front half of the shoe only. Then I wore a pair of thick period cotton socks over some smaller, moisture-wicking sports ankle socks. This combination made for a perfect fit – sort of. It seems that the design of these shoes is in many ways more like sandals than shoes – the latches, when buckled, tighted around the top of the foot, but can’t tighten around the ankle. This means that even when buckled down, my ankle was still fairly loose and free to wiggle about more than I’m accustomed to. This issue was exasserbated by my choice to use smaller latches. At first, this worried me. But I soon realized that there was no rubbing occuring, the shoes weren’t going anywhere, and they seems pretty comfortable – they fit differently than modern shoes, but in their own unique way, they seemed to fit just fine.

Appearance: As with any new product, these shoes out of the box didn’t look remotely piratey. But a little handling, working and curling of loose edges such as the tongue and latches, and just a touch of fine sandpaper soon gave them the weathered, used look befitting a pirate. Of course, they really began to look the part when seeing hard use in Pirates in Paradise, where all the sand, coral dust, and endless walking saw them endure a virtual crash-course in wear and aging.

Comfort: I honestly hadn’t expected it upon first trying them on, but these shoes are some of the most comfortable imaginable. I spent nearly a week at Pirates in Paradise, and wore them day-in, day-out. I was genuinely surprised when other participants began to complain of blisters – the thought never even occured to me, my feet were so happy (and the necessary addition of moisture-wicking socks likely only helped matters for me.) Never once throughout the entire event did my feet hurt.

In the end, I couldn’t be happier with my J&D Jarnagin 18th Century shoes. The looseness of the heel and ankle did concern me at first, but the final product after my tuning and tweaking fits like a dream. They were a good deal pricier than stock footwear, but for anyone who appreciates detail, they’re worth every dollar. Combined with Gentleman of Fortune’s period buckles (available in brass or silver), they’re about as close as you can currently get to the genuine article.

In the winter of 2007, I had my first opportunity to visit Pirates in Paradise in Key West. Not only was it my first time visiting this pirate festival – one that enjoys a reputation bordering on the legendary – but it was also to be my first amongst true pirate reenactors in their element. As such, I wanted to try my best to look the part of a historical pirate. Being as the bulk of my pirate work involves modern and pop cultural elements, the lion’s share of my pirate garb has greater or lesser degrees of Hollywood flair, which usually suits me fine. But for Pirates in Paradise, I wanted something a bit more down-to-earth.

I decided that a sailor’s short jacket might be a fine component to a historical outfit, and after some basic window (read that, online) shopping, I decided on the jacket offered by Reconstructing History. This company enjoys a fine reputation for making truly period-correct clothing, and I thought it high time I experienced their work first hand. They do offer unlined jackets as a stock item, but unlined items often feel incomplete to me – more of a costume than clothing – so I decided to special order. This resulted in a bit more cost, and the order necessarily took much longer to complete, but I felt I would be happier with the end result. The jacket I ordered was to be a custom tailored hemp sailor’s short jacket, lined with linen, and complete with aged brass buttons which I provided to replace the pewter buttons Reconstructing History generally uses (I prefer brass to modern lead-free pewter, being as brass tarnishes better and makes for a more aged & worn looking garment.) Also, because I’m always paranoid about jackets feeling too constricting, I requested the jacket be a bit on the large side. Reconstructing History was very helpful throughout the ordering process, answering all my questions, explaining the feasibility of my requests, and providing a completion date by which I could expect my jacket to arrive (essentially two months out.)

The jacket arrived about a week before the date I’d expected, which gave me ample time to wear it around the house and get accustomed to it before leaving for Key West. It was indeed roomy, and the length of the sleeves did give a slight impression that I was wearing my father’s clothes, but being as I’d requested the jacket be slightly large, I consider this to my own responsibility and not Reconstructing History’s. But not to fear, the design of the sleeves lends itself well to folding the cuffs onto themselves. This not only makes for a better fit, but also gives them a nice, swashbuckling flare.

The construction of the jacket appeared very solid, and the pockets were nice and functional. The design itself is very period, and would likely have been found on many pirates in the Golden Age, being as this was the sort of jacket issued to working class sailors of the day. My only grievance, and one that is essentially unavoidable with custom clothing, was the stark newness of the whole thing – this was a crsip, clean jacket that demanded some wear and weathering! More on that below.

All told, I found this jacket to be pretty first rate. It was comfortable and fully functional – a fine piece of warm-weather clothing. The only complaint a truly hardcore reenactor could offer would be that it’s not hand-stitched, but anyone that detail-obsessed is dangerously close to being certifiable. For those of us on the sane end of the spectrum, this jacket is perfectly period and can easily be a cornerstone for a fine historical pirate outfit.

Note: While in Key West, I had the good fortune to see one of Reconstructing History’s stock sailor jackets. This was essentially identical to my own, except it had no lining. Personally, I was very surprised to see how much a simple thing such as a linen lining improved the overall quality of my jacket – it held a much better shape, and indeed, felt a more complete garment. I definitely recommend forking out the extra cash for a lined custom, if you have the means.

Also note: I fully expect my sailor’s short jacket would have given me years of service straight from the box, but being the restless sort I decided to dye it and truly make it “my own.” You can read about the results at Bilgemunky’s Dye Adventure. I highly recommend reading of this experience prior to making your own initial dye efforts on this or any other historical garment.

To date, I’ve had the great pleasure of reviewing several Flying Canoe products – a shirt, some slops, buckle shoes, and even sailor’s bags. If I were to select one over-riding feature that they all share it would without question be durability. To a product, each has been made from heavy duty materials, and the stitching is amongst the strongest I’ve ever seen – wear points are even pre-patched and multi-seamed, just to make sure. I’ve reviewed many fine articles of pirate clothing from several manufacturers, and Flying Canoe remains the hands down winner when it comes to rugged tailoring.

The Flying Canoe sleeveless cotton waistcoat carries on in this fine tradition. Being made from a heavy canvas material, it does bear some notable stiffness when fresh off the rack – a few washings and wearings softened it up a bit. It then remains on the stiff end of the spectrum, but not overly so.

This waistcoat has two fully functioning pockets, each with a large scalloped flap and four buttons. These are actual, functioning buttons, so you can secure your valuables within (but it does take a minute or two to get it back out.) Truth be told, I’m a fan of Flying Canoe’s buttons – many plain face buttons on the market at lead free pewter, which tends to be rather shiny and boring. But these buttons have a nice aged feel about them – they look like they’ve experienced some weather, which is quite a plus in my book.

The back of the waistcoat is split, and has lace holes. The split is a long one, going from the bottom and up a full three quarters of the back. A lace was not provided, but any strip of leather will do fine. Personally I like the look this adds, but they do offer a non-split back on request. The inside of this waistcoat is virtually identical to the outside – same color and material, and all seams are finished. I actually put it on inside out once and couldn’t tell the difference until I tried to button the thing.

The Flying Canoe Waistcoat is everything I would expect from a company that has shown a trackrecord of making “battle ready” clothing. This is not a fancy king’s garment – lacy and flowing. Rather, this is for those who need to count on their clothes for many, many seasons of hard use. And I expect this waistcoat will live up to such demands admirably.

Always on the lookout for more clothing options for the pirate ladies (still the underserved segment of our population), I was excited to check out this blouse and skirt combo from To Be A Pirate.com. The skirt is their Ashaki, being a basic skirt with a jagged hem and widely adjustable waist (via drawstring.) To enhance the classy roughness of the bottom, it’s actually a double-layered skirt, allowing for a flowing, random look. The top is the Barbarossa blouse, with plunging, ruffled neckline and elastic cuffs.

Both items are made of a crinkly, flowy rayon – not the ideal choice for sailors or reenactors, but more than suited for pirate partiers or fashionistas. With some creative accessorization, this skirt/blouse combination can make for an excellent entry level outfit – decent quality, and very affordably priced. The key, of course, is finding a way to make it your own (with the further assistance of To Be A Pirate.com, perhaps, who offer belts, jewlry, and more skirts for additional layering.)

I’ve reviewed Captain Jack’s Pirate Hats before, and now I do so again. This may seem odd, in that most of his hats are essentially similar – all that usually changes is the shape, the color, and options regarding waterproof treatment. Being as these are matters of taste rather than quality (which is always exceptional in my experience with Jack’s Hats), it’s of little point for me to review each and every hat he makes. But there are a few styles and lines that bear particular mention, and the Skallywagg Limited Edition is one such hat.

The Skallywagg is an extra-thick hat with an extra-wide brim. Formed into a traditionalish tricorn fashion with a rolled back, it is then beat up and (yes) shot with a musket – and this makes the Scalliwagg special. Most of Captain Jack’s Pirate Hats are essentially infants – crisp and new, ready to grow, wear, and age with their new owner. Heck, they even have a “new hat” smell. I love a new Jack’s Hat, but I love old ones even more. But the Skallywagg is different. From the box, this is a hat that’s already seen more adventure than most landlubbers could dream, and it has the scars to prove it. Not unlike inheriting a hat from a retired (loose translation for deceased) buccaneer, this is a hat that’s already journeyed, and is ready to journey some more.

What also makes the Skallywagg special is its personality. With its extremely high front end, this is a hat with a commanding presence, and not all heads are up for the challenge. If your face is at all plain, this hat just might mutiny and take over. But if you boast striking features, brutal scars, an impressive beard, or just a aura of fearlessness, then this is a hat that shows you’ve been places, kicked some spaniard ass, and taken names.

note: This hat is displayed on a skull hatstand, also available from Captain Jacks.