Flint Wallets.

I have been trying to find more information on flint wallets, but not finding much. I do have some images, but there are no early to mid 18th century examples and some images show very little of the pattern.

A flint wallet is used to secure spare gun flints for use in flintlock guns.

Made in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, late 18th c. Made of leather.

National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London.

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/272241.html;

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/flintlock-flint-wallet-543263124;

Red leather flint wallet.

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23248/lot/86/

From a cased set of Manton duelling pistols, 1792.

http://www.flintlockcollection.net/joseph-manton-sn-163/

Joseph Gulley, London.  Superb pair of 24-bore (.58 cal.) English Duelling pistols by a best London maker, ca. 1800.

http://www.manuellisaparty.com/images/other/flint%20wallet.jpg;

This quote below obviously referring to a woolen flint wallet.

Quote only, no image available: 

 "An 18th century Continental felt flint wallet (moth damage)". 

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/15843/lot/189/

Australian Survival and Preppers..: A new constitution for democratic confederation of...

This should be important to readers of this blog because it concerns our freedoms, our rights & our right to bear arms. Any firearms control effects muzzle-loader owners as much if not more than anyone else.
Keith.



Australian Survival and Preppers..: A new constitution for democratic confederation of...: https://www.loomio.org/d/LMRhe7oN/a-new-constitution-for-democratic-confederation-of-communities?utm_campaign=thread_mailer&utm_medium...

The Revenant / Trailer #1 / Official HD Teaser Trailer / In cinemas Janu...

Over the Hills and Far Away - Royal Scots Dragoon Guards

Into History : Navy Grey and Red

Into History : Navy Grey and Red: A. A little more than a month ago I was in London, shuttling between the National Archives and the British Library, tracking down s...

17th century crossbow replica

Wampanoag wetu: biodegradable house-dome before Bucky Fuller

Simple living 101: what can be learnt from a 17th century town

Interpreting The Militia Man. PDF.

http://www.fortdobbs.org/assets/BuildingAMilitiaImpression.pdf

Why Firearms Restrictions?

Why Firearms Restrictions?

·      Terrorism

·      Crime

·      Suicides

Do restrictions on law abiding licensed firearms owners do anything to stop the above problems/threats? Answer: No

Why No? Because law abiding citizens are not criminals or terrorists & if they want to commit suicide they have other gentler means of killing themselves without blowing their brains out.

How do restrictions to muzzle-loading long arms & pistols effect the above? They don’t is the easy answer. No criminal will choose a muzzle-loading firearm over a modern breach loading firearm to use in committing a crime.

Why are restrictions placed on muzzle-loading firearms by the Australian government if by doing so it has no effects on crime, terrorism or suicide? Good question, & if we could actually ask the government this question & get an answer, it would be very interesting to hear but probably complete & utter bullshit.

Firearms restrictions are based on the premise that they keep the public safe, but to date that has never been proven to be the case, in fact, there is some question as to whether being able to carry a side arm in public may not actually be a deterrent to crime & terrorism.

Let us take a look at the rules in NSW concerning muzzle-loading firearms:

·      Antique muzzle-loading guns do not require a permit to purchase, registration, or a firearms licence. But you are not legally allowed to fire an antique gun.

·      Replica muzzle-loading guns are exactly the same as antique muzzle-loading guns, exactly the same in all respects. The loading procedure, the firing procedure, & the ignition method. All are the same. Replica muzzle-loaders are just that, they are replicated copies of originals. Not breach loaders, not smokeless gunpowder, not fast loading, not high powered. But still they require registration, permit to purchase, & a firearms licence. In the case of a flintlock, matchlock, tinderlock or wheel lock pistol, they require a Pistol Licence, & to get a pistol licence you have to join a pistol club, & to maintain membership you have to attend regular meetings, & the membership is expensive. On top of this you are not allowed to use this muzzle-loading pistol anywhere except on an approved firing range.

Anyone wanting to make a crude muzzle-loading gun can do so in about 30 minutes using a piece of gas pipe. It would be illegal to do so, but it could easily be done. Yet the above restrictions on these primitive guns are supposed to be keeping the public safe from harm. If it were not so serious, if it did not seriously affect people’s rights to recreation through Living History & Historical Re-enacting, it would be laughable. The legislators who pen these laws may well be looked on as a joke, but the restrictions they place on law abiding citizens is no joke.

I respect other people’s points of view, I understand why some people are frightened by guns. I understand & respect their wish not to own or use a gun, even in the defence of their loved ones & themselves. But I simply can not understand why they are unable to look at the situation & understand that law abiding citizens are not the enemy, we are not a part of the problem, and we are not criminals. Treating us as such is unforgivable & an offence against human rights.

Disagreeing with someone is a human right, but spreading misinformation & lies is something else. The Greens, the government & other anti-gun lobby groups are guilty of spreading misinformation, lies & fear mongering in order to achieve further restrictions on firearms & ammunition just to satisfy their own need to control people, to gain some sort of power. It makes them feel good. What then does this say for these sorts of people?

We, the law abiding gun owner are not totally blameless in the restrictions that we suffer. Self-serving organisations such as the S.S.A.A. (Sporting Shooters Association Of Australia) could be doing a lot more for Australian gun owners, but instead it seems to me that they are more interested in not rocking the boat & at the same time lining their own pockets. Individuals are divided, muzzle-loading shooters have always readily backed modern gun shooters, but modern firearms owners are often guilty of hanging us black powder enthusiasts out to dry! I don’t see that anyone is dividing us, we seem to have divided ourselves. When we finally have so many restrictions & possibly even confiscations, then we will have no one to blame but ourselves.
Keith H. Burgess.

Firearms Owners In Australia Fail To Support Each Other.

This I think is a prime example of how firearms owners in Australia DO NOT support each other. Not only that, but the different factions or special interest groups within firearms associations also fail to support each other. No wonder we are slowly but surely losing our rights.
It is just about the end of another year, & this petition is now CLOSED. I would like to sincerely thank all those gun owners who supported my petition, ALL 25 OF YOU!!!
This was not only posted on facebook, but it was also posted on my blogs & other media outlets. Now whilst it is possible that many people did not agree with my petition, I find it hard to believe that I only got 25 signatures.
Keith.

Weskit Apologies.

In past articles I have used the term "weskit" to describe an 18th century waistcoat. Today one of my readers contacted me to tell me that this term "weskit" was a 19th century term. From where & from whom I I got this term weskit I can't remember, but regardless it is entirely my own fault for not double checking & doing my own research. So I want to apologies to all my readers for spreading this misinformation, I feel a right twit !!! Especially as I have also written extensively on the importance of doing "your own research" Arrrrggg!

weskit

First use: 1849

Origin: alteration of waistcoat

www​.merriam-webster​.com​/dictionary​/weskit

W ~ Scottish words

Weskit ~ vest

http://www.scottish-wedding-dreams.com/scottish-words.html#W ~ Scottish words

He stuffed this objet trove, whatever it was, into a weskit pocket without looking at it, and carried on briskly.

Adair, Tom (Intro) THREE KINDS OF KISSING - SCOTTISH SHORT STORIES

http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/weskit

Virginia Piedmont (20)
When an R comes after a vowel, it becomes UH, and AW becomes the slided sound, AH-AW. Thus, four dogs becomes fo-uh dah-awgs. Some local words are: hoppergrass(grasshopper), old-field colt (illegitimate child), school breaks up (school lets out), weskit (vest).

http://robertspage.com/dialects.html

weskit A colloquial rendering of the word 'waistcoat'

http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/words.html

Waistcoat+(or WesKit) Waistcoats vests were worn by most men as a normal part of their everyday clothing  in both summer and winter. Sleeved waistcoats were much preferred for winter. They were worn over the shirt and breeches and under a frock or coat. They were made of linen, fustian, silk or fine wool twill, and almost always lined. The length of the waistcoat was determined by the wearer, In the mid 1700s they were generally mid thigh and got shorter as the century progressed. They may have been striped, printed, checked, or solid, and matched or contrasted with the breeches and the coat. While many waistcoats were cut to fit the wearer snugly and fashionable, others were made with lacing or ties on the back to draw the waistcoat snug. Lacing or ties are very practical for weight gain and loss, but were seldom used on sleeved waistcoats. Most waistcoats had front pockets at the waist, yet some had "false pockets" with only a pocket flap complete with buttonholes.

https://www.usi.edu/media/2941933/Historic-Costuming.pdf

WESKIT / WAISTCOAT The waistcoat was considered a “must” for wear if one did not have a jacket or coat on. Waistcoats were fashionable and daily wear for men of this time. Both sleeveless and sleeved waistcoats are correct.

JAEGER’S BATTALION ROGERS’ RANGERS A GUIDE FOR PROPER CLOTHING AND GEAR IN THE 1750s

http://www.schrothscompany.com/document_folder/Clothing_and_Equipment_Guide_-_Team_final_copy.pdf

Weskit "Das Kamisol": Made of white linen in the 1770's style is the primary weskit used for the summer uniform while weskits of hunter green wool is generally used for winter wear. Both the summer and winter weskit typically have pockets but is not a requirement. Weskits of other colors and materials may be used as an option but should be of the 1770's style.

http://www.jaegerkorps.org/Uniforms2.html

Our unit chooses to follow these guidelines, as they seem the most likely conclusions based on primary documents. It should be noted however, that we are choosing to wear the Light Infantry pattern weskit that was approved by the King in 1771.

http://www.butlersrangers.ca/bruniform.pdf

The pronunciation given for the word falcon by eighteenth-century authorities ... of words with their actual spelling: waistcoat (formerly pronounced “weskit”),

Breeding: A Partial History of the Eighteenth Century

https://books.google.com.au/books?isbn=0231511116

 (we are talking about a country where “breeches” is pronounced “britches” and “waistcoat” is “weskit”).

http://historyhoydens.blogspot.com.au/2007_07_01_archive.html

 "Waistcoat" used to be pronounced /'wEskIt/. ...... end of the 18th Century and regarded as a foreign word down to the middle of the 19th.

Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu ...

A SHORT HISTORY OF ENGLISH SPELLING Table 2.2 Some recent spelling-pronunciations Spelling Old pronunciation New pronunciation again / e en/ (a-genn) / e e✁ n/ (a-gain) conduit / k ✂nd✁ t/ (kundit) / k✄ndw✁ t/ (kondwit) forehead / f✄r ✁ d/ (forrid) / f c :hed/ (forhedd) nephew / nevju:/ (nev-yoo) / nefju:/ (neff-yoo) often / ✄fn/ (off’n) / ✄ft e n/ (offt’n) waistcoat / wesk✁ t/ (weskit) / we✁ sk e☎ t/ (waisscoat)

http://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/469/1/mitton2.pdf ftp://ftp.iingen.unam.mx/Documentacion/Faqs/alt-usage-english-faq.txt

   b. A short garment worn beneath the coat or jacket as a usual part of male attire; a waistcoat. 

1666   S. Pepys Diary 8 Oct. (1972) VII. 315   The King hath yesterday in council, declared his resolution of setting a fashion for clothes... It will be a vest, I know not well how. But it is to teach the nobility thrift.

1666   S. Pepys Diary 15 Oct. (1972) VII. 324   This day the King begins to put on his Vest..being a long Cassocke close to the body, of black cloth and pinked with white silk under it, and a coat over it, and the legs ruffled with black riband like a pigeon's leg.

http://eighteenthcenturylit.pbworks.com/w/page/89630270/Waistcoat

 So, it seems that the word or term "weskit" may well be 18th century, BUT, it was a pronunciation, NOT a written word to describe a waistcoat or vest.
Keith.

NEW - 17th Century Life & Times

Children Of The New Forest forced to do Chores, 17th Century Style

These are only some of the chores that colonial children were required to perform. These children come from a wealthy household, but have come on hard times & are forced to live in the woods. Although this is in England & not the American colonies, the chores are the same.
Keith.

Black Powder Accident

This man was stupid enough to have gunpowder (Black Powder) sitting loose & open on the loading bench when shooting. A spark from his gun ignited the gunpowder creating a large flash. NEVER have gunpowder sitting on the loading/firing bench. If you are using a powder horn, swing it round behind you & make sure the plug is in the spout. THIS IS PLAIN COMMON SENSE. If you do not posses any common sense, then you should not be shooting in the first place!!!

Costume Historian: The Gunnister Man Project

Costume Historian: The Gunnister Man Project:  From the Shetland Museums leaflet (3) Last month I attended the Knitting History Forum conference, and one of the speakers was D...

More On The Kevin "Kiev" J. Kirby Water Canteen.

This container has apparently been sold by Kevin Kirby, as I found the same images on the net at:  http://kievkirby.com/?cat=11 

So to date I have not found anything else replicating this container. It could be a military water carrier's canteen, It could have been an ink seller's keg, & it could even have been a gunpowder keg. 

http://philippepoisson-hotmail.com.over-blog.com/2014/05/la-gendarmerie-toute-une-histoire-exposition-du-21-mai-au-12-juillet-2014.html;

19th Century Cantiniere.

Gunpowder kegs sometimes used copper or brass bands to avoid accidental sparks.

Jamestown Gunpowder Kegs.

http://www.jamestowncooperage.com/fort-loudoun-gunpowder-casks.html;

The Country Housewife by Richard Bradley and Lady´s Director London 1728

The Country Housewife by Richard Bradley and Lady´s Director London 1728.

http://www.staff.uni-giessen.de/gloning/at/bradley-1728.pdf

More On Sausage.

Giacomo Ceruti  1698 – 1767.

Sausages to Boyl

PERIOD: England, 17th century | SOURCE: The Whole Duty of a Woman: Or a Guide to the Female Sex, 1696 | CLASS: Authentic

DESCRIPTION: Sausages boiled in wine and herbs

Sausages to Boyl.

Put a pint of Claret to a quart of Water, put in some sweet herbs finely shred, a blade or two of Mace, and some Cinamon, let them boyl about a quarter of an hour, then serve them up with beaten Ginger, Cinamon or Mustard and Sugar, in Sawcers.

SAUSAGES.

Take a leg of Pork, Parboil itt, take hogs sowit [suet] and sage, and mix them together very small, put in a good deal of Pepper & Salt as much as you think fitt, stir itt well together, then take Sheeps Gutts and scower them very well with salt and fill them, tye them up in Links and hang them up smoaking till you use them (MS 7998, Wellcome Collection).

Take either mutton, veale or pork (you may cut it from the legg as much as will make a reasonable dish & not deface the legg) then take of any ruff suet as much as your quantity of meat is, then beat it & shread it very small, and putt to it a little sage shread small, & season it with salt, pepper & nutmegg if you please, then take one egg white & all mix them alltogether very well, Rub your hands with a little flower so rowle it up in rowles twice as long as your finger, as thick as pig puddings, frye them with butter or any other liquor, or you may stew them in mutton broath with apples & onions. (MS4054, Wellcome Collection)

Half a pound of lean Veal, Pork, or Beef, Half a pound of Beef Suet, One Score of Oysters just warmed in their own liquor, all to be chopped very fine and mixed together with two Eggs well beaten, a very little Cayenne, Salt and Nutmeg, and one or two Cloves, make them into flat Cakes or Balls, roll them in Crumbs of Bread, and fry them of a pale Brown, add the liquor of the Oysters to the Sausages. N.B. If the Oysters are small it will require two Score. (MS 3082, Wellcome Collection)

Pieter Snyers (1681‑1752)

Traditional Cumberland Sausage

Traditional Cumberland Sausage.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/271308/pfn-cumberland-sausage-pgi.pdf

THE LONDON and COUNTRY BREWER By Anonymous 1736

THE LONDON and COUNTRY BREWER

By Anonymous

1736

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/8900/8900-h/8900-h.htm

Food Recipes 16th and 17th Century.

http://www.godecookery.com/engrec/engrec.html

Historical Trekking Northern Minnesota

18th Century Colonial Muster Weekend

BBC DOCUMENTARY 2015 | History Of The Shotgun Documentary Films HD Full ...

All The very Best For Xmas Everyone.

The Kevin "Kiev" J. Kirby Water Canteen.

Kevin recently purchased this hollowed log water canteen pictured below, & kindly gave me permission to show it on this blog. By its size I would say it is a personal water bottle & not a field canteen which is unusual for this type of manufacture. Being a hollowed log type I really don't expect to find another exactly like it, but there may be similar ones. If anyone can add any information on this canteen, Kevin & I would very much appreciate it.
Because of its individual nature, I find it hard to date. At a guess I would say anywhere from mid 18th century to early 19th century. Following is a description supplied by Kiev:

"The canteen measures about 8 1/4" tall and 4" diameter at the base, which tapers slightly to about 3 1/2". The cylinder is a single piece of carved wood (not staved), and the brass bands appear to be hand-forged with dovetail joins. There are two openings at the top, one with a decorative brass spout".

A beautiful water bottle, if it was mine, I would be using it !

Keith.

My Projects This Week.

I made a hammer boot/cap for my pistol, & I made a loop stitched to the inside of my waist belt to better secure the short barrel on my pistol. I have not copied this from any period source, but it seemed a reasonable thing to do to solve the problem of my pistol falling out of the belt.
I oiled my waist belt, belt bag, fire-bag & moccasins, all were well overdue. I was amazed at how much the leather had dried out since its last greasing.

The Left Hand Lock Pistol.

I have had requests to show my left hand pistol in more detail. The lock plate is brass, & the cannon barrel is brass (possibly bronze) & .70 caliber. This is an antique, but it came with no history & no maker's marks. More than likely French going by the cock design, stock & cannon barrel.  Not all makers would mark their guns.
But searching further, I came across some French pistols made by Duval a Nantes made in the mid 18th century. I think there is a very good chance that my pistol is an earlier Nantes. If it is a Nantes, why didn't he mark it? Possibly because it was one of his first guns? Did he make this whilst in an apprenticeship working for another gun maker? Or could it have something to do with it being left handed? We/I may never know.
There is also the possibility that this was made by someone else copying the Nantes. Any thoughts? 

Made By French pistol maker Duval a Nantes.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/8140205_flintlock-brass-barrel-pistol-cassaignard-a-nantes;

Meeting At Dragon's Claw By Keith H Burgess

More On Gun Control. Best video I have seen to date. PLEASE SHARE.

The best 7 minutes of gun control speech.

This is the BEST and smartest gun argument I have heard yet...THIS MUST GO VIRAL!!!

Posted by Rik Sexton on Thursday, 28 March 2013

Cannon Gunnery - early 17th Century

British Tars, 1740-1790: Frontispiece, The Narrative of the Honourable John...

British Tars, 1740-1790: Frontispiece, The Narrative of the Honourable John...: Frontispiece, The Narrative of the Honourable John Byron , engraved by C. Grignion, 1768, Internet Archive . The Anson Expedition of 17...

Flintlock Safety, Loading A Flintlock Gun By Keith H Burgess

Claims That The San Jose Has Finally Been Found.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/30287220/colombia-finds-treasure-galleon-ending-300-year-mystery/

THE EVOLUTION Of the English Civilian Flintlock pistol 1650 ~ 1830

http://flintlockpistols.net/index_old.htm

Now I have all I need.

Brass or bronze barrel of .70 caliber, left hand brass lock flintlock. Designed to be carried on the right side so the lock faces outward away from the body.

Death Or Liberty. A New Documentary. Australia.

http://www.roarfilm.com.au//assets/pdf/death_or_liberty.pdf

The following images are of one of our own, Bob Buchanan who has a part in this documentary. My thanks to Bob for the use of these images.

Tara Fitzgerald - The Frenchman's Creek.

Michiel de Ruyter (2015) - Officiële Trailer [HD]

The Crossing Part 1 (Long Retreat From New York)

The Crossing is about the beginning of the American Revolution. A bit late for me, but I found it very enjoyable viewing. I recommend it.
Keith.

Period Clothing. Export From India.

This is a Petticoat. It is dated 1700–1750 and we acquired it in 1957. Its medium is cotton and its technique is mordant and resist painted and dyed plain weave (chintz).

https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18418063/;