Pirate swords and weapons

[kronckew]

in the past i've seen a number of UK fire axes passed off by vendors as 'boarding axes' yesterday there was an axe sold as a long handled fireaxe from a victorian fireboat. to me it looks more like a 19c UK boarding axe passed off as a fire axe. i bid on it justincase but was outbid. hope the buyer was looking for a boarding axe rather than the std. short handled fireaxe normally seen. this axe has a british broad arrow mark on the blade over an N, and a small brass numbered plate on the haft with a 'P' over a '48' (no 48 port?). thought i'd rescue a picture of it for the pirate thread, nothing like a good boarding axe to open up them locked boxes and doors while looting, and removing other obstacles, like victims.

this may or may not be one, but looks typical of the breed.

[VANDOO]

AUXILLARY WEAPONS/ TOOLS, GRAPPELING HOOKS AND BELAYPIN. 1915 MORO TROOPER WITH ALARM GONG, NOTE THE CANNONS IN THE PICTURE. 1910 CHINESE PIRATES IN HONG KONG ABOUT TO GET SHORTENED BY A HEAD.

[kahnjar1]

Known as LANTAKA cannon. A couple of pics of these at Fort Siloso, Singapore. Origin is Portuguese I believe and no doubt were used to either repel boaders or to clear the decks of opposition during boarding.
Regards Stuart

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

Known as LANTAKA cannon. A couple of pics of these at Fort Siloso, Singapore. Origin is Portuguese I believe and no doubt were used to either repel boaders or to clear the decks of opposition during boarding.
Regards Stuart

Sorry missed the second pic---herewith.

[HangPC2]

Malay Cannon of the 17th & 18th Century



Cannon such as these were being manufactured nearly one hundred years before the arrival of Europeans to this part of the world. It is believed that gun making was introduced to the region by Muslim traders from the Middle East.

The cannon are smooth bore and muzzle loading. They were used as weapons of war and also signalled the start and end to fasts during the period of Ramadan. The firing of cannons was also used by royalty to announce a royal birth or wedding.











Sources : http://www.fortsiloso.com/museum/malay.htm

[HangPC2]

Meriam Lantka (Lela Rentaka)

[Paul Macdonald]

Arrrr lads!

Regarding pirates, I may have discovered the whereabouts of the sword of the famous Barbarossa (aye, famous before he even starred in Pirates of the Caribbean!).....in Scotland.

I`m saying no more until I can provide a photo and provenance, otherwise they`ll clap me in irons!!

Macdonald

[fernando]

Originally Posted by HangPC2

...Cannon such as these were being manufactured nearly one hundred years before the arrival of Europeans to this part of the world. It is believed that gun making was introduced to the region by Muslim traders from the Middle East.

Are you sure ? Maybe not necessaily so:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantaka

I am not an expert, but aren't those suspension dolphins on some of the pictured models of Spanish/Portuguese influence?

Originally Posted by HangPC2

The cannon are smooth bore and muzzle loading. They were used as weapons of war and also signalled the start and end to fasts during the period of Ramadan. The firing of cannons was also used by royalty to announce a royal birth or wedding.

Lantakas had a very wide use, even becoming currency, the so called "cannon money" ... in the form of small pieces and even miniatures.
These were auctioned in 1989 in Lisbon; the triple barreled one for a fortune.
Fernando

[fernando]

May we come to the conclusion that piracy allways existed, as actually it may still exists ... i mean classic pirates, not the sophisticated version ones . Weaponry used became therefore more and more modernized.
The event depicted in the attached picture just took place "the other day".
It appears that the China Sea, after the opium war, was boiling with shameless pirates, that assaulted civilian merchant junks, also imperial ones, even threatening westerners.
Some guy called Mah Chow Wong was one of the mightiest, leading various fleets and with enough wealth to bribe whomever necessary.
They wouldn't hesitate to atack territories under Portuguese protectorate, such as Macau. This gave place for local traders, fishermen and ship owners
to ask the mandarins escort for their boats and guard to their businesses by Portuguese forces. By around 1855 a total of almost 200 Portuguese lorchas, handled by mixed Chinese and Portuguese crews, were hunting these pirates. Weapons then used were rifles, swords ( sabres ) and axes.