Pirate swords and weapons

[M ELEY]

Thanks, Jim. Good to be back. I have also thoroughly enjoyed this thread, the general discussion and pics sent in. There are many books on pirates/privateers out there, but I find the best one that covers the entire pirate tradition from ancient times to present and in all cultures is "Pirates- Terror on the High Seas from the Caribbean to the South China Sea", JG Press. You mentioned pirate movies and I had a vague recollection of the original Disney classic Swiss Family Robinson and their encounter with the Indonesian pirates. Great old flick! Anyway, I'll send the pictures soon...

[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)

[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