Armed for Mutiny: Improvised Pirate Melee Weaponry

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In a pinch, pretty much anything hard or sharp enough can be used as a weapon to stab vital bits or bludgeon a skull. A wooden ship was full of dangerous implements, which while far from conventional, or maybe even effective, could be taken up, and used for destructive ambitions.
Modern sources:
La Belle - Bruseth et. al
Boarders Away II. With Steel - William Gilkerson
theconversation.com/researche...
Period sources:
A General History of the Pyrates - Captain Charles Johnson
A Cruising Voyage Round the World - Woodes Rogers
A Voyage Round the World - William Betagh
An Universal Dictionary of the Marine - William Falconer
The Sea-man's dictionary - Sir Henry Manwayring
quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N0...
Timestamp:
0:00 Introduction
0:49 Clubs
4:30 Chisels and buckets
5:19 Marlinspike
6:45 Flails?
7:50 Grappling hook
8:39 Pipes
9:54 ...Spoons?
Music: DamaMay by Kevin MacLeod of Incompetech
#pirates #history #meleeweapon #melee #meleecombat

[@silverjohn6037]

There's a story of a Canadian corvette in WW 2 that had a U-boat surface so close to it that their main gun couldn't depress enough to engage it. They threw everything from empty shell casings to pop bottles at the Germans to keep them away from their deck gun until rifles could get brought up from the armory.

[@crazyguy32100]

HMCS Oakville vs U-94. It culminated with most of the boarding party being concussed by the blast from the deck gun, 2 mostly naked sailors boarding the sub (one of them armed with a length of chain) and being picked up by a US destroyer who thought they were Germans until the Americans were subject to such a tirade of swearing they realized the sailors in question were allies, Germans woudn't know that many curse words.

[@silverjohn6037]

@@crazyguy32100 Old joke from both world wars. A British sentry hears some rustling in the bushes and gives the challenge, "Halt who goes there?" "Who the f*** wants to know," comes back from the bushes? "Pass Canadian," the sentry replied.

[@Cranberrie123]

Being on a pirate ship sorta sounds like prison life but on the sea. And more explicit violence lol.

[@mageillus]

Nah more like a resort. They had more access to tropical islands hence clean water, wild game, wild fish, etc. better than merchant crew.

[@millythespugwit9051]

@@mageillusas well as more freedoms, a life with less laws means anything can go!

[@whirlwindgaming6973]

It's always a good day when there's a new gold and gunpowder upload!

[@finnrobertson-uh8sk]

My Grandfather was a first mate on a merchant marine vessel, he loved making handcrafts. And one of his signature items was a modified monkeys fist, where the fist was usually a hard metal ball woven into the center. Very similar if not exactly the same as the “slung shot” you described. He gave one to each one of his daughters and grandchildren for self defense, it amazes me how these ancient naval traditions have continued to effect our lives even today

[@davidjones535]

I made my self one many years ago had a cop take it off me during a frisk down on a traffic stop , mine was made of a half dozen big steel washers and some thin Para cord damn thing worked too .

[@Ziddings]

Captain Kidd approves

[@Matatabi6]

Old timey sailing ships were really incredible machines that took incredible skill and knowledge to operate.

[@nick0875]

Grab a ship's biscuit, it will likely have the same effect as a rock. And you'll have a post fight snack on hand.

[@millythespugwit9051]

I thought to make this comment here, I hope you see it as there’s not a great deal here. But I’ve been on and off your channel for awhile now, watching my most favourite vids. I just want to say thank you, these are so interesting and insightful and useful. I’m very neurotic when it comes to history so when I do write about pirates these are just too helpful^^! I also appreciate how well you explain things, especially tackling more mainstream perceptions. You’re not a snarky dick like I can think of others doing what you are doing. So yeah thank you 💖✨✨

[@jakukuja7736]

The lack of "clack-clack" anytime a history channels talk about hardtacks is criminal

[@MrMomo182]

Sampson Boat Co had a recent video on how the serving mallet is used. Pretty ingenious.

[@nikevisor54]

yet another reason to celebrate Fridays. cheers, G&G!

[@_Itchy_Bones_]

You pronounced Boston perfectly

[@Steven-dt5nu]

You're my Pirate source of the Caribbean. Great work and interesting

[@ZS-rw4qq]

1:12 Belay that order, we're moving out

[@unknowntrooper_2791]

Fun fact: I have accidentally found cases of people being killed with clay pipes in England in 1719. Love the inclusion of them in the video. Cheers!

[@Fluffinator129]

There is a US army Ranger who has a confirmed kill with a spoon. So they could actually be used as weapons.

[@crusader2112]

How did he off someone with a spoon? That’s crazy.

[@GoldandGunpowder]

not surprised, thanks for sharing

[@generalvictorironraven.1347]

​​@@crusader2112 He's a god blessed army ranger that's how. If you ever met a ranger you'd know its not polite to ask questions like "how did his top half end up in a completely different building than his bottom half"

[@crusader2112]

@@generalvictorironraven.1347 Good to know. Thanks. 👍

[@screamingseal4805]

So basically anything any item that the pirates could hit someone with

[@jasperw9778]

Great video didn’t watch it but wanted to help get it out there

[@jasondohrman7098]

Thanks for the video always enjoy them

[@SinsOfTheDice]

Hell yeah! I’ve been waiting for the next video

[@jackrice2770]

I've got to say that the subject of 'improvised weapons' would be encyclopedic, since damn near anything, including a piece of paper, can be fashioned into a reasonably effective weapon in knowledgeable hands. Any household is full of things that could be used, let alone any shop or factory, so a ship would be hardly different. On merchant or military vessels the firearms, swords and pikes were locked up, on a pirate ship they'd be stowed below decks somewhere dry and secure from damage in rough seas. I'd bet you couldn't find a sailor without a small belt knife, it's just too useful, but these usually had rounded points or in some cases the point was deliberately broken off, to prevent accidental cuts. Nevertheless, a good thrust from a strong sailor would no doubt leave a mark. Considering the plethora of possible weapons within easy reach of a sailor, the real question would be how to decide which to use.

[@conorvaughan9870]

Great video thanks :)

[@peatythyroid]

There’s a crewman on the Flying Dutchman in POTC, Crash, who uses a block on a rope as a sort of flail like you mentioned. Always thought it was cool how they showed Davy Jones’s crew using ship parts as weapons to emphasize their connection to the sea.

[@nikitanavy4724]

@GoldandGunpowder Great video as always! Subbed for 2 years now. Question can we have a video on pirate biological and chemical warfare?

[@yourmomsass3365]

I should be working right now, but how else would I understand improvised pirate melee weaponry from the Golden Age of Piracy?

[@rusty_from_earth9577]

Bawwstain

[@ajackson1451]

What about the harpoons?

[@jackrice2770]

Unless you're on a whaling ship, those wouldn't be 'standard' issue on most ships, although a gaff hook would be. A harpoon is pretty big and would be hard to use on a small target like a human. A gaff hook would make a serviceable spear, rather like a bill hook.

[@theromanorder]

Coment to help with algorithm

[@elshebactm6769]

🗿👍

[@yahniechichicongomuntunga9459]

The biscuits where then used to crush the captin's skull and he pissed and crapped himself and there was a mess.

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

So when I've seen actors smoking a clay pipe and they hold the bowl while pointing with the stem, it was an implied threat, as well as a means of emphasis?

[@donaldpetersen2382]

Ha I just started playing Baldurs Gate 3 and found a love for throwing things in combat. Killing dudes with objects, then throwing the now dead guys at their friends. Karlach will beat a mofo with a mofo!

[@cameronpekelder4055]

Recruit Minsc and make his hamster a projectile. It’s supper satisfying to end a boss fight by chucking Boo the miniature space hamster.

[@patrickrichards2577]

✨🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿✨🥰✨👍✨♥️✨🤗✨.

[@bobdole6691]

Whats with all the weird melee weapon videos? More pirate stories come on!

[@patrickrichards2577]

✨🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿✨😳✨😵‍💫✨😱✨.

[@SinsOfTheDice]

I run a Pirate Show , where one of our captains gets disarmed and actually picks up a block by the ropes. He then swings it around and uses it as an improvised weapon. It’s a pretty fun idea and the crowd loves it.