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| CLICK THE GOONIES for the Mallory & McCall Skeleton Crew Pirate Band Home Page |
| THE CALYPSO CARNIVALE COLLECTION! In celebration of the magic, wonder and just plain fun of the Caribbean Calypso Carnivale tradition, and Goddess Calypso herself, we are expanding our selection of neckpieces and other body art with colorful "carnivale beads" suited for the pirate or godess who craves fun and adventure. Click on the picture below for your first look. Be kind This whole site is under construction |
| Celebrate the Golden Age of The CARIBBEAN PIRATES With |
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| MORE PiRATE PRiMiTiVE IS HIDDEN BEHIND YOUR MOUSE CLICK! (See it all at the bottom of the page!) PiRATE PRiMiTiVE HOME PAGE INDEX Mallory & McCall? Skeleton Crew Pirate Band HOME PAGE |
| PiRATE PRiMiTiVE "Pirate Made for the Pirate Trade" |
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| The PiRATE PRiMiTiVE STORY Welcome to the latest Mallory & McCall/Janus Company endeavour: PiRATE PRiMiTiVE. These unique examples of wearable art were inspired by the intricate marlingspike knotwork crafted by generations of tall ship sailors both to pass the time off-watch and to perform various shipboard tasks. A modern tall ship sailor and top-notch knotter--"Red Tar" (aka Erik Berliner) of Port Royal--first introduced us to this venerable skill. GERM OF AN IDEA: The intricate "Monkey's Fist" knots especially fascinated Mac the Wife. But it was not until recently--when, after performing at the El Capitian Theatre on opening day of POTC 3, and seeing the props and costumes, and finally viewing the long awaited film--that an idea bellied out our sails. Intrigued by the exotic hand-crafted costumes worn by the cast, we, of course, wanted our own! Mac decided that she would make ours herself, in the form of body ornaments--but with the twist of adding a mariner's touch. So came the marlingspike knots and sinnets with exotic names like "monkey chain," "blood knot" and "Turk's head" to accent the colorful and primitive styles. Some sore fingers and well-placed piratical curses later, she finally got the hang of tying "Monkey's Fists"* (you'll find one or more incorporated into many PiRATE PRiMiTiVE creations) with the tarred cord favoured by seafarers. Combining these with bits of plunder, hand-made glass trade-style beads, booty and wooden beads--many unusually patterned, and some painted, as Bead Wrangler, by the Captain Himself--Mac has created neckpieces and belt dangles--each unique--that might well have been popular in the Caribbean during the golden age of piracy. You will note that there are some imperfections in the hand-made materials. This is the "PRiMiTiVE" touch that makes these pieces more authentic. ABOUT THE MONKEY'S FIST: Part of the fun is that Mac never knows what she might create when she starts tying a new Monkey's Fist. Historically, Monkey's Fist knots were used to give weight to the end of a line when it was flung; they typically contained a rock or a lead ball in the center to ensure their true flight. Ours are lighter for wearabilty, but often harbour anything from beads to glass spheres (that's marbles to yeh landlubbers! Better not be losin' 'em). HOW THE DISPLAY PAGES WORK: On these pages you will find "thumbnail" photos of some of the PiRATE PRiMiTiVE neckpieces and belt dangles over which Mac has shed blood (well, only ocassionally!). New pieces will be added often until her hands are so tarred that feathers stick to them. Click on the thumbnail for a larger photo and a detailed description of each piece. Please be patient if the hi-res photos load slowly on some computers. A SPECIAL DEAL For a limited time we are offering a flat shipping rate of $4.00, no matter how many PP pieces you order. As we have not set up the more complicated PayPal account, you may click on the PayPal button, give the number of the neckpiece, dangle or skull charm you cannot live without, and fill in the price plus $4.00 for the entire order.. Sorry for the inconveniece. We'll get it all ship-shape someday. Otherwise, drop us an Email and we'll give you instructions on how to place an order directly. Remember, however, these are unique pieces and we offer them on a first-come-first-served basis (see note below). THE SAGA OF THE Bold, 'old Fighting Pirates! As many of you know, our captain has taken a cannonball in his stern and had to have it removed. All went well. At least so it seemed. But all that first one didn't workand the next and the next --four times! On top of all that, we were swindled out of our home port--and thus our "retirement income." But, for him, pillaging and the like, even musically, will be on hold as he stays right flat on his back rather than writhing on it. Ever ready, Mac is taking over the helm by offering the unusual pirate treasures shown on these pages. So support these "'old Fighting Pirates" (they'll be writing a parody of "Bold Fighting Pirates" from their CD during their downtime) and enjoy something special made just for you!! Many thanks, Mallory & McCall Skeleton Crew Pirate Band "Crafty Ol' Pirates!" *Absolutely no monkeys were harmed in the creation of these objects d'art! |
| WHO ARE WE? We're Mallory & McCall, AKA Captain Barthomew Mal de Mer and Mac the Wife. Since we were married in the early '70s,, we have preformed together as Irish Pub Singers, Mr and Mrs Dickens, Calamity and Baritone Bill, and scores of other, usually musical, characters (click on our HOME PAGE for the full story). Since the beginning of the '90s, our Skeleton Crew Pirate Band has livened up faires, parties and all sorts of piratical happenings. Jan (McCall) has been creating costumes for most of her life. She enjoys trying something out of the ordinary, like tying sailor's knots to make wearable art. Mallory's artistic talents lean to drawing and painting, as well as a new-found flair for working in clay. Together, we hope to continue to make PiRATE PRiMiTiVE into something truly unusual. We think we are off to a good start. The Crafty Ol' Pirates! |
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| SKULLS! What better represents the pirate life than the skull? All the pieces in this collection feature hand made skulls--many carved bone from Tibet. We have searched distant corners of the earth (and almost fell off the edge!) for examples of skulls suitable for PiRATE PRiMiTiVE, and continue to add new designs to the collection. |
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| SINNET & BALL DANGLES & LANYARDS CLICK PIX |
| WHAT'S BEHIND A PiRATE PRiMiTiVE PIECE In the beginning was the ball. In this case, a Monkey’s Fist knot. Or several, depending on what develops. These are tied from tarred mariner’s cord, used mostly these days for net mending. Generally, the larger the cord the bigger the ball, but it takes nearly six feet of cord to make a one-inch fist. Depending on the number of wraps and the sanity of the maker, a fist can take as much as an hour to complete (more if the wraps get ornery). Most of the more recent PiRATE PRiMiTiVE balls are four to six wraps. If you Google “Monkey’s Fist Knots” you can find instructions for tying one yourself, although most descriptions are bare-bones. The trick to success is to work carefully, making sure that all the wraps are in the right order. A fairly stiff cord also helps. Then tighten in several passes, easing into shape. The knot should be firm and the wraps even. Inside the knot, traditionally, is a rock or perhaps a lead ball. We use marbles, round wooden beads and various found objects. Monkey’s Fists are used aboard ship to attach to a light line to add weight so it may be flung. When a light line is tied to a rope, the rope then can be pulled across a distance–to another ship, for example. Monkey’s Fists with lead in the center can also be an effective weapon. They are also used simply decoratively, like on the end of a pull cord. As the cord is tarred, we have chosen to make some of the actual neckpieces of various other materials. Where there is no problem with tar rubbing off–as in belt dangles, lanyards, ornaments, cat tantalizers and the like, we use the tarred cord throughout. Personally, we have had no problems using tarred cord around the neck, but realize that it might be a problem for some. So we now treat each piece with a coating to prevent, or at least discourage, rub-off. Nylon (we have an exclusive arrangement with a dealer in the mythical city of Nyle), cotton, hemp and occasionally wire are used in PP pieces. Many are hand dyed (in a pot) to produce a decorative effect. They are then waxed or treated to discourage fading, although a bit of fading can be expected and adds to its authentic look. PP beads come from all over the world. Vintage beads from old necklaces; skull beads from the mystic Orient; hand-made glass beads, many with art-glass techniques like caning, inlay and lampwork; bone–usually cow, sometimes smoked; wood beads, many of which we have dyed ourselves; metal beads from India; clay beads, many by the Captain himself–all may be part of a PP creation. In most pieces, a knot is tied between each bead (as with fyne pearls) to set them apart and to secure them in case of cord breakage (unlikely because we use fairly thick cord). A one-strand neckpiece about 30" around can take up to fourteen feet of cord to complete and that doesn’t include any fists. It is amazing how much length the knots take up. We are constantly searching for new sources of interesting materials. Recently we have discovered netsuke skull beads from Japan; fired jade skulls in a luscious dark brown; skulls from Tibet; and hand-carved skull beads from China, Tibet and India. They are the seeds of the new “SKULLS!” collection. Having gathered all these wonders, we set out to create something. Many times a piece just seems to happen. Others are loosely planned. It is not unusual to start out to do something and come out with quite another thing all together. Some take only a few hours. . More take several hours and a few take days. Many beads have to be re-drilled or hand reamed as the holes are too small for our cord. Other beads get hand decorated and shellacked. The Captain has taken up clay work and is producing unusual beads to add to the collection. Our pieces are extremely labor intensive. Our goal at PiRATE PRiMiTiVE is to give pirates (and others who appreciate the unusual) an alternative to the mass produced pirate doo-dads now available. PP pieces attempt to recreate the spirit and the methods available in the Golden Age of the Caribbean Pirates. We are constantly seeking out the unique, the interesting, the enchanting and the vintage nautical to enhance our work. We welcome your comments, suggestions and support. Thanks for your interest, now BUY SOMETHING! Cheers, Mac the Wife |
| PiRATE PRiMiTiVE COLLECTION HOME PAGE The main port of it all can be found by clicking on the picture of the proto-pp to the left. Here you can experience many of the special pieces designed for pirates and the pirate-minded! (But you don't have to be a pirate to wear PP. A liking for the unusual is all that is required.) |
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| Explore the Pirate Home Port and the Skeleton Crew Pirate Band by Clicking on the Skull King above! |
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| WANT TO HEAR US? VISIT OUR s SADLY NEGLECTED MYSPACE SITES. START BY CLICKING HERE! |
| FOR REASONS WE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE MYSPACE PEOPLE APPARENTLY UNDID ALL THE WORK WE PUT IN TO MAKING OUT SITES INTERESTING. EVEN WE CAN'T FIGURE THEM OUT, BUT THE MUSIC IS STILL THERE--AT LEAST THE LAST TIME WE SAILED BY. |
| OR CLICK INDEX WHERE THE CURRENT SPECIALS LURK! |