Captain Barbossa Costume

[Foolishmortal42]

I have been working on a Captain Barbossa costume for 2 years. I have collected a lot of reference materials and identified sources and makers for different parts of the costume. I would like to post all these materials as resources for other cosplayers doing Captain Barbossa. The challenge is that there is a lot of pictures etc. Probably about 400 MB of files. I have created PDFs for specific parts of the costume like the vest, coat, etc. Any recos on a means of posting all this info? I would prefer not to build and maintain a dedicated website for it.

Thanks for your assistance.

 

[Dr Jones Sr]

One thing to be aware of- as you probably know- is that his sword belt is a common Scottish-made pattern of "crossbelt" referred to in the old catalogues as "Number 102".

This hardware has been in continuous production since at least the 1920s. It's the most popular pattern for bagpipe bands.

However the details of the style, and the materials the hardware is made from, has changed over the years.

I've seen people use modern #102 hardware for Barbossa which is not correct.

You want an older set, a set from c1920 through c1940.

The old ones are cast from solid German Silver, which actually has no silver content, but is an alloy of nickel and copper. When polished German Silver looks uncannily like Sterling Silver. Sometimes old German Silver items are silver plated as well, and are very often confused with Sterling Silver by antique sellers.

Here are two sets of #102 hardware I used to own. The set on the left is a modern ugly chrome-plated set, the set on the right is a c1930 solid German Silver set. It's obvious that Barbossa's crossbelt hardware set is from that era.

As you see they came/come in matching sets with the waistbelt buckle. In the 1920-1940 period the waistbelt buckles were available in either Landscape or Portrait orientation.

 

[Foolishmortal42]

Thank you for the great info on the cross belt. This is the type of info I would like to include in a comprehensive set of resources for each part of the costumes. Is the a place where I can post PDFs with photo reference compilations of each piece of the costum? I have at least 400 MB of files.

 

[Dr Jones Sr]

You're welcome!

I don't know about where to post your reference photos. I know that many people on their costume threads will post links, hopefully somebody who is more tech-oriented than myself can chime in.

That crossbelt hardware consists of three pieces, from highest to lowest when worn:

1) Buckle. This fastens to the belt like any buckle does.
2) Keeper or Slider. This doesn't fasten to the belt but has a metal loop in the back and can slide up and down the belt, it's function is to keep the extra length of belt in place.
3) Tip. The tip is purely decorative. Newer tips have three threaded posts on the back which go through holes punched in the belt and secured with three tiny hex-nuts. Older tips sometimes have three wires soldered onto the back which go through holes punched in the belt, then bent over to hold the tip in place. These are often broken off on vintage tips.

Here's a photo from a 1970s catalogue of Scottish piper costumes etc where you can see the Barbossa set called #102

This older catalogue, from the 1940s, calls the Barbossa pattern #103, I don't know why. (The belt to centre.)

How these buckles are intended to be worn, on a piper's crossbelt, here by the Pipe Major of the Royal Highland Regiment (The Black Watch)