Pearsons Renaissance Shoppe Blog

Aye, these be stranger tides...

Avast ye matey! On Friday, May 20^th, the world got the first glimpse of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. It has been a while since we’ve seen everyone’s lovable scoundrel Captain Jack Sparrow, and his cronies on their wild escapades around the world.

In case you are also a scurvy sea dog, or a fiesty pirate wench, Pearson’s has the Renaissance Pirate costuming for you. Also, for a limited time only if you go to the link in this paragraph, you’ll discover a way to save 10% off of all the pirate gear we have available.

We have Captain Jack’s Tricorn Hat, Captain Barbossa’s Boots, just to get ye started walking the plank. For the lasses out there, we also have this pirate princess set, these ladies pirate boots, and this Mary Read pirate vest. We even have some costumes for the young buccaneers, like this children’s Captain Hook outfit.

So whatever pirate garb ye be needin’ ye can rest assured ye be findin’ it here in the Davy Jones’ Locker.  Er, we mean, Pearson’s Renaissance Shoppe.

Lighten your gear for summer

Now that we are into the Spring/Summer months, the way that you pack for LARP events will change. You will exchange your heavy wool robes for lighter cotton shirts. You won’t pack quite so many layers. You might even consider wearing a Scottish Tartan kilt just so you don’t have to wear heavy and warm pants.

Just remember that it is important during events where the temperatures are high, that you don’t get over exhausted or dehydrated. Don’t be afraid to remove extra layers of clothing even if it detracts from your costume. Please remember to drink adequate water so your body can continue to cope with the extreme heat. As a reminder: Soda does not count as a hydrating liquid. Soda actually dehydrates you due to the caffeine. Don’t rely on soda as your primary source of beverages.

If you keep your costumes light, seek shade, and keep drinking water, you will have a much more enjoyable LARPing experience.

What could this wizard want?

It has been two days since the Baron’s daughter has reported her Medieval necklace as missing. Now don’t me wrong: I know how nobles are when it comes to expensive things. I also know how a spoiled noble’s daughter might whine and fuss about how her precious piece of jewelry is gone. But, her father is a Baron; why doesn’t he just buy her a new one?

Because of all this, I’ve actually been reassigned to a special task force specifically designed to locate this missing locket. Imagine that: Her Majesty’s royal guard is spending his time walking through the confines of the castle looking for this trinket all to satiate a noble brat.

There are five of us in this task force:  Josephus, a championship archer, Celebryn, a Chaplin who is using his commune with the divine to attempt to locate the necklace, Baltus, a master swordsman, Grantiere, our company leader, and myself. I am unsure as to why this eclectic grouping of warriors is needed to find a simple piece of jewelry, but I simply do as I’m told.

As I write this, I notice that our garrison is being approached by an elderly man wearing what appears to be a wizard’s cloak. This can’t be good.

Patrons of Pearson’s Renaissance Shoppe are typically the kind of loyal subjects who also love to attend Renaissance Faires or other types of Medieval festivals. It is important that there are outlets for Renaissance enthusiasts to show off their impressive Renaissance Faire costuming and to help others experience what one of the most interesting periods in all of history.

One of the most premier Renaissance Faires in the country is the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire at the Mount Hope Estate & Winery. This is the faire that encompasses thirty-five acres and has 12 stages, 23 kitchens, dozens of authentic Tudor buildings, and over 90 shows daily. You can see jousts, Shakespearean plays, musical acts, the court jester, and a welcoming from Her Majesty each and every day.

The Dates for this year are weekends from August 13^th to October 30^th , from 11AM-8PM. The Faire is also open Labor Day Monday.

Some themed weekends:

The Grand Arrival:  Aug 13-14

Heroes of the Realm:  Sep 10-11

Pirate Invasion:  Sep 17-18

Halloween Daze & Spooky Knights: Oct 15-16, 22-23, 29-30

If you are a Live Action Role Player, LARPer, or a Renaissance Faire enthusiast, you’re going to need a costume that looks the part. One element that you may want to include is a piece of Medieval armor. Medieval armor is one of the most recognizable features of the Medieval era. It can also help keep you protected during battle reenactments or as a playable character in a LARP setting.

But what happens when your chain mail gets wet? You never know when it may start to rain or when you can fall into a stream, puddle, or other body of water. Will this be harmful your chain mail? What should you do?

If you get your chain mail wet, the best thing you can do is to dry off the piece of armor with a cloth. Then you also want to make sure to shake out the armor to ensure that it is as dry as possible. Even after you dry out the armor it may still oxidize somewhat, which is the nature of all metal. When you shake off the armor you may note that the layer of oxidation will flake off.

It is also important to note that when you do rub down your armor that you need to use something soft like cloth. If you use a metal brush, sandpaper, or metal screen it will get rid of the rust, but the scratches will be deeper which will give further oxidation plenty of room to multiply and grow rapidly.

Hopefully with these tips you’ll be able to keep your chain mail as protected as possible.

LOST! Have you seen this necklace?

The sun has risen on the fifth day of my guard tower duty. I’m somewhat groggy because last night our Captain summoned us. The daughter of the Baron had reported that her necklace, which was a family heirloom, had been reported missing.

My company was tasked with searching the entire palace for this piece of Medieval jewelry. We had to rouse everyone from their chambers, search from top to bottom, uncover every stone. We were afraid we’d even have to check chamber pots.

Despite our exhaustive search, we were unable to procure the locket. We know that it is likely that tomorrow the entire town will be on lockdown. Since I am posted in the tower the overlooks the main gate, I know I’m going to be the one to break the bad news to people who want to leave the town for the day. I hope they remember the phrase: “Don’t  shoot the messenger.”

I’m not looking forward to this day.

It is officially Spring, which means that a lot of Live Action Role Playing organizations are starting their seasons. We know that April usually marks the beginning of most LARP seasons around the country.

We also know that the past couple of weeks that there has been a higher than usual amount of rain. Since most LARPs take place at state parks or other outdoor camping scenarios, it is important to be aware of when potential flooding and flash flooding concerns exist.

A lot of heavy rain over a short period can lead to rivers and streams overflowing their banks.  This is especially true if there has been a lot of rain recently and the rivers are already very high. It is also very true if there hasn’t been a lot of rain recently and the ground is extremely dry. If the ground can not soak up all the rain, the rivers and stream may also start to flood.

The key thing to remember is to watch out for dry creek beds if heavy rain starts to fall. Streams can fill up quickly if the rain is heavy and constant. Always be vigilant so that you can stay safe while you are out LARPing this season.

If the rain does start, also don’t forget that the wool Medieval cloaks from Pearson’s can help keep you high and dry.

Look like Danny McBride in this tunic

Given the nature of our site, we always like to stay up-to-date on various Medieval- and Renaissance-related events that occur in the news or entertainment fields.  It is always rewarding to see that there is still such a strong interest in these eras of history.

One such event is the release of the motion picture entitled Your Highness.

Your Highness is an historical comedy that is scheduled to be released April 8th.  It stars Danny McBride, James Franco, Natalie Portman, and Zooey Deschanel.

In this film, two princes Thadeous (McBride) and Fabious (Franco) must join forces to save their land from an evil wizard.  Fabious is your typical knight in shining armor, rescue the damsel in distress, perfect heir to the throne type prince.  Thadeous is none of those things.  While questing to defeat the evil wizard, Fabious must not only fight the forces of evil, but must also make sure his own brother doesn’t bring about the destruction of the kingdom.

We are excited to see how this movie pans out.  We’ve noticed that Danny McBride’s character wears a tunic much like this Medieval undertunic you can find at Pearsons.  Maybe they secretly ordered their wardrobe from us!

How do you think this movie will be?  Let us know in the comments section.

You'll look like a regular Jack Sparrow!

Avast ye mateys!  In a little over a month, the forth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean will hit movie theaters.  This beloved franchise has been providing us with swashbuckling and high-sea adventures for almost a decade now and we can’t wait to see how this next chapter unfolds.

Due to the magnitude of this event, it is very likely to have a midnight release at many theaters.  Midnight releases usually also include diehard fans coming to the theater in costume.

If you are the type of person who would like to don pirate garb, then look no further than Pearson’s Renaissance Shoppe.  At Pearson’s, we have a number of different Renaissance pirate costumes to help you achieve any type of pirate look.

But don’t forget that release date is May 20^th, so don’t wait too long to order your pirate costumes.  Maybe we’ll see you at the theater!

Stay in character and stay warm, too

Live Action Role Playing, or LARPing, is a very entertaining and immersive hobby.  It is one of the few places where you can actually see the “world” around you, and you get to choose how to respond and react.

One of the things you can’t control at a LARP event is the weather.  It can be hot, cold, raining, snowing, along with a whole host of other types of weather conditions.  This time of year is when the temperatures start to get warmer.

Therefore, although you may be comfortable in terms of warmth during the day, you still have to remember that night temperatures can be rather cold.  A lot of people address this by wearing some sort of modern thermal article of clothing, which although warm, is a bit disruptive to maintaining the atmosphere.

One way to stay warm, and stay in character, is to find a warm piece of period clothing.  One example are these LARP wool tunics.  These wool tunics can be worn under any costume and will not be disruptive to the rest of your attire.  Once you feel the temperature start to drop, you can add one of these tunics to your ensemble and remain comfortable.

Find these woolen tunics, along with other great Medieval costuming, at PearsonsRenaissanceShoppe.com.