Pirate Belaying Pin, this pin is a copy of the of a belaying pin from the ship used in the film "Pirates of the Caribbean", it is 22 inches long, 1.5 inches wide, wt 3/4 lb. Made of hard wood. Perfect for any Pirate ship.
A belaying pin is a device used on traditional sailing vessels to secure lines. Their function on modern vessels has been replaced by cleats, but they are still used, particularly on squire rigged ships.
A belaying pin is a solid metal or wooden bar with a curved top portion and cylindrical bottom part. It is inserted into a hole in a wooden pinrail, which usually runs along the inside of the bulwarks as shown (although free-standing pinrails are also used). Although the belaying pin can be lifted out and removed, it is usually left in place.
To secure a line, it is first led around the bottom of the pin and then the top, to form a complete turn. It is taken once more around the bottom of the pin, and then three cross-shaped turns are applied by looping the line round alternate sides of the top and bottom. This pattern can be remembered as "one hug and three kisses". Other arrangements are possible, but ensuring that the same pattern is used on a particular ship means that sailors know what to expect when releasing a line fastened by someone else - possibly in the dark.
Belaying pins were apparently commonly used as improvised weapons (as well as a method of discipline) on both military and civilian ships. Certainly their shape and weight would make a formidable short-range club.
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