feastgear-msg - 11/16/98 Obtaining feastgear for use in the SCA. Cleaning wooden feastgear. NOTE: See also the files: p-tableware-msg, p-kitchens-msg, utensils-msg, ovens-msg, pottery-msg, glasswork-msg. ************************************************************************ NOTICE - This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday. This file is part of a collection of files called Stefanšs Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://lg_photo.home.texas.net/florilegium/index.html I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with seperate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter. The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors. Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the orignator(s). Thank you, Mark S. Harris AKA: Stefan li Rous RSVE60@email.sps.mot.com stefan@texas.net ************************************************************************ Subj: Re: Feast Gear Date: 7 Feb 92 From: trifid@agora.uucp (Roadster Racewerks) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Organization: Open Communications Forum This brings up the subject of what-to-do when you've forgotten your feast gear. Several of my friends in the Macflandry Guards came to what turned out to be a feast not knowing it was one (mixup in communications) so our Adjutant Katherine FitzAlan and I decided to go on a quick shopping trip in the local area, where we bought enough "cannonball" bread loaves to make trenchers for all (half a loaf per person) plus buying a couple of paring knives for those whose belt knife wouldn't serve. Not only are trenchers very period, you eat them afterward instead of washing them! (Not too good for soup, though. :-) Any good, hard crust loaf of bread will serve two people. *Don't* cut off the upper crust to make it flat, though, as it will leak later on. We found it unecessary in any case... So well did it work that when we travelled a great distance to Twelfth Night, we repeated the strategy, and even got complimented! (And, if you have the misfortune to attend a "feast" that skimps on food, you have an entire half a loaf of bread, in any case! Not a problem at either feast mentioned, BTW...) NicMaoilan, who *is* a Scot, after all... :-) Subj: Re: feast gear Date: 7 Feb 92 From: whheydt@pbhya.PacBell.COM (Wilson Heydt) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Ramon, CA jeff@math.bu.EDU (Jeff Suzuki) writes: >Cup: Anyone who brings a glass or porcelain cup to an event has my >admiration; they are obviously dextrous enough to protect it against >any of a zillion dangers. Wood or steel is best. Warning about >pewter: it contains lead, and acidic drinks will leach the lead out. *Some* pewters contain lead. Buy pewter from a reputable manufacturer (i.e. one that explicitly tells you it doesn't contain lead). For instance, Kongetinn flatware is made with a non-lead pewter for the handles, and the jewelry company that had the Jefferson cups made in the '70s used a lead-free pewter. There is also Armetal. You can get cups, mugs, plates and bowls. It's the stuff that looks like pewter, but isn't. (It's harder and tougher.) I grant that these options aren't the cheap ones--but what's it worth to avoid lead poisoning? --Hal Hal Ravn, Province of the Mists, West Kingdom Wilson H. Heydt, Jr., Albany, CA 94706, 510/524-8321 (home) Subj: Re: feast gear Date: 11 Feb 92 From: habura@vccnorthb.its.rpi.edu (Andrea Marie Habura) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY I have used metal goblets in the past; I can't say that I like them. Most drinks available at feasts, alcoholic or non, are acidic...if you let the liquid stand in a metal goblet (other than stainless steel) for more than 20 minutes, you get a very nasty surprise with your next mouthful. I have been using a glass goblet for about two years now. It's irregularly- colored blue glass, and reminds me of an 18th century cup my mom has (OK, it's OOP, but it looks old.) I picked it up for $6 at a Pier 1 Imports, and I know that they still carry them. The glass is thick enough that I've never had problems with breakage; I just wrap it in a piece of scrap cloth before I put it in the feast basket. One other thing I've been using, which isn't standard feast gear. I get very thirsty at events, and sometimes the lemonade or whatever doesn't make it to the feast table until 20 minutes after the bread does. I made myself a leather cover for a 1-liter soda bottle (I generally don't drink 2 liters all by myself). The body of it is thin tooling leather (with a figure representing Youth that I copied from a 13th century sarcophagus tooled on it), and the top is doeskin, with grommeted holes and a drawstring. There's a little cylindrical cap tied to the drawstring. The top is drawn tight around the neck of the bottle, and covers it completely. It isn't period, I know, but it's a solution for times when I forget to make mint drink the night before the event. The cover itself is modeled on a 14th century leather case. Alison MacDermot *Ex Ungue Leonem* Re: feast gear 21 Feb 92 From: hwt@bwdlh490.BNR.CA (Henry Troup) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd., Ottawa, Canada In article , habura@vccnorthb.its.rpi.edu (Andrea Marie Habura) writes: |>I have used metal goblets in the past; I can't say that I like them. Most |>drinks available at feasts, alcoholic or non, are acidic...if you let the |>liquid stand in a metal goblet (other than stainless steel) for more than 20 |>minutes, you get a very nasty surprise with your next mouthful. Pewter seems to work well for me. It's modern food grade lead free pewter, and the goblets were made by a local craftsman. (They're not cheap! but available at craft shows.) We travel with a goblet and a tankard each, plus one glass tumbler for hot drinks. One learns not to drink anything hot out of a metal vessel! The tankards are Wilton Armentale (tm). It takes engraving pretty well, is easily available - and expensive! But the metal stuff lasts as long as you don't lose it. Henry Troup - HWT@BNR.CA (Canada) From: del@babel.DIALix.oz.au (D Elson) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Safe to drink from Pewter Date: Mon, 13 Dec 93 13:04:38 GMT Modern pewter from Australia is safe -- it contains no lead. Pewter from Europe sometimes contains lead, and sometimes doesn't. I have no experience of American pewter. A quick test -- place your proposed pewter vessel under some pressure (enough so that it begins to bend). If it _doesn't_ "crackle" slightly while being bent, it is not safe to drink from. If it crackles a lot, it is probably lead free. Anywhere in the middle, you pays yer money and you takes yer chances ... Del -----------------------------------+------------------------------------- D Elson | del@DIALix.oz.au del@adied.oz.au -----------------------------------+------------------------------------- From: Alfredo Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: A couple of EASY questions about swords.. Date: 1 Dec 1995 01:02:35 GMT Organization: Data General Corporation, RTP, NC Margaret (Gretchen Miller ) wrote: >Excerpts from [...] Honour Horne-Jaruk@brege [Alizaunde]: > >> Therefore, while people who never polish an eating knife can get away >> with using mineral oil as a rust-preventive, I really don't recommend it [...] >Ok, so what do you recommend? (I'm mostly interested for my wood, on >which I currently use mineral oil, because that's what the manufactorer >recommends) Here's what I do with wooden feast gear: At the end of a feast, I put it all in a plastic garbage bag. I mean to wash it all right away, but sometimes leave it until just before the next event. I wash the woodware in warm water with Dawn dishwashing liquid, taking care not to let the wood soak long enough to split. I spread the woodware out on a towel to air dry. When it's still a little damp, a spread olive oil all over, then wipe away the excess. So far, I haven't had any trouble with the oil going rancid (knock wood). -- Alfredo hopkins@dg-rtp.dg.com From: iainranock@aol.com (IainRanock) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: A couple of EASY questions about swords.. Date: 1 Dec 1995 13:05:18 -0500 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) In article <49lk7b$ncj@dg-rtp.dg.com>, Alfredo writes: >Here's what I do with wooden feast gear: >At the end of a feast, I put it all in a plastic garbage bag. >I mean to wash it all right away, but sometimes leave it until just >before the next event. >I wash the woodware in warm water with Dawn dishwashing liquid, >taking care not to let the wood soak long enough to split. >I spread the woodware out on a towel to air dry. >When it's still a little damp, a spread olive oil all over, >then wipe away the excess. >So far, I haven't had any trouble with the oil going rancid (knock wood). > >-- Alfredo >hopkins@dg-rtp.dg.com > Well, I use regular salad oil, not much different from Olive Oil, on mine and haven't had any problem, just don't leave excess amounts on the feast gear. Mine date back to about 12-13 years to when I bought them while in the Barony of Western Seas. Of course mine get used at least monthly and often more than that (except during tax season). In Service to the Society Iain of Rannoch (Lost north of Sea March, Trimaris) " Gebe mir Schokolade und niemand wirt verletzt !!!!!!!!!! " From: afn03234@freenet2.freenet.ufl.edu (Ronald L. Charlotte) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Wooden feast gear Date: 11 Dec 1995 04:54:27 GMT In <4adu2o$761@news1.delphi.com>, RCMANN@delphi.com wrote: > Quoting bjm10 from a message in rec.org.sca > >Well, if you wanna plunk down the money or do the work, you could do > >away with wooden feast gear altogether. > >Bring REAL trenchers with you to feasts--the actual baked bread > >trenchers. "Taco Bowl Salads" are a re-cycled idea, y'know... > I've been thinking about doing this at the next event we go to. Is > there anyone upon this bridge who has actually done this, or who can > refer me to some reliable sources? What kind of bread? (Ie. white, > wheat, etc.) What dimensions are period/preferable? Does it have to > stale a bit before use? Should I make a bread "bowl" for soup, or > would it be more period to use a wooden bowl for hot liquids? > Should my lord and I share the bread trencher? It's been done at events here a few times, usually for specific dishes. Kind of bread? Pick your favorite, but should be a type that forms a good thick crust especially when eggwhite glazed. Dimensions? Suit your appitite. Staleness? The ones put before me at the feasts I've had them at were baked onsite. I wouldn't do the bowl for soups, myself, YMMV. Sharing? Quite period, but again a personal preference. -- al Thaalibi ---- An Crosaire, Trimaris Ron Charlotte -- Gainesville, FL afn03234@afn.org From: jtn@newsserver.uconn.edu (Terry Nutter) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Wooden feast gear Date: 11 Dec 1995 06:32:42 GMT Organization: The University of Connecticut Greetings, all, from Angharad ver' Rhuawn. Al Thaalibi responds to a request for information on trenchers: : > I've been thinking about doing this at the next event we go to. Is : > there anyone upon this bridge who has actually done this, or who can : > refer me to some reliable sources? What kind of bread? (Ie. white, : > wheat, etc.) What dimensions are period/preferable? Does it have to : > stale a bit before use? Should I make a bread "bowl" for soup, or : > would it be more period to use a wooden bowl for hot liquids? : > Should my lord and I share the bread trencher? : It's been done at events here a few times, usually for specific dishes. : Kind of bread? Pick your favorite, but should be a type that forms a : good thick crust especially when eggwhite glazed. Dimensions? Suit your : appitite. Staleness? The ones put before me at the feasts I've had : them at were baked onsite. I wouldn't do the bowl for soups, myself, : YMMV. Sharing? Quite period, but again a personal preference. Practices no doubt varied from time to time and place to place. According to John Russell's Boke of Nurture (a fifteenth century English work, possibly derived from a fourteenth century predecessor, that describes rules for serving in noble households, an edition of which appears in Furnivall's _Early English Meals and Manners_, a volume in the Early English Text Society's Old Series), trenchers should be four-day-old bread. He does not otherwise distinguish them from the fine bread that is served at table for eating; it rather follows that they should be made in the same way as payndemayne or manchet, of white bread (with perhaps some wheat germ added back, and perhaps a _small_ admixture of whole wheat, but not much). Trenchers are sliced from the loaf, apparently in vertical layers, four to a loaf, and squared: so they do not include crust. They appear to be about the size of a normal dinner place, or perhaps smaller. Russell is clear that trenchers are to be placed one per diner, and not shared. It is also clear that they are _not_ used for all dishes. In particular, he instructs to butler to find out how many dishes of pottage the Sewer has been instructed to prepare, and use that number to know how many places to set and trenchers to cut. The pottage is being set by the Sewer, not on trenchers, but in bowls. There are also plate and bowls set on the cupboard and the ewer board, and it is not entirely clear when they are and are not used. Some dishes are specified as being served on saucers; and so forth. Baked meats are served, depending on the kind of the stuff inside, either sliced and placed on the trencher, or in the crust (either whole or pared in a variety of ways), or cubed with the bottom crust still on and placed in saucers (specifically for custards), or so on. The key seems to be that solids eaten by pricking with the knife go on the trencher, and things eaten with spoons are presented in a variety of other ways. (Russell is _very_ clear that nothing that is too large to be put directly in the mouth should ever be put in front of a diner. Things that come from the kitchen in large pieces, such as birds cooked whole, or large bits of meat, should be carved at table before being served.) What clearly goes on the trenchers is sliced meat, fowl, and fish. It is not clear that the trenchers were ever eaten. Indeed, Russell distinguishes explicitly between bread that is to be eaten and trenchers. One should also note that trenchers were not universally used: we know that in many places, plate (especially of gold, silver, or pewter) was used instead. Cheers, -- Angharad/Terry From: jeffebear1@aol.com Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Feast Utensils Date: 8 Jan 1997 19:12:50 GMT maxheadroom@clo.COM writes: >I am looking for someplace in Toronto that might have appropriate gear( >eating dishes,goblets/mugs,etc.) for the upcoming 12th Night feast. Any >suggestions would be appreciated. If you don't mind mail order DragonMarsh just got in a brand new shipment of feastware. There is 2 new pewter patterns. One is pinecones and the other is a reniasannce pattern design. Other patterns are plain and grapes/vines. They are great and machine washable. Nothing like throwing your feast gear in the trunk after an event and not having to worry if you forget to wash it till Sun night. DragonMarsh 3737 6th St Riverside, Ca 92501 (909) 276-1116 DRGONMARSH@aol.com hope this helps Morigianna From: "Bill Schongar" Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Pewter Ware Date: 7 Jul 1997 13:26:39 GMT Organization: LCD Multimedia Creations Alane of Elerslie wrote: >My family and I are new to the SCA and are looking for pewter mugs and >flatware to use at feasts and wars. Is there a mail order source >available at "Reasonable" prices? I'd recommend Hampshire Pewter, in Wolfeboro NH. I don't have their 800 number handy, but for some odd reason I have their number (local for me) on my machine here at work: (603) 569-4944. The prices are definitely not cheap, but the quality is extremely high and everything is lead-free. If I had the money, I'd have a lot more of their stuff than I do now.. -Bill From: Brett and Karen Williams Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Pewter Ware Date: Mon, 07 Jul 1997 16:31:43 -0700 Bronwynmgn wrote: > "Steven H. Mesnick ('Steffan ap Kennydd')" writes: > > >You may want to look into "Wilton Armetale" which is an alloy similar to > >pewter, but cheaper. > > Wilton Armetale is based in Mt Joy, PA (near Lancaster) and has an 800 > number in the phone book here: 1-800-348-7184. > > Brangwayna Morgan However, for the perenially change-challenged, there is a way to obtain Armetale for less than retail: the Betty Crocker/General Mills catalog. They admittedly have a limited selection of SCA-usable Armetale ware, but the pieces suitable are nice ones-- the plough mug and related bowls, plates, pitcher, charger plates and some serving dishes. For someone who bakes a lot of bread like me, the collection of points necessary to obtain the discount isn't a problem. :) The phone number is available through 800 information; the catalog itself is available free through a phone call or by mailing US$0.50 to the address on one of the point coupons. Coupons are found on General Mills products, usually on the box top. ciorstan From: osmansks@cvn.net (Mary Frey) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Help for a newcomer - Feast Gear Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 21:44:36 GMT Wood is lighter weight. If your family is more than two people, and you want to carry your feast gear in a single basket, it will be easier to carry if your dishes are wood. Something like a wicker picnic hamper makes a good carrier for feast gear. Or a solid-color canvas tote bag will do. Cloth napkins rather than paper. And since you never know what the tables will be like at a feast, a fabric tablecloth can also be a help. [I made one from a piece of damask I found in a remnant bin at a fabric store.] Yard sales, Goodwill or Salvation Army stores, and those discount "clearance" stores like Ollie's and Value City are a good place to look for individual linen napkins or a tablecloth, as well as for the odd-and-ends wooden or pewter pieces. I prefer to stay away from glass or ceramic pieces because wood and metal are much less likely to accidentally get broken -- and it isn't just children who can break things. Mary of Montevale From: rlobinske@aol.com (RLobinske) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Help for a newcomer - Feast Gear Date: 26 Oct 1997 21:08:27 GMT >My family has recently joined the SCA and we are looking for a little >assistance on what is the usual feast gear like? From my subjective observation, most feast gear seems to be a combination of things cobbled together from God knows where with items purchased from SCA merchants that the owner thought looked good. I have seen a few gentles who have made a determined effort to provide themselves with in persona feast gear. That said, I would suggest as starters a plate and bowl, spoon, knife and drinking vessel per person. Some form of period lighting would also be a good idea. Purchase as your budget allows and that pleases your aesthetics, most likely SCA merchants will have the best selection available for items reasonably period. After that, as you learn more about your chosen culture, you will then be better able to make informed decisions about what would be appropriate for you. Victor Hildebrand vonn Koln [Submitted by rmhowe ] Subject: Re: *WH* Ceramic feast gear Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 09:33:14 -0500 From: jsrechts@imap.unc.edu To: windmasters@netwharf.com On Tue, 27 Oct 1998 10:14:12 +0000 maridonna@worldnet.att.net (Andrea Hicks) wrote: >I am looking for someone who makes dinnerware sets with personal arms >(or badges) on it. A set would include a goblet or tankard, bowl, small >and large plate. If you know of someone who does this, please let me >know. Seppo does. I don't know his last name but sells from Potters Hall at Pennsic. You may want to look him up in the Pennsic Merhcant Directory. He does fabulous work and has a laurel in pottery as well. Lyanna [submitted by rmhowe ] Subject: Re: *WH* Ceramic feast gear Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 12:09:30 -0500 From: Christoph and/or Sherry Hintze To: windmasters@netwharf.com At 10:14 AM 10/27/98 +0000, Andrea Hicks wrote: >I am looking for someone who makes dinnerware sets with personal arms >(or badges) on it. A set would include a goblet or tankard, bowl, small >and large plate. If you know of someone who does this, please let me >know. I have to recommend Ancient Pots, a small reproduction pottery business run by Sharyne Graham. From the tag on one of her pieces, "All works are made, using the same color clay and glazes as the original." Her work is meticulously researched, and extremely beautiful. I do not know for certain that she does custom work, but it's worth checking. Ancient Pots Reproduction Pottery P.O. Box 743 Newport, NC 28570 (919) 223-5893 Lady Kat [From: rmhowe ] Subject: Re: *WH* Ceramic feast gear Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 10:46:42 -0700 (MST) From: Grumpy Witch To: windmasters@netwharf.com On Tue, 27 Oct 1998, Christoph and/or Sherry Hintze wrote: > I have to recommend Ancient Pots, a small reproduction pottery business run > by Sharyne Graham. From the tag on one of her pieces, "All works are made, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Also known as Mistress Anna Munro Ayo (former apprentice to said Laurel) % zofran@deepthot.ml.org Cheryl Martin, grumpy witch % Edited by Mark S. Harris feastgear-msg