We revisit the 'Pirates & Pipe Tobacco' this series in honor of Beau's new project 'Eversail Vol 1: The Pirate's Daughter' Please consider supporting this project at www.FindEversail.com Formerly ‘Heroes of the Bowl’, The Half Bowl Histories series takes a look into the history, lore, and legacy of individuals, places, and events of interest that helped shape the world we know today for good and for ill. Here we get a chance to revisit some of the famous pipe smokers we’ve covered in the past and shift the focus from what they loved to who they were and the complexities of their lives. This week: Edward Teach AKA Thatch AKA BlackbeardPipe Question: Hey guys, I’ve been enjoying my MM corn cobs a lot lately, and I’m wondering what y’all do to prep a fresh one for smoking? I didn’t enjoy the taste of the stem end charring the first few smokes. So I drilled it out and put in a pipe mortar composed of activated charcoal, salt, plaster of Paris, and water as a binder. I then shaped the mortar to make the draft hole open in the middle per the advise you’ve given on what makes a pipe smoke well. The result is really good, but it does take some work and patience. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this method as well as what y’all do with your cobs? Keep up the good work, I feel blessed by your weekly podcast. Thank you! - Gabriel RoperQuickfire Questions: Which of the following would you most hate people to call you?Ordinary, Ignorant, Cowardly or SelfishGiven the choice, would you rather invent a potion that would guarantee you:Glory, Wisdom, Love, or PowerHow would you like to be known to history: The Wise, The Good, The Bold, The GreatListener Feedback: Ben Straughan - Beau, You are not alone in your interest with all things piratical and nautical. I love taking my Old Dominion clay pipe from Missouri Meerschaum to the annual Piratefest that’s held where I live because what’s a pirate without his pipe? My pirate name is Lobster Pot Larry and my fiancée goes by the name Tinker the Terrible. I do this in addition to practicing axe and sword combat which I get to take to renaissance/medieval/pirate fairs along with some friends of mine. I was curious, does Captain Jorvik still sail the Sea of Thieves? I’d be honoured to serve as a part of your crew and should you be in need of a new voice aboard the Banshee’s Blade or anywhere else, I would be delighted to help however I can. I went to school for and have been working on the radio for 6 years in addition to doing voice overs and screen/stage acting. Thank you for your time and I hope you have a wonderful day. Kind regards from Southern Ontario, Canada - Ben SAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy