Beads in the hair... too Jake Sparrow or no?

[Obadiah Jib]

How many of you enjoy tying a few strands of beads into your hair or attaching a string of trade beads to your bandanna?  Has this become too cliche or is still okay?

[Taffy Saltwater]

I like doing it, both in homage to the pirate who put me on account and, you know, a woman can never have too many sparklies.  This year I'm thinking of some loose bits of significant chachkes along the lines of Keith Richards rather than the strand w/the big kuchi.

It would be too much if you did the entire JS thing, but a little here or there adds some visual interest.

[Amras Elfwine]

At Maryland, we call the rash of "sightings" (mercifully, fewer this year than last) "Sparrownoid Schizophrenia"...

Nothing wrong with beads, as long as its in your own style and not just a Disney-copy.

As we say at Pyrate's Way, the more pyrates, the better!

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

You know better than to ask me that question, Jib.  I was still adding on at the end of the season!   

If you've got it, flaunt it I say!  My hairline is still where it was when I was 18.  Now the rest of it is halfway down my back!

Admittedly, my character was originally rooted in the Jack Sparrow vein.  Time and experience have carried him away from that to a large degree.  But at faire, I like to trot out a lot of the mannerisms because the kids eat it up (and so do their mums), and security have given up trying to figure out if I'm drunk or not.  If anything, Jack Wolfe can be as campy, but certainly more "dangerous".

I could have gone the boring, contrived Errol Flynn route, but what good it that?  *YAWN!*

To be sure, I *feel* like a pirate 24/7.  It's part of my psyche.  I feel like a pirate and act like a pirate, even in day to day dealings with corporate bigwigs.  You just have to be diplomatic as you fleece them.  Easier than you think, if you have the experience and talent for it.  Then it becomes quite fun!

[Blackjack Roberts]

I've never tied beads in my own hair, but then again my own pirate character is more along the Errol Flynn style than the Disney look.

A buccaneer shirt, baldric, belled boots, wide belt with a couple of flintlocks shoved in it, a scarf tied about the head, and maybe a caviler hat.

On the other hand I don't think beads in the hair makes a pirate too Jack Sparrow, unless you want to totally copy the look, eye liner and all. It's about what makes you feel the most like your pirate character, not what you use to achieve that feel.

[Obadiah Jib]

I like doing it, both in homage to the pirate who put me on account and, you know, a woman can never have too many sparklies.  This year I'm thinking of some loose bits of significant chachkes along the lines of Keith Richards rather than the strand w/the big kuchi.

It would be too much if you did the entire JS thing, but a little here or there adds some visual interest.

What are chachkes and kuchi?

[Welsh Wench]

*raises hand*

I know! I know!

tchotchke

noun
1.  (Yiddish) an attractive, unconventional woman [syn: chachka] 
2.  (Yiddish) an inexpensive showy trinket [syn: chachka] 

One of the advantages of being one of the few shiksas in a predominately Jewish school was the oh, so colourful language I picked up!

[Taffy Saltwater]

What WW said.  A kuchi (sounds like something else, nu?) is the big bead at the end of Jack's strand - a coin bead w/dangly jingly bits.  A pirate never knows what she'll pick up - linguistically & physically - on her raids or formerly working for Jewish lawyers (who were the salt of the earth).

[RumbaRue]

I was attaching dangling beads to one of my hats long before POTC came out.

I don't see a lot of hair danglies around at the faires I go to.

[VIII]

Captain Cuthbert "Cut-throat" Marooney, at yer service!
I have thirteen braids in me hair, one for each o' me late wives.  Three of which have tiny skulls attached to signify the three sisters I married in rapid succession, to get me hands on their family fortunes, all to no avail!  They outsmarted me by havin' a younger brother to inherit, the dirty dames!

[Obadiah Jib]

I see beads once in awhile.  I like them and have a few strings myself although I have taken them off my head and hope to use them elsewhere.

[Lady L]

What are chachkes and kuchi?

Kuchi means the nomadic people from Afghanistan. I was reading about that last summer and found it quite interesting. If you are looking for the larger pieces that are attached at the end of the hair beads, try searching on kuchi pendant or kuchi jewelry. The Afghanistans melt down different types of metal and make them with bits of colored glass or beads.  They are usually geometric shapes, such as triangles, rectangles or circles. Many have dangly pieces attached. Also used in belly dancing jewelry. 

[Lady L]

http://stores.ebay.com/Beads-and-Rocks_PENDANTS-KUCHI-GYPSY-NOMADIC_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ4QQftidZ2QQtZkm

Here are some examples. I ordered a headpiece from them and was happy with it.

[Obadiah Jib]

Thanks!