Lead Pencil and Musketball Dice

are hand-hammered and hand-pipped from 69 cal. musketballs.

Lead Pencil		Musketball Dice
$3.00		$5.00 per pair
Item # L-003		Item # L-002

The Soldier's Lead Pencil		Musketball Dice

Soldiers on the frontier during the French & Indian War (F&I War) found the Quill Pen quickly wore out and was difficult to replace. They tried charcoal which was easy to obtain but very messy to use and did not last at all. The soldiers knew that their lead musketballs marked easily on the paper cartridges used to hold powder and ball for loading, and they knew that they could change the shape of the ball by hammering. One soldier, using this knowledge, hammered a ball into the shape of a squared stick with a point and the "Lead Pencil" came into common use, first by soldiers and later in schools on the frontier. This use of a hammered lead stick or "pencil" continued throughout the mid-nineteenth century, and is how we get the term "Lead Pencil" today although today's pencil is graphite.		Troops on campaign during the French & Indian War (F&I War) were not allowed to gamble nor carry gaming devices. They were, however, allowed and expected to carry extra musketballs, usually in a shot pouch which was normally checked by the heft rather than by looking inside. The troops, knowing this, would take a hammer and carefully flatten the balls, tap in the "pips" with a nail, and hide their "dice" in the shot pouch safe from the Sergeant's eye yet available for a quick game of Hazard at the camp fire. These "musketball dice" have been recreated just as they were done 200 years ago, hammered from 69 caliber lead balls and pipped with a nail. Not recommended for children nor for use on a glass topped table.

Pewter Jacks & Wooden Ball

$8.50 per set

Item # PS-015

Jacks or Knucklebones is a game dated to the early history of man. Originally played with stones or sheep knucklebones, the game has been a children's favorite through the years. These lead-free pewter jacks are a style from the early 19th Century. The wooden ball is thrown up and caught rather than bounced as in modern times with the modern rubber ball. This set includes 10 lead-free pewter jacks and 1 wooden ball.

Not recommended for children under 6 years of age.