Tapa Papa.

Another ode to Melville.

Papa Nui 'Boyington' wears the Segui.

As many of you may know, Patrick Segui of 'Riveted', has been turning out these amazing reproduction t-shirts the past month or so and again I was fortunate enough to purchase one. Patrick's proviso was that each customer had to send back a photo of the t-shirt being worn. To respect not only Patrick's wishes but also to do justice to the effort he makes the Papa enlisted the assistance of Giggles his sidekick with her newly purchased Fuji X-100. Together we spent the afternoon setting up the canvas and shooting a series of fun pictures with the aid of the Papa's surplus collection. Enjoy!

Papa Nui, King of the Sea.

This would explain why I haven't posted lately. Ive recently been exploring water colours after being very inspired by a re-read of Moby Dick. Im thinking there's a club jacket vibe about these designs or perhaps I should do some transfer prints on tees, hmmm, so whose up for a Papa leviathan t-shirt then??

A Great Lord of Leviathans.

Another water colour inspired by my recent reading of Melville's Moby Dick.

A Khan of the Plank.

Im currently at home on sick leave and have worked three quarters through a re-read of Moby Dick. Yesterday morning was all thunderclouds and lightning so I felt inspired to get the watercolours out and with ol' Ahab in my mind put brush to paper. The words are Melvilles with revisions from the Papa.

Swabby Style.

Ive often mentioned in my blog before that servicemen were not always general issue. We assume that military standards carried the day when in reality the opposite was perhaps closer to the truth. In the 'field' much was tolerated.
I like this pic for just those reasons, it says everything about the individual and little about the service, from his private purchase denim dungarees with the single rear pocket and re-inforced seat and the wide leather belt to the swabbies hats in the background which look suspiciously like the 1930's tennis hats available from the Quaker Marine Supply Company. There's a deck worthy reference here for all of us to remember, adding our own individual touch is far more significant than the slavish devotion to a particular fashion.



My apologises in advance for credits on the photo, some of these images are saved for months or years prior to a moment of inspiration, this one though could be Rivet head or Riveted, either way thank you guys.

Papa's Torpedo Craft.

There's something about PT-boats that I love. I think its the sleekness of their lines and the way their hulls rise up high on their wide flat sterns as they speed towards a run. There's the spray streaming against your face and the sea air lashing at your temple and the roar of those big twin screws thrusting you forward to battle. Its aquatic and equine in the same breath, a water-borne cavalry charge. Recently I came across a few historical sites, one of these, PT-King, had some great photos which Ive re-posted. For the best in Hollywood's portrayal of these plywood war machines, view John Ford's 'They were Expendable' or see Cliff Robertson in PT-109 or on a lighter note the boxed set starring those good hearted swabbies of McHales Navy makes you realise that 'ol Wally Binghampton is a comic genius.

A mornings photos.

Out early looking for photo ops at the beach.

Papa's beach kit

The Papa is always working on adding to his beach kit and when occasion arises he busies local tailors with requests to make what is needed. Here then is summer's new additions. HBT helmet bag with PBY patch, HBT naval hat and a matching one in Japanese chambray.

Papa Segui a long way from Ebbets Field.

Patrick Segui is a man of talent, not only does he curate the most fascinating blog, Riveted, but he is also an accomplished artist and the man behind Mr Freedom's box art packaging. What I really love about Patrick however is his enthusiasm for projects. After posting photos of a rare seebees t-shirt flea market find, Patrick was inundated with requests by followers to reproduce the graphics. Exploring vintage printing techniques took sometime but eventually Mr Segui figured out the exacting process for recreating an authenticism that would appeal to aficionados the world over. On top of this he used original period garments as a base for the print method resulting in a look that says 60 years of wear and tear. The Papa was fortunate enough to requistion one of Patricks shirts and if ever there was an outfit to play ball with whilst serving in the Pacific then this is it. It may not be Ebbets Field but it feels every bit as real.

(Sea Bees Allstar shirt hand printed by Patrick Segui, 5th Marines modified pocket HBT pants, vintage LL Bean canoe sneekers by converse, 1942 Great Lakes Naval Base team cap.)

Civilian A-1 the Papa way.

There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that the two major proponents of the A-1 jacket are Himel Brothers Leathers and the French Cancan Blogspot. These folks are the true heavy weights in all there is to know about this fantastic 20's 30's style jacket. Cancan the fanatic collector, Himel the expert remaker. The Papa with some sketches in hand a bag of associated hardwear and a head full of managed expectations went off to see his Balinese tailor to see what $160 could buy. Well the results were pretty good all things considered, the leather is a great light tan colour and the styling is pretty spot on, the original zips and buttons enhance the job and my olive drab HBT lining choice authenticates the overall look. For the dollars spent and a first attempt Im pretty happy to have this as a kick around jacket, its certainly not worthy of my esteemed peers approval but as a backstreet cheapy, well what can i say?

Whirling Log Swastika Cuff for Ebay.

Keep an eye out on ebay as Im listing some more stuff shortly just to generate a few bucks including this very cool navajo silver cuff. Hollyrock47 seller ID.

Bali revisited 2011

Back from the East Indies and I was thinking about how truly beautiful the place is. So in the spirit of the great Naturalists, the likes of Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, the Papa with his trusty companion Giggles couldn't help but take the hipstamatic to the gorgeous tropical surrounds. Here are some random shots of our vacation.


You may not wish to go to school but you should learn to spell.


Bali and the southern Islands are predominately Hindu and so the swastika charm abounds.


On the beach north of Seminyak we found these sea snails washed up by the tide.


Thousands of shutters make up an amphitheatre that is the beach club.


Submariner in Bali Time.


Working the sawah in all its verdant greenery adjacent to Jalan Oberoi.




Bamboo decor disguises a foot tap to wash away the black volcanic sand.


Giant banana leaves, a backdrop for the Papa.


Outside of a random front gate this beautiful vine profusion of orchids.


Heliconias and Birds of Paradise.




Plumeria blossoms everywhere.


Deadly tidal current sweep seawards along the coast from Kuta and Legian and the north to Seminyak and beyond, getting caught in the current means a long long paddle.


The Deus Ex Machinas store in Canggu is a strange oasis amongst the rice fields, the Mini Simmons surfboards available for sale there are a rare thing of beauty.


Dutch Colonial lighting.


Echo beach far away in time.


Coconuts adrift.


This gorgeously fragile starfish was a victim on the full moon tides.


Finding a suitable daypack for this trip was one of trial and error however in the end the WWII gas mask bag proved its worth in size and practicality.


A tributary that ran into the sea near Petitenget provided a sanctuary for millions of tiny crabs.


Papa on the watch, scanning the horizon.


Papa and Giggles: a perfect union.


The pool at the Kresna.


Morning coffee at Potato Head and a good read: 'The Malay Archipelago' published 1868.


An asiatic style statue of the Buddah.