Why do pirates wear eye masks?

[Steven W]

I stumbled across an interesting fact today. It had never occured to me why Pirates wear eye patches. I just assumed they had lost sight in that eye.

However almost all pirates had two perfectly good eyes. By wearing an eyepatch at all times, the covered eye would become highly sensitive, making it ideal to navigate at night using the stars.

Modern day soldiers are taught a similar night vision technique during basic training, to assist them when fighting under the cover of darkness.

Strange what you learn from the back of a crisp packet!

[Kaine (AoD)]

tbh pirates just have it as a fashion statment ^ ^ along with teh wooden leg and teh parrot hehe

[Agent]

Unfortunately I suffer from this naturally. Its called Photophobia.
It causes natural light to be uncomfortable. Going on holiday to sunny places is agony and I have to wear shades into the late hours of the evening.
Im supposed to wear tinted glasses in all daylight, but you look like an idiot walking around in the middle of winter with tinted glasses, so I tend not to bother
Due to this (and a few other factors), I suffer from migraines, which on their own can be enough to confine you to your bed for several days.
Anyone who has met me will tell you that I have a slight squint on my eyes, and this is why

So them poor pirates must have been in agony in the day if someone took their patch off

[Lee @ SCAN]

Originally Posted by Agent

Anyone who has met me will tell you that I have a slight squint on my eyes, and this is why

And there was me thinking it was down to the fact you was a student and severely hungover

I have 20-20 vision according to the optometrist I visited 4 weeks ago.

The only thing that affects my vision is the dreaded "beer goggles"

[Dav0s]

aws this nobbys crisps by any chance? i found out the same interesting fact a couple of weeks ago

[specofdust]

I never thought of that, its quite intresting really. I frequently leave one eye closed if I'm briefly going into a lit area from a darkened area(Like, if you're outside with mates, and you're just going in to grab X item, whatever) so that I can still have nightvision again when I return outside, but, I never thought about the ol' pirates doing it for that reason. I'm not sure its true, but, cool regardless

[autopilot]

Cabin Boy "Why have you got a wooded led, Mr Silver"?

Long John Silver "Arrrh, had it shot off by a canon me laddy"

Cabin Boy "And your hook, how did you loose that"?

Long John Silver "Arrrh, lost it in a sword fight i did"

Cabin Boy "And the patch, what happed to the eye"?

Long John Silver "Got bloody seagull poo in me eye"

[Steven W]

Originally Posted by Davos

aws this nobbys crisps by any chance? i found out the same interesting fact a couple of weeks ago

lol, yeah it was Nobby's crisps

[pr0p4g4nd4]

Originally Posted by dangerous_dom

Cabin Boy "Why have you got a wooded led, Mr Silver"?

Long John Silver "Arrrh, had it shot off by a canon me laddy"

Cabin Boy "And your hook, how did you loose that"?

Long John Silver "Arrrh, lost it in a sword fight i did"

Cabin Boy "And the patch, what happed to the eye"?

Long John Silver "Got bloody seagull poo in me eye"

Cabin Boy "What, Seagull crap can do that to yer eye?"

Long John Silver "No, it was the first day with me 'ook and I tried to wipe the turd out me eye"


AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGHHHHHHHH!

[Dav0s]

lmao dom, forgot the punchline to the joke

[XA04]

Wow, that's an amazing fact!

[BlueRiband]

Originally Posted by XA04

Wow, that's an amazing fact!

very

[autopilot]

Originally Posted by Davos

lmao dom, forgot the punchline to the joke

No i did not. It's just that you have to add the bit on the end for the people who dont get it