The Pirates of the Caribbean carried a large number of weapons, as important for defending themselves as for gaining plunder. In order to fight for a prize ship or better yet have the opposing crew surrender in fear without much of a fight, it was essential to be well armed.

Popular belief is that pirates sailed large warships with dozens of cannon. Most preferred a small, fast ship with less cannons. Since most pirates' victims were lightly armed merchant ships, pirates tended to rely instead on speed and superior numbers of armed men to capture their quarry.

THE CUTLASS The cutlass in swashbuckling lore is perhaps one of the most popular weapons of the pirates. It is believed to have evolved from the long knives used by the early buccaneers to butcher their meat. It had a blade length of about two feet, and was slightly curved with a single edge. With its relatively short blade the cutlass proved to be a very effective fighting tool in the confined area of a ship. It was so successful in fact that it was copied by many naval forces around the world.

THE PIKE A pike was a long spear with a wooden handle and metal point. Pikes could be thrown at a target or used spear-like while fighting. Because of their length they would have been most effective against swords and knives in boarding actions.

THE DAGGER The dagger was basically a small knife much the same as knives today. It was carried by most pirates because of its small size and many uses, such as in cutting rope and sail and for cutting food. The dagger also served as the last means of defence in a fight.

THE MUSKET The musket was one of the first attempts at small arms with long-range accuracy. Because it didn't pack the punch of a weapon like the blunderbuss, it was used by the pirates more as a sniping weapon rather than a boarding one.

THE FLINTLOCK PISTOL The pistol was the ideal weapon for personal defence and in boarding enemy ships because of its small size and light weight . The firing mechanism was exactly like the larger flintlock musket. It fired a single shot which was loaded through the front of the barrel. As reloading was a lengthy process, most pirates carried several pistols. One of the other major problems with pistols was that if the gunpowder got wet the gun would not fire correctly, and trying to keep gunpowder dry on a ship at sea could be very difficult indeed. Still, besides their shortcomings pistols were very popular and a favorite weapon among pirates.

THE CANNON There were many different sizes and types of cannon which fired a variety of shot types. Since pirates did not intend to sink their prey, cannons were usually loaded with a selection of ammunition effective against personnel or rigging and sail. These included gravel, nails, and small cannon or musket balls often combined into a single charge for use against personnel. Chain shot would have been used for damaging the rigging and sail.

BOARDING AXE The boarding axe was used by the pirates to help climb the sides of a ship and also to cut through the rigging lines. They were handy in opening closed doors and hatches while boarding. The axe could be used as a deadly fighting tool as well.