Why did pirates wear eye patches on one eye?

[Igsey]

Why did pirates wear eye patches on one eye?

[Goodsoulette]

Because they wouldnt be able to see if they had them on both.

Its just a representation. Not all pirates wear/wore eyepatches. I think pirates were prone to be in violent situations so often lost eyes or had damage to them.

[jno]

they'd have their hands cut off while swordfighting and have to have them replaced by hooks, as in Peter Pan. And then they'd forget one morning and rub their eyes with the wrong hand...

[chadad]

For the same reason that all burglars wear striped jerseys, and carry bags marked SWAG.

[andy-hughes]

Being a pirate was a fairly dangerous ocuptation, invovoing warefare at sea.

The result of wooden ships being hit by cannon or musket fire was often splinters which would fly off at speed, so blinding on one eye was not at all uncommon for pirates. Wearing a patch was a matter of choice, but it has passed into common perception - as has the hook for a hand. In this case, a pirate could olften loose a hand through being trapped under heavy boxes and barrels smashing about in rough seas, or battle, along with falliing masts and rigging, or cannon or musket shot.

Because a pirate needs useable limbs, a hook would be an adequate substitute for gripping, and indeed fighting.

[RATTER15]

chadad, you will be telling us that not all pirates have a parrot on their shoulder next!!!

[iceworks]

Boring reply but:- simply to retain their night vision and or their telescope vision. You try using a telescope for a while and keep one eye closed its not long before it starts to ache and get tired. Put a patch over it, no longer a problem. Keep one eye covered in the day or dusk and you don't have to wait 10 minutes for the eye to adjust to low light levels, low light in sea mists or gun smoke reduce light vision rapidly and drastically, an eye patch could give you 30 seconds better sight than the other fellow and save your life.

[VS Prasad]

The theory says that pirates would cover one eye to allow for better viewing in dark areas below deck.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_did_pirates_wear _a_patch_over_one_eye

Back in ye olden tymes, there was no such thing as GPS receivers, sextants, atomic clocks or accurate maps. Even the timepieces, maps and compasses that were available at the time� required tools for accurate ocean navigation - were rudimentary at best. The British Navy in the 16th century developed an incredibly advanced method of maritime navigation using maps, �accurate� clocks and spyglasses (olden days word for �telescope�, you mental midgets).

http://www.asktonyanything.com/tonyd/2004/11/w hy_do_pirates_.html