It is a stereotype that pirates during the age of sail often wore eyepatches. This stereotype is common in fiction and was popularized by the novel Treasure Island. Whilst piracy was a violent occupation and eye injuries occurred, a myth supposes that pirates wore a patch over one of their eyes to adjust that eye to darkness in preparation for battle. That way, when they boarded a ship and were ready to go below deck, they could remove their patch and be able to see well in the poorly lit interior of the ship. It takes time for the eye to adjust itself for darkness had they not prepared their eye ahead of time by using an eyepatch, the boarders would have been at an immediate tactical disadvantage the moment they went below. Although the idea is plausible, this tactic does not appear in any naval combat manual or historical account of the era. Whether or not these dirty scoundrels wore eye patches or not it is still fun to add one to your costume.  The Leather Handmade Dark as Night Pirate Eye Patch is handmade from leather with ribbon ties that are secured by two steel studs.  As stated before this a pirate costume wouldnt be a pirate costume without one. Specifications: Overall Length 43 Inches Ribbon Length: 20 Inches (Each) Eye Patch Dimension: 3 x 2.25 Inches Material: 100% Genuine Leather Features: 100% Genuine Leather Color: Black Handmade