This is the Gallery of "Wolf Creek Whips" - Rachel McCollough

[Robert Gage]

Good heavens, Rachel! 72 plait seems - well, completely 'over the top'! But the skill involved is astonishing.

[Matt Henderson]

Something I've been thinking of trying is microcord (1mm thick paracord). I know some people interweave it into their knots, but I was wondering if I could turn it into a whip in a similar way to high-strand Henderson work.

If I ever do try and live up to my namesake, I'll be sure to document my progress for the general hilarity of all :P.

[Ron May]

Matt, that would be very interesting.

Ron

[Guest]

Surely Mr. Robert, that's why I added "nylon" since the width is a constant so a higher plait count will always mean a thicker whip!

The amount of drop points on a 72 plait though, not to mention cutting those thin strands of roo!

[Roy Partin]

Just as I suspected it moves beautifully. Tell Hagen thank you very much for his performance. I like this one a lot

[Rachel McCollough]

Matt that'll be neat to see

Roy thank you, I will sure tell him.

[Matt Henderson]

Okay folks, I think I'll try it .

[Rachel McCollough]

7' 18 plait Steer Whip in Acid Dark Brown with Midnight Blue and Electric Blue Accents, 12" fiberglass internal handle with some added lead weight at the heel and Gonçalo Alves grip,
Twisted English Eye. Loaded Twisted Taper Fall and tapered sinew cracker.
Added tie strand for hanging loop.

Material from Whip Nation.

[Ron May]

Rachel, talk about straight plaiting. I really like that short herringbone.
Clean, sharp and simple elegance.

Is the knob from Whip Nation as well?

Nice job.

Ron

[Rachel McCollough]

Thanks Ron
That one is diamond plait as it is 18 plait.
The wood is from Whip Nation, but I made the grip with a rasp. Sorry I didn't make that clear!

[Brandon "Sparky" Lam]

Wow I really love the blue accents you added in!!

[Matt Henderson]

Wow. I love the colours, and the wooden heel knob really works well. Fine looking whip .

[Rachel McCollough]

Thank y'all, I can't take credit for the color choice, that was the customer's excellent picks.

[Robert Gage]

Very fine, Rachel!

In the last photo, there's something wrapped around the thong where it joins the heel knob. Is that simply cosmetic, or for enable hanging from a hook? (I think it improves the look!)

[Sir Roger Tuson]

Whatever it is Robert, I agree. I really sets off the handle. Beautiful as always, Rachel.

[Rachel McCollough]

Mr. Robert you are correct, that's for hanging it on the saddle horn.
Thank you, very much!

Thank you, Roger!

[Robert Gage]

Thanks, Rachel! I knew it couldn't be 'structural' - but it does look nice!

[Rachel McCollough]

Thank you, Mr. Robert

[Robby Amper]

Hello, everyone Rachel, that steering whip - look and colors (and the wooden heel!) - awesome. Just awesome. But - sorry - one thing... The picture where the camera goes along the whip; the strands seem to have some kind of "waves" at the handle. I know that this perspective is a killer for every straight line, but I'd like to ask. Do you consider this whip a single crack whip, a working whip, or is it good for routines, too? I know that it's a steering whip, but I too know that a pan is made to prepare food, but some people use it to surf in the snow with it... So - what do you think? And - one more thing - what do you bill for such a wonderful tool?

The stockwhip.
Well, it really looks great. The simplicity makes it so beautiful. Harmonic in its look and appearance. No gimmicks. Just plain art. It's the same thing as with Roy's whips. Straight, 100% well made. Effective yet elegant. The best thing on that whip is, that it looks plain and simple. From a distance. But the closer you get, the better you can see the different styles of braiding. When you're close enough, this whip reveals its secrets. The binding. Usually those bindings are done onto the surface. So you always have some kind of "step". Here Rachel spared out a "bed" for the binding, which means that the binding and the wood are on the same level. Which makes it unique, again. Like I said in the beginning - this whip has some secrets. And I love that! Roy mentioned that he'd like to see a video with this stockwhip. Rachel already did one. But - perhaps - there will be another video...


An australian whip maker - from whom I have my habbit of using ridiculously long poly crackers... - created a 72 plait stockwhip. Actually more than one. Incredibly expensive - and incredibly useless. Imagine you crack that whip and one, two (or seven...) strands rip. Then you can shoot yourself in the head. Because that whip is ruined. So those whips are pure collector's items.
I mean... Usually whips were four plait in the old days. Around 1850 you paid between 10.00 and 15.00 USD for 10 whips. All in four plait. And before you say "Oh, how cheap!"... Those cowboys made between 1.00 and 3.00 USD a week. If you wanted to be really fancy - and I mean really fancy! - you had a whip, made in 8 plait. But the was very rare. And - believe it or not - the 12 plait thingie became popular with the Indiana Jones Whip, David Morgan created. From that moment on, nobody wanted an 8 plait whip, anymore. Sign of the times, I think.

I had some 8 plait whips, and they were really good. Simple, not fancy in any way, but they did a good job. And to end this post. I can't stand things like a "grapevine" binding anymore. It's like you love sweets. But if you eat too much of them for too long, you won't love them anymore.


To bind it all together: Rachel - you are doing a great and inspirational job.


Robby

[Guest]

Rachel, that steer whip is one nice piece indeed! Sleek and pleasing to the eye, and yet has business written all over it. Serious cowboy swag right there


- Pokkis