Collins whips/making of

[Ron May]

If you can't take pride in the whip then give it away if you must.

If you like the whip but it's not what you personally would want to buy then just sell it for cost of materials.

If you would love to order a whip you just made then by all means sell it for what ever you want.

Ron

[Collin Weaver]

Mark and Ron, really great advice thanks. As soon as money becomes involved, people can become a little screwy and a little touchy, so my goal is simply to be responsible with it as I obviously am not making a living selling whips and don't need to screw anybody over, including myself.

[Rachel McCollough]

Don't sell yourself short. Very nice looking whip!

[Collin Weaver]

Rachel, thank you!!

[Collin Weaver]

So after becoming a member today, I couldn't help myself but to experiment. I wanted to increase the plait count from 10 to 12 on the stock whip without having to feed another strand into the keeper loop...well Ben had an amazing tutorial on adding strands. My theory is I can make the keeper have a relatively low profile so it doesn't affect the hinge, but add the 6th strand into the plaiting directly below it. There is a very small bulge, but on a stock whip I don't believe it will have adverse affect as it should sit just below the keepers if I attach and got my measurements right...more to come on that. Anyway, here's some (aweful) pictures to illustrate what I am trying. Almost forgot to mention, the whole reason I want to try this is So I have a little more control over the taper. The previous method made a straighter first 3rd of the whip and made it nose heavy, so this may give me just enough ability to increase diameter, then kill it off before I hit the tapered core and drop remaining strands. 10 plait wasn't quite doing this for me comfortbaly at my skill level. Again, all theory

Before 6th strand


Insterted


Plaited little ways down. Don't mind messy bench...it's a great metaphor to my brain
Everything is there, it's just scattered a little


Here you can see top right the bulge from increased diameter. I'm sure (kind of) after rolling it will look better

[Ron May]

I think that will work out fine for the very reasons you stated.
Nice going. This should work out well.

Ron

[Rachel McCollough]

Looks like it will work just fine, and it looks good too!

[Scott A. Cary]

Nice work, Collin, and congratulations!

[Jyri Haveri]

Congrats Collin! And your colour choices are pretty hypnotic

[Collin Weaver]

Thanks all!

Jyri, I have a 1000ft spool of that green stuff so I figured I'd use it up! I do like any diamond pattern nylon though so maybe you are right :

[Collin Weaver]

I was able to finish the thong of my newest stock whip. The keeper is still a 5 strand flat braid that goes into 10 plait belly, then tapers out. The overlay starts as a 10 plait coming through the keeper, then the added strand before I even complete 1 pass giving me 12 plait to taper with (you can obviously see this with the black strand for a ways). I am much happier with this taper. It's still thinner like the stock whips I have seen, but more even instead of starting straight for 2 feet, then tapering like the original design. I also have somewhat of a weighted fall. I fed the green piece through itself for a basic nylon fall, but then fed into that an additional piece of 95 nylon cord. It's a little heavier, and a little more rigid. Later this week I'll give it a handle and give it a test crack.

[Mark Elliott]

Collin, stock whips traditionally swell slightly from the keeper before they start tapering becuase of the shot bag, so as far as looks go the swell of the thong on this whip is right in line with tradition, although maybe a little more gradual swell all the way around the thong. Looks good.

[Collin Weaver]

Mark, thank you. I've seen that swell you mention on other stock whips, but never paid much mind to it. Shot bag makes much more sense. I can pretend now I meant to do it that way :

[Ethan Mitchell]

I believe the "swell" is called a swing belly. I don't much about it other than that it gives added performance, and also makes it stay on your shoulder better(at least in theory).

[Jyri Haveri]

Looking great Collin!

[Collin Weaver]

Stock whip #3 finally finished the handle a week later than planned. 12 plait 18" handle. 12 plait shot loaded 1 belly thong with 4 point fall hitch and grapevine hitch.

[Ron May]

Nicely done.

Ron

[Collin Weaver]

Thank you Ron!

I was feeling motivated tonight so started my sister's christmas present...a 3 foot 16 plait snake whip. It's shot loaded 1 foot and closed loop binding through "handle" and open loop below that as to increase rigidity for a bit. Nothing like as tight as a bullwhip though.

[Collin Weaver]

And here's the 2nd belly where I'll end tonight. Nothing groundbreaking or different from 1st, just a little stiffer

[Collin Weaver]

I'm on a roll tonight I guess. Wanted to see what that stock whip would look like with a transition knot and i certainly need practice so I made a foundation and did anither Turks knot to finish it.