Midnight

[Collin Weaver]

Mark, I'm taking a page out of your book and going to try and name my whips...probably bad luck without one, similar to a ship :

I have been seeing some shorter stock whips floating around the internet...as in a 3-1/2-4ft stock whip. I wanted to try and make one just to see how I liked the handling of it. It also occured to me I haven't made a plain black whip yet.

This one is a 4ft 12 plait with a weighted core and 10 plait belly. I also tried doing the tip like a cow whip twisted taper for something different, and attached a twisted taper fall using a basic nail knot. I'm actually happy with the way it feels. The fall also ends in a quick change cracker loop. There is a Spanish ring knot just below the double layer keeper loops, and a full plait square start 16" aluminum handle with a larger round 5x4 4 pass Turks head (sorry for the mouth full)

It was just light enough for me to get a couple pictures and video outside for once. Excuse the poor cracking...its the first cracks you see with the whip, as well as being about 12°F outside. I'm sure I'll think of more excuses later.

https://youtu.be/oVxbpH6N_dA

[Ron May]

That looks like it cracks nicely.
Good job Collin.
Personally, I would have waited for spring. Just sayin'.

Ron

[Scott A. Cary]

Ya' gotta love a solid black whip. Well, I gotta love a solid black whip. You do you.

[Robert Gage]

Collin, that looks remarkably good for such a short whip. I haven't tried a stock whip shorter than 5-foot (i.e. 5-foot thong). I can imagine that for 'trick' work, a 4-footer might be quite practical on a stage. Does it feel too light to handle accurately?

Like Scott, I always like solid black.

[Collin Weaver]

Ron, we might have been waiting awhile if I were to do that!

I do like Scott

Robert, it feels ok actually. I did weight the core, and also used a 16" handle instead of 18" which I have been doing. Without these 2 things, I believe it might have felt too light for my taste. The very first stock whip I made was 5ft, but used an 18" handle, unweighted, and only 10 plait overlay, and actually felt faster than this one. I really had to muscle it due to lack of mass. Like anything, I suppose finding that balance is key.

[Collin Weaver]

Scott, while I do like you, I meant to say "I do like it, Scott" :

[Jyri Haveri]

It looks good and seems to behave!

[Rachel McCollough]

You have done really well on this whip! Beautiful!

[Mark Elliott]

Very nice job, Collin. I originally was just trying to come up with titles for blog posts that I do for each build and just got into the habit of calling the whip by the same title. A lot of whip makers have certain styles that they do, like Rachel's Amper Style or Rachel Stock, and then assign a number in a series. I never have really settled into any set styles yet as I am still trying to figure out how to make the silly things. I'm about to start on #40, a long way from the hundreds and thousands that Rachel and Tyler and Gio and others in this forum and elsewhere have made. The whip that I bought that was made by Bernie was number 2743!

[Collin Weaver]

Mark, that's a really good thought process. I believe this is about #15 or so, and I still want to try new things. My problem with life in general, is that I like to experiment and question things. I find something that works, and change it again. There's a joke I like to say "If it ain't broke, fix it till it is." While this does get me into trouble, I like the freedom so to speak whip making gives me. I'm not doing commission work, so I can really just do what I want in that moment. Maybe looking back, I'll be able to see a reflection of myself in the work I did based on that moment in time...sounds romanticized but true. If I ever get into the hundreds and thousands like the aforementioned, I'm sure I will develop a signature or feel of some sort, but as of right now I'm watching everything that yourself, Rachel, Tyler, Jessie, Roy, Gio etc... do and attempting to take my favorite parts and somehow make them my own without copying too much.

PS. Thanks Rachel and Jyri, high praise!