Tyler Blake

Jeff Roseborough · Post by **Jeff Roseborough** » Thu 13. Nov 2014, 04:55

WOW! What a knot! It looks beautiful and from your description, a lesser person would have given up the first day. That is a lot of passes to make on that knot. Did you tie it on a mandrel first or right on the handle itself?

Great Job!

Robert Gage · Post by **Robert Gage** » Thu 13. Nov 2014, 07:28

Fine looking knots, Tyler - but they can't really be worth repeating if they took a whole week! There are many things which are possible, but - for practical reasons - not desirable! :P But this is brilliant work!

Robby Amper · Post by **Robby Amper** » Thu 13. Nov 2014, 10:28

These knots look great, but a whole week? Great heavens. That must be the most expensive heel knots, ever made, hm? But - again - it looks great. On the tutorial... You should better ask who's not interested in such a thing

Thanks for the picture and the explanations, Tyler.

Robby

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu 13. Nov 2014, 10:44

Dude... Those are cool knots, but I would guess you're not doing them again any time soon

I hope your customer can appreciate what he ordered and got. Not everyone would have followed through with that, a week is a long time for two heel knots after all.

- Pokkis

Sir Roger Tuson · Post by **Sir Roger Tuson** » Thu 13. Nov 2014, 14:03

Those knots are fantastic. While I really enjoy the process of making the whip itself, I really look forward to tying the THs for the transition and heel in spite of the time and frustration they can cause.

Oh, and who is that person in Pokkis' avatar pic and what has he done with our Pokkis?

Roy Partin · Post by **Roy Partin** » Fri 14. Nov 2014, 14:23

Way to go Tyler on knot giving up (hehe). That looks amazing and I'm sure you are so relieved that they finally turned out great. I think a job that looks that good is worth doing no matter how time consuming or complicated it may be. It sets you apart from every other whip maker.

Tyler Blake · Post by **Tyler Blake** » Sat 15. Nov 2014, 00:46

Thanks Devin! Thanks Jeff, and I always tie directly on the handle. I've never tried ding it on a mandrel first, I might sometime though.

Thanks Robert! THis same fellow has already told me he might order another set and he has some friends that are interested too...I know he'll want dacron knots again. But, if he does order I will dramatically increase the price this time. Granted it wouldn't take as much time now because I already know how large to go. On these, I would try a configuration, start to tighten it and it would gap, so I'd have to start over every time. But it's still an extra headache.

Thanks Robby! These were the most expensive knots ever- for me :P
I had already quoted him a price and stuck with it. In the future I will definitely charge more or turn down the commission, I just can't put that kind of time into knots. If I hadn't been on vacation, I'd probably STILL be fussing over it- and I'd have to change my avatar picture to show how I pulled all my hair out!

Thanks Pokkis! He was, but I still don't look forward to doing this again anytime soon

Thanks Roger ! The upside of this project, was that it did give me a better, deeper understanding of TH's , I think it made me better at tying them over all. I just finished my first whip after this set with a nylon TH, it felt great! And I know what you mean about Pokkis :P Seriously though Pokkis, very dapper avatar Sir:)

Thanks Roy! I see what you did there!

Tyler Blake · Post by **Tyler Blake** » Tue 9. Dec 2014, 11:20

Ok...I've been holding back on this one. I had pictures of it, but the problem is that I took them :P Mario commissioned this, and I was waiting until he had time to take the pics to show it here. Because.. well, Mario's a better photographer than me by some measurement that hasn't been conceived of yet

This was Mario's design, he told me exactly what he'd like to have including some sketches. I give you.... (drumroll).. the Yellow Boy!

Robert Gage · Post by **Robert Gage** » Tue 9. Dec 2014, 11:31

WOW! The drum roll is entirely appropriate! That's fantastic, Tyler! Is it an 8-footer? What's the weight balance between the thong and the handle? I'd like so much to feel it in my hand! And there's no doubt that Mario's photos are in a class of their own. Here, he's conjured up the whole world of John Wayne....

Roy Partin · Post by **Roy Partin** » Tue 9. Dec 2014, 12:15

That is brilliant, both on the idea and the whip design. The Duke is one of my idols, I'm so jealous right now. Mario I don't think you will be happy with this whip so you should sell it to me!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue 9. Dec 2014, 12:22

Wow, that's cool. Yet another reminder that not everything has to be flashy and colorful. Oh, and this one just became one of my all time favorites, I absolutely love how that looks.

Robert, that photo setting makes me think of something a bit different. The rifle - also known as Winchester Yellow Boy due to that brass receiver - already has a customized, large lever loop, and there's a chance you have seen one like that in the hands of a well known scientist. Just add a homemade and awesomely steampunkish scope, and you get this:

"It'll shoot the fleas off a dog's back at five hundred yards, Tannen, and it's pointed straight at your head!"

Not sure if I'm overthinking here, but the combination of that weapon and a whip made with 21st century technology really wakes up the nerdy Back To The Future fan inside me.

I have long suspected that Tyler is really from the future, and references like this don't really help

- Pokkis

Robert Gage · Post by **Robert Gage** » Tue 9. Dec 2014, 12:28

Cool picture! What's the film, Pokkis? (I'm a total dunce with regard to these things!)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue 9. Dec 2014, 12:38

Robert, that's Back To The Future III, and a time-traveling scientist Doctor Emmett "Doc" Brown in 1885 California.

- Pokkis

Sir Roger Tuson · Post by **Sir Roger Tuson** » Tue 9. Dec 2014, 12:52

Tyler, if you close your eyes you'll be able to imagine me bowing down in front of you! Yet another whip of absoulte beauty. To paraphrase the immortal Wayne - we are not worthy!

Mario, as always, your photography is just incredible. You set off the whips you picture so well.

Robert Gage · Post by **Robert Gage** » Tue 9. Dec 2014, 13:30

Thanks, Pokkis! I did see Back to the Future I when it first came out

, but never saw the two sequels.

Fritz Ehlers · Post by **Fritz Ehlers** » Tue 9. Dec 2014, 14:08

A magnificent piece of work there Tyler.
All kinds of awesome.

Tyler Blake · Post by **Tyler Blake** » Tue 9. Dec 2014, 15:17

Thanks Robert! This is a 7 footer, ordinarily on my whips I would call them heavier on the thong because the Carbon Graphite I use for the handles is really light. Also, I use a tiny bit of lead in the fall hitch to give it a pulling sensation. On this one however, it's more even because of the extra weight from the collars and also the coin.

Thanks Roy! Thanks Pokkis, and might that not be the first example of Steampunk in cinema? I thought part three was the best of the trilogy.

Thanks Roger, but please no bowing

Thanks Fritz!

Robert Gage · Post by **Robert Gage** » Tue 9. Dec 2014, 15:35

Thanks, Tyler! You make me want to feel it in my hand even more!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue 9. Dec 2014, 15:38

Tyler Blake wrote:Thanks Pokkis, and might that not be the first example of Steampunk in cinema? I thought part three was the best of the trilogy.

Not quite, I would call "From the Earth to the Moon" an example of steampunk in cinema too. Oh, and the original novel was mentioned in BTTF3 too, when Doc was having a romantic night with Clara. Metaish.

About the best part of the trilogy, I somewhat agree. There's no time travel fiction by anyone that makes sense, but BTTF3 does that too. Almost. The DeLorean would miss the railway in 1985 merely due to plate tectonics, and WHY DOES MARTY'S PATERNAL GREAT-GREAT...-GRANDMOTHER LOOK LIKE HIS MOTHER, but all that never really pops up because it is a good and entertaining movie. Just mentioning. And yes, I will stop now and take my meds :P

I still prefer the first one by a narrow margin

- Pokkis

Devin Bauer · Post by **Devin Bauer** » Tue 9. Dec 2014, 15:45

Ah, I had forgotten about this one, very neat whip indeed. Seems like there would be a decent pool of people who might want a Duke tribute whip.
Very classy way of doing the tribute though, and excellent work as always.

The Winchester in the first pictures is not a 1866 Yellowboy though, it looks like an 1894 with brass plating. The Back to the Future picture however is a 1866 Yellow Boy. The Yellow boys were a transitional model of sorts and were basically Henry's with the loading gate instead of the twist barrel loading mechanism. The 1873 is the first "true" Winchester design.