Most recent

[Roy Partin]

Holy cow thats bright! Now that 10 footer is my style. Thats a perfect looking cowboys whip and one that I would carry on my saddle anytime. Rachel is there anyway we can see it in motion? Well done mam.

[Rachel McCollough]

Thank you very much, Roy! That's the kind of whip I have been wanting to make (the 10 footer, not the bright one )
Yessir Lonnie will help me with a video as soon as it dries off outside and we are done training dogs.

[Efren de Gala]

Kind of a weird question: do you have a particular favorite wood for handles so far?

[Jessie Edwards]

I think the ones Rachel made me are red oak? I actually have been wondering about making handles out of diamond willow...at least sections of it...something. I don't know, actually, I'm still in the question and answer phase of my exploration.

[Rachel McCollough]

Roy here is a couple short videos:
Here's the 10 footer in motion:
https://youtu.be/xzqhX-fA_QM

Here's one target:
https://youtu.be/8Y9KZoJC4cs

[Rachel McCollough]

Jessie yes you have I believe 3 red oak and 1 white oak. Or if they're all the same red oak. All of my handles except for a few cherry and what I purchased through Whip Nation are reclaimed pallet lumber. Red oak.

Efren so far my favorites are Goncalo Alves which I bought from WN from Roy (really nice wood), cherry from my dad, and bois d'arc from some friends here. I have a piece of Purple Heart that sits on my cabinet I look at while I plait- still haven't got the just right colors to go on it yet! I think burgundy would go well perhaps. Or dark acid brown..

[Efren de Gala]

Oooo purpleheart. It gets super purple with a little UV exposure, but gets a bit brown with too much. My opening knife has a purpleheart handle and you can really tell which side faced the window. Some finishes are supposed to have a uv blocker, but I havent tried them.

[Jessie Edwards]

what is this "purpleheart" you speak of??? googleing...

[Jessie Edwards]

Weird. It says another name is amaranth, but I thought amaranth is a plant? Must be two of the sameish...regardless, its cool. Rachel, a really pretty sage thong would look epic with that wood. Sage and burgundy together maybe. Something that would darken considerably when waxed.

[Roy Partin]

Rachel thanks for the videos. That whip flows perfectly.Tell Lonnie thanks for the demo

[Rachel McCollough]

http://www.wood-database.com/wood-artic ... tic-woods/
This has a link to wood dyes that stay true.

Efren I read exterior spar varnish with UV inhibitors, the exterior spar varnish I've used in the past was a good finish- but I've never used it with any kind of exotic hardwoods!

Jessie yes it's also called amaranth which is also a flower and a seed producing plant, though the two are obviously different- I believe the leaves of the amaranth are used for greens.
Sage would look really good, there is a paracord color "Moss Green" that is close!

[Rachel McCollough]

Thanks Roy I'll sure tell him! I'm testing my pattern and math, same ratio today on a 7 foot 16 plait. I hope to wax it this afternoon I can't help but hope my math proves true to that same pattern.

[Jessie Edwards]

Hm. I think amaranth is more medicinal than consumable. I am hearing good things about it and the treatment of AIDS. Though, with the amount of tannin in the plant, I would assume it would be a blood clotting agent. I can look it up if you like, but I am working on some online things right now for Robby and my own shop. Later maybe, if you are curious.

[Rachel McCollough]

Finished the 7 ft whip I was trying. I'll wax it tomorrow and see how goes.
Here's another short one I made, this one is for Lonnie for dog training. The whole thing is 5 ft. 8 inches, handle thru cracker. The thong itself is 3' 3". I won't say it has the best action but it is short enough to keep it up off the pups but still make noise. The handle is pear from our tree.

[Craig Frank]

Do you make handles for each whip as needed, or do you keep a stockage on hand? I would think that the handles would take longer than the whips.

[Fritz Ehlers]

I like that little handle, specially with the deep cup. Handy little snapper to get the pups attention.

[Rachel McCollough]

Hi Craig, it takes about 3 hours to make a handle from a squared up 1.5"x1.5"x12-18". Some I make ahead but most as needed.

Fritz, thanks, we really like the whip for use around dogs that are gun shy, it has worked really well for desentization.

[Ron May]

The fact that they are hand crafted is that special ingredient that makes a difference
in the amount of 'self' that goes into every one of Rachel's whips.

[Rachel McCollough]

Thanks Ron. I have used a few turned ones I made in Minnesota but nearly all of mine pictured are hand cut. The pink one is turned.

Fritz I meant to say the deep cup I really like too, I don't see but a couple photos around of folks who use that. I saw it on Roy's whips first, then researched and have only found a couple photos of whips out there with that deep of a cup. I really like the action it provides. It seems to supply more accuracy and control.

[Fritz Ehlers]

Yes, I think so too.
The whip has more handle to sit in nice and snug, and it provides a little more leverage on the transition. That together with some tight binding should work a treat.