Whip Basics. The Forum

Ah how far we have come, yet how far we still must travel.

I think someone commented (with the same rather silly kind of irony) that the whipping scene in that 1997 film Starship Troopers, where a black man whips a white man, could not have been done the other way around. That irony depends, of course, on stereotypes we all work against - but the biggest stereotype is the idea that whips are to hit people with. They are not! They're simply fun, and using them involves a gratifying degree of skill. People like Roy use them as a working tool with his cattle. But I, for one, am utterly fed up with the assumption that their real purpose is to cause anyone (or anything) pain. It is quite possible to run someone down with a car - but that's not the purpose of the car. I wish these people would get real - and grow up! Harrumph!

Craig Frank wrote:Someone at work today made the comment that they thought it was ironic seeing me teach a black man to use a whip. :/

So... If we take the actual concept of irony and apply it to this statement, your workmate just called you a racist bigot? Forgive me for not seeing that in your actions :P

Putting that thoughtless nonsense aside, your whip looks good there really. Judging by the proportions it's pretty much the same weight as the one I got -- which translates to "not a featherlight speed cracking whip at all". The kind of whip that doesn't take orders but rather tells the whipcracker what to do. If my judgment is correct, the only thing in any way negative I can say is that the heel knot could be larger. That's a question of preference but a heel knot too small can really wear you out within a cracking session. For reference, I don't have large hands myself. In a language I know you'll understand, my hands are way too small for using a HK USP comfortably. I very much encourage you to try a larger heel knot just to see how it works for you.

Robert, the way I see it, the most awesome thing about Starship Troopers was that it made the grand public to root for the Nazis without even noticing it themselves. Paul Verhoeven is my hero -- I just love how he underlines uncomfortable points and gets away with it


- Pokkis

Pokkis, I actually thought Starship Troopers was quite a fun film - partly for the reason you mention, but also because it was, in so many ways, just so preposterously bad!

A bit off topic here, but Robert, I'm actually surprised to hear to hear your opinion of that movie. I know I'm a bit prejudiced here in a way with all that bearded British gentleman thing you have going on, but this is a positive surprise indeed. Would you like to know more? :P


- Pokkis

Pokkis, I'd love to know more - but perhaps you'd better send me a PM, as this is a public thread!

Pokkis - I think I just need to make all of my future whips with a concho in order to force myself to make bigger heel knots.

I hear someone is remaking Starship Troopers. Hopefully it will be closer to the book Paul Verhoeven missed every single point of the book. Hell, he even admitted that he only read the first chapter. Point number one: the earth government was NOT a military dictatorship in anyway shape or form. Military service was NOT required to become a citizen. Any federal service was acceptable. I could go on for days.

Craig, some have used the smaller TH knot as a foundation for a larger one.
You might have to increase the number of bites but that could work for you.

Ron - that sounds cool. I have no idea how to increase bites, though.

Here's a video from Nick's Whip Shop.
It might help some.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPBxcIwT4fA

Ah yes, Nick's Whip Shop. Proof that there's a little good in every situation haha

Donovan - I should have asked sooner, but can I copyright that name? "The Thunderstorm. It tells YOU where to crack!"

Finally getting to work on the second belly of Franken-whip.

Frankenwhip? Oh man I can't wait to see how this one turns out

I'm pretty sure this thing is just going to be a wall-hanger. Usually I can get the whips to crack without a fall or cracker after every layer to include the binded core, but not so with this one. I believe the problem is the section if rope in the core that I didn't gut. My thought was that if my core was wire rope, then ball bearings, then ungutted rope, and then finally gutted rope, that it would continue to build speed as it transitioned through all of the different weights. However, I think the ungutted section of rope is just too stiff. I might be able to salvage it with an extremely long fall, but at this point I think it's just a wall hanger.

Therefore, I might as well go full Franken with it. I've had an idea for a new method for doing an off- colored handle and I'm going to try it out on this one. Basically, I'll leave the second belly uncovered and start the overlay just above the transition. I know I'll have to add some serious strength to the start so that it doesn't come loose during use. My thought is to build the transition knot foundation before the overlay and use it as an anchor point for the start of the overlay. Then wrap over the start with a lot of super tight sinew and put a big-ass transition knot over it.

Hmmmm that sounds interesting. I look forward to seeing what you end up creating though! I wish you luck!

Craig, I suspect that a lot of creative ideas have been born because something hoped for didn't work out. I await your result with much interest!

Craig it's still a win, you think it's not going to work well so you get to try more ideas out, you'll know about them too. I look forward to seeing your experiment!!!

Franken whip on hold again. I have two orders from work that I'm going to try to fill during the four day weekend.

Good for you, Craig!

This is the first time that I've done double strand drops in order to keep the pattern consistent. So far I like it. I'm using a different method to keep the dropping strands out of the way until I cut them off.