Bobbie Holyoak

Rhett Kelley · Post by **Rhett Kelley** » Mon 11. Aug 2014, 13:33

Very nice.

Bobbi Holyoak · Post by **Bobbi Holyoak** » Wed 3. Sep 2014, 23:23

Thanks to everyone who took the time to comment on my pix.

This is a Valkyrie. I cam up with the idea for this whip when a client of mine needed a (((HEAVY))) fall so that he couldn't out run it with his horse. When I got the fall just right.... there was no whip that would handle it. So, I made this setup for the fall. It looks funny on the hitch because there is still so much whip, but it does the job!

Oh, and this is my very first attempt at a ferule. Thanks to Devin and Carl for the hook ups. xox

Devin Bauer · Post by **Devin Bauer** » Wed 3. Sep 2014, 23:52

Very nice Bobbi, I love the way the pattern on the handle shows up. So is the thong and handle heavier than normal to balance out the weight of the fall? I have enough trouble getting balance right with different woods. It is quite surprising the effect a half ounce will have when it is concentrated in the fall.

Jeff Roseborough · Post by **Jeff Roseborough** » Thu 4. Sep 2014, 00:49

Very Nice! I like that pattern on the handle. The fall hitch almost looks like a snake's head hitch but is a little hard to see. Good work!

Bobbi Holyoak · Post by **Bobbi Holyoak** » Thu 4. Sep 2014, 02:23

Thanks, Jeff and Devin. Yes, the whole whip is heavier. It ends in a 6 plait and has a few core strands clear till the fall hitch. The fall weighs a whole ounce before the wax. Compare that to the .25 ounce of a 3 foot leather fall.... its crazy. (yes, I did weigh all my leather falls and all the prototypes as they came down the line)

Kerry came over to pick up the whip and I got some good shots of her.

Devin Bauer · Post by **Devin Bauer** » Thu 4. Sep 2014, 02:55

Very cool to have a customer that can personally pick up the whip. Have you tried irregular herringbone for smaller 6 plait points, or do you already use it? I have found that done carefully it is as small as a 4 plait with a core of some sort, and 6 plait irregular herringbone can be (carefully) drawn up around a single strand of gutted paracord, or 2 strands of dacron in my case.

Geez that is one heavy fall, I would imagine that a fall that heavy would lend itself well to being accurate enough to split hairs.

Einar Stephenson · Post by **Einar Stephenson** » Thu 4. Sep 2014, 03:23

Cool whip very colorfully.

Bobbi Holyoak · Post by **Bobbi Holyoak** » Thu 4. Sep 2014, 04:19

Thanks, Einar.

Devin, I'll try that next one. It had 3 strands of core at the end. So, it may not be little no matter what, but I sure will try. Thank you for your suggestion.

LOL! and I don't know about splitting hairs... but, one time Anthony called me up and said "Can you hear that? tic tic tic. "I'm using Betty to knock bird poop off the fence." (Betty is the name of his Valkyrie) I think it is safe to say that they are accurate.

Robert Gage · Post by **Robert Gage** » Thu 4. Sep 2014, 08:00

Bobbi, your Valkyie is magnificent. I checked your website, and was pleased to find more information there. And, as Devin says, it's great for the customer to be able to pick it up in person - which allows you to see their satisfaction!

You have created a serious temptation for me - though I wouldn't be able to call by to collect it. But I hope that perhaps, before too long....

Simon Martin · Post by **Simon Martin** » Thu 4. Sep 2014, 10:02

Great design Bobby. I'm a bit spoilt in Australia as every day someone comes in to the shop to either buy a whip, get some whipcracking tips or bring in whips to repair.
Keep on cracking.
Simon

Roy Partin · Post by **Roy Partin** » Thu 4. Sep 2014, 10:33

I agree with the above posts, that handle is amazing. I also enjoy seeing my customers trying out their whip for the first time. Even better is when they use it to help me gather cattle.

Robby Amper · Post by **Robby Amper** » Thu 4. Sep 2014, 11:51

That handle design is amazing! It seems as there are two different patterns in two separated layers on the handle. And the silver ferrule on the powerful red... Great. I have to admit that I become more and more curious on that whip

Robby

p.s.
Could you post a few pics/detailed shots of that target stand, you have there into the target stand section? Or into the table...?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu 4. Sep 2014, 11:56

Repeating what others have said, the patterns are really cool. Not just the handle but how they work as a whole. I might have to borrow something from that design, if you don't mind

- Pokkis

Carl Feairs · Post by **Carl Feairs** » Thu 4. Sep 2014, 13:56

The loudest crack I can get is the overhead crack on a horse going full out. I assume to out run the fall you have to be doing a foreward throw at a target while galoping!
Nice pattern work. The handle looks complicated!

Bobbi Holyoak · Post by **Bobbi Holyoak** » Thu 4. Sep 2014, 15:06

Thanks everyone! xox That handle did turn out pretty but it is more of the way the whips is color blocked rather than some feat of complicated plaiting. I'm a big believer in that the whip should function first even if I have to sacrifice the fancy stuff.

One thing I see a lot with nylon whip makers is they want to put every color and every different pattern... sometimes on the same whip! That is the fun of synthetic right? But sometimes simple really IS better.

Yes, it was fun to see her crack the whip for the first time... The smile on her face was priceless and so I had to take pictures.

Carl, yes, that is exactly what he is doing but sometimes the target is being held by a different person who is galloping full speed towards him.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu 4. Sep 2014, 15:23

Bobbi Holyoak wrote:I'm a big believer in that the whip should function first even if I have to sacrifice the fancy stuff.

Have to say I like that attitude. There's always room in the world for flashy designs, but form should follow function and not vice versa.

Bobbi Holyoak wrote:...sometimes the target is being held by a different person who is galloping full speed towards him.

Umm... What exactly is your customer doing with that whip, if you don't mind me asking? Whatever it is, this part sounds pretty cool. "Mounted cowboy action moving target cracking" would be an olympic sport if I were to decide

- Pokkis

Bobbi Holyoak · Post by **Bobbi Holyoak** » Thu 4. Sep 2014, 16:27

I would love that as an Olympic sport!

This video shows a little of it at 2:20. He is better at it now. If you look closely in the video you can see that he is hitting the target with the thong when it is coming toward him. Now with the Valkyrie, it is possible to hit it with the end of the fall because it isn't blowing in the wind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9LfTw6K2XU

Oh, and the thing that I wish they mentioned in the History channel video (I think they may mention it in the episode on tv) is that they only gave him one take for each of these stunts. Amazing! don't you think?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu 4. Sep 2014, 16:38

Cooool. I never saw this one before, thanks!

Also this video is yet another reminder that Anthony De Longis is a friggin surgeon with a whip.

- Pokkis

Mario Desgronte · Post by **Mario Desgronte** » Thu 4. Sep 2014, 21:58

Wow, I like this Valkyrie-Bullwhip, the handle design is beautiful and I love whips with ferrules, with a ferrule a whip gets an extra elegant look.
Great job, Bobbi.

Best wishes,

Mario

Ralph Masemann · Post by **Ralph Masemann** » Fri 5. Sep 2014, 11:13

Hi Bobbi,
this is a very beautiful whip!

A women have more feeling to handle with colors and very little details to make a whip more singularly

Congrats Bobbi

Ralph