Starte[url=https://imgur.com/oDEUWC9][img]http://i.imgur.cd a new whip

[Ron May]

Mark, that's looking pretty good.

Ron

[Mark Elliott]

Ron, thank you.

[Ben Varsek]

Mark, my copliments to your work, your plaiting looks very accurate and tight!

About the birds eye pattern: it does feel a little different to palit it, since the strands aren't holding each other in palce (like the would do on a regualr Herringbone). What helped me to get the bridseye streight was to focus on the part of the plaiting which is a little above of your working strand (the part which is plaited already, but not tightened already).
You can "move" the birdseyes into the desired location (streight in a row) by the way you're pulling your working strands.

All the best
Ben

[Rachel McCollough]

Looking great! I love the short herringbone. Locks down strands very well but not quite as difficult as diamond plait to work it the way you want. It'll fit over more varied diameters than diamond plait.

[Mark Elliott]

Thanks again, guys.

Ben, I'm going to get my practice stick out as soon as I get this whip finished and work on what you said. Thanks

Rachel, I like the short herringbone a lot, I've used it several times, although this was the first time in a solid color. Mad it much harder to keep track of the strands. Black seems especially hard for me to see. I had to get a drop light out and move it from side to side as I plaited just to be sure I was keeping all the strands in order. I suspect that as I gain experience I might be able to do that more by touch, but right know I have to see it to keep it right.

[Matt Henderson]

That's looking sharp Mark! There is a tiny drift, but not one you'd notice. When I finally get round to making a whip again I'll try some short herringbone

[Sven van Leeuwen]

That's looking very sharp. I also like the short herringbone.
Black is indeed a difficult color when plaiting, but it's (personally) also one of the nicer colors. I once made a all-black whip and it's still one of my favorites.

Sven

[Mark Elliott]

The overlay is on, a 20 plait, ending in a 6 plait. I'll get the fall made tomorrow, maybe. I'm going to visit mom and step-dad, and my daughters, and my nephew that is in the hospital. I might be able to get the knots on Friday. We'll see. I appreciate everyone's kind words, thank you all very much. But what I'm really interested in is insight into things that I could improve upon,
so lay on, McDuff

[Ethan Mitchell]

Looking great Mark!
I love how black whip look.

[Sven van Leeuwen]

Looking good Mark. I like how this one is turning out.

Sven

[Rachel McCollough]

Mark that is looking great.

[Mark Elliott]

Thank 's Ethan, and Sven, and Rachel, y'all are very kind. I've seen whips that you guys have made, though, and I'm not even close... Yet.

[Morten Aalykke Pedersen]

Looks like a nice solid piece of work

[Mark Elliott]

Thank you, Morten

[Ethan Mitchell]

Na, you are definitely past me. Thanks for the complement though :p

[Rachel McCollough]

Mark, no matter what level any of us are on, there is always much more to seek out. I love it next to my family-friends-dogs.

[Mark Elliott]

Well, here 'tis. I was going to plait the thong with a couple different plaits, but even though I was able to get the transitions the way I wanted them, i just didn't like the way it looked, So, the overlay came off and was re-plaited with a simple 20 plait herringbone. Same thing with the knots. I first tied pineapple knots, thinking it would look good with the short herringbone. It took a couple of tries to get it where it covered but didn't look pinched, but I didn't like it so off it came. Then I tried a gaucho, hoping that the contrast would suit me. It didn't. So, I was browsing through some of the other whips you guys have posted here and came across one of Erik's that had the same short herringbone handle and he had put a doubled Turk's head on it and I liked the look, so that's what I ended up doing. I put a brass collar on the transition and held it with a pair of 7x6 THKs and the heel is also a 7x6 but with two passes.
I had really wanted to make this whip pretty fancy, but it just wouldn't have it. So here it is- The Little Black Whip

[Mark Elliott]

Oh, forgot to say (imagine that, still has something to say) 8 ft, 3 bellies, 20 plait overlay, 10 inch handle, shot loaded core, weighted fall.

[Jyri Haveri]

It looks really good Mark! I really like that short herringbone plait.

[Robert Gage]

Mark, that looks very nice indeed. (I usually think simplicity is best, so I'm quite glad it's not too 'fancy'.) How dies it flow? How does it feel?