Tyler Blake

Einar Stephenson · Post by **Einar Stephenson** » Wed 19. Mar 2014, 01:56

The way you incorporated the brass and heal plates is very classy. It gives this whip a great deal of character. Anyone would be proud to have it I think.

Fritz Ehlers · Post by **Fritz Ehlers** » Wed 19. Mar 2014, 11:25

Fantastic work Tyler,
you've been a busy fellow.
I'm a big fan of your work.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed 19. Mar 2014, 12:08

That looks seriously cool, great job!

The aged brass really gives a nice touch, me like that a lot.

- Pokkis

Devin Bauer · Post by **Devin Bauer** » Wed 19. Mar 2014, 15:04

I love it, it looks absolutely wonderful, and I am a very big fan of brass because of the way it ages. The photography shows off the plaiting on the handle really well too.

Alex Lewis · Post by **Alex Lewis** » Wed 19. Mar 2014, 18:51

Tyler, that whip looks truly spectacular.

Tyler Blake · Post by **Tyler Blake** » Wed 19. Mar 2014, 23:11

Thank you Carl, Bobbi, Jonathan, Einar, Fritz, Pokkis, Devin, and Alex

Robby Amper · Post by **Robby Amper** » Wed 19. Mar 2014, 23:40

.

I had the chance - finally - to crack it for a very relaxed hour in the garden. What can I say? That I received more than I ordered? Definitely. Did I receive more than I expected? Yep. And I already wrote that to Tyler... He really nailed it. His late exo whips were in the right direction on the way to feel like roo. The "Night Train" was very close, very!

But with this whip - the specs are on post #37 - he really nailed it. I closed my eyes and did some cracks. I wielded the whips blinded, and the only thing that reminded me that I crack a whip from artificial material was the fact that I could feel on the handle that it's made from artificial material... The behaving of the whip, the way it rolls out - in short: everything - gave me the idea of handling a roo whip.

I'm very picky with my whips. Very. My collection counted exactly three whips. Within the next week it'll be seven. And no more. Too crowded, then

I compared Tyler's whip to the roo whip, I have from Simon. It was a very pleasing surprise.

Good job, Tyler. Very, very good job.

Robby

Tyler Blake · Post by **Tyler Blake** » Thu 20. Mar 2014, 03:27

Thanks very kindly Robby- I can think of no higher praise

Robert Gage · Post by **Robert Gage** » Thu 20. Mar 2014, 09:39

Wow! Robby's post (# 47) suggests that Tyler really has broken down the distinction in handling between nylon and roohide. Congratulations!

Roy Partin · Post by **Roy Partin** » Thu 20. Mar 2014, 11:16

Wow, that is spectacular Tyler. I love the appearance of the brass also, it gives it a little rustic look, and the little details are top notch. From Robby's description, this whip handles even better than it looks, which means it is a "Sleeper". I'm a huge fan of sleepers. Congrats to both of you

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu 20. Mar 2014, 11:28

Those are some seriously high words from Robby, this whip must really be a gem.

Congratulations, both of you! Tyler for making an awesome thing like this, and Robby for getting to own it. I would eat glass to get me one of those

- Pokkis

Devin Bauer · Post by **Devin Bauer** » Thu 20. Mar 2014, 11:40

Indeed Robert, Robby has suggested that, except, there is no Nylon in that whip, it is a Polyester whip, which flows differently from Nylon.
Congrats on the progress Tyler, really cool to hear that you have so closely approached Kangaroo.

Robert Gage · Post by **Robert Gage** » Thu 20. Mar 2014, 13:51

Sorry, Devin - I'm a bit naive about these materials, and failed to note the difference! I'm pretty certain I've never seen a polyester whip....

Devin Bauer · Post by **Devin Bauer** » Thu 20. Mar 2014, 13:56

Worry not, polyester isn't nearly as common a material as nylon, so it is an easy difference to miss. Tyler does most of his beautiful work in polyester if I'm not mistaken. I've only made one in polyester, and it certain has an entirely different flow to than nylon, much more fluid, and it also plaits up very solid, and the Dacron is a smaller diameter than nylon when plaited, about equivalent to 5/32" kangaroo lace.

Carl Feairs · Post by **Carl Feairs** » Thu 20. Mar 2014, 13:57

Sounds like both the maker and the owner are very happy!
The whip looks great Tyler. Can't beat the Dacron! I love working with it. It takes longer to make a whhip but it is worth it.

Giovanni Celeste · Post by **Giovanni Celeste** » Fri 21. Mar 2014, 16:02

What a beauty Tyler!!!
Tha aged brass add more elegance and at the same time a mysterious charm.
I'm sure that Robert will be very happy with it

Robby Amper · Post by **Robby Amper** » Fri 21. Mar 2014, 18:01

Oh, he is...!

Like I said - this very combination of materials adds exactly the weight (and keeps it fluid!) which is needed to have the "rich" feeling of leather. I know that a lot of folks said and say that it's impossible to do that. I kept saying that is wasn't done, yet. But never say never, right?

One thing on the plaiting - the handle. Mario's pictures are amazing and beautiful. But they don't match reality. Well, they can't match. If you have the sunlight going over the handle at dawn, you discover all the fine and finest variations in the plaiting. Not the bright, plain sunlight over the day... Right at dawn, and you (I...) discover all these ornament like patterns.

This whip is a very special one. And it will be one the rare ones that'll never leave me anymore.

Robby

Tyler Blake · Post by **Tyler Blake** » Sat 22. Mar 2014, 06:18

Many thanks to Robert, Roy, Pokkis, Devin,Carl, Gio, and Robby! Robert, This is almost an all polyester whip (dacron is the Dupont brand name for polyester) all of the bellies and overlay are Poly, the knots and fall are nylon. Devin's right, I do almost all of my braiding in Poly, except on my Exowhip line, if you've seen those the lowest 25% (the Carapace, as Jonathan named it) is done in nylon for color. Thanks again Robby! I've been scheming for years and years to come up with one that feels this close to roo. Interestingly, it was kind of an accident- I was using a new core idea, and Robby had a special request on the inner bellies and the combination are what lead to the overall weight and balance

Tyler Blake · Post by **Tyler Blake** » Tue 25. Mar 2014, 16:20

And here is an eight footer bound for Fritz- This is sort of a mix between a Leistungspeitsche bullwhip and a Bela and/or Lokai.

On that zig zag pattern I really did think I would go quite mad...

Bobbi Holyoak · Post by **Bobbi Holyoak** » Tue 25. Mar 2014, 16:30

So Lovely!! Fritz is one lucky guy!