Whip Basics. The Forum

A 6.5 whip in jeweled green and electric blue. Mahogany veneer with a hand cut peacock in gold.

This was a long build. I was having a lot of trouble with a concho company and it ended up taking almost 3 weeks longer than it should. The original build did not include any fancy plaiting, but because the customer had to wait so long, I re-plaited the overlay and gave it a little interest over the transition. Pirate theme, 6.5 foot art whip, weighted to the tip. Hand carved "floating" pirate skull graphic over a black handle. There is a tiny bit of gold fleck in the black. finishing knots in blood red. There is a tiny black pirate ship in the heel.

I started this little project a year ago, brought my prototype with me to Germany with limited result. Mainly, it looked crappy. I wanted to get the new one done once and for all. From core to knots, the whip is entirely made from 275 core. It is lightly loaded exactly the same as my practical whips, the only 550 cord is the fall. 275 is just too tiny to try to double up. I have my thoughts on using 275, but I really cant say too much until I can crack it in the heat, which, as you can see, still does not exist in Northwest Wisconsin.

This is my first long whip. It is 9 feet, 18 plait in chocolate brown with desert camo knots. The handle is painted with a textured hammered metal finish. The heel is weighted, with a brass cabochon. This is also my very first taper twist build, so it's a big pile of firsts for me.

Maroon and gold practice whip, 5.5 foot, 12 plait with a gold sparkle cabochon.

I kind of want to call this one Loki...6 foot, 12 plait in metallic green and black.

The itty bitty *Hedgehog Whip. A child's whip that is 4 feet total length in a *Hedgehog theme. 6 Inch handle, double grapevine, 8 plait belly, 12 plait overlay.

My customer wanted The Hedgehog in the heel. While I wouldn't normally do this, because of Copyright, but It was for a little girl's first whip ever. I vectored a picture of Mr. Hog and sized it for the heel just for her, just this one time. I have a soft spot for kids with enthusiasm.



The final pictures aren't as nice as usual because of the snow. I just can't get out there with my camera right now.

Practical whip variation.

Practical whip in tan and chocolate with diamond plait handle:

6 foot, 16 plait whip with a taper twist in black with a double heel knot and a black glass cabochon in the heel.

I am changing my practical whip formula to include an english eye. The reason for this is, that these are specifically made for beginners and for practice. As a beginner, one does not want to have to mess with fall knots or cracker knots. This has resulted in a change in the formula that I am working through; however, with the addition of a weighted fall on this one, I achieved the weight well known to my practice whips.

This is a standard practice whip in chocolate brown with a camo diamond plait on the handle. 5 foot thong with a 12 inch handle.

6 foot overall length with Czech glass beads hand woven on the handle, bleached mahogany veneer with a hand cut Mickey Mouse silhouette in platinum gray. Plaited from the tip with an english eye in sassy red. Trimmed with 3 black knots. The fall also has an english eye for the cracker for easy change outs.

My first lunge whip

5.5 foot thong, 12 inch handle. 12 plait, tapered twist ending. Ultralight design.

I have been selling all my whips via ebay lately so I'll post my auction here as well as my description and pictures: https://www.ebay.com/itm/123888868803

This is a 6.5 foot bullwhip with a bound TT core and 2 bellies. The overlay is 550 in gray and 275 in purple camo. The knots are 275 black and purple camo. With this whip, I achieved a medium weight. Not as light as a hybrid, but not as heavy as my regular weighted bulls.

Finally, The Kraken is finished and was delivered to its new owner last night. The thong is 10 feet, the handle 12 inches in dark and light blue and teal. A dreary day at the punchbowl, but I was able to get a couple of shots.

So, you all know my story and why I make whips. I really want to continue to do this with the intention of creating whips for exercise, but as everyone knows, it all has to start somewhere. I have a special concern for people who are super morbidly obese. People who find it painful to stand, who don't exercise because they think they can't. People like the old me. I was lucky enough to be able to stand and crack whips in short spurts, but some people are genuinely chair bound and this is where my idea came from: Short whips that can be used while seated in a chair and used either in the house or outside. Big deal, a short whip is pretty easy to come by, yes. I am assuming any whip will do, but when I made these, my intention was to give them a certain weight to allow them to be a little more heavy at the heel since there is no leverage that would be present by a standing body. The weight then travels lightly all the way down giving you a heel-heavy smooth whip that should be well balanced to a seated person. Here is my prototype.

3 foot 7 inches long, twisted taper core, weighted and tightly sinew bound, a hockey tape bolster with more weight (I use lead fishing line) and sinew bound, then a 12-plait overlay in 325.

I haven't posted in here for a while. Just out of the wax bath this morning, the "Little Black Dress" is ready to go to Georgia. A standard Diamond Style practice whip here.