Some Random Whips!

[Brandon "Sparky" Lam]

So I've made a few whips that I never really took pictures for build progress, so I'mma just put some pictures here :P Also because I'm lazy and don't want to make a new post for every new whip I make~


Small 4ft bullwhip, 12 plait, ending on a tapered twist, with a fibreglass handle. This whip's really fast and light, originally I made it so if any kid wanted to learn they could try one that isn't way too heavy for them, but they're really fun to use as well, it's so fast that all my routines feel supercharged using this XD (Also, this one has an experimental multicoloured fall on it~)


5ft stockwhip, 12 plait whip ending on a tapered twist. 10mm diameter fibreglass handle, pretty much impossible to bend :P I'm STILL not 100% happy with the keeper, but it's much closer now~ The grip is 16 plait, so it's the same thickness as my normal whips


Last one for now, 8ft bullwhip - handle is 16 plait, but the thong is 20 plait. This one's also got the multicoloured fall that I recently started making and testing :P It's pretty heavy but feels great to crack~

Also yes they're all grass pictures cause I got bored of my room's wooden floor Also red contrasts well with the grass~

[Matt Henderson]

They're super, Brandon! I love the stockwhip, and your knots are immaculate

[Sven van Leeuwen]

Wow, very nice whips. The stockwhip looks very nice indeed.

I was wondering how the first one handles in regard to weight. A fiberglass handle is much lighter than a steel rod.
Do you notice and change in weight when you throw the whip? And how about the handle, does it bend or is the fiberglass comparable to a steel rod?

I've been think about using fiberglass, so I wonder how it is.

[Brandon "Sparky" Lam]

Thank you Matt and Sven!~

The first one is ridiculously light. It's just a twisted taper core (no shotloading), 8plait belly and 12 plait overlay (Waxed though). In terms of feeling the weight, you need to be much more quick about how you feel the whip, cause the time for error is much shorter. I made this one mainly for children, but I'm not sure how children feel about it yet (Haven't had another one brave enough to try :P )

In terms of fibreglass, the first whip is using a 6mm diameter rod (8 in long). This works well for the bullwhip, no bending whatsoever. If you make the rod 15 inches or longer there's definitely bend (and I really don't like it). So for bullwhips, I'd say 6mm rod, under 10inches works best.

If you want a longer handle, I would suggest a 10mm diameter fibreglass rod. Heavier, but doesn't bend even when it's at 20 inches long

[Robert Gage]

Those look very well made, Brandon! As Matt says, your knots are excellent!

[Brandon "Sparky" Lam]

Thank you Robert! ^_^

[Rachel McCollough]

Very nice whips, Brandon, and your knots are great!

[Jesse Bessette]

This may be redundant due to outside communications, but we'll done, Brandon!

[Sven van Leeuwen]

Thanks for the info Brandon. I only notices now, but I like the patterned handles of the 1st and 3th whip.

[Morten Aalykke Pedersen]

Looking good buddy - nice to see that uni hasnt taken all your energy

[Brandon "Sparky" Lam]

Thanks Rachel, Jesse, Sven and Morten!

Morten uni has definitely taken my energy, that last whip was on my desk for about 3 weeks before I finally completed the thong, and the knots too an extra week or so just cause I didn't have time ahha

[Brandon "Sparky" Lam]

Here's a 6ft (twisted taper core, 1 belly then overlay) stockwhip I made kinda as an experiment! 20in handle, a little bit of fancy plaiting, and weird heel knot :P



It's not my best work imo, but I've spent a ridiculous amount of time on it (thanks to the heel knot). From playing around with it, it requires a little more force than normal for flicks, and I feel like it's at the tipping point of needing shot loading/more bellies if I ever want to make longer stockwhips.

[Rachel McCollough]

Well Sparky, it certainly looks good! That heel knot, Wow!

[Ron May]

I think it looks super.

Ron

[Ben Varsek]

Very stylish and accurate work Sparky!

I realy like the pattern before the gravevine - especialy how the color of the double diamonds are alternated before and after the birds eye!

All the best
Ben

[Brandon "Sparky" Lam]

Thank you Rachel! I'll definitely need to explore more with heel knot THs, this one looks cool, but it was an absolute pain to do and I'm sure there's an easier way :P

Thanks Ron and Ben!~
haha I didn't even notice that! I just kinda made a pattern and hoped for the best :P

[Brandon "Sparky" Lam]

Hey everyone, small update. Had a friend order a colour fade whip from me, and who would I be to refuse!
He requested a 16 plait 12ft long colour fade whip, from black to blue at the tip. Here's what I ended up making!~




Here's the handle design - some basic rings and squares, to snazz up the handle a little :P



It has a tapered twist fall, and the handle has a 3D heel with "JP" embossed, which is his initials. It is also an english eye design, and I'm quite proud of how it looks

Finally, here's a small test of what the whip looks like in motion - https://youtu.be/1r17VZIoyac (Sorry about the bad angle + lighting, we've been having super rainy days and I didn't want to get the whip too dirty before it gets to its owner!)

Hope you enjoy! ^_^

[Brandon "Sparky" Lam]

Oh also btw my technique isn't perfect in the video because my yard is nowhere near 30ft wide haha So had to really constrict how far I swung the whip!

[Scott A. Cary]

Very nice whips! The perspective in that video made my brain scream a little every time you cracked or swung the whip. It looked like it was going into the power lines. That'd be a little too sparky, even for you!

[Ron May]

I really like the fade.
Your whips are getting so much better.

Yeah, you need a larger crackin' place that's for sure.

Ron