Whip Basics. The Forum

Here's a 10 ft. Cow Whip I just completed. Whip number 32. I started on it a couple of weeks ago but was only just able to get it done today. Life, you know. I haven't decided what to name it, I'm open to suggestions. It's a 16 plait overlay in black over 2 bellies and a TT core. The handle is papdauk, 18 inches long. after initial turning it was a light orange but it has darkened a bit with the tung oil finish to a redder color. I've become quite enamored with the 16 strand gaucho plait and used it for the first foot of the thong. At first I was pretty intimidated with trying to plait it, but eventually realized it was just a stair-step pattern in one color and after that, it wasn't so scary. I really love the single colored thongs and think that the plaiting changes, while not as dramatic as they would be with two colors are very attractive. To me the texture changes in single colors are a very rich and luxurious visual effect. I must confess that the idea of textural changes in a whip, like this one and the Red Dog whip came from studying Rachel's work. She's my hero! I hope she doesn't mind my poor imitations.

Mark, while this is not amongst my favorite stye of whip, you have done well here. Nice work, sir!

Thanks, Scott. Honestly, I wasn't crazy about the style at first, but it's grown on me. This is my 3rd one and I really like cracking them.

Well done Mark!
That gaucho plait is awesome!
Whats the sequense?

Great plaiting, Mark!

You might consider naming this one 'The Gaucho' - although I dare say you will use that plaiting method again! To me, it has the 'working whip' look I associate with this sort of chap:

This looks terrific and except for the handle it reminds me a little of the whip Rachel made for Robby (thong, plaiting)
I bet this is a slow and precisely rolling whip which is fun to do target work with.
As for the name...“black angus“?!

Wow, that really looks awesome, Mark!
Yes it is quite similar to Rachel's work and well done!
Scott, have you had the chance to crack one of those?
The new whip from Rachel is absolutely beautiful. It rolls out so nice and smooth, you'd love it

Nice! Love the plaiting!

Mark, this whip is absolutely beautiful! It looks like it will flow like water, and it looks the business of a well built made-with-care working tool. In my opinion, that is a mark of quality.

Your words humble me. You know, all of WB and especially you, Scott, and Robby have been mighty instrumental in my current success in my other job. You have offered spot on advise on several occasions, and yall's actions speak even more loudly to your character.
Your personal character is poured into your whips. That is a fine, fine thing, and it sets you apart.
Quality, in workmanship and person.
Can't top that, folks.

This whip is an excellent whip, and the handle is beautiful. You know, no matter what type of whip I build, the cow whip done well is still to me the King of them all.

I am so pleased and honored to be receiving the Red Dog whip made by your hands.

Thank you, Ethan

Robert, thank you, The Gaucho it is, then.


Thank you Jyri, here is the sequence for the 16 plait gaucho.

Left Right

u2-o2-u2-o2 o1-u2-o2-u2-o1

o2-u2-o2-u2 u1-o2-u2-o2-u1

Rinse and repeat

and here it is for a 12 plait from Gio.
viewtopic.php?id=6304

Thank you Wolfgang and Nadine, I admit to the influence Rachel has had on my whips, although it is a poor imitation, indeed.

Rachel, Thank you Rachel, I'm pretty excited about getting some feedback on the whip from you.

I redid the tip of the whip and shortened the fall a bit this morning as it just didn't look right to me and it felt wrong when I cracked it. Much happier with it now.

Nadine, I haven't cracked a cow whip, but I have cracked a variety of Rachel's whips (the Amper style, one of "The Triplets" made for me by Rachel, is my current favorite). My dislike of cow whips is entirely aesthetic and probably quite unfair, but it exists nonetheless. To my eye, they don't look finished or completed. I think it is the tying of the thong around the handle. With that missing (a la Amper style), I quite like the look.

I think it's gorgeous, Mark. You have a tiny twist right at the end, but thats so easy to do when you go long like that. I'm trying my first taper twist whip this time, so I am looking to your success for my strength through this. I'm especially worried about that ending 4 plait staying nice and tight as I transition into the twist. Should I clamp it there or what? I have it tight on the belly, but it isn't looking as pretty as I think it should. Also, this whip is turning out to being long. I'm not a long whipmaker, so this will end up around 8 feet methinks. I'm working out how to formulate length from the core up. with my regular whips, I make the core as long as it is and work up. this is going out past the previous layer, so I am ending up with a lot more than I originally bargained for. Kind of like when you make soup. Before you know it, you have 3 stock pots on the stove.

Thank you Jessie. that twist is where I went from the 6 plait to the 4 plait, I think. I was using an u2, o1 on one side and an u1, 02 on the other and dropping strands one at a time and and for some reason I just could not get it to stay strait.

When going form the 4 plait to the twist at the end of the overlay I cut two of the strands to the length I want them (if my twist is going to be a foot long then I'll cut one strand to about 4 inches and another to about 8 inches and thread them inside the two remaining long strands ala Rhett Kelley) this seems to keep the tension, and maybe even increase it, as I twist the tail of the overlay, and thus avoid a hinge at that transition point.

The cool things about the twisted tapered cores and bellies is, 1) you don't have to stuff BBs into the core, and 2) the core doesn't have to be that long. I On this 19 ft. whip I ended the core twist at around 3 ft, (leaving a foot or so of the last 2 strands hanging for the belly to integrate with) the first belly ends at around 5 ft ( again leaving a foot or so of the last two strands hanging from the end of the twist) and the 2nd belly at around 7 ft (plus hanging strands.) Then when the overlay gets to the hanging strands I contiue plaiting over the 2 hanging strands, cutting out 1 core strand after about 6 inches and then cutting out the 2nd core strand at about a foot and dropping one of the overlay strands in to replace it and continuing this until I have just the final 4 plait. I ended the 4 plait at 9 ft, cut out the last core strand and finished the last foot with the twist as described above.

I don't know if you are using Rachel's tail twisting jigs or not when you do this, but they certainly make it a lot easier to keep the strands twisting evenly down the tail. They also save a lot of wear and tear on my old arthritic wrists.

Sorry if I droned on there. You probably knew all this already. I get going sometimes and don't know when to shut up.

One other thing, Jessie-I still crack the whip I got from you every day and it is holding up beautifully. A fine piece of craftsmanship, that.

Jessie, I have found with this kind of whip (TT as a base) I have to plan my measurements from the overlay to the core, or outside in. Also, there will be a lot of shrinkage in length (from 4" up to 1') depending on material and how the core was bound. It still packs me a good surprise on measurements quite often and I will get in a tizzy over that
Y'all are doing a great job.

Rachel,
If you think about it it makes sense that the whip would shrink, especially when plaiting from the hook. Because you are pulling on it as you plait it, stretching it out ever so slightly.