A Pecards question

[IndyFrench]

Hey all -

Is there a way to over-Pecards a whip? I know with the Alden's it's better to do it only every few months, not after every trip. Is it the same with the whip? Can too many applications prematurely weaken the leather? I only ask b/c I have meticulously Pecarded mine after every vigorous whipping session. Should I only Pecard the fall and keeper after the session, or is it OK to Pecard the whole thing (which is what I usually do) ?

IF

[Sergei]

Hey all -

Is there a way to over-Pecards a whip? I know with the Alden's it's better to do it only every few months, not after every trip. Is it the same with the whip? Can too many applications prematurely weaken the leather? I only ask b/c I have meticulously Pecarded mine after every vigorous whipping session. Should I only Pecard the fall and keeper after the session, or is it OK to Pecard the whole thing (which is what I usually do) ?

IF

Quick Answer, yes it is possible to over condition a whip. But it depends, so read on.

This is a very good question, and a distinction needs to be made on what part of a whip to regularly Pecard, and what part to avoid on a regular basis. First of all I make sure that when beginning a session, that the fall is not dry. That will lead to a premature death of the fall. Then after a session is done, invariable I see noticeable drying, especially in this typical very dry, southwest region of our country. So I definitely Pecard away on the fall and very lightly, condition the end of the braided part of the thong. Try to avoid the very end of the braid where the knots are, the half hitches that secure the fall. You don't want to over condition this knot or any other knot since they will then work their way loose. Not a good thing.

The rest of the thong area, I would just eyeball and feel if it is drying. I would maybe Pecard the thong area once every 3 months. I know, I know.. David Morgan says, 6 months. But my reason is that he lives in the Northwest and I live in Southwest. So the general rule of thumb is 6 months but that is just a guideline.

That leaves the handle area, the heel knot and handle knot. This handle area is not necessary at all, since the natural oils from your hand keep this section of the whip conditioned. The knots on the heel and handle should not be conditioned since they need to be tight and conditioning would loosen these knots, as well as the previously mentioned half-hitches.

From personal experience, the David Morgan knots on the half hitches I personally conditioned too much and they started to loosen up. So I needed to tighten these knots myself and only condition when needed. My Joe Strain's however, the half hitches are soooo tight, I don't think it's possible that they would loosen up from over conditioning. But still , the less is more philosophy should be applied to leather products.

The only other basic recommendation is to clean your whips with a saddle soap product after a session when your whips became dirty from either mud, sand or soil from the grass, or even dust/dirt from a slick gym floor. You don't want anything abrasive like dirt in between the laces. So saddle soap with a tooth brush to get the grit off. Use a "damp" cloth and apply saddle soap to the whip. Let it dry for about an hour or 2. And ALWAYS apply a light coat of Pecards on the entire whip. The soap will dry out the whip, so you need to replace the oils back into the whip. I would check the whip again after 24 hours of the cleaning to see if you need another LIGHT application of Pecards.

I think that should do it.

-Sergei