My Giovanni Celeste whip (more pics added)

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 4:15 am

My very first whip just arrived $\:D/$ $\:D/$ $\:D/$ $\:D/$ $\:D/$

I run now in the woods near my house to try it!!! $\:D/$ $\:D/$ $\:D/$
I'll take some pics if I have the chance!

:post:

I'm just back from the cracking... well at least i tried. It only cracked a couple of times, do you have suggestions for an absolute beginner?
I didn't have any glasses but it seemed I didn't need them since i only hit my back a couple of times

LUCKLY I HAD THE WESTED JACKET!!!!

JAN · Post by **JAN** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:47 am

Oh..yeah...practice...and lots of it.

Participating in a summit is also recomentable

(if Ken, The German and/or Scandinavian Jones are there too)...

Best regards

JAN

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:51 am

Thank you JAN, I hope I'll go in UK sooner or later and possibly during a summit.

These are a couple of pics I quickly took... I'll try to take better ones soon

sorry for the weird way I hold the whip in these pictures

whiskyman · Post by **whiskyman** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:53 am

That's a nice colour - it's not natural tan I guess. I look forward to some closer pictures. Is it 8ft?

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 6:05 am

Yes it's 8ft, no natural tan, the color is a distressed whiskey that looks nearly dark brown but under the light you can see reddish reflexes sometimes, Giovanni suggested me to allow him to distress it lightly since it looks more "used" and similar to some of the whips used in the trilogy (not all were natural tan), and I admit I am quite happy with that choice since it looks nice to me

... ow i have to add that the plait is very tight! I'll try to take more detailed pics soon

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 6:11 am

That looks very nice, the extra strand count really adds to the "look".

Be careful, we don't want to have to answer to your mum for you having a screen accurate chin!

whiskyman · Post by **whiskyman** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 6:14 am

Interesting choice. As to the whips in the trilogy, Mr. Morgan states he only provided whips in natural tan. In fact he doesn't make whips in another shade of brown - just natural or black.

I hope you'll be posting close ups and a detailed review - I believe you're the first on the board to get a whip from Giovanni.

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 6:17 am

Kt Templar wrote: Be careful, we don't want to have to answer to your mum for you having a screen accurate chin!

you know I already have a scar on the chin?

whiskyman wrote:Interesting choice. As to the whips in the trilogy, Mr. Morgan states he only provided whips in natural tan. In fact he doesn't make whips in another shade of brown - just natural or black.

I hope you'll be posting close ups and a detailed review - I believe you're the first on the board to get a whip from Giovanni.

I'll make a detailed review as soon as possible my friend.

Yes I'm the first one on COW but soon others will come since I know Gio has some other orders on the table

ABout the colors used in the trilogy look at THIS PICTURE, you can see they have many colors from light tan to dark brown on the same table.

But it can be quite possible that they distressed some of those whips since Giovanni told me that's the color that the kangaroo natural tan usually gets after time, sunlight and usage.

JAN · Post by **JAN** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:22 am

The whip(s) used in LC was rather dark compared to Raiders.

Best regards

JAN

whiskyman · Post by **whiskyman** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:25 am

I expect that several whips were carry overs from Raiders and as such older and more used. I've also heard mentioned that the skin of one kangaroo may not darken as much as anothre kangaroo - despite both being "natural tan".

C'mon - more pics, more pics..

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:28 am

LOL ok... incoming... just uploading them on photobucket

:post:
ok here we go, i've taken these pics in many light conditions to show as much shades of it as possible. Unluckly I still have to take pictures of it directly under the sun. Maybe I'll be able to take them later.

enjoy the pictures (if some look blueish somewhere... it's just my living room light!

)

if for someone they're too big sized I can reduce them to 75%, just tell me

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:21 am

Ragingblues wrote:Great looking whip! I think you made a fine choice, and would like to see it with your other gear sometime.

Congrats,

Ken

Thank you Ken

I'll take full gear photos as soon as I get a belt and holster... now i really need them!

(when are you going to let us listen you singing anyway?

)

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:24 am

congrats erri, that a great looking whip you got there. Thanks for sharing the pics with us.

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:38 am

My pleasure jpenman. Giovanni made a quite nice whip. It's very smooth with no gaps and the plaits are plaited very tight, the handmade quality impressed even my mum who doesn't know anything about whips (I'm not an expert either actually).

Here some more info:
After some tests I can tell it's perfectly balanced and I've performed my very first crack! $\:D/$

For who didnt see the website http://giowhips.myray.org/ , Giovanni Celeste's whips are 12 plait and come with 1 addictional fall and 6 crackers (as you can see in one of my pictures). One fall (the one already attached to the whip) is whitehide and the other of the same colour of the thong.
The colour choice is up to you. Some colours are listed in the website as examples but, in the end, you decide your own colour. Giovanni is very helping in this part of the work and if you want some other not enlisted colour he goes to his leather supplier and seek for other shades, that's great!
Honestly I was very satisfied with him.

If you want to know more details about the whip just ask because I'm not expert in this and I might have missed some important elements.

PS I can say also that the packet was very well sealed

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 10:11 am

LOL, I doubt they could be boring, i like many kind of music. Now I'm going out, I'll give them a listen when I'm back tonight. Thanks and sorry for not seeing them on the website...

whiskyman · Post by **whiskyman** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 11:44 am

Thanks for posting the pics Erri. It doesn't look like it has had any shellac applied to it. I rather like that- makes it look like it's been used already.

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 1:13 pm

Well I think Giovanni used some product to make it look "used". I followed his suggestions and I'm quite happy with that choice

Hemingway Jones · Post by **Hemingway Jones** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 2:39 pm

That whip looks incredible.
Enjoy it in good health, my friend.

giovanniceleste · Post by **giovanniceleste** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:51 pm

I need to thank Erri a lot for his kindness and all of you who appreciated my product in his first introduction on COW.

@whiskyman: I didn't use the Shellac in order to acheive the "used" look as I decided with Erri

and, personally, I love to make whips without Shellac. Of course I can use it on request

PS Erri you're really great with the camera!

Canyon · Post by **Canyon** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:56 pm

Erri, congratulations on the whip!!!

I'm very pleased for you!

It's an absolutely beautiful whip.

As you know, I'm seriously considering buying one from Giovanni.

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 4:11 pm

Hemingway Jones wrote:That whip looks incredible.
Enjoy it in good health, my friend.

Thanks

I cracked it another couple of times today! Sounds stupid but it makes me so happy

must be the COW virus!!!!!

giovanniceleste wrote:
PS Erri you're really great with the camera!

Thank you

can you imagine it's just a 1.2Megapixel Canon?

Canyon wrote:Erri, congratulations on the whip!!! I'm very pleased for you!

It's an absolutely beautiful whip. As you know, I'm seriously considering buying one from Giovanni.

Thank you Stella

I appreciate your appreciation

G-MANN · Post by **G-MANN** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 4:16 pm

Hey Erri,

That is a really nice whip. Congratulations to you.

Cheers,
John

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:49 pm

I've found that the overhead crack is the easiest one for me. Once I got the hang of it, I found that it was extremely easy, and takes very little effort to produce a good crack. I've done that crack with whips from 6 - 12' long, and can get it to go off - LOUDLY - (or softly, if I want) almost every time. It's the circus crack that I have to keep working on.

Indakin · Post by **Indakin** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:58 pm

i was getting loud cracks today. I have a little rutine now too. I do a crack behind me and go into an overhead crack. I dont know what its called, but the loudest one im getting so far is just flicking the whip straight out. I can do forward cracks nice too. I dont even know if im using the right names, is there a site with pics or something?

Post by **BullWhipBorton** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 1:47 am

Erri_wan Congratulations on your new bullwhip, it is a very nice looking whip.

A few things off the top of my head that may help you. First off, I can’t stress eye protection enough. When you get a little more experienced you can decide whether or not you want to wear safety glasses, but understand that in practicing with that whip it can and probably will at some point will come back at you. It will happen so fast you won’t realize it until its after the fact, and has the potential to do more damage then you might realize. viewtopic.php?t=3653&highlight=retinal You need to protect your eyes.

Start off slowly; learn technique and form, how your whip moves and how to control it. Focus on that first. You will achieve better results more safely by learning to crack it softly and controllably, then you will if you just out and try to make loud and fast cracks. Later on when you have the basics down you can add more energy, for increased volume if you like. If you don’t have anyone locally that can teach you, get a copy of one of the many fine instructional videos on the use of the whip that are available. It will help you. There is also a lot of information and video clips on the Internet. The Bullwhip FAQ www.bullwhip.org it is one of the better whip sites with good information, basic “how to” descriptions and some QuickTime video and is a good starting point. There is also a great deal of information advice archived here at Indy Gear so take advantage of that.

If you don’t have any leather dressing for your whip yet, I would advise getting some. Unfortunately I don’t know what specific products are available in Italy. In the United States, I normally recommend Pecard’s or Fiebing’s Aussie leather dressing. Perhaps Giovanni could recommend a suitable product, or could make up something from a old “recipe” of tallow and bees wax. You especially want to keep your fall well greased; it will help keep it strong, subtle and significantly prolong it’s life. You don’t want it to get fuzzy like it is now, Most of us grease our falls after every practice.

Enjoy your new whip and be safe.

Dan

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 4:55 am

G-MANN wrote:Hey Erri,

That is a really nice whip. Congratulations to you.
Cheers,
John

Thanks

Strider wrote:I've found that the overhead crack is the easiest one for me. Once I got the hang of it, I found that it was extremely easy, and takes very little effort to produce a good crack. I've done that crack with whips from 6 - 12' long, and can get it to go off - LOUDLY - (or softly, if I want) almost every time. It's the circus crack that I have to keep working on.

WOW overhead crack... now that's something I would love to do!

What's the circus crack? (sort of targeting?)

BullWhipBorton wrote:Erri_wan Congratulations on your new bullwhip, it is a very nice looking whip.

A few things off the top of my head that may help you. First off, I can’t stress eye protection enough. When you get a little more experienced you can decide whether or not you want to wear safety glasses, but understand that in practicing with that whip it can and probably will at some point will come back at you. It will happen so fast you won’t realize it until its after the fact, and has the potential to do more damage then you might realize. viewtopic.php?t=3653&highlight=retinal You need to protect your eyes.

Start off slowly; learn technique and form, how your whip moves and how to control it. Focus on that first. You will achieve better results more safely by learning to crack it softly and controllably, then you will if you just out and try to make loud and fast cracks. Later on when you have the basics down you can add more energy, for increased volume if you like. If you don’t have anyone locally that can teach you, get a copy of one of the many fine instructional videos on the use of the whip that are available. It will help you. There is also a lot of information and video clips on the Internet. The Bullwhip FAQ www.bullwhip.org it is one of the better whip sites with good information, basic “how to” descriptions and some QuickTime video and is a good starting point. There is also a great deal of information advice archived here at Indy Gear so take advantage of that.

If you don’t have any leather dressing for your whip yet, I would advise getting some. Unfortunately I don’t know what specific products are available in Italy. In the United States, I normally recommend Pecard’s or Fiebing’s Aussie leather dressing. Perhaps Giovanni could recommend a suitable product, or could make up something from a old “recipe” of tallow and bees wax. You especially want to keep your fall well greased; it will help keep it strong, subtle and significantly prolong it’s life. You don’t want it to get fuzzy like it is now, Most of us grease our falls after every practice.

Enjoy your new whip and be safe.

Dan

Thanks for the compiments and for all the suggestions Dan

Giovanni suggested me some products we can find here, yes, and if I'm going to meet him (since we're relatively near it's mostly probable) I'll surely be taught how to crack it properly.

I'll have a look on COW threads anyway, there are surely many useful information.
Thanks again

Where does your avatar come from anyway?

Post by **BullWhipBorton** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 5:20 am

Erri_wan, that sounds very good. You are always better off when you can have a experienced whip handler show you the ropes so to speak. My Avatar came from a bumper sticker that I had found about 10 years ago, It always gave me a laugh so I though it would make a good avatar.

BTW The Circus crack is just another name for the forward crack i.e. the one most used for target cutting.

Dan

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:34 am

Man, it's all about timing for the circus crack. Yeah, the "circus crack" is the one where you take the whip straight back and straight forward again. When I practice that one again in the future, I've gotta stop aiming at the ground!

I'm telling ya man, the overhead crack is so easy to do. Get yourself a good 15-20' of clearance between you and anyone else. Then, starting with the whip behind you, take the whip and slowly whirl it counterclockwise around your head (imagine a helicopter blade). Whenever you're ready to make it crack, simply change the direction in which you're moving the whip, and it'll pop. This requires very little effort, but the more oomph I put into it, the louder of a crack I seem to get. It tops off at a certain volume, but it's always fun to hear the whip go: *BANG!* That's probably one of the loudest cracks, too.

Took me a few tries to get it right, but once I got it down, I haven't forgotten it. I wish I could just walk down to your house and show you some really loud ones ... get your blood flowing.

whipwarrior · Post by **whipwarrior** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:37 am

That is truly a beautiful whip. Take good care of it, and always wear body and eye protection until you get your technique down. Even experienced whiphandlers hit themselves occasionally.

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:37 am

it sounds very cool!

I'll try surely try it soon

thanks pal

whipwarrior wrote:That is truly a beautiful whip. Take good care of it, and always wear body and eye protection until you get your technique down. Even experienced whiphandlers hit themselves occasionally.

Thanks I'll surely get some protection for my eyes

Scandinavia Jones · Post by **Scandinavia Jones** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:30 pm

JAN wrote: Participating in a summit is also recomentable (if Ken, The German and/or Scandinavian Jones are there too)...

Let's not forget JAN's 2400 dB mother-of-all-whips.

Congrats on the new leather, erri! Looks really nice!

Pitfall Harry · Post by **Pitfall Harry** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:19 pm

That's a great "worn in" looking whip for being brand new. If I had the extra cash I'd spend it collecting whips from all of the different whip makers on this site.

Swindiana · Post by **Swindiana** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:33 pm

Scandinavia Jones wrote: Let's not forget JAN's 2400 dB mother-of-all-whips.
Congrats on the new leather, erri! Looks really nice!

As seen in one of the slow-mos HERE.

(Copy and paste to view.)

Congrats on your whip, Erri!
That very first crack on your own rocks, doesn't it?

Regards,
Swindiana

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 5:25 am

Scandinavia Jones wrote:
JAN wrote: Participating in a summit is also recomentable (if Ken, The German and/or Scandinavian Jones are there too)...
Let's not forget JAN's 2400 dB mother-of-all-whips.

Congrats on the new leather, erri! Looks really nice!

2400dB

Thanks Scandinavia Jones

Pitfall Harry wrote:That's a great "worn in" looking whip for being brand new. If I had the extra cash I'd spend it collecting whips from all of the different whip makers on this site.

Who wouldnt ?

Thanks pitfall

Swindiana wrote:
Scandinavia Jones wrote: Let's not forget JAN's 2400 dB mother-of-all-whips.
Congrats on the new leather, erri! Looks really nice!
As seen in one of the slow-mos HERE. (Copy and paste to view.)

Congrats on your whip, Erri!
That very first crack on your own rocks, doesn't it?

Regards,
Swindiana

Oh yeeeeeeeeeeees it does $\:D/$

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 1:41 pm

I'll try to make other outdoor pics... possibly in action but it wont be easy... I dont have brothers or sisters to help me

Thank you for the compliments

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 4:27 pm

Today I've been cracking outside, the weather wasn't great but I trusted the weather and went out although cloudy...

preparation

where is my hat? good question

and now... the AB... Absolute Beginner... moi

Later on I passed the FOWIE (fear of whip in eyes

) and started to crack loud sometimes (very rarely)...

then my dad arrived and wanted to try it...

and DARN HIM he was able to crack it really loud from the very first attempt and then cheekly said to me... I was a good observerer as a child when these were used much more than now

I also took some vids but without sound they don't give justice to the wonderful cracks he performed. Jammy Git! :evil:

Canyon · Post by **Canyon** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 4:34 pm

Erri, you guys look like you're having a great time.

Bufflehead Jones · Post by **Bufflehead Jones** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:13 pm

Dads always have a trick or two up their sleeve.

whiskyman · Post by **whiskyman** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:29 pm

That's cool that you dad showed an interest. My dad tends to say "your not bringing that bloody thing with you!" Mind you he says that about the hat too!

Nice looking whip you've got there. Wish I'd gone that route!

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 4:42 am

Canyon wrote:Erri, you guys look like you're having a great time.

We really had!

Indiana_Tone wrote:Looks like a great time, Erri! I have a feeling you'll be an expert with that whip in no time. What a setting to practice in, too, you lucky dog!

That was not far from my house in our friends' olives plantation. Shame it was cloudy because it looks even more... "tuscanian" when the sun shine

Bufflehead Jones wrote:Dads always have a trick or two up their sleeve.

Oh yes more than I expected!! On his side I have to tell that he has grown up in a rural town where horses were used till 10 years ago so he must have seen many whips in his youth plus he was a big fan of Zorro (yes the same Lucas' passion of saturday afternoon serials that in Italy arrived only in the 50's

)

whiskyman wrote:That's cool that you dad showed an interest. My dad tends to say "your not bringing that bloody thing with you!" Mind you he says that about the hat too!

Nice looking whip you've got there. Wish I'd gone that route!

Thanks for the compliments whiskyman

VP · Post by VP » Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:39 am

I like the bright red sweat pants.

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:42 am

VP wrote:I like the bright red sweat pants.

Not very indyesque I know but I cannot wear wested clothes all the time

I also need time made them washed and ironed

VP · Post by VP » Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:44 am

I wear close enough khaki pants all the time, I have four pairs of them.

Post by **BullWhipBorton** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:13 pm

Looks like you two are having fun, thats great but I still don’t see any safety glasses! Don’t whip your eye out!

Dan

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:18 pm

BullWhipBorton wrote:Looks like you two are having fun, thats great but I still don’t see any safety glasses! Don’t whip your eye out!

Dan

Ow well right now I only practiced cracking it above my head so pulling the arm back and quickly foward again... it cracks behind me... at most I hit my back lol (or my leg like happened

) ... beginners

Anyway you're right, I will look for safety glass at the supermarket

The real Henry · Post by **The real Henry** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 12:47 pm

Looks cool erri! I had a quite similiar experience with my grandpa who identied my tape-dogleash-whip-thing aka ´'the designer-whip' as a bullwhip! Quite similiar..... only that I cracked it better than my grandpa!

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Sat May 27, 2006 1:25 pm

New pics from country of Siena where I finally started to do multiple-cracks and really loud! YAY ... these are the first pics taken when I started (yes I still have the "beginner-look") but after a while I finally found how to crack it over the head, behind and more... it was really great!!!

ok here the pics of today

VP · Post by VP » Sat May 27, 2006 5:26 pm

Why are you wearing a LC belt instead of a RotLA one?

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Sat May 27, 2006 5:29 pm

VP wrote:Why are you wearing a LC belt instead of a RotLA one?

Go for the easiest answer VP... I don't have a RotlLA one.

VP · Post by VP » Sat May 27, 2006 5:30 pm

Get one.