the elusive david morgan bullwhip

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 9:48 pm

greetings folks!

has anyone purchased a dm bullwhip as of late? this is by far the most expensive piece of gear to buy (unless you are buying a s&w he2 and having a gunsmith do their thing with it to make it SA).

i am curious to see what the general thoughts are with this bullwhip....the latest and greatest offerings. from what i have read so far, there seems to be a general concensus that there are equal whips in quality for far less a price (bernardo's whips).....but those aren't david morgans

even bernardo recommends the whip from david morgan which is why i am torn between another bernardo whip or the authentic real mccoy.

i'd like to hear what the general opinion of the trusted folks here at cow

Bufflehead Jones · Post by **Bufflehead Jones** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 10:05 pm

I say get one before he gets too old and stops making them. Then, the price to buy one from someone else is going to be much higher. If ya snooze, ya lose.

Han Jones · Post by **Han Jones** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 10:05 pm

I had a DM a few years ago and was a bit dissapointed in it. It did not crack as well as the Joe Strain whip I have now. It seemed to me that the handle was to short on it. I sold it in favor of the Strain whip and I to am looking into the bernardo whip. Remember that authenticity dosn't always equal accuracy. I belive the only way to be "screen accurate" is to only wear screen used items.

ydam · Post by **ydam** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 1:05 am

I am not an expert on whips seeing as how i own only one, but the one i do own is an 8ft DM. It's not that i dont think, after reading and researching the whips, that i think DM whips are by far better then any other whip made but seriously...how many other whip makers can say that they made the whips used on screen. Quality might be better, price might be cheaper, color might be more accurate, crack might sound better, but despite all that a David Morgan IS an Indy whip. DM knows how the whips were made the rest are educated guesses.

Mr. Kent · Post by **Mr. Kent** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 5:53 am

I just bought a DM whip from him personally when I went to visit a relative who lives near Bothell, WA. I got a chance to meet him, and I wasn't surprised that he was an EXREMELY nice gentleman (there must be something about whip makers, since all I've encountered are pleasant individuals). I bought an 8' 453 INDY whip in June, and unfortunatley I haven't have the opportunity to crack it as much as I'd like too. The braiding on my whip is fairly tight, despite the many individuals who say that they've experienced loose strands. I did notice however the slight difficulty in trying to crack it, but like I said, I haven't loosened the strainds as much as I should (I have a busy schedule). When I did get a good crack it was a good one. A loud one, to say the least.On a personal note, my favorite whips are from Bernie W...I would buy one from DM, being that there might be a chance he might stop making them. Plus, as far as I'm concerned, his whip's ARE an Indy whip, but they are extremely pricey. If you don't buy one, and if he stops making them, you'll regret it. Other whip makers will be around; he won't! Overall, I'm pleased, but every person will have there prefrence...I noticed on his whips that there was some sort of clear, glossy coating on it. Can anyone explain. I'll confess that my whip knowledge is limited...Back to the topic: I would get one, while you have the chance.

By the way, if anyone can help me post some of my pices, it would be greatly appreciated. Where can someone whose not very savvy with computers, find a host where I can store, and post my whip pics. Thanks!

genexs · Post by **genexs** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 2:50 pm

Hiya:

My understanding is that shiny coating is a light topping of shellac.

I only have 3 DM bullwhips. A 10 foot, 8 foot, and a 6 foot (16 plait 'whip artist'), so I'm no expert on his whips. But I like them, I like them a lot.

From time to time people come to me with with a well made whip saying, "it won't crack". Every single time, it has been the person cracking who is at fault, not the whip. Most times, it's just the whip needing to go thru its breaking in period. This can be a tough time (both for the whip and the whip cracker). The danger is that the person will muscle the whip, forcing a crack. This causes blisters, sore muscles, and angst. And the whip can suffer from over stress, in particular at the thong/handle transition.

For me, the weight of DM's whips mean I have to put in a few extra ounces of umph to get them moving. But when they do, the seem to effortlessly crack like thunder!

best,
Gene
http://www.signalwhip.org

Post by **BullWhipBorton** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 5:24 pm

Ydam, David Morgan, Joe Strain, Paul Nolan, Terry Jacka all have had there whips appear on the big screen, maybe just not in an Indy movie (Yet

), but considering that whip makers like Joe, and Bernardo have spent time up working with David, in those cases its more then just an educated guess, but yes they do make there whips there way, not exactly like David does.

Mr. Kent, I would really like to see pictures of your bullwhip, I’ve been wanting to see a recently made Morgan bullwhip as I’ve been thinking about getting a new whip from David too. If you can't find a site to host your pictures ( http://imageshack.us ) pvt me, and you can e-mail them directly and I’ll post them here.

There was a while there where the whips coming out of his shop were a bit sketchy, there where several complaints about the plaiting being overly wide, too loose and the handle grip section being too short for comfort. After seeing the pictures Bernardo took last fall while at David’s shop, the newer bullwhips had a much closer look to the Indiana Jones style and the quality of the work seemed to be back more to what it was originally. David like many whip makers’ use a thin coat of clear shellac over his whips, It seals and protects the leather and also puts that bit of a shine on them, the good thing about it though is that the leather dressing will still penetrate it. You will probably notice that some of it will flake away as the whips used. Bernie doesn’t use shellac; he prefers the leather to look like natual leather when finished.

Brand new whips can sometimes be tricky to get a good crack from right out of the box. Keep working it, don’t be tempted to use leather dressingor bend it back and forth in your hands to loosen it, just use it normally, thats the best way to break in a new whip outside of sending it to me to break them in for you

)

While we can’t specifically name vendors for the new movie, My opinion is if you can afford a David Morgan bullwhip, buy one when you can. Just be specific about what you want. He may eventually stop making them; and there is also a good chance the prices will go up again.

Dan

ydam · Post by **ydam** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:58 pm

BullWhipBorton wrote:Ydam, David Morgan, Joe Strain, Paul Nolan, Terry Jacka all have had there whips appear on the big screen, maybe just not in an Indy movie (Yet ), but considering that whip makers like Joe, and Bernardo have spent time up working with David, in those cases its more then just an educated guess, but yes they do make there whips there way, not exactly like David does.

I am just sayin they are not David Morgan whips not downin their whipmaking ability or whip quality

Bernardodc · Post by **Bernardodc** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:02 pm

There's not much to add after Dan's great post, I just would like to add that David Morgan is THE MAN who made the whips for the movies, that's why the relatively high price tag.

He is still offering his whips. If you can afford one, then get one while they are available. I have 3 myself, and I love them. I will buy more when I can. In the unlikely event that for any reason you don't like yours, you can always get a refund or sell it on ebay and get a good price.

Here's a couple of new 8 footers I photographed on my visit to Mr. Morgan's shop last fall. I specially liked the first one.

Regards,

Bernardo

Post by **BullWhipBorton** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:14 pm

Ydam, no worries I understood you I just wanted to clarify.

Here are two images of Mr.Kent's bullwhip that he sent me.

It’s a great example of a recently made Morgan bullwhip. This one definitely has a much more Indy look to it then some of the bullwhips that came out of his shop a year or two ago, so hopefully that’s an indication that his whips have changed again for the better.

Dan

Mr. Kent · Post by **Mr. Kent** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 4:26 am

Here's another pic of my new DM whip that I purchased last month.

http://s196.photobucket.com/albums/aa11 ... handle.jpg

Mr. Kent · Post by **Mr. Kent** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 4:52 am

oops...here's the link...I hope?
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa11 ... handle.jpg

Post by **BullWhipBorton** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:27 am

Thank you for posting those images Mr. Kent. I'd say that gives a very good example of handle length and knot placement on the current David Morgan bullwhips.

Dan

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 1:37 pm

you know when indy is dangling off the edge with his dad holding on to him on one arm and his other arm reaching for that holy grail....reaching....just barely touching it..........that's how close i am to the elusive david morgan whip. it looks like sum funds are going to be freed up.......GEEZ.....i can almost taste it!!!!....mmmmmmm...pecards.......drool..........

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:05 pm

all right...project 'morgan whip' has full funding in place....but geeeeeeeeezzzz is it ever hard to pull the trigger on this one....i've sat on david morgan's website at least 3 times now with my mouse icon on the checkout button.....it'll be the most i've spent on one piece of gear........any support groups in the forum for this????

i remember doing the same thing with my first HJ....sitting on todd's website in the wee hours of the morning. the only light in the room was from the glow of my laptop...me falling asleep with my finger on the button. i just clicked the 'send payment' button and ran out of there to get my meds

louiefoxx · Post by **louiefoxx** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:57 am

Indiana G,

I bought my 6 ft. Morgan while visiting his shop one day and I tell ya, there's nothing like the experience of David letting me crack whips of all difference sizes in his shop while he keeps piling more and more whips onto the counter for me to try out!

Louie

Post by **BullWhipBorton** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:58 am

If it’s any consolation the prices will be going up again next month in the fall catalog. Which whip did you order?

Dan

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:22 pm

louiefoxx,

you know, i was planning to take a trip myself to his shop just to buy the whip and to meet the man. unfortunately, i don't think i could budget the trip AND the whip at this time. sure would love to meet him though....maybe i'll buy the whip and take to him for maintenance one day.

BWB,

i was planning on getting the 10' roo (455). is the price going up significantly in the fall?

Falcon · Post by **Falcon** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 3:08 pm

Indiana G,

Like yourself, I agonized for months about getting the same whip from Morgan, simply because it was THE Indy whip to get. But after following closely the threads on this forum, and reading everyone's comments on the whips they purchased from the various other whipmakers, I decided that they all make excellent "Indy" whips in their own right, and some of them have received help and guidance from Morgan himself. Therefore, I decided to buy one from another whipmaker, and use the few hundred bucks I saved toward another piece of gear.

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 3:22 pm

thanks falcon,

i do have a bernardo 8 footer which is an excellent whip...i actually threw some cracks this week

i was actually thinking of getting a 10 foot raiders from bernardo but even HE said if i have a chance at getting a morgan, to go for it. having all these great whipmakers on the forum makes it even harder to decide....but i know if i go with anyone else, the little indy sitting on my shoulder will always be telling me, "should of got a morgan, thats what you wanted ain't it???"....some times you need to listen to the little indy

Falcon · Post by **Falcon** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 3:38 pm

Indiana G wrote:some times you need to listen to the little indy

Does your "little indy" have a halo or horns?

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 4:17 pm

Does your "little indy" have a halo or horns?

he's always, since day 1, had the horns and the pitchfork.....but listening to the little indy with the halo never makes me happy

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 6:35 pm

it is done. i pulled the trigger. i put it on my credit card so that way i don't have to pay for it....that's how credit cards work right????......right????

Satipo · Post by **Satipo** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 4:46 pm

My opinion is if you can afford a David Morgan bullwhip, buy one when you can. Just be specific about what you want.

BullWhipBorton, I was under the impression that you couldn't request specific details on a David Morgan whip. Am I mistaken? What details can we/should we specify apart from its length?

My finger's been sitting on the trigger for the last ten years, and I think it's about to pull it regardless of what I think now!

Adios,
Satipo

Alabama Jones · Post by **Alabama Jones** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 1:00 am

Indiana G, you have chosen ... wisely. The other guys make great whips, but there is only one David Morgan, and he won't always be around.

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 1:48 am

thanks AJ....thats one of the things that my collection was lacking and the very thought of him retiring before i bought his whip was driving me mad.

i missed gobler's golden idol run and that hurt pretty bad....missing this train would've killed me

Post by **BullWhipBorton** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 2:51 am

Satipo, Normally they don’t do custom work anymore, however; If you ask nicely they have been known change things like the knot placement on the handle or specify what type of fall you prefer on request. David considers the knot for example purely cosmetic and since it has no bearing on the performance of the whip it’s a minor thing to adjust. Depending on the alteration though the whip could be considered a special order and therefore non-returnable.

Basically just try know what their current whips are like so you know what your going to get if you do order from them. It's important to talk to them and ask questions. As i understand it, They’ve been up to date on orders lately and have a few of each whip in stock, since each one varies slightly if you have something specific in mind, they may be able to pick on out for you that best matches that.

Dan

Satipo · Post by **Satipo** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 6:31 am

That sounds great, Dan. Thanks for the advice. I would really like a whip that's as close to the Raiders one as possible. Could you please tell me what specific details I should request for that particular appearance? And, in your experience, do they communicate well via email, or would I need to call them (from London!)? Thanks again.

Adios,
Satipo

Post by **BullWhipBorton** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 6:28 pm

Satipo, while they have a very good customer service either way, they don’t do particularly well when requesting a screen accurate whip. They are more interested in providing a well-made bullwhip then catering to the Indy fan. For the most part the bullwhips you see this thread are currently what you’d get if you ordered. Aside from making sure standard falls are white hide, you could ask if they have any thinner looking whips in inventory, or ask that the knot be put up as high on the handle as possible as long as it still covers point where the plaiting changes over.

In all honesty however, if you want a Raiders bullwhip have Bernardo del Carpio make it. In my opinion you won’t find better more accurate Raiders of the lost ark style bullwhip being made today and you’ll save yourself 300+ dollars.

Dan

McFly · Post by **McFly** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 6:51 pm

BullWhipBorton wrote:if you want a Raiders bullwhip have Bernardo del Carpio make it

http://www.delcarpiowhips.com/index.html

He's on MY list!

In Christ,
Shane

ANZAC_1915 · Post by **ANZAC_1915** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 7:23 pm

I bought a 10' 455. David is such a gentleman and I love the stuff in his shop. My 11 year old daughter came along on my first exploratory trip and she asked to crack one, and so DM taught her how to crack a whip!

The she was all worried that she'd done something dangerous or illegal and was crying that I not tell mommy, but I explained that a whip is a tool like anything else and you need to know learn to use it safely and that her grandmother and great grandparents (who grew up and lived in the Australian outback) used them too.

It was funny, because I was quite jealous that SHE got the lesson from DM and not me!!

When I went back to buy my whip, DM offered that I should come back when I get going and we'd go out on the grassy area and he could give me a few tips and see how my technique was going.

I am still in the beating myself up phase but the whip is loosening up and cracks quite loudly when it does crack - overhead is working best for me so far.

I do think an 8' would have been a better choice for being easier to handle (and that seems to be DM's general recommendation), but I'm 6'5" and I think the 10' seems more matched to my height.

Glenn

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 4:41 pm

great story glenn

it looks like we have alot of things in common as i have a (soon to be) 11 year old step daughter. its funny how yours wanted to crack the whip as mine won't even look at it....guess it looks too dangerous for her.

i'm glad that you got to see mr. morgan and buy the 455 in person....something that i really, really, really wanted to do when i pulled the trigger on my whip. i guess i'm just gonna have to live vicariously through you........so where are we going next?

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 5:05 pm

G, I'm going up in a couple of weeks to meet Mr. Morgan and pick mine up from him.

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 5:13 pm

why you guys gotta rub it in???

please say hello for me. i'm probably the most recent canuck to purchase one of his 455's.

have a safe trip oak, don't forget to bring the camera and take pics of his explorer.

ANZAC_1915 · Post by **ANZAC_1915** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 5:39 pm

Indiana G wrote: i guess i'm just gonna have to live vicariously through you........so where are we going next?

Next week will be the barn at Wested for a jacket alteration, and hopefully Noel Howard for a pants fitting, assuming his tailor got them done.

Unfortunately my travels don't take me near any Alden stores!

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 6:18 pm

so fish and chips for dinner it is then!!! have a safe trip glenn. let us know how your adventure went when you get back

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 6:35 pm

I'm sorry G. Didn't mean to rub it in, just letting you know. I will bring the camera and take many pics. I've been sending e-mails back and forth with them and talked with him on the phone. Seems like a nice guy. I told him that I wanted to pick up my whip from him personally and maybe even watch him work. he said just let him know as to make sure he is there. I'm ver excited to get up there.

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 2:34 pm

i just got her! what a day it's been for gear

my new wested is in as well as my new 455. the first thing i notice though is that the strap at the end of the turks head is not in line with the natural coil of the whip, it is 90 degrees to it. is that normal? it doesn't really matter to me as i don't use the strap like bernie w. does.

secondly, the fall is very very dry. she'll need a good coat of pecards before any play is to be had for sure or else she'll be in 2 pieces.

thirdly, this whip reaffirms the fact that bernardo's craftsmanship is superb. there is not much difference in appearance when comparing this new DM to my old bernardo.

thanks all for the advice. it wouldn't of happened if you guys didn't chime in to help me in deciding.

cheers,

G

Ripper · Post by **Ripper** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 3:02 pm

............AHEM..................................................... ;0

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 3:07 pm

thats twice now!!!! first bink, now you!!! looks like my home will be a photo studio tonite. i'll see if i can borrow one of my wife's purses for the photoshoot just to keep mcfly happy

Ripper · Post by **Ripper** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 3:14 pm

.............like Bink said, I just wanted to use that icon once, before everyone else beat me to it

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 3:43 pm

I've been trying to use that icon for a long time now and some SOB keeps beating me to it.

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 3:45 pm

SOB? I don't have any children.

Ripper · Post by **Ripper** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 3:52 pm

I understand completely !

agent5 · Post by **agent5** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 4:19 pm

Now THAT is the Raiders handle. No taper in the circumfrence at all, even close to the TH knot.

Can't wait to see pics of your whip, G.

indy89 · Post by **indy89** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 10:02 pm

Can't wait to see pics of your whip, G.

Same here.

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 11:40 pm

i got a couple of nice pics but photobucket is down right now. i'll try again later. sorry folks.

louiefoxx · Post by **louiefoxx** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:32 am

While we are waiting for Indiana G's pics...here are some pics of three different 6 foot morgan's that I snapped while I was visiting David a few weeks ago:

The next two pictures are of the same whip...just one slightly closer up.

He was out of 8 footers.

xoxo

Louie

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 11:53 am

wow....david morgan's got blue carpet in his shop?

thanks for sharing foxx....it's kind of funny how the last 2 whips have got darker turks heads. usually the top of the handle where the "hilt" is is typically darker. i wonder if mr. morgan specifies where the darker leather goes or if it is just constructed how its constructed. i was fortunate enough to have that on mine.

i have the pics and will post tonite as they are not with me at the office.

Alabama Jones · Post by **Alabama Jones** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 2:53 pm

Congratulations Indy G, and you too Oak, on a fine decision IMO. I don't think you'll regret it. Look forward to pics!

In the meantime here is my year old DM 10 footer. It has darkened considerably, being it was almost WHITE when I got it.