Gus Caicedo 8ft cowhide whip.. NEW PICS!! (2 weeks later)

[ztmario]

Just got my Indy whip from Gus today.. I'd say it was about a week from when I placed the order to getting it, which is impressive turnaround time. It's natural colored, but I honestly think that the one day I spend outside using it has darkened it a bit.. or my eyes are playing tricks on me.

I was expecting a light whip, but it was actually heavier than I thought it would be. The handle is solid also, and you easily get a "feel" for the whip. It cracks well, and LOUD, too. I was left with ringing ears after several solid cracks. It's also surprising how little effort it took to get a nice sounding crack. So far I've been able to get a sidearm, circus crack, and overhead. Although I can't do the overhead without ducking under myarm. Took a couple of lashes across my whip arm, two on the neck, and one in the mouth.. but so far, so good.

I'd say on the downside that I expected it to have tighter braiding, and I'd probably prefer the plaits to be tapered. Also, the natural hide picks up grass stains way too easily. A more pronounced turk's head would also have been nice, and the last foot or two of the whip is lacking any kind of natural curve, it just kind of crinkles up. Any suggestions on how to get rid of that would be welcome.

Overall, an awesome whip, ESPECIALLY for the price, which can't be beat for the quality.

[BendingOak]

You have to take another set of pics.Those make that whip look ugly.

[ztmario]

You have to take another set of pics.Those make that whip look ugly.

eeeh.. any suggestions?

[ztmario]

Ok, I posted new pics.. tried to get rid of the blur in the other ones. Other than that... I think it's the whip makers job to keep the whip from looking ugly, I just want to show newbies like myself what they're buying.

[BendingOak]

It was hard to see with the blurry shots. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough in post. What kinda leather is that?

[ztmario]

cowhide. after a couple more hours, I really do like it; it cracks easily and it's coloring nicely. worth every single penny.

[Michaelson]

Although I can't do the overhead without ducking under myarm. Took a couple of lashes across my whip arm, two on the neck, and one in the mouth.. but so far, so good.

That's why you're getting lashed...ducking under your arm. The tip of the fall follows your head movement. If you flinch, or duck, it will go in that direction. Once you get used to that flashing past your head without moving, you'll stop beating your self up on an overhead.

Regards! Michaelson

[Captain Ron Solo]

Congrats on the new whip! Looks great to me.

Ron

[ztmario]

thanks for the tips of how not to smack myself in the face. I have, however, lost 3 crackers so far.. I looked up how to attach them online, and they still keep flying off. any suggestions?

[JAGordon]

Great lookin whip! I've now got one on order from Gus!

[Canyon]

That's a nice whip. The colour is a bit light for my taste, but its gorgeous all the same!

[ztmario]

That's a nice whip. The colour is a bit light for my taste, but its gorgeous all the same!

I'll take some more pictures after today's session.. it's significantly darker now, and it's only been a couple of days.

[ztmario]

here's the whip after exactly two weeks of regular use. also, while it was left outside on a few occasions, I never intentionally "baked" it in the sun to darken it. this is with one application of pecards on the thong and handle, and regular applications on the fall. I can't express enough how happy I am with how the whip has darkened. the handle in particular IS a little dirty looking for my tastes, and I'll probably go over it with some saddle soap. I guess I never realized that my hands were that greasy.

[JulianK]

Great write-up! I'm curious however as to how this whip would compare to the IOAB whip for the same price range. Anyone?

[BendingOak]

These pics are a lot better. thanks for posting them. I can tell by these pics that you are holding the handle to much when you crack the whip.


where do you crack your whip? on grass?

[ztmario]

These pics are a lot better. thanks for posting them. I can tell by these pics that you are holding the handle to much when you crack the whip.

well, I started holding the knot much more now, with just my top two fingers and my thumb holding the handle. is that what you're talking about?

[BendingOak]

wow, that was fast. i edited my post and Bam! you ansered my quation and yes that what i was talking about.

[ztmario]

yeah, 99% is on grass in my backyard. unfortunately, it's not always the shortest grass, so doing some cracks (coachman's, for instance) is difficult. two or three times I've cracked in a parking lot, but I know well enough to crack into the air, and I'm pretty good at keeping the whip from crashing into the ground. one thing I notice though is that the whip slides a lot more on a smooth surface, and I sometimes find it sliding under my feet as I pull it forward from the setup.

[JAGordon]

I got home from work around midnight and found I had a packaged waiting on me. It was my 8 ft. Indy whip from Gus! I haven't had any time to really have some fun with it but it is just in time for Halloween! It looks great too! While I definitely plan on getting a DM, this is my first whip and am excited about disarming my first bad guy with it

J. A.