From falls & poppers to plaiting & cracking technique, this section is dedicated in memory of Sergei, IndyGear Staff Member and Whip Guru. Always remember to keep "Celebratin' Life!"
A while ago I posted an image of the stockwhip I made following Ron Edwards' plans, and so after that I decided to jump in head-first and make a kangaroo bullwhip. With much assistance from the expert knowledge of folks here on the board (especially Louie), I finished my 12-plait 9-foot KotCS-style whip (two bolsters, two 4-plait bellies, 12-plait overlay).
Finished just in time for the KotCS premiere! I think it came out pretty well for my first bullwhip. Any feedback is greatly appreciated! It was a fun experience and was not easy; I have a lot more respect for all you whipmakers out there. I have a natural roo hide to use for my next, which hopefully will be a 10-foot Raiders-style.
You did a whole 9 foot in 12 plait on your first bullwhip?
And it came out looking THAT good?
Jeez!
You, Lauren (Lauren,) and Nick, (Nammann)...You guys just make me sick!!!!
;-)
Seriously, great job...
For my more critical opinion, it looks like there's a couple of small errors in the overlay, but for the most part the seams look quite straight, (looks like it might be beveling, or lack of. Now that's not a problem! It's purely visual. Jacka bevels the heck out of his whips. Morgan, not so much. Rugged Jacka? Best of both worlds.)
I don't see any of the bizarre humps and kinks in the way the thong rolls that I see in a lot of folks earlier bullwhips. That to me indicates that it rolls out straight.
The knots look really good from here, as does the checkerboard pattern, and that seems to be two places that I also instantly look to get an idea of the quality of the whip, (for some reason, knots seem one of the toughest things to nail.)
There's my feedback! All in all, great work! I'd proudly wear it on my belt, (and I'm picky.)
Wow, thanks guys! Yeah, it's my first bullwhip, and I only did the one stock whip before it. I'm just such a perfectionist that it took me a while to get started and I made sure to take my time. There are indeed some errors in the plaiting that stand out to me since I cut all the strands by hand (the thumbnail technique) sometimes I would deviate by half a mm or so. But I was learning and I think I'm getting the hang of it. Yeah, the beveling was interesting, and I know it was not as consistent as it should be - I tried to stay at about a 45-degree angle, but it went all over sometimes.
Honestly, Louie was amazing in the assistance and motivation he provided. I felt like I could learn the most from him because he just got started a couple years ago. His blog was fantastic as a resource, along with his whipmaking ebook. Big thanks to him.
I appreciate the kind comments, and I'll keep you updated with my next project!
Good looking whip. I can't believe it is your first bullwhip, even my second and third look more like a sausage with a fall attached to the end. Good job.
stealthboy wrote:A while ago I posted an image of the stockwhip I made following Ron Edwards' plans, and so after that I decided to jump in head-first and make a kangaroo bullwhip. With much assistance from the expert knowledge of folks here on the board (especially Louie), I finished my 12-plait 9-foot KotCS-style whip (two bolsters, two 4-plait bellies, 12-plait overlay).
Finished just in time for the KotCS premiere! I think it came out pretty well for my first bullwhip. Any feedback is greatly appreciated! It was a fun experience and was not easy; I have a lot more respect for all you whipmakers out there. I have a natural roo hide to use for my next, which hopefully will be a 10-foot Raiders-style.
I have to say this could pass as any number of famous whip makers whips. Very professional and the detail is amazing. You can tell you are a perfectionist. Keep up the good work.
Hey, nice work, particularly for a first bullwhip! Like Dan, I can find a couple of little issues with the overlay strands, and maybe something with the wristloop too (can't see it too well though). But overall you've got some really great stuff going on here. What plait number is that wristloop? Also, why so many knots on the fall hitch? (not that that's a bad thing - I'm just curious). BTW, your checkerboard handle looks particularly nice - very straight and even. Rock on! )
LemonLauren wrote:Hey, nice work, particularly for a first bullwhip! Like Dan, I can find a couple of little issues with the overlay strands, and maybe something with the wristloop too (can't see it too well though). But overall you've got some really great stuff going on here. What plait number is that wristloop? Also, why so many knots on the fall hitch? (not that that's a bad thing - I'm just curious). BTW, your checkerboard handle looks particularly nice - very straight and even. Rock on! )
The wristloop is something that was made with the last little bit of hide, so unfortunately I was curving around way too much because I was down to a piece just a few inches across! It's a four-plait flat braid wristloop, and something I need to do better in the future.
As for why so many knots in the fall hitch, I has some of the strands from my second belly that I left to use as a small core in the last few feet of the whip, so I just tied those strands around the fall hitch, too. I guess that's not what you're supposed to do, but I like the look of a longer fall hitch.
Thanks for the comments about the checkerboard! And thanks to everyone else for the kind words; that certainly keeps me motivated to start my next one.
You did a whole 9 foot in 12 plait on your first bullwhip?
And it came out looking THAT good?
Jeez!
You, Lauren (Lauren,) and Nick, (Nammann)...You guys just make me sick!!!!
;-)
Seriously, great job...
For my more critical opinion, it looks like there's a couple of small errors in the overlay, but for the most part the seams look quite straight, (looks like it might be beveling, or lack of. Now that's not a problem! It's purely visual. Jacka bevels the heck out of his whips. Morgan, not so much. Rugged Jacka? Best of both worlds.)
I don't see any of the bizarre humps and kinks in the way the thong rolls that I see in a lot of folks earlier bullwhips. That to me indicates that it rolls out straight.
The knots look really good from here, as does the checkerboard pattern, and that seems to be two places that I also instantly look to get an idea of the quality of the whip, (for some reason, knots seem one of the toughest things to nail.)
There's my feedback! All in all, great work! I'd proudly wear it on my belt, (and I'm picky.)
-Dan
To be honest with you Dan I didn't even know I had it in me. I must of had this craft in a past life? Of course my Grandfather use to braid but not whips but I never sat and watched so maybe it is passed down from generations or something. I am just glad I still have all my fingers, wheeew, Ive had some REALLY close calls!!
I'm glad I could help you out with that bullwhip! It's amazing for a first attempt. It was in my 20th or so bullwhip before they started looking like they should and they were in the 50th or so bullwhip before I started liking how they handled. GOOD JOB!
Now that you've made one, the fun part starts and that's playing around with how you make the interal parts of the bullwhip (materials/lengths/etc) to make a bullwhip YOU like!
wow that is a BEAUTIFUL whip! especially for a first bullwhip! I can't wait to see what you start to do in the future, we may have a new whip maker available to us.
Hey guys, an update. I just finished my second bullwhip, which I tried to model after a Raiders. This one is a 9-foot natural roo hide 12-plait bullwhip. Two 4-plait roo bellies, two kip bolsters. It was great having a holiday weekend with some extra free time to finish this. I kept track of the time it took to make this, and it came in just over 13 hours. This pic is without the shellac, but everything else is done:
How many stk whips have you made before you made this whip?
)
: WOW 
