This month's Whip Makers Workshop "Profile" is an introduction of a fine whip maker from the land Down Under, Janine Fraser. She secretly joined COW a few months ago and I promised her that I would embarrass her by profiling her first. She is so shy!!!
Before I get into her version of the Bio, let me say a few good things about our fine lady from Australia (Crocodile Janine!!!). I have heard of Janine Fraser whips for over the past year now from other serious whip crackers that have bought her whips. Her reputation spread fast and currently she supplies her stock whips to Mark Allen at Western Stage Props.
To set the stage, a little background on Western Stage Props is appropriate. Mark Allen sells hundreds of whips a year, with most of his clientele being in the professional stunt or performing business. The gear they buy has to be high quality and reliable. Mark stands by all the products he sells and to make into Mark's catalog says something. In fact I have seen vendors pulled out of the catalog when quality became an issue. Mark has zero patience for this, since customer satisfaction is Job #1 at WSP. So Janine, for now only makes stock whips but my understanding she wants to do bullwhips soon. Her whip making on the stock whips are greaaaaatttt! The whips are very responsive and practically crack themselves. You can buy her whips directly from WSP or through her. She has to be the most customer focused whip maker out there. I am not slamming any whip maker when I say this. But Janine personally called me, or IM?ed me so many times just to make sure she was building the whip I WANTED.
Part of my fascination with my hobby in whip cracking, whip making is getting to know all the facets of making a whip, actually learning all the different people that are all over the world and getting to know a lot folk lore. What Janine brings is the wonderful spirit of Down Under. Every person I have met from there has been very colorful and just a joy to converse with. What Janine brings to the folk lore of whip making is the Scobie Hitch Knot on the handle. She did not develop the Scobie Knot, Alec Scobie did and he has since died. Janine revived this very complicated knot and to my knowledge is the only one making the Scobie style knot.
Anyway without further ado, the following is her own personal biography, followed by pictures of Janine and my matched pair of 6 foot stockwhips made by Janine:
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I live in a place called Gundowring, in the foot hills of the famed "Australian High Plains". I currently have two working dogs Bes an Australia Red Kelpie and Fair Dinkum my Australian Cattle Dog (Blue heeler) which I am currently training up with my whips. I have an Australian Stockhorse, Arab x, Palomino mare named "Honey" who I do all my cattle mustering on in the high plains, and here at home in the bush were may mates run Hereford cattle. Honey is currently helping a great little whipcracker and mate of mine, by the name of Steph Griffiths learn how ride and cut cattle out while doing stockwork at her home in Bowmans Forest where her family breeds Hereford cattle.
I first started making whips out of necessity after returning from my first sojourn to the high country mustering a mates cattle. The continuous use of an old, unbalanced whip of unknown origin, left me believing a better quality tool must surely be available. In fact I decided to make my own. And so the fascination with whips began!
After a while I decided I needed to learn how to crack whips properly and from there I went on to compete in whipcracking. By competing I started to really understand and develop what is now known as the "Fraserwhip" style. Along with cracking allot of the whips that were around, I talked to the competitors to get their input and views on their needs for whipcracking. Basically I really tried to get down to the nitty gritty of the flow and action of the whips that were being used by the competitor at that time, and from there I tried to create a whip in "my opinion" which is ergonomic to the user.
I was fortunate enough to participated in the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Where 40 of us cracked our stockwhips in a synchronised display of whipcracking to music. Currently I am a full time whipmaker working from my home in Victoria Australia. I'm extremely passionate about my job and thoroughly enjoy cracking whips with my mates over a barbie and a beer.
Hoo Roo - Janine Fraser
Janine taking a break at her dairy farm?
These were the hides that were selected for my 6 footers.
Cutting out of the hides:
The infamous Scobie Knots at the end of the handle:
Stockwhip #1 (This one I named Janine)
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Stockwhip #2 (This one I named "The Fraser")
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Please give Janine a warm welcome to our community. Remember she is shy. So be nice, or " I'll Cut Ya".
) Just kidding.-Sergei
Also if you start to make bullwhips I'd be interested......if I can find my wallet.
You blokes are the ones with the accent. I have a shocker of a time trying to understand you fellas mostly. haha
