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!"
I had to vent somewhere. I just broke my whip :evil: Its a jrzjoe 10ft 12plait bullwhip I got a year or so ago. I was outside trying to get the stupid thing to crack and got it wet. No big deal. I went inside to dry it off with a towel and reapply some dressing. I was pulling on it while holding it down with my foot. First the handle strap popped off showing the nails that were holding in on, then the actual handle broke with a resounding crack. Its wood inside there!!!!!! I didn't even get that part wet!!
If you want a whip that looks nice and is close enough for "show" purposes I highly recommend one. If you want to practice the art of whip cracking with it, DON"T. Not that I am ripping the product, just laying the facts out there.
Hey thanks for that tip Alex. I'm in the middle of getting a decent whip...
And BTW, feel sorry for your whip...
I'm willing to have a minute of silence...
Good things and i'm not precisely morbous (I'm not sure that's an actual word in english ) but could you post some pictures of your broken whip?
I'm surprised the #### thing lasted you that long! I've had the displeasure of handling one once and I couldn't believe someone would have the audacity to sell this with a straigth face! It's complete rubbish! Anyway sorry to hear this happened to you, but just goes to show cheap is not always best. Just order your next one from any of the many fine whipmakers around here and you'll be fine.
Thanks for the replies. The wife and I were just talking about going to the local river and using it to swing from a branch into it. Using old close enough stuff of course.
I have taken a few shots and will post them in a minute. I sorta fixed it and went outside to give it a crack or two with little or no results. Its just a prop now The thing that makes me the most angry is my own lack of research on this one. I usually do my homework before purchasing a prop but this time I was taken in by the price.
On that note......what whip is recommended for the Indy fan who is kinda on a budget but not really. I want something nice this time that will last, is well made, and cracks like a cannon. 8ft is probably the best length for me.
Alex - that's a terrible shame... I've never seen a broken whip before, but MAN... that one looks pretty messed up. What did you do to try and fix it? It looks like a pretty nice whip, too... man... that's really too bad.
You make it sound like it wasn't too expensive though - at least you have that going for you, you know?
I hot glued the knot, strap, and upper "knot" back on . It looks sort of ok on a belt but a new one is in order soon. I think I paid around $150 or so for it. Not TOO much of a loss. I just checked out my ebay page and it says I got it last year in April. Doesn't give me details on the price though.
I will get a camera and swing into a river with it with most of my Indy gear on. It can only enhance the "weathered" look right.
I have a question.......I kinda fixed the thing where it still cracks as it used to but I have been trying to do the flick with it with little or no results. I have good form and have gotten it to "pop" but have to almost throw my arm out to get an audible crack from this thing. Is it the fact that it is half broken, poorly made, or am I just beating myself to death with an inferior product?
Oh....The only way the flick works is to aim up 10 to 15 feet in the air infront of me. I see where others are targeting things at eye and arm level but mine won't.
One last thing. Are quality whips heavy? I don't think this one even weighs half a pound. It is cow hide but as stated in the first post, the handle is wood.
Alex wrote:...One last thing. Are quality whips heavy?
Not all. I've seen Australian bullwhips that were very slim, but were clearly well-made. However, the whip in question had a long-ish handle and was no more than 6 feet long.
I think if you get into longer whips, then you will have to balance the thong one way or another, so having a heavy handle helps with that. Also, if a whip is made of let's say a heavy kangaroo hide with kip bolsters that are of equal thickness, and the leather is well-greased, then this will add a fair amount of weight to the whip. I know my whips always end up pretty heavy compared to the Ebay ones which I've held...
It really depends on what you're after. But I think if we limit the discussion to Indy-style whips, then yes, a good one will have some weight to it. IMO.
You know what Alex, I was just thinking of something. Why don't you try and get the whip replaced by the maker? If it works, you will have lost nothing and you can put the new one on the wall and leave it there.
Well gang........I did it I went to the river, whipped an old cross beam from a riverside bar that Katrina destroyed, and swung out into the river in half my close enough Indy gear.
I don't have the video up nor do I have the capabilities to put it up but soon I will. Let me say now that I will edit out the 20 attempts I took at wrapping the beam down to maybe 2 or 3 of the funniest ones. The whip held not once, but twice and is still in great shape.
I have no doubt that any of the stunts in Indy were plausible with a good wrap, and a trained stunt man.
Alex wrote:Well gang........I did it I went to the river, whipped an old cross beam from a riverside bar that Katrina destroyed, and swung out into the river in half my close enough Indy gear.
I don't have the video up nor do I have the capabilities to put it up but soon I will. Let me say now that I will edit out the 20 attempts I took at wrapping the beam down to maybe 2 or 3 of the funniest ones. The whip held not once, but twice and is still in great shape.
I have no doubt that any of the stunts in Indy were plausible with a good wrap, and a trained stunt man.
Possible and plausible are two different things. I'd like to see Indy fail 20 times before he gets that wrap. Or tug on it, swing an fall. That's more plausible.
As has been mentionned here countless times before, it's not that swinging from a whip is IMPOSSIBLE, it's just that it's not RECOMMENDED from the standpoint of both personal safety and possible damage to the whip. Last but certainly not least, THIS IS NOT HOW MOVIES ARE MADE! Forget Erold Flynn, the way shots like this are done in films is with multiple whips (some aren't even whips, just a safety cable with a braided leather cover over it) and editing. Never in a million years will a professional film be made with anyone (stunt or cast) wrapping a whip and with the same whip swing or hang from it. It just doesn't happen this way, sorry.
But I am happy for you that you got to have that fun moment though! It reminds me of when I was a teenager doing the same, but I wasn't as heavy then, just a twig really...
I never said they did it that way in the film. It would take a stunt man with guts of steel to do it but I know there are hundreds of safety precautions in place.
I did have a blast doing it and will do it again on dry land once I find a low enough branch. I am no twig either. Just for reference, I weigh 185 or so and the whip held.
) but could you post some pictures of your broken whip?
The thing that makes me the most angry is my own lack of research on this one. I usually do my homework before purchasing a prop but this time I was taken in by the price. 
