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!"
Below are some photos I took of different ways of attaching the cracker.
What is your method, and why do you use it?
Do you have another one to contribute with?
They all work fine, though myself I believe the third one is the most aerodynamic if placing it further out on the fall while the first one with the "tuck in" alternative is the most secure with the least stress on the fall and cracker.
I hope you like them!
Regards,
Swindiana
Last edited by Swindiana on Sat Jul 08, 2006 2:48 pm, edited 4 times in total.
GraveRobber and I use method number three. It is simple (we have to be able to remember how to do it out in the field) and easy. I have never had a popper come off when tied like this, but I have had the popper fly off taking a small piece of the fall with it and still attached.
I have found some of these poppers and got the brillant idea that I would undo the knot and reuse the popper. I haven't got one of those knots undone, yet. They are some tuff little buggers.
And as Templar hinted, it is great to learn making your own cracker and you will never have to look for or order new ones. The link is one way to do it, but I just use a pen and my teeth.
1. Bite one end of the twine.
2. Loop a small length of the other end around a pen and keep it streched as you start spinning the pen with your fingers. Keep at it for about 30 laps or so.
3. Fold the twine in the middle while it wraps around itself from all the spinning.
4. Make a knot and trim the end if needed.
5. Presto!
Bufflehead;
Yeah, that one is a Gordian knot after the first crack, but do tend to rip the fall if too thin sometimes. At least that's what I've found out from the few times I've been out cracking.
I use method two, as that was the first one I learned, and have only had limited success with the others. I find that when I use method #2, it gives me the most luck with continuing the straight line from the fall hitch to the end of the popper. The others, for some reason, (most likely my craptastic knot-tying abilities,) tend to bend off at odd angles.
And I'm with Adam on the "through the slit in the fall" method. I just blow right through the end of the fall, and end up having to clip off the end of the fall, and cut another slit. For someone who goes through a lot of poppers, that's not fun. ;-)
Does everyone that uses method number three find that when the popper comes off, it cuts the fall off right above the popper and when you find it, the popper is still attached to the fall. Each time I lose a popper, I lose about a 1/2 inch of fall. Pretty soon, I am going to have to replace the fall when it gets too short.
Do any of the other methods not take off a bit of the falls length. I would like to make my falls last as long as possible. It is easier to replace a popper than a fall, I would imagine. I am going to have to learn how to replace my fall one of these days. I have not had to do that yet, but that day is coming.
The #3 can be made using an additional knot of the cracker aswell, allowing more of the cracker to go parallell with the rest of the fall to even out the pressure with two stress points instead of one. Almost like putting a set of handcuffs on one arm, just to illustrate it in words a policeman would know.
So, make it like pictured, then loop the cracker around near the end of the fall, tie it so that the cracker tip points forwards and you will have two anchor points.
Thanks for those photos. I just took the whip I bought on ebay out of the box and in 5 minutes had the popper off, so this thread was very helpful! By the way, I went with method number one.
No problem. Number 2 is the most common I've seen described on different sites, and number 1 too I guess. (Actually I kind of thought they were the same for a while.) I figured it would be nice to gather a few on one place for once just to check what people use and if there are other ways of doing it.
Let me know if there was any trouble with my description on the alternate 3 option and I'll get a photo of it.
-> Another option, but I guess you all know how that one works.
Great comparison of the 4 most common ways to tie your poppers onto a fall. I typically use the second type knot. That’s just the way I first learned how to do it and find is works best for me. The second is also the most screen accurate way for those wondering, as that’s the way David used to tie the poppers onto his falls before one of our members here showed him # 3 and he switched.
I only use the number 3 when it comes with a new whip, i have never much cared for it though so as soon as the new cracker is worn down i switch knots. The method show in #1 is ok, though I’ve never liked the using the slit method of #4. The seam opens up and tears too easly. On a few of my American bullwhips where I have kept the wide fall on them, I use a hole punch to knock a hole and feed the popper though it that way, its less likely to tear open on you. Though you cant really do that with the narrow Aussie style falls. I have rarely if ever had a popper come off by its self, when they do eventfully blow off you lose about a half inch or so of the fall.
Thanks. I was wondering if it was just me losing a half inch or so of my fall each time I lost a popper. How short should I let that sucker get before putting on a new fall?
I think Sergei mentioned in a post that he adviced replacing at about 20 inches or so, having a fall of 28-30 inches in length on whips 9-10 feet, and a bit shorter on the 6-8 footers.
I also read it is somewhat a matter of what you like and what you're comfortable with. I have just attached a longer one on my new Winrich, and that one is around 29 inches, so I guess I like mine a tad long too. I've never had any success replacing the fall without redoing the fall hitch though, so that's another thing I've learned as a bonus.
You should try doing the additional knot I talked about. It makes the cracker point more straight aswell, preventing it from cutting across the fall as it does with just one knot.
I use #3, personally, because it was the first way that I learned how to tie one on, and because I don't like the look of a big ol' knot at the end of the fall, like there is in the other ones (besides #4 which looks like it'll explode if you so much as sneeze on the thing! )Also, I think that if you really whack yourself with the fall (on accident of course) it'll hurt worse if you've got that big knot there... or at least the welt will look worse than it feels. Hm!
Great thread though - very original, I think. I've not seen one like this before. Innovative!
How short should I let that sucker get before putting on a new fall?
The general rule for an Australian style fall is dont let it wear down to less than 12 inches. At 12 inches it should be replaced pronto but most whip crackers I know replace their falls at around 16 or 18 inches so it’s just your preference. I personally like to keep some length on the fall, so I usually change them out when they wear down to around 18 inches.
Bufflehead Jones wrote:...when the popper comes off, it cuts the fall off right above the popper and when you find it, the popper is still attached to the fall. Each time I lose a popper, I lose about a 1/2 inch of fall. Pretty soon, I am going to have to replace the fall when it gets too short.
I was having this problem with #3 on my leather and nylon whips. Only with the nylon, it seemed that the popper slid right off taking the burned/melted end with it.
I didn't like the falls getting shorter and noticed when a I had received my Rhett Kelley nylon he had tied the popper using #2 so I that's what I started using on all my whips and I've not had a problem since.
If you have a redhide fall its much more prone to loose a section when the popper goes off if its wet. I have a whitehide fall thats 4 years old that I use on my main whip, and it hasent broken once. I bought some redhide to make falls with, and it just kept popping apart. Ive never had a problem with white hide. Maybe redhide just dosent like me I really did try using redhide, but I went though 4 falls in a month. I DO put pecards on my fall before and after i crack my whips.
My fall is a white hide fall that came with my Morgan. My spare fall is in a plastic bag and I really hadn't paid much attention to it, until I read in another thread that you should really put Pecards on your spare fall(s). Duh! I never even thought about it, but you need to take care of your extra falls also, even though they are not the one that is currently on your whip. Now that someone told me it makes sense.
Mola Ram wrote:If you have a redhide fall its much more prone to loose a section when the popper goes off if its wet. I have a whitehide fall thats 4 years old that I use on my main whip, and it hasent broken once. I bought some redhide to make falls with, and it just kept popping apart. Ive never had a problem with white hide. Maybe redhide just dosent like me I really did try using redhide, but I went though 4 falls in a month. I DO put pecards on my fall before and after i crack my whips.
I agree with Adam on this~ I don't care much for redhide falls...they dry up quickly & pull apart. Whitehide falls last much longer, for myself, anyway. At one time or another, I've used all the tying methods mentioned but the tuck method. Don't really have a favorite.
Bufflehead Jones wrote:My fall is a white hide fall that came with my Morgan. My spare fall is in a plastic bag and I really hadn't paid much attention to it, until I read in another thread that you should really put Pecards on your spare fall(s). Duh! I never even thought about it, but you need to take care of your extra falls also, even though they are not the one that is currently on your whip. Now that someone told me it makes sense.
I'd forgotten myself until a few weeks ago when I was applying Pecard dressing to my whips and remembered my two whitehide falls in my plastic bag. They had gotten a bit dry since the last time I handled them.
Swindiana wrote:I think Sergei mentioned in a post that he adviced replacing at about 20 inches or so, having a fall of 28-30 inches in length on whips 9-10 feet, and a bit shorter on the 6-8 footers.
I also read it is somewhat a matter of what you like and what you're comfortable with. I have just attached a longer one on my new Winrich, and that one is around 29 inches, so I guess I like mine a tad long too. I've never had any success replacing the fall without redoing the fall hitch though, so that's another thing I've learned as a bonus.
You should try doing the additional knot I talked about. It makes the cracker point more straight aswell, preventing it from cutting across the fall as it does with just one knot.
Regards,
Swindiana
I went and measured one on mine...
and it clocked in at 60"
It's funny with the whip though... The smallest thing you do and it handles and cracks differently. I think I do more tinkering than actual cracking myself.
Whips... I need more of them. Especially since I had to let go of my first generation IOAB, leaving me with only one at the moment.
I use number 1 pretty much all the time. It's the way I first learned, the famous Aussie 'whip knot' and gives a great straight line transition from fall to cracker. For those who like to go through the fall, I have tried the slit method and the 'hole made with a leather punch' method, and I think the hole really works better/lasts longer. It doesn't rip out as easily.
Great Poll and great photos. The only problem I keep having with #3 is that poly crackers sometimes just slide off. Anyone else had that problem? Nylon grips fine. OTOH, for me, #2 works with nylon or poly.
I tend to use Method 2, because that's what I've always done, and old habits seem to die hard.
As far as making poppers, I have a nifty little portable method that produces fantastic, long-lasting poppers that I'll have to put up here or on YouTube pretty soon.
My favorites are nylon upholstery thread, but I also do them out of the white, 3 strand spot cord that you can pick up at Lowes and Home Depot fairly cheaply. They're faster, easier and cheap to make, but I just don't like them as well as the upholstery thread ones, (but the white ones do show up better to audiences and cameras.)
I voted for number 2, that is just how my whip came with from Joe Strain. I have had to replace two pro-poly poppers or crackers already, I am so glad he gave me a nylon. I have not put the nylon on yet, but I think I will once the pro-poly poppers are gone.
I actually use a totally different method, and have for years. Probably resulted from being a Whipmaster for almost 20 years without having contact with other 'pros'...!
I guess it would have more in common with #3 than any of the others, on the rare occasions that the fall 'unfolds' itself...
Step 1: Fold the fall over, and push the loop through the end of the cracker.
Step 2: Twist the loop in the cracker once, then pull the loop in the fall through this new loop.
Step 3: Push the business end of the cracker through the loop in the fall.
Step 4: Pull tight, making sure there's not TOO much fall sticking out...(This is a little excessive in the picture.)
Last edited by PyramidBlaster on Sat Apr 12, 2008 3:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I tie my whip crackers like David Morgan did back in the day. It's most like style #2 in the original post, only compressing the knot and finishing with a close trim. This one has held up for about five years:
I have been using a tie similar to Method #1,
But have had problems.
I think I'll try #3 next time.
Right now, I have a whip without a popper, just because I haven't gotten around to replacing it.
Having some success with #3 over the last few days, but am noticing that when the popper comes off using #3, it typically takes part of the fall with it, which is not admirable.
-> Another option, but I guess you all know how that one works. 
)Also, I think that if you really whack yourself with the fall (on accident of course) it'll hurt worse if you've got that big knot there... or at least the welt will look worse than it feels. Hm! 
I really did try using redhide, but I went though 4 falls in a month. I DO put pecards on my fall before and after i crack my whips.
I never even thought about it, but you need to take care of your extra falls also, even though they are not the one that is currently on your whip. Now that someone told me it makes sense.
