Best starter whip?

blueoakleyz · Post by **blueoakleyz** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 7:33 am

This thread is in lieu of another sleepless night of obsessive researching (Between obsessing over whips fedoras leather jackets etc I am exhausted). Although I eventually will, some headstarts would help.

What are some good whips, be it any material including (and probably?) nylon, in the 100-200 dollar price range to learn how to crack a whip etc?

I'm thinking a 7' size would be good?

WhipDude · Post by **WhipDude** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 10:44 am

8 is best. With 100-200 you won't be getting any nice leather whips. Nylon whips you can. I'd have a look at noreast whips by Steve. I've handled one of them before and it was a pretty nice whip and many others like them as well. It'll take some abuse because it's nylon but don't get yourself use to it if you are going to go pay for a nice leather whip.

http://neawhips.com/signaturewhip.aspx

Or if you want, hold out for Joe Strains upcoming budget Indy whip. Strain is always quality. Good things come to those who wait!

Canuck Digger · Post by **Canuck Digger** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 2:11 pm

Well there is one whipmaker who, although I've never seen him make an Indy-type whip, makes very nice cow-hide bullwhips that look fairly traditional, in an old west kinda way. We always talk about this whipmaker or that one, but when it comes to the best bang for your buck and not just who sells their whips the cheapest, this guy is always over-looked, I give you Victor Sansoucie: http://www.handmadewhips.com/index.html

scot2525 · Post by **scot2525** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 2:53 pm

I beg to differ regarding the fact you cannot get a nice leather whip in the $100.00-$200.00 price range. Give Gus a look at http://www.purewhips.com/whips.htm

blueoakleyz · Post by **blueoakleyz** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 4:49 pm

woulod a nylon whip at an equivalent price be better?

Boggstandard · Post by **Boggstandard** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 4:59 pm

blueoakleyz wrote:woulod a nylon whip at an equivalent price be better?

No!!

In my opinion, no nylon whip that I have seen, handled, or used can compare with a well made leather whip. The weight, balance, and sensory elements do not compare favorably.

To me, it is like comparing a Kodak disposable to a Canon 5D or other quality camera.

WhipDude · Post by **WhipDude** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:43 pm

How about this, define what you call a starter whip. As Boggstandard stated, nylon can't compare to leather which in many cases is true, but not always. Other then price range, tell us what you plan to do with the whip. Costume? Basics? Get advance with the whip? We need more information. How accurate are we talking?

blueoakleyz · Post by **blueoakleyz** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 7:22 pm

Ok basically.. just "play with it" lol

I want to crack it and make loud crack sounds. No need to really get advanced or anything it's just for fun and maybe to get a bit good.

Zombie Jones · Post by **Zombie Jones** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 1:55 am

scot2525 wrote:I beg to differ regarding the fact you cannot get a nice leather whip in the $100.00-$200.00 price range. Give Gus a look at http://www.purewhips.com/whips.htm

I concur. Until a month ago I'd never even held a whip (let alone cracked one) so I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars for one, but I also didn't want a cheap costume whip. After reading several threads and reviewing my options, I purchased one of Gus' 8' 8 plait whips (just before he changed to the new "thicker" whip), and I was able to crack it during my first practice session. Obviously, I have no frame of reference to compare the quality of Gus' whips to the more "high end" whips made by Bernardo del Carpio, David Morgan, Joe Strain, etc.. But, in my extremely amateur opinion, Gus provides a good quality "starter" whip and an excellent value for the price.

Oh, and above all--wear protective gear when you practice, especially safety glasses!

TurnerME · Post by **TurnerME** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 2:22 am

My two pennies. If your budget is in the $100 -$200 range buy Gus's new budget whip http://www.purewhips.com/whips for $116.50 it will be shipped right to your door.
Take another $24.55 and order Whip Basics DVD http://www.midwestwhips.com/Accessories.html.
That will leave you enough money to buy the supplies needed to make a nylon whip. Follow this tutorial http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t= ... p+tutorial.
That should have you taken care of. A great whip, great DVD to learn all the basics, and a nice project. Good luck with your choice.

WhipDude · Post by **WhipDude** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 10:00 am

Oops. My fault. When he said good whip to use, being a whip person, my thoughts jumped to Morgan etc. Now that he's clarified what sort of "good" whip then a good whip in that price range very well could be a Gus. I didn't know Gus's whips went that low, so props to you Scot for the heads up.
Yes, if you are looking for a whip to do basics and have a little bit of fun and look fair on the belt, Gus's whip would work just fine.

But as stated, if in no rush, then check out
http://northernwhipco.com/indiana_jones_budget_whip.htm

You may like that even better depending on price. At least then you'll have an option between Gus and Strains budget Indy.

maboot38 · Post by **maboot38** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 10:26 am

I'll have to agree that Gus from purewhips.com is the way to go for the price and quality. You'll pretty much be cracking it from day one, and it only gets better as you use it more. I think I paid $160 for mine, and I love it.

Indiana O-Town · Post by **Indiana O-Town** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 6:32 pm

I picked up a leather whip off of "that auction site" for about $50 with shipping and handling... mine's 14', although they make a variety of lengths. From what the seller said, it's certainly usable but I wouldn't seriously depend on it. The plating on mine is also not nearly as... tight(?) I guess. Here's one of the images I happened to find from earlier this year, if that helps give anyone a sense of the quality of the whip... but probably too far way. Forgive the awful looking Indiana Jones wannabe. We've talked it over, and he won't ever being caught dead in public with that dreadful Crocodile Hunter shirt and corduroy pants get up ever again (promise!).

(No Stormtroopers were harmed in the making of this picture.)

defasselle · Post by **defasselle** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 11:07 am

I was doing the same thing as you blueoakleyz two weeks ago. I had never cracked a whip and wanted something ok to learn on and something that would look good with my gear.

I ended up getting Aussie Saddle Stock Co's beginner bullwhip for $99, and I was cracking it instantly. I ordered it from:
http://www.aussiesaddle.com/shootist/Sh ... 0Whips.htm

I've heard great reviews of the whips made by Gus, but I ordered my Aussie Saddle Stock whip just days before Gus announced his new/more affordable whips.

jason10mm · Post by **jason10mm** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 11:12 am

I'll recommend a nylon whip. I have one from rjallen here on the site. Was right around $100 and works pretty well, though I do not yet have a leather whip for comparision. The 8" length seems about right and I have yet to feel underequipped with it. Plus in my muggy, swampy climate I have few worries about maintaining the whip properly and can crack in almost any weather. An important consideration depending on your location.

I'll definitely be getting leather whips in the future, but as a "starter" whip just to see if I even like whip cracking, it is a good buy.

Magno · Post by **Magno** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 3:10 pm

I would also suggest a RJallen nylon, although it is quite honestly it's no "starter" whip.

DR Ulloa · Post by **DR Ulloa** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:19 am

My fiance bought me an 8ft 12 plait Caicedo whip back in July, for my birthday. Let me support what has already been said by a few others in this thread: Gus does great work and will not dissapoint. Gus' new "budget" whip sounds right up your alley.

Dave

Indiana Neri · Post by **Indiana Neri** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:36 am

Todd should put me on his payroll:

For $199, you can get a pretty darn close SA leather, functional bullwhip from Todd's Todd's Deluxe Bullwhip comes in 8' 12 plait tanned Goathide and the best part is you can keep it on your Indybelt as a prop AND you can get cracks out of it. It is braided leather with a rubber core, so it's sturdy. He now offers two colors: Raiders' Tan or CS brown (which I guess is dark - I got mine in May and he didn't have this option so you're lucky

) I love my Todd's whip and I think it's an excellent "beginner's" whip. Like I said, I've had mine since May and I take it out every chance I get. Once I feel that I am "good enough" I'll eventually like to upgrade, but in the mean time...I'll keep enjoying my bullwhip from Todd's ;-)

;-)

PS: I don't know why Todd's whip doesn't get that much recommendation on this board, it's a great product!

hollywood1340 · Post by **hollywood1340** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 3:44 am

defasselle wrote:I was doing the same thing as you blueoakleyz two weeks ago. I had never cracked a whip and wanted something ok to learn on and something that would look good with my gear.

I ended up getting Aussie Saddle Stock Co's beginner bullwhip for $99, and I was cracking it instantly. I ordered it from:
http://www.aussiesaddle.com/shootist/Sh ... 0Whips.htm

I've heard great reviews of the whips made by Gus, but I ordered my Aussie Saddle Stock whip just days before Gus announced his new/more affordable whips.

Can we get some pictures? I'm also very interested in that whip

DR Ulloa · Post by **DR Ulloa** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 10:36 am

For $100 more, you can get an eight foot roo hide whipe from Aussie Saddle. Its about 3/4 of the way down. Its not quite "Indy;" it has a longer handle, but its a great deal.

Dave

Kentucky Blues · Post by **Kentucky Blues** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 5:05 pm

Indiana Neri wrote:Todd should put me on his payroll:

For $199, you can get a pretty darn close SA leather, functional bullwhip from Todd's Todd's Deluxe Bullwhip comes in 8' 12 plait tanned Goathide and the best part is you can keep it on your Indybelt as a prop AND you can get cracks out of it. It is braided leather with a rubber core, so it's sturdy. He now offers two colors: Raiders' Tan or CS brown (which I guess is dark - I got mine in May and he didn't have this option so you're lucky ) I love my Todd's whip and I think it's an excellent "beginner's" whip. Like I said, I've had mine since May and I take it out every chance I get. Once I feel that I am "good enough" I'll eventually like to upgrade, but in the mean time...I'll keep enjoying my bullwhip from Todd's ;-)

;-)

PS: I don't know why Todd's whip doesn't get that much recommendation on this board, it's a great product!

Well, it says on the Todd's Costumes site that even though it is a more functioning whip, it's still not intended for extended use. That probably turns alot of people off.

-KB

Indiana Neri · Post by **Indiana Neri** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 9:08 pm

True - but I think for someone who is looking to crack it every now and then and or to learn on, I think it's a worth investment. Even if it gets trashed after a year or two, who cares? They're cheap enough to either get another one or to upgrade to something once you get a little more seriously skilled in whipcraft. Most of the people that I have recommended Todd's Deluxe whip to were looking for a display piece that could be cracked once in a while if they chose to. For $200.00, it's a bargain

;-)

Mad Old Jim · Post by **Mad Old Jim** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 8:26 am

Newbie here. I came across this seller on ebay:

http://stores.ebay.com/Fine-Olde-Tyme-S ... idZ2QQtZkm

I'm interested in this one:

(Link Deleted by MOD, Club Obi Wan has a policy of No public posting of live eBay auctions unless they are your own)

I've been trying to compare his products with the ones suggested here, particularly Gus's whips at purewhips.com since their price points are comparable. The quality looks fairly good to my untrained eyes and I just wanted to get some feedback from the experts!

I did a search for the seller on this board to see if he had been discussed before, but I didn't turn up anything.

I appreciate any comments!

rjallen70 · Post by **rjallen70** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 9:53 am

The auction makes no mention of a plaited belly, therefor it does not have it. The whip begins to taper very abruptly after the handle so the weight will not be carried out very far in the thong. The poor pics make the poorer plaits harder to see, but you can see some looseness.
Aussies call this whip a Toughy. It is not tough on anything but the customer. Keep looking IMHO
Ron

Mad Old Jim · Post by **Mad Old Jim** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 3:59 pm

Much obliged! Looks like I'll be getting Gus's whip! From previous posts it looks like there are a few happy Gus customers. I'm glad I found you guys to ask. In this economy, I didn't want to spend a fortune, but I also didn't want a cheap-o whip I'd later regret getting.

rjallen70 · Post by **rjallen70** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 10:35 pm

No problem...
Welcome to the club...check you wallet at the door.

Ron

Mad Old Jim · Post by **Mad Old Jim** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 5:11 pm

I'm still on the hunt for a whip and I had a few more questions. I'm a beginner--never touched a real whip before. I'm leaning towards Gus's budget whip because of tight finances and because I'm not sure I want to spend too much on something that is so new to me!

Now, is it really worth it to get Gus's 8ft, 8 plait whip, or is the 12 plait really that much better? I guess I'm asking if the difference in plaits is really worth it in terms of looks and functionality.

Also, is the roo hide that much better than the cow hide?

Texan Scott · Post by **Texan Scott** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 5:20 pm

Indiana Neri wrote:Todd should put me on his payroll:

For $199, you can get a pretty darn close SA leather, functional bullwhip from Todd's Todd's Deluxe Bullwhip comes in 8' 12 plait tanned Goathide and the best part is you can keep it on your Indybelt as a prop AND you can get cracks out of it. It is braided leather with a rubber core, so it's sturdy. He now offers two colors: Raiders' Tan or CS brown (which I guess is dark - I got mine in May and he didn't have this option so you're lucky ) I love my Todd's whip and I think it's an excellent "beginner's" whip. Like I said, I've had mine since May and I take it out every chance I get. Once I feel that I am "good enough" I'll eventually like to upgrade, but in the mean time...I'll keep enjoying my bullwhip from Todd's ;-)
;-)
PS: I don't know why Todd's whip doesn't get that much recommendation on this board, it's a great product!

I've always heard that about Todd's. Eight feet braded, 11 ft. total length. He told me they are hand made there in his store. For $200, plus quality material, couldn't go wrong!

kooniu · Post by **kooniu** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 6:30 pm

Mad Old Jim wrote:I'm still on the hunt for a whip and I had a few more questions. I'm a beginner--never touched a real whip before. .....I want to spend too much on something that is so new to me!

.......

IMHO if you want cracking , this is the best for beginners http://cgi.ebay.com/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI ... 0279777240, good whip, cheap, and from great maker

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 6:45 pm

are you the type that always laments on your decisions like me? for instance, back when i started this #### hobby, i thought.....i'll be happy with a cheap whip......then after you get as much as you can from it, you start wondering.....what's a good whip feel like? so you get a good whip........then you wonder....what's indy's whip feel like......then a couple thousand bucks down the road, you have too many whips and a couple top shelf whips. if you are this type......buy a morgan or jacka now and save yourself the grief

this is pretty much what cow turned me into for all my gear needs.......close-nuff isn't good-nuff because there's alway an upgrade needed and in the end, you have too much stuff. get the best and never wonder again.

alot of you may not think this is the wisest route.......but if you have an OC disorder, this is the best philosophy for saving money in the long run imo.

Mad Old Jim · Post by **Mad Old Jim** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 7:49 pm

Unfortunately, that sounds exactly like me! But I still feel there's got to be a nice compromise between getting an inexpensive whip and a Morgan! I've been scouring the price list sticky and going crazy trying to decide!

So, what's the consensus? Definitely 12 plait? Maybe it doesn't have to be roo hide? Although I must say that the smooth shiny roo hide looks #### sexy!

Do the different plait numbers and hide types feel and function better?

rjallen70 · Post by **rjallen70** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 9:39 pm

Since this is an Indy forum I'll assume you want an Indy whip.
If this is not the case I'll second Kooniu's recommendation on the em-brand redhide stock whip. I got one for Christmas, but the 6 ft is better for males. It is well made, has a beautifully plaited handle and is quite lively.
As far as Indy whips go, Purewhips (Gus) 12 plait is much nicer than the 8. Not because of the plait count, but the construction. Call him to discuss it. Gus is a very nice guy and a straight shooter...
You could do a lot worse than these www.handmadewhips.com ,
Superior whips in durable latigo. Available in indyesque styles now too, and usually in stock.
Good luck,
Ron

maboot38 · Post by **maboot38** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 9:46 pm

Yeah, I'm going to have to echo rjallen. If you are unsure about which Gus whip to get, CALL HIM!! He's a heck of a guy, and will spend as much time as you need to explain everything to you. He will listen to you and find out what you want the whip for, and how it will be used, and he will make his recommendation based on that. He's a great guy to talk to, even WITH the southern accent! ;-)

Mad Old Jim · Post by **Mad Old Jim** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 10:09 pm

Thanks for all the responses. Yep, I'm looking for an Indy bull whip. I'm also expanding my consideration to include Jack Perry or Victor Tella. It's a jump in price, but dang it, the roo hide looks great!