It is quit interesting for my self to have different coats of the same lenght whip at hands, giving myself a better idea of how the whip parts should work together.
So I tried my very best to make some good pictures with my poor camera yesterday night. Thanks to my ladder I was able to get all the components on one picture:
to get started:
tools and whip hardwear
left to right (top row):
9 inch nail
pliers (for pulling the strands on the hitch)
rasor knife with stable wooden handle
dividers for marking the leather
headknife (allrounder leather crafters knife for cutting out and sharping leather)
leather scissors
house made plaiting soap
shellac (for giving the overlay its last finish)
lower row:
lead tape
black nylon string for making poppers
white nylon string for butt foundation and binding parts together (only used on the handle section)
redhide for cutting out falls
(not pictured is the roohide since I have no more full sized at my hands this week)
the evolution of a bullwhip:
My Indy – bullwhips are constructed as follows:
1. bas eis a 9“ nail on which a leather core is adapted. Lead is added to the nail’s head, to give the future whip handle it’s balance
2. the 1st bellie is braided out of 4 strands rooskin over the core
3. the 1st bolster, cut from veg. Tanned cowhide follows
4. the 2nd bellie is braided over the 1st bolster, also 4 plait kangaroo skin
5. the 2nd bolster ist he last inner coat. Due to it’s length it has to be cut out from 2 or 3 pieces of cowhide which become spliced during the braiding process of the overlay
6. last comes the kangarooskin overlay, which starts at 12 strands and ends in a 6 strand point
7. The overlay ends in the hitch knot which either holds the braided point together and attaches the fall to the whip. The fall has to be cut from heavy cowhide
8. a „cracker“ or „popper“ is tied to the point of the fall. When cracking the whip, the popper breaks the sound barrier. The whip „cracks“
handle section: 1st bellie, 1st bolster, 2nd bellie, 2nd bolster and final overlay
finished whip:
(No11 8ft. bullwhip, nat. tan. Other pictures of the same whip allready postet)
This construction is based on the american style bullwhip, designed by David Morgan and with a lot of helpful hints Pagey gave me
hope you enjoy!
