Unique Bullwhip

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!"

Moderator: BullWhipBorton

Post Reply
louiefoxx
Dig Leader
Dig Leader
Posts: 443
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:07 am
Location: Seattle, WA
Contact:

Unique Bullwhip

Post by louiefoxx »

Here's a bullwhip that I finished last week:
Image
It's got a 20 plait kangaroo lash and a stingray handle. Here's a close up of the handle:
Image
This was a fun project to make! You can see more pictures on my blog at http://bullwhips.org

Louie
John Vaughan
Archaeologist
Archaeologist
Posts: 260
Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2010 6:45 pm
Location: North east Kansas

Re: Unique Bullwhip

Post by John Vaughan »

Now that is so cool!
User avatar
kwad
Professor of Archaeology
Professor of Archaeology
Posts: 1016
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 5:26 pm
Location: Hiding under your bed at night.

Re: Unique Bullwhip

Post by kwad »

Beuatiful whip, Louie! :clap:
pmgilmer
Field Surveyor
Field Surveyor
Posts: 55
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 9:36 pm

Re: Unique Bullwhip

Post by pmgilmer »

Haha! WOW! That is extremely sweet! Very creative. :notworthy: What does the stingray skin feel like?
User avatar
IndianaBravo
Dig Leader
Dig Leader
Posts: 426
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2008 6:40 pm
Location: Madrid, Spain

Re: Unique Bullwhip

Post by IndianaBravo »

That is truly unique and amazing. Why not a whip plaited entirely from stingray? :whip:

Cheers

IndianaBravo
louiefoxx
Dig Leader
Dig Leader
Posts: 443
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:07 am
Location: Seattle, WA
Contact:

Re: Unique Bullwhip

Post by louiefoxx »

IndianaBravo,

Stingray is a very weird skin, it's covered in bumps that are very hard, but smooth. It feels like it's covered in small glass beads. I think I read that they are calcium deposits...or at least the large white one is. Those bumps make it very difficult to cut (and you'd wear through a lot of blades).

One of the challenges in making the handle was the seam of the stingray on this bullwhip because the bumps when they are cut can get razor like edges...and that's a bad quality in a whip handle. I ended up taking my dremel and grinding them down to where they weren't sharp.

Also the stingray skin is only about 13-15 inches tall by about 8 inches wide:
Image
so you'd be doing a lot of splicing!

Louie
http://bullwhips.org
User avatar
Vaderbreath
Archaeologist
Archaeologist
Posts: 290
Joined: Fri Feb 29, 2008 4:41 pm
Location: Tri-Cities, WA

Re: Unique Bullwhip

Post by Vaderbreath »

Crazy stuff, my friend. I can honestly say that I've never seen a stingray skin before. Well, I'm impressed as usual.
User avatar
IndianaBravo
Dig Leader
Dig Leader
Posts: 426
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2008 6:40 pm
Location: Madrid, Spain

Re: Unique Bullwhip

Post by IndianaBravo »

Ahá! , thanks for the explanation Louie! :TOH:
User avatar
tomek9210
Professor of Archaeology
Professor of Archaeology
Posts: 1163
Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:13 pm
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Contact:

Re: Unique Bullwhip

Post by tomek9210 »

Crazy idea Louie! I saw it before on your blog. Crazy, but effect is more than fine, I love it!
Have you worked with other exotic skins?
louiefoxx
Dig Leader
Dig Leader
Posts: 443
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:07 am
Location: Seattle, WA
Contact:

Re: Unique Bullwhip

Post by louiefoxx »

Tomek,

I've haven't done much with exotic skins. I want to do a whip that is either entirely made from shark skin, or more realistically just the handle. The thing with shark is that I've never seen it in person so I don't know how braid-able it'd be, or what the texture would be like. I imagine at the very least I could use it for the handle.

Shark is a very weird shaped skin:
Image

So that would probably rule out doing the lash of the whip with it....also it's super expensive!

I'll probably never get around to making a whip with a shark handle. But it's be a fun project!

Louie
http://bullwhips.org
User avatar
tomek9210
Professor of Archaeology
Professor of Archaeology
Posts: 1163
Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:13 pm
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Contact:

Re: Unique Bullwhip

Post by tomek9210 »

I have also seen crocodile skin grips on stockwhips' handles. But I have also read somewhere about dolphin's skin, but I don't remember website.
louiefoxx
Dig Leader
Dig Leader
Posts: 443
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:07 am
Location: Seattle, WA
Contact:

Re: Unique Bullwhip

Post by louiefoxx »

I felt some crocodile skins and thought about using them...but I didn't think the smooth and lumpy texture would feel good in the hand.

Louie
bobm2004
Laboratory Technician
Laboratory Technician
Posts: 165
Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:07 pm
Location: Elgin, IL
Contact:

Re: Unique Bullwhip

Post by bobm2004 »

I have o say I am drawn to the unusual and a handl made out of a ray is just toooooooooo cooooooooool!!! :clap:
User avatar
Gaucho
Archaeologist
Archaeologist
Posts: 203
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2008 2:03 am
Location: POA-RS

Re: Unique Bullwhip

Post by Gaucho »

Nice whip


It's really unique design.


God work Louie.



Regards.


Gaucho
Indiana County Jr.
Dig Leader
Dig Leader
Posts: 596
Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2008 5:57 pm
Contact:

Re: Unique Bullwhip

Post by Indiana County Jr. »

Very Nice Louie!

:clap: :clap: :clap:

Allen
pmgilmer
Field Surveyor
Field Surveyor
Posts: 55
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 9:36 pm

Re: Unique Bullwhip

Post by pmgilmer »

louiefoxx wrote:I felt some crocodile skins and thought about using them...but I didn't think the smooth and lumpy texture would feel good in the hand.

Louie
My experience with croc skin (from a non-whip making stand point) is that it is hard to maintain. For instance, I have a bunch of croc belts that my grandfather got me in Australia. They have all cracked and fallen apart under the stress of the flexing. I'm sure there is a way to keep it up, but everything I've seen (even boots) seems to deteriorate fast... it this true across the board, or have I only handled cheap imported products?
louiefoxx
Dig Leader
Dig Leader
Posts: 443
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:07 am
Location: Seattle, WA
Contact:

Re: Unique Bullwhip

Post by louiefoxx »

That's exactly why I only did the handle in stingray (besides it probably being impossible) was that the handle doesn't really take much stress compared to the lash of the whip.

Most of the stress on the handle would be from it rubbing against your hand and not really any flexing. I did use spring steel handle foundation, so this whip has a slight bit of flex in the handle, but I think the affects of it flexing would be virtually non-existant.

Louie
Post Reply