Tom Hill and his two famous apprentices

[pmgilmer]

Tom Hill was the famous "master" who instructed both Terry Jacka and David Morgan in the craft of whipmaking. Both "apprentices" have crafted whips for the Indiana Jones movies, yet both have extremely different methods of whip making...anyone out there care to share there knowledge of Tom's work and methodology? John Brady stated that Tom was one of his favorite whip makers. Anyone ever owned or handled a Tom Hill whip? Any photos out there?

Regards,
Paul G.

[Indiana County Jr.]

If memory serves, the only shots of Tom Hill's whips that I have seen is in "Whips and Whipmaking". I would like to see others too if anybody has them.

Allen

[Marhala]

Hey Paul. There is this topic here at COW, in which they discuss Tom Hill... There were some pics of one of his stockwhips, but I think the links work no longer. I think I saved them some time ago if you'd like to see them.

Here's the thread.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=18272&hilit=tom+hill

ATB,

Aldo.

[pmgilmer]

Hey Paul. There is this topic here at COW, in which they discuss Tom Hill... There were some pics of one of his stockwhips, but I think the links work no longer. I think I saved them some time ago if you'd like to see them.

Here's the thread.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=18272&hilit=tom+hill

ATB,

Aldo.

Thanks, Aldo! If you copy and paste the photo's urls into the address bar you can see the photos... Looks like only one example of a badly damaged stockwhip. It be really cool to see some good examples of his bullwhips. If John Brady was still cracking his at the time his video was made, then I'm sure there has to be a few of them out there...my bet though is that their owners are still trying to figure out what email is.

[hollywood1340]

I'm not sure if "apprentice" is the right word here. David didn't spend enough time with Tom to be an apprentice, in the same way Joe has not spent enough time with David. As for Terry, I don't know. But in the whip world apprentice carries a lot of weight.

[pmgilmer]

I guess I don't hold the term as sacredly as I should... Both men cite Tom Hill as their main source of influence in whipmaking, both men are now famous for making whips for the same movie franchise, both men have very different styles... Borton did school me last night that Morgan was with Hill for a short time, but that Jacka was (more or less) a true "apprentice". My point of this post is: Who is Tom Hill? What is his hallmark methodology, and are there any good example of his work out there for us to see?

[Bernardodc]

Paul,

I have seen some bullwhips made by Tom Hill that belong to David Morgan's extensive and varied whip collection. They looked very similar to the one shown in his book Whips and Whipmaking (second edition). They have very, very thick handles, with a cane foundation, and they feel pretty light. The thongs at the heaviest part were around an inch in diameter, but they taper quickly. The strands in the overlay were cut very fine, ending in a thin 6-strand point. In fact, they looked very similar to Terry Jacka's early whips. I would assume that both shared the same construction: cane handle foundation, one cowhide belly and bolster, with the overlay made in kangaroo.

As far as I know, Terry Jacka was Tom Hill's apprentice in the true sense of the word, according to the Australian practice. David Morgan on the other hand received much help from Tom, who corresponded with him, answering his questions. Mr. Morgan recently mentioned this in an interview done for the Spanish Indy site.

John Brady mentions in his video that he asked Tom to personally braid his whip, and put more care and effort in it. He also added that he offered to pay more. My impression of Tom Hill's whips is that he mass-produced them, thanks to the help of his apprentices, but he was very capable of making a first class whip, as John Brady says.

Regards,

Bernardo

[Marhala]

From extensive pictures and quotes from George Vogt in David's Whips and Whipmaking and Braiding Fine Leather, and only one pic of Tom Hill's bullwhips, I always had the impression that George Vogt was the one whom he had a closer relationship whipwise. That, putting aside that T. Hill's bulls were the predecessors of our beloved Indy Bullwhip.

Still, from Edwards' book, it is clear that the Hill family has a long standing tradition in whipmaking in Australia.

(Mind note: Ask David about George Vogt)

ATB,

Aldo.