My Joe Strain 8' **PICS**

[generalFROSTY]

I just got my Todd's crackable whip and although my initial idea was just to display it and crack it occasionally, I am getting the 'taste' of cracking and really enjoy it and am considering upgrading to something higher-end for later this coming year.
I don't want to spend more than $350, looking for an 8' Raiders that is accurate, respected in quality and design and will perform well through constant use.
Recommendations welcome - thank you!

**EDIT**
I just purchased an 8' Joe Strain, pictures further down!

[tomek9210]

I would go with nylon or kip bullwhip. Check out neawhips.com or classicbullwhips.com or midlandwhips.com, you will find there real good bargains.

[Noah]

Graeme Roberts makes great quality whips for a good price. His kip hide 8 foot whips are 100 gbp, so currently $157. I have an 8 foot kip hide LC from him and it cracks very nicely and looks great.

[generalFROSTY]

Some recent developments has me on the verge of buying a whip from Mr. Joe Strain...I'm excited, to say the least!!!!

[Chewbacca Jones]

One thing is for sure - you will not be disappointed with a Joe Strain whip!

[generalFROSTY]

I've changed the title of my thread here since it is coming close to me making a Joe Strain purchase.
Joe and I spoke on the phone and he has a whip for me - a Last Crusade 8' roohide tan whip. I don't want to get in the habbit of buying multiple high-end whips since I would prefer to use such funds to upgrade other components of my gear - so I need to know from all my fellow gearheads that a Joe Strain whip is going to be a respected addition to my ensamble.
Of course, Joe's name speaks for itself - I have heard nothing but great things about his work and he is certainly one of our communities most respected whipmakers.
Just thoughts and opinions...

[Lukes Roommate]

I have an 8ft 28th Anniversary Raiders whip from Joe.
It's simply incredible and you won't have to buy another whip after a purchase from Joe (unless of course you get the "itch" for a longer/shorter whip and then, well )

Ryan

[tomek9210]

That's great news, you will soon find yourself addicted to getting new ones Don't forget to review it here!

[DarenHenryW]

There is no question about it: Joe is the best. If the money you're spending is not a major concern (and Joe is by no means overpriced!) then I can give you no reason to give pause. You will not be disappointed. There really are no finer whips out there.

DHW

[midwestwhips]

Joe is one of the best whip makers in the business, you won't be disappointed!

I own a few of Joe's whips in my personal whip collection, and they are among some of my favorites!

Regards,

Paul Nolan
http://www.MidWestWhips.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Chewbacca Jones]

I would imagine that the only way to go better than Joe Strain for an Indy style would be to find a David Morgan actually made by Morgan himself. It's all you'll ever NEED. But it may not prevent you from wanting more. I'm struggling with a couple of serious itches right now!

[Indiana County Jr.]

You cannot go wrong with a Strain I have one and would easily sell my Morgan first before I had to part with it.

Crack On!
Allen

[generalFROSTY]

Well being a part of this community certainly gives you the "itch" to keep buying more. It's fun to research and talk about all the gear - which makes you want to buy more of it!
Seriously though, I am delighted to finally say I have struck a pretty good deal with Joe and will be getting my new whip!!
I don't suspect I will be buying more whips unless this one breaks or something but I do plan on making some upgrades to my gear, such as Magnoli trousers and a Wested jacket.
Photos and video of my forthcoming Strain whip will be coming so stay tuned!

[generalFROSTY]

The deed is done - just sent payment to Joe for this awesome whip. Here is a photo of the actual whip I am getting:

[jeanfifi]

congratulations!

excellent whip, with Joe Strain you can't go wrong!

JP

[Noah]

That looks great! Have fun cracking it!

[generalFROSTY]

I'm pretty excited - it's odd how being a member here can change your tune over time. When I first joined up, I really had no intention on getting a high-end whip, I was going to be content with Todd's offering (which I still like and will keep as my practice whip) but I am very honored and proud to be owning a Joe Strain.
What's the history on his whips - I read on his site that he supplied a few to the production of Crystal Skull but they used the TJ whips.
I also recall the stunt show performer telling me they use Joe Strain whips but I may be mistaken...

[Indiana County Jr.]

Frosty,
The Strains are in CS, look at the sequence in the warehouse where Indy swings from the light fixture to the rafters after escaping the head on collision with Mac.

Crack On!
Allen

[generalFROSTY]

Just that scene or any others? It's exciting to know his whips have a little history with the movies.

[generalFROSTY]

Gotta love package day!!! I came home inbetween shows today to find a Priority Mail box from Joe Strain waiting for me!
Before I get to the pictures, I have to say that this whip is absolutely beautiful! Everything I had wanted in an Indy whip and more. The craftsmanship is simply gorgeous - and since I only have my Todd's whip to compare it to - well, it's like comparing a Kia to a Corvette!!
The smooth texture of the leather, the tight strands, great color, perfectly weighted handle all make this thing a superb display piece AND performance tool.
I am very proud to own a Joe Strain whip.
Once the wather calms down a bit, I will get some video clips together for you to see, but here are a few photos I just took:

[Holt]

congrats, Love it!! always wanted a strain myself. and what did I tell you in pm? just treasure it and love it.

[Indiana County Jr.]

Hey Frosty!
Excellent looking whip you have there! I love Joes work, so smooth on the taper. Hopefully the weather will clear up for us both!

Crack On!
Allen

[midwestwhips]

Congrats', it's a beautiful whip!!!

Happy Cracking!

Regards,

Paul Nolan
http://www.MidWestWhips.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Noah]

Beautiful whip! Congratulations! Enjoy cracking it.

[generalFROSTY]

This sucker is smoooooooth! The more I hold it, the more my Todd's whip feels like a 'toy' - although, NO whip should ever be considered such and I AM very grateful to Todd Coyle for going out of his way to offer a budget whip solution to gearheads - but owning this new whip from Joe really makes me appreciate the fine craftsmanship of this piece of equipment on a whole new level.
I've been able to do some cracks with it (VERY loud!) but have some getting used to with how flexible it is.

[Chewbacca Jones]

That one is a beauty. Crack in good health!

[louiefoxx]

Can you take a picture of your Todd's whip next to the Strain. I'm very curious how the compare visually.

Louie
http://bullwhips.org

[generalFROSTY]

Can you take a picture of your Todd's whip next to the Strain. I'm very curious how the compare visually.

Louie
http://bullwhips.org

I will soon be doing a video comparison to show you guys, but I will take some photos as well.
Some things I can write about the two, Todd's whip is MUCH lighter, almost nothing compared to Joe's - but Joe's whip is not a "heavy" whip and should hang comfortably from the belt.
Also, the strands on Todd's whip are not as tight - lots of gaps, creeking leather. The handle on Todd's whip does not feel like it is weighted by a metal spike, maybe wood??

[IndianaBravo]

One GIANT leap for you in your whip quest, congratulations and enjoy it in good health!

Bravo

[generalFROSTY]

Here is a quick photo comparison of Todd's whip and Joe's. As you will see, the handle on Todd's whip is much longer and the knott is smaller and tapered.
There is only so much I can illustrate in a photo, you really have to feel the difference of the two in person. Like I said before, it's like comparing a Kia to a Corvette.

[kwad]

Wow!
First off beautiful whip Frosty! Congrats.

Also, how long is the handle on that Todd's? (Mine has an 8" steel spike for the handle foundation).
It looks much longer than the Strain, however, it may just be where they placed the transition knots.

Which pattern is your Strain? (looks like an LC, which would explain the differenct in visible handle length)

[generalFROSTY]

Thank you - but be sure to PM Joe and let him know too!
Todd's whip handle is 9" from the bottom knott to the top of the transition knott. Joe's is 8".
I can't say for certainty but it doesn't feel like there is a steel spike in Todd's handle. It's WAYY too light. Joe's whip has substantially more weight.
It IS a LC whip - good eye my friend! I wanted to go for a Raiders whip but Joe offered me this whip at a special cost that I could not refuse.
Perhaps - and this is a really big maybe - down the road I will certainly invest in one of Joe's Radiers whips. This thing is absolutely incredible. I took it to the theater I work at and showed it to one of the stage hands that does Ren Fare gigs and is familiar with bullwhips and he was VERY impressed with the quality.
My next step is to invest some money in some good training DVDs. No sense in owning such a fine whip if you're not going to use it!

[louiefoxx]

It's very interesting to see the two side by side. One thing that I think makes and Indy whip an Indy whip visually is at the transition knot the handle is a bit skinnier than the lash. Joe's whip is a good example of that and in my opinion an Indy whip needs that, it's one of the little things that contribute to the overall look.

The whip from Todds has a thick handle and the the widest part of the lash isn't near as thick as the handle...which is a look...but in my opinion not an Indy look. I guess I'm a little critical of the little things that make up an Indy whip. Many little things make up the whole, like the old saying goes "god is in the detail".

Louie
http://bullwhips.org

[generalFROSTY]

I wanted to post the comparison photos as per a request, but it's also interesting to see the two side by side just for the visual comparison of design. I do believe it is very fair and appropriate to show the two side-by-side as they are part of my collection and for other gearheads that were in my position that may be considering getting one of Todd's whip as a starter, it's nice to see the leap in design between Todd's and a high-end model.
Agreed - Todd's pricing for this one at $99 is pretty incredible, I'm sure he had to jump through some hoops to make this product happen for his customers
Todd Coyle is a true asset to our community - offering very authentic looking Indygear at the most affordable prices anywhere and I am happy to own some of his products and thank him for making it all happen with pride and passion!

[kwad]

Frosty,

I'm pretty sure your todd's does have a steel spike for a handle.
What it doesn't have is the 1/4 pound of lead hidden under the butt knot that Joe's whip does.

[djd]

The Strain is a great looking whip. I'm struck at how good Todds looks along side it though. Great value. If like me, you never really crack your whip (and if you do you're more likely to hit yourself than anything else...) then I think Todds is superb. Can't wait to see his Raiders trousers

[generalFROSTY]

Todd's whip is fairly easy to crack - I was able to crack it on my first try (my first time ever cracking a whip) however with Joe's whip, having a shorter and heavier handle and more flexiblity, I had to get used to how it handled and work slowly getting my hand to memorize the motion of how it handles - but it DOES crack much louder than Todds which I assume has something to do with the cut and shape of the fall.
Now the weather is rainy so I have to wait even longer to get some video clips to share - but when I get them I will share them here.
Don't forget to shoot Joe a PM and let him know how much you like his handywork - I'm sure he will appreciate it.