indyclone's video review of todds 8ft whip

[indyclone]

here is my review of todds 8ft bullwhip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW4JQc-hZG0

[Gaucho]

Man


Very nice video.

[Solojedi]

Nice review -
Looks like you're getting the hang of it! A few cracks there actually sounded like from the movie itself!!!!


Thanks for posting!

Solo

[Indyzane]

Again very nice work! I wish you did this before I bought all my gear it would of helped. New members should appreciate this work you have done.
Cheers!

[indyclone]

yeah it does help seeing all the gear and seeing what the products look like , i sure hope thats it does help people decide where they get their gear, for the price you really can't beat it .

[Kentucky Blues]

I'm going to say this with the utmost respect, and appreciation for the work you are doing and service you are providing... get some cue cards! Seriously though, your reviews are very helpful, though I would avoid the use of "very nice" as it comes off as somewhat biased, and offers a general opinion but doesn't necessarily specify what is "very nice" about it.

Or you could turn it into a gimmick, and rate all products at the end of the reviews on whether they meet, exceed, or fall short of your standards of "very nice"

-KB

[indyclone]

yeah i get a bit "brained farts" when i'm talking about the products i list a bunch of things on paper i want to go over on each item , then as i do it , i kinda blank on some stuff and i think the " its very nice" is my way of catching up in my mind , lol but i will try to limit that in my further reviews .

[Kentucky Blues]

I know what you mean, I never did very well in speech class (when it came to speaking, at least). It's best to do it in front of the mirror outloud, though I never did that myself

Also, have you done anything other than the Todd's offerings in your video reviews so far? And if not, do you plan to? I've found these pretty helpful so far

-KB

[indyclone]

well i have only gotten most of my gear from todds , except my holster and belt i bought them from ebay, but i plan on doing the jacket and the shirt and the bag soon , and i promise i will try not to get "very nice" in there more than once , lol

[Texan Scott]

...very nice review, Cloney. We already have a Clooney so you will have to be Cloney. Just joshing as usual!

What is your take on Todd's whip? Is it durable enough to be used as any whip would be?

Thanks.

[indyclone]

so far the whip has handled pretty darn good the first three days i had it i was cracking it and oiling it with leather lotion (kiwi brand). and the cracker fell off , i found it and put it back on , but made sure to oil it up also and the end of the cracker and it has been doing good since then , i try to spend a few hours a week cracking the whip but as we have lots of rain in the past few weeks i havent' been able to get out as much. when i made the video last week i was cracking the whip in the front yard which i normally don't do cause of the two trees in the yard that the whip kinda hits when i use it there. but since april it has hung in there and it really feels good , i know people have said to leave it out in the sun to darken a bit but i havent really done that either .so it still has the tan color . so i guess it will naturally darken given time .

[Noah]

Nice review and whip! Like solojedi said, some of those cracks sounded like the movie ones

[Kentucky Blues]

so far the whip has handled pretty darn good the first three days i had it i was cracking it and oiling it with leather lotion (kiwi brand). and the cracker fell off , i found it and put it back on , but made sure to oil it up also and the end of the cracker and it has been doing good since then , i try to spend a few hours a week cracking the whip but as we have lots of rain in the past few weeks i havent' been able to get out as much. when i made the video last week i was cracking the whip in the front yard which i normally don't do cause of the two trees in the yard that the whip kinda hits when i use it there. but since april it has hung in there and it really feels good , i know people have said to leave it out in the sun to darken a bit but i havent really done that either .so it still has the tan color . so i guess it will naturally darken given time .

I've actually heard not to leave it out in the sun to darken it, because it can dry the whip out. I'm not sure if oiling the cracker will actually do anything but if you don't mind doing it, it shouldn't hurt. The fall needs to be oiled regularly though (especially since it's white hide), but you probably don't need to condition the whole whip too often, from what I've read here...

-KB

[indyclone]

i dont oil it up everyday but after two weeks or so just to keep it supple , and the fall i do quite more since it takes the full brunt of the use .

[IndianaBravo]

These whips come as dry as matchsticks, so its a good idea to have the Pecard around. What is the limit? When do you know if you've slathered on enough? I'm just playing it by ear. I guess when it feels supple and does'nt "creak" would be a good indicator. More on this thread: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=45051

Cheers!
IndianaBRavo

[indyclone]

well when i got mine i did oil it up quite a bit , it pretty flexible now and works like a charm ,

[indyclone]

Hey Hey Hey! how are you all?
well i bought a second hand Todd's 12ft tan whip and recieved it today , i paid 85 bucks for it and let me tell you, it cracks like a dream. it feels good "and i even like the color!" it was warm enough here in chicago to give a chance to go outside and crack it, granted i was used to cracking my 8 ft Todd's and a 10ft jrzoes , but this one wasn't to bad it took me a coupla tries to get the feel of it and it finally cracked , my son was in the house and came to the door and said he heard the crack. so i intend on doing a video review on the 12 ft and some pics up soon .

[indyclone]

here are pics of my 8ft whip from todds and my new 12 ft whip
the lighter whip is the 8 ft and darker is the 12 ft

[morethanatimelord]

That looks great, the colour is very nice.

[indyclone]

a little extra !
i bought a 6 ft gus caciedo whip this week for my son , and today he was outside practicing with it , he loves it
check out the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MQNQ0Pg ... AAAAAAAAAA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[riku1914]

I'd HIGHLY suggest you have him stop practicing over stone, dirt, and other things that aren't green grass, smooth tile, wood floor,

things like that. Cracking over dirt, stone, pavement, etc. is absolutely horrible for a whip, and the whip will last a hundred+ times

longer if it wasn't used over these things, plus it will look nicer, longer.

It's good he's enjoying it though!

[Oildale Jones]

These whips come as dry as matchsticks, so its a good idea to have the Pecard around. What is the limit? When do you know if you've slathered on enough? I'm just playing it by ear. I guess when it feels supple and does'nt "creak" would be a good indicator. More on this thread: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=45051" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cheers!
IndianaBRavo

Thank you, Bravo. That answers a question that just came up. My first whip is identical to indyclone's (not exactly sure if it's from the same source) and it's still shiny (lacquer?) and creaky, even after a couple of light applications of Pecard's.* I just got a couple of used whips from another member and they feel only slightly oily but are much more supple. The first whip was always intended to be more of a belt-hanger anyway, but maybe there's still hope for it to be a real whip someday.

And indyclone, I appreciate the effort you put into your videos. Still, I would recommend a less busy visual environment and better lighting. Maybe outside against a bare wall, or by a tree? (I get that they're quick and dirty, and I know how hard it can be to get familial assistance or shoot by yourself.) You might even want to try some editing. (iMovie is great if you're a Mac guy.) A lot of "talking head" videos on YouTube edit out the pauses to pick up the pace (Tobuscus, for example), but even that can get annoying if overdone.

Anyway, just friendly suggestions. Keep doing what you're doing. You're way ahead of me because, well, I haven't done any Indy-related reviews. (Of course if/when I do, I'll have to meet my own standards.)

*ETA: Now that I've gone read some of the linked threads (and some of the threads linked from those threads), I see that this whip needs a serious application of Pecard's. But first, some olive oil to darken the knots... Great info. Thanks, guys!

[riku1914]

These whips come as dry as matchsticks, so its a good idea to have the Pecard around. What is the limit? When do you know if you've slathered on enough? I'm just playing it by ear. I guess when it feels supple and does'nt "creak" would be a good indicator. More on this thread: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=45051" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cheers!
IndianaBRavo

Thank you, Bravo. That answers a question that just came up. My first whip is identical to indyclone's (not exactly sure if it's from the same source) and it's still shiny (lacquer?) and creaky, even after a couple of light applications of Pecard's.* I just got a couple of used whips from another member and they feel only slightly oily but are much more supple. The first whip was always intended to be more of a belt-hanger anyway, but maybe there's still hope for it to be a real whip someday.

And indyclone, I appreciate the effort you put into your videos. Still, I would recommend a less busy visual environment and better lighting. Maybe outside against a bare wall, or by a tree? (I get that they're quick and dirty, and I know how hard it can be to get familial assistance or shoot by yourself.) You might even want to try some editing. (iMovie is great if you're a Mac guy.) A lot of "talking head" videos on YouTube edit out the pauses to pick up the pace (Tobuscus, for example), but even that can get annoying if overdone.

Anyway, just friendly suggestions. Keep doing what you're doing. You're way ahead of me because, well, I haven't done any Indy-related reviews. (Of course if/when I do, I'll have to meet my own standards.)

*ETA: Now that I've gone read some of the linked threads (and some of the threads linked from those threads), I see that this whip needs a serious application of Pecard's. But first, some olive oil to darken the knots... Great info. Thanks, guys!

If you dress the whip too much, the strands will soften too much, and they will sort of stretch, so that the tight plaiting will

loosen up and damage the whips cracking ability.

If it's very dry it's one thing, but still I would suggest giving it a thin coat, letting it sit for 30 minutes - an hour, and then

removing any excess. Do the same a week after until it doesn't feel really dry. If you grease really heavily, it will do what I

mentioned before. That's why it's dangerous when people are trying to darken their whip, because they just dress it repeatedly,

when they don't realize it could hurt it!

[Oildale Jones]

Thanks; I'll take your advice to heart. Also, I finished that other thread and no olive oil for me! I might try some light dye.

[Canuck Digger]

It's a good review and in the spirit of providing helpful hints, here are a few thoughts. Glean from it what you will.

-Interior shots are ok but you do need to light it. Never shoot with a window behind you, rather place the subject (in this case, you) FACING the window. This will give you a lot of light (provided of course there is any sun that day and you actually pull the blinds aside) and might be enough to properly light the subject. Otherwise, if mother nature allows, go outside, there's plenty of light and it's free, though if you do go outside, a reflector board placed at the foot of the camera's tripod (you should always shoot from a tripod BTW) should give you enough fill light to fill in those dark areas in the eyes and face. A simple white piece of foam core 3' X 3' from an art supply store can do the job quite well: leave one side white and on the other side, tape aluminum foil - this will bounce more light than the white side and you now have a two-in-one reflector board!

-As much as I like the soundtrack to Raiders, leave music out of your videos; this will allow your viewers to focus more on what you are saying more easily. Keep the music for the short films...

-Without getting into any fancy editing, consider including some (or at least one) static table shot of the product you are reviewing. For a whip, a mate white background (like a large foam core... see you can get double use of that reflector board idea here), placed close to a window, would give you a neutral back drop with a nice diffused light (the window). Always keep product shots simple and with as little to distract from the product as possible. So no flowery kitchen table top... If you want to include close-ups that's fine, but don't zoom in, cut to it; it's easy to mess-up a zoom and easy to get a straight cut right... If you want to include a bit of movement in your close-ups that's fine too, but don't go fast or jerky, keep it smooth.

-The sound of those cracks was amazing!!! Whatever you're doing there, keep doing it because it's working!

-As for greasing the leather, you want the whip to stay well-dressed, that means supple, not dry. Your hand knows the difference. The fall is a different story; it should always be LOADED with dressing because it looses oils with every crack, so get into the habit of putting a thin coat on after every practice, or to keep the fall feeling a bit tacky to the touch. There is absolutely no point in greasing a cracker unless it is made of some natural fiber, which most these days aren't. Most crackers being used today are made up of nylon, polypropylene or some other synthetic fibers, so since they can't absorb any of the grease, it's pointless to grease them.

-Be mindful to not bend your whip too tightly, especially as the thong comes out of the handle. You never want to force a whip into bending too sharply as this might overly stretch the leather. Just let it coil naturally, it will loosen up on its own soon enough.

That's about it. It was a good review, thank you for doing it and sharing. Now go make another )
Cheers,

Franco

[Oildale Jones]

-As much as I like the soundtrack to Raiders, leave music out of your videos; this will allow your viewers to focus more on what you are saying more easily.

It will also prevent you from monetizing your videos if you ever join YT's revenue sharing program. (Ethically, anyway.)

[indyclone]

yep, i haven't joined the money making scheme on youtube , i don't think i have anough follers for that , but i'm glad that i have helped in some small way in letting people knwo , what i think of todd's items , i see some of other's people of other makers , so hopefully someone will do reviews on magnolis clothes or jackets or whatever. eventually i will update some videos , and let people know how long since the first review and how things have held up . . i do know that having that light in the back ground doesnt work well , and hope to use some differnt lighting in the future that will be shown form the camera's angle. and as i have my young son ans the camera man and i am starting to show him editing on his computer software , we should start having better quality videos and music in just certain scenes. and if i have to maybe voice overs in the outside shots .
once again thanks , yeah that whip did sound good cracking in the air didnt it , i think i remember someone saying if i added in the sound effect , but nope all natural sound. but i will be doing a review on that 12 ft whip soon .

[riku1914]

yep, i haven't joined the money making scheme on youtube , i don't think i have anough follers for that , but i'm glad that i have helped in some small way in letting people knwo , what i think of todd's items , i see some of other's people of other makers , so hopefully someone will do reviews on magnolis clothes or jackets or whatever. eventually i will update some videos , and let people know how long since the first review and how things have held up . . i do know that having that light in the back ground doesnt work well , and hope to use some differnt lighting in the future that will be shown form the camera's angle. and as i have my young son ans the camera man and i am starting to show him editing on his computer software , we should start having better quality videos and music in just certain scenes. and if i have to maybe voice overs in the outside shots .
once again thanks , yeah that whip did sound good cracking in the air didnt it , i think i remember someone saying if i added in the sound effect , but nope all natural sound. but i will be doing a review on that 12 ft whip soon .

I'm not sure if it was the angle at which the camera was, the way it echoed against the surroundings, or what, but it did sound

like that good sounding computerized crack

[indyclone]

in my review of my 8 ft whip, it was in the front yard on a open street, my son 's video is in the back yard , surrounded by a 6ft fence all around.

[fenris]

Just remember, if you ever wanna sell your 8ft... I'm right here!

[indyclone]

Just remember, if you ever wanna sell your 8ft... I'm right here!

i will keep you mind