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!"
Well, package day once again. This time it is a Todds Costumes 12 foot Bullwhip in natural tan made of roo hide. This is my second Todds whip. In this thread I chronicled how I went about tuning it. http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?t=45051" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; This one is a good bit bigger. I already have a Joe Strain 12 foot, so I don’t think that the length will be a problem.
There is some white residue on the whip, which I suppose is plaiting soap or some sort of conditioning agent. Instead of the small tub of Pecards, Todds included some safety glasses. I have plenty of Pecard myself, so no worries. I guess I just couldn’t pass up a roo hide whip for this price. I will be taking it out in the next few days a seeing how it handles. My first impression is that it is well made, with a nice taper and it definitely has that roo smell.
Todd sez that when these run out they will go back to using the leather they have been using, so I consider myself lucky. http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=54445" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I have used the ol "thump on the noggin" test with the butt knot and there is something in there, noticeably more than with my Todds 8 footer. Haven´t taker her out for a spin yet. This weekend looks promising.
So, these ones are actually made of 'roo? I first thought Todd just mistyped when I first read that.
Are the new whips "dry as a bone" like the older goat hide whips?
Hey Kwad, yes these are made of roo. A fellow COW member forwarded me a message where Todd chronicled the Roo skin saga which I believe originated in Karachi, Pakistan. Once these are sold out they will go back to using the leather they were originally had.
Just for good measure, before ordering I asked Todds costumes if they were indeed roohide and Kirsten answered with a resounding "Yes". I originally wanted a 10 footer, but they were all out in Natural Tan, so I decided to go with the 12 footer. I am familiar with the lenght so that wont be a problem. They are still sorta dry, but nothing a little ( or alot ) of Pecard wont fix. I guess I just had to get it, at that price. Maybe this will wash the bad taste outta my mouth, after the whole Midland whips fiasco...
I was lucky enough to score a 10-footer just now. (Protip: Use the live chat to check inventory.) I shouldn't have, but, well, like Bravo said, I couldn't pass up a roo for this price.
Hey Oildale Jones, you are absolutely right, always better to use the live chat on Todds. Because of the time difference however, I rarely catch them live. I hope you get your whip soon. Mine got here to Spain lightning fast, like 6 days. I have already started the Pecard treatment and have dyed the ringknot brown. I am also gonna give it a few coats of shellac. Franco, I believe that Todds supplier is the same as it has been for the past few years, Pakistan.
IndianaBravo wrote:I am also gonna give it a few coats of shellac.
Sorry to take this off the tracks for a moment, but I've been wondering about shellac. It is my understanding that all whips are shellaced when new, but should we ever shellac them again? My 4 year old Strain has darkened beautifully, but there is no longer that "sheen" that I see on many older whips posted around here. The leather strands look a bit dull, which I guess is okay for a worn in Indy whip, but I want to be sure I am caring for the whip properly.
Thanks!
Michael
You can, but it doesn't need to be. Just be sure you do the right cut, and that you're applying it properly, and that the whip
is clean enough. If you don't want to take the time to learn all the stuff about shallacking a whip ( lots different than shellacking
other things ) then you can have a whip maker do it for you, but again it's not necessary.
what Riku said. It is far more important your whip be properly conditioned than shellacked. Shellacked is applied to a newly made whip, amongst other reasons, to give it a pleasant, crisp sheen which kangaroo doesn't have in the tannage used for whipmaking (vegetable tan). Cow leather can develop much more of a sheen without any shellac than can kangaroo.
I don't want to clutter Bravo's thread with whip making
information too much [/quote]
No worries riku! The previous thread I had on my Todds 8 foot turned into a sort of tutorial where alot of knowledgeable folk, including Franco, provided alot of great info on how to customise a Todds whip and make general improvements. I invite everyone to please share their expertise , conditioning techniques or whatever is deemed useful and or interesting!
In the description on Todd's site it says "Western Star whips" but I couldn't find anything with a quick Google search.
I got mine today and roo certainly has a different aroma from cowhide. There's definitely something in the handle, but it still seems pretty light overall. (Has my heavy Crease-N-Corral spoiled me?) I will post pics and a review this weekend. To be perfectly honest I'm a little underwhelmed, performance-wise, but that's probably a combination of several factors, including: 1) I'm more used to 8-footers; 2) I'm pretty new at this; and 3) You get what you pay for.
Thanks for confirming this. I just ordered myself a 6 footer in natural tan.
I already have one of Todd's 6' made from the usual leather and it is a fine little whip with a great taper and nice transition. (I turned that one into a Young Indy.)
Another one made of 'roo for $75? Why not?
Maybe now I can try some two handed stuff.
My thoughts exactly. Ideally I would like to have a wearable/crackable Indy whip, plus a matched pair in a shorter length for two handed work. This might be a more palatable option than buying high-end stuff right off.
I hope that a more experienced whipster will come along and set me straight.
Thanks for confirming this. I just ordered myself a 6 footer in natural tan.
I already have one of Todd's 6' made from the usual leather and it is a fine little whip with a great taper and nice transition. (I turned that one into a Young Indy.)
Another one made of 'roo for $75? Why not?
Maybe now I can try some two handed stuff.
-Kevin
Great Kwad! I really enjoyed the way that Young Indy turned out. Oildale, you are indeed completely spoiled if you compare this with a whip from Dusty . I have a couple a Strains myself and I know these are not in the same league. Still for the price and to fool around with you cant beat it. I have already mega conditioned mine with liquid Pecard and have dyed the ring knot brown. When it stops making that creaking sound, I will apply the shellac. I am also seriouly thinking about changing the fall. Maybe I can get a few first cracks in this weekend.
Oildale Jones wrote:My thoughts exactly. Ideally I would like to have a wearable/crackable Indy whip, plus a matched pair in a shorter length for two handed work. This might be a more palatable option than buying high-end stuff right off.
I hope that a more experienced whipster will come along and set me straight.
You'll save more money in the long run getting higher quality gear. Just saying...
Oildale Jones wrote:My thoughts exactly. Ideally I would like to have a wearable/crackable Indy whip, plus a matched pair in a shorter length for two handed work. This might be a more palatable option than buying high-end stuff right off.
I hope that a more experienced whipster will come along and set me straight.
You'll save more money in the long run getting higher quality gear. Just saying...
Well, here goes the after pic. Saturation of Pecard plus a new fall, dyed ringknot and finally two coats of shellac. Overall I am pleased with the result. The whip is a bit on the light side, but the stiff transition gives it a good action and really helps to move the 12 foot length to produce a nice resounding crack.
That looks fantastic! I noticed the new fall right away. I want to replace mine, too, but I'm a little hesitant (first time). I'll put up a quick review of my 10-footer soon, plus I'm working on a video review as well.
Oildale Jones wrote:That looks fantastic! I noticed the new fall right away. I want to replace mine, too, but I'm a little hesitant (first time). I'll put up a quick review of my 10-footer soon, plus I'm working on a video review as well.
Hi Oildale Jones,
We recently made a video on how to change your fall the easy way, and posted it up on The Whip Blog at Whips.wordpress.com. I hope that helps!
Also, just to clarify my earlier comments, because they're bugging me... Ideally I would like to have a QUALITY wearable/crackable Indy whip, plus a QUALITY matched pair in a shorter length for two-handed work. This particular whip might be a more palatable option RIGHT NOW. Eventually, though, I'll trade up.
