Direction of strand curl relative to plaiting

[folkprophet]

So it strikes me that the overal direction that your strand curls (particularly where the turn gets tighter) would plait better (tighter) if it wrapped in the correct direction around the whip. Accordingly, half the strands should curl one direction and the other the other.

What I can't figure out is which direction is better. Is it better for the curl to go out or in relative to the whip? Thoughts?

Thanks!

[Canuck Digger]

Well yes and no.

If the strands weren't stretched and straightened out first, then yes, a strand that curls around in the same direction as the plaiting would make sense. But since we generally cut strands as sets from a keeper, this is not possible, as half would be in the wrong direction anyways. Stretching and paring out the strands tends to straighten them a fair bit and whatever natural curve a strand might have by the time you are plaiting it should be pretty minimal and of little consequence.

So yes on the face of it, but not really when you really get down to it. But astute observation none-the-less )
Cheers,

Franco

[folkprophet]

Well yes and no.

If the strands weren't stretched and straightened out first, then yes, a strand that curls around in the same direction as the plaiting would make sense. But since we generally cut strands as sets from a keeper, this is not possible, as half would be in the wrong direction anyways. Stretching and paring out the strands tends to straighten them a fair bit and whatever natural curve a strand might have by the time you are plaiting it should be pretty minimal and of little consequence.

So yes on the face of it, but not really when you really get down to it. But astute observation none-the-less )
Cheers,

Franco

I had a bit of problem with my first whip, probably caused by the fact that, A. my strands were thicker because the handle was thicker. B. I wasn't as good at stretching as I might be. C. In order to use a single hide and get the strands I needed, the last strands were fairly curly. I ended up with wrinkled parts of the strands on the outside of tight turns that were very difficult to pull tight against the whip whereas the inside of the curl was already tight. I succeeded in pulling all the wrinkle out...but it was a problem.

I don't cut my final strands from a keeper as it seems too complicated to figure out. I cut one strand at a time, tapering it as I go, then cut the next one.

I suspect that it will be less of a problem on my second whip as A. the handle is thinner (I'm at 20mm before the final plait) B. I'm doing 16 plait so the strands are thinner. C. I'm starting the cutting of the final strands further to the outside of the hide, which may cause more inconsistent stretch in them for the first strands, but shouldn't cause me to go as far into the center of the hide to get the strands.

[Canuck Digger]

Yes cutting your strands one at a time is easier, but it's worth learning how to cut with a keeper and it isn't that complicated either, it just requires that you stay on top of things as the inside strand won't be the same length as the outside strand and you need to keep track of things like that to have the end result workable.

I know it all sounds like a lot of trouble for nothing, but it isn't for nothing and I'll tell you why. In kangaroo hides, the stretchy and weak leather is on the belly and the armpit of the animal, around the outside of the hide, while the center of the back has very strong and stable leather. The main reason whips are cut out with keepers, aside from the usefulness of using the keeper to fold over the butt end of the handle and securing the handle foundation, is that by cutting the set as a gang, with one strand next to each-other instead of one after the other, what happens is that you use the stretchier leather on the bellies of the whip and the strong leather for the overlay. Now you might think "well yeah but I can do the same thing with my approach too', and the answer is 'not quite. By cutting the overlay as a single unit, you will cut the strands that will form the point of the whip, the part that undergoes the most abuse, from the strongest part of the hide, and you can't get this result by cutting strands one after the other. Now this might be a bit different with other types of hides, but it is true for kangaroo and it's the reason most whipmakers cut their whips this way.

Another reason is that Australian whipmakers traditionally made stockwhips, not bullwhips, and a stockwhip has a handle that is separate from the thong and the two are joined together by a joint made of two interlocking keepers. So to make a stockwhip you are better off cutting with a keeper than just cutting strands individually. But in both types of whips the same is true about cutting the point of the whip from the best leather in the middle of the back, so tradition follows and applies to bullwhips as well.

The main difficulty in cutting a set from a keeper is if you are using a tool to cut the strands. The most likely tool one will start with is the Aussie Strander, and while it's a great little tool, and I'm sure every whipmaker has one somewhere, it is not well designed for whipmaking but everybody starts with it because it is so cheap. The main problem is this tool has a top "roller" that keeps the strand flat before it hits the razor blade, but when you are cutting from a keeper you have to go in and out of cutting strands all the time to be able to cut them at the same time, so to be able to do this with the Aussie Strander you have to take this roller off and this brings another problem; now you have to keep the strand flat and taught with your thumb, which although not the end of the world, does bring it closer to that blade... It just doesn't seem to cut as well without this roller as with it. So the other options are to learn how to cut free-hand with only a knife, which does take practice and you'll likely ruin one or two hides learning it, but after that you are free of the need for anything more complicated than a sharp blade, so it's worth considering as an option if you are going to pursue whipmaking. Last and not least, is my favorite option for cutting sets from a keeper; use the Williams strander, made by the son of the one who designed the Aussie Strander! It is more expensive but it really is a whipmaking strander and it allows you to taper strands and go in and out as you wish and it also allows you to cut strands wider than the Aussie Strander, which is great for the second belly becasue it starts off with very wide strands and sometimes the Aussie just can't cut wide enough. You can find it at Midwest whips.
Cheers,

Franco