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!"
Ebay were kind enough to give me a voucher for £15 off a purchase over £70 but I had a limited window to use it. So I went through my watch list for suitably priced items and ended up pulling the pin on a 8ft leather whip that had been sitting in there for a long time. No idea what it will be like and three more weeks till I'm home to see for myself. This is the item number for anyone interested 231862069854.
I admit to having way too many interests for my time or funds to really cover but every now and then I can't resist. Anyway, I rarely buy anything and not try and use it so I'm quite looking forward to scaring the neighbours as I flagellate myself in my back garden. So who buys a whip just for show as part of the costume or does everyone take a crack at the whip? Pun intended!
I can tell you one thing, I am part of that great generation that had every Star Wars toys you can imagine. And I played with ALL OF THEM! Had I kept everything in the original box I'd probably be a millionaire and I don't have any of those toys left in my possession. Do I regret it? Heck no! I would not trade a childhood of epic action figure battles on my bedroom floor or running through the house with a tie fighter in one hand and an x-wing in the other.
Point to make is you know you want the whip to crack and not to just stare at. This is why people have more than one whip; different lengths, colors, styles, materials, the list goes on. One piece of advice I can give you is the first whip you own shouldn't be expensive because you will probably screw it up lol.
Don't over clean it, don't be afraid to clean it and just use it and break it in. You'll learn that the hat actually will protect your ears and the back of your head because you WILL get hit from behind and wear eye protection until you learn how the whip really works.
I have three whips I can crack. The first one was a cheap, black one that I now use with my Zorro outfit. Another one is dark brown, but doesn't have a leather handle- I am trying to sell that one. The third is my "Indy whip". I also just picked up a damaged whip from IndyMagnoli that I can use at appearances where a working whip would not be allowed, or I could repair it and get it to crack. The point is, I get what suits my needs for my charity cosplays.
I do suggest doing some studying before you go out and start throwing your whip around. You can hurt yourself and damage your whip if your technique is haphazard, to say nothing of it's not much fun to wear out your arm and not even get a crack. With proper form there's more finesse than raw power involved to get a booming crack. There's no shortage of how to video online, here's a great place to get started. http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=28123" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Thanks for the replies guys. I have already started watching some You Tube tutorials, some are better than others it seems. I'm looking forward to giving it a whirl anyway. Good tip on the safety glasses though. I will probably improvise with a diving mask or maybe my Stormtrooper helmet so I have full head protection!
