Club Obi Wan

My latest inexpensive Indy find is this 8 foot, 4 plait, brown rawhide bullwhip. It's good to crack and looks very "Indyish." The lanyard is fixed on in a strange way, as you can see in the photos, but I am very happy with it (and the $15.99 plus shipping price tag).

Sorry, these photos are a little dark.







The Lanyard:


Any thoughts?

You've got a POS Mexican whip. Might look good on your belt. Might could swing from it, but I wouldn't. It won't crack very good. It probably has a rope belly. If you are happy then that's all that matters. Hopefully someday you can get around some Whip Enthusiasts or Crack Addicts Anonymous.

RH, had a chance to try it yet? How well does it work?

Well you can't beat the 15.99 price tag, even if it's more of a 'play whip'.

I'd be tempted to cut the 'lanyard' strap off and reattatch it (with glue even) where it should be. It'd look better on display.

RelicHunter, if you're happy with the whip, then that's all that truly matters. However, if you're interested in a whip that can withstand some hardcore cracking, then I'm not sure how this whip will hold up. I almost got one of these a good while back until I started asking questions here. If all you want is something that looks good for the sake of display or costume, then you've done well. Either way, 15 bucks isn't a ton of money.

If you want to get into whip cracking as a hobby (like I recently have) there are some good options for a good beginner/budget whip which won't break the bank. Please don't think that we're trying to bash you for this whip, rather, I think we're all just trying to suggest better options for true whip cracking which might make you happier in the long run. But again, if all you need is a costume piece, then you've done well.

bink

Indeed, as long as you are happy that's what counts. Sorry if my post didn't come off like that RelicHunter.

It's a mighty fine purchase for the price!

(I'd still be tempted to move the lanyard though! )

Regards,

Al

This is my first whip, so I didn't want to get a real expensive nice one until I knew how to handle it without killing myself.

My whip functions well, has a nice crack, and will look great on screen in my fan film.

It's also fun to whip around in the field behind my house (in my leather jacket and fedora, the neighbors probably think I've gone crazy ).

And it's a lot better than those black whips from the costume store.

Sounds like you got a good whip for your needs, then. Good luck with it!

bink

RH,
you can also fine tune your whip a bit to make it crack even nicer,
by trimming the wide slapper like fall, to match the point of the thong,
thus making it more aerodynamic.

Most of all,
have fun.


JJ.

RelicHunter,
Take RacerX's idea the next step and send it to him to fine tune it. Or, send it to your favorite whipmaker here on COW. You will surely get some better cracks. It's all about the crack.

Crack addicts anonymous founder and director

Robert Duke

That looks exactly like my first whip. It even cost me the same.

I did trim the fall and I learned how to crack it before even knowing it needed a popper! haha. Probably a good thing, since I ripped the back of my t-shirt with it as it was.

Of course it's not the best whip, but you're right, it's far better than those vinyl/paper costume whips. It doesn't have a lot of 'play', but the weight is right and you can make it crack really well. I still enjoy taking mine out crackin' once in a while. Though a well made whip is far easier to crack and just looks and feels a lot better.

Consider this like your first car, some beat up old Chevy that will serve you well til you can afford your Lexus later on.

My first whip was similar to that, only it was black, and the handle looked more like what a bullwhip handle should look like. It was about $20, and was black, in fact, it was pretty similar to a Keppler whip, only not as nice. I'd recommend the Keppler whip as a starter whip, it's awesome if you want to learn how to crack the whip and take care of the whip - because it's not as expensive as, say, a DM, it's a little easier to bounce back from when it dies because you Pecarded it every day. lol But seriously, cheap whips are great for learning to crack and care for. Then you should upgrade to one of the roos. I love mine...

In Christ,
Shane

I had an older very similar whip for years I kind of enjoyed. I dug it out recently and had some great fun with it. I just got two from ebay very similar to yours and was not quite as impressed as with my old one. The heft and design was similar but the leather finish and braiding has slipped a good deal.
Anyway, they inspired me enough to get a "real" beginners whip. One to fool around with but without breaking the bank. Maybe a Kepler unles anyone has other suggestions.
The two ebay finds are on the classifieds now if anyone wants an even bigger bargain, $10 and $15 for an 8' and a 12' four plait whip.
Best,
Tony

I just got a 8' 12 plait vesion from probably the same guy on ebay. (it's got the same strangely placed lanyard including the Mexico stamp in it and the fat/wide fall)

This is my first whip as I am just a beginner and didn't want to spend the big bucks on a better whip yet. (besides the skinny floppy "toy" 6' I've had for about 18 years and don't even remember where it came from...Disneyland?)

I have tried cracking the new one with little sucsess, (some small pops every once in awhile) though that may because I'm also just trying to learn to crack and not very good at it. Quite the workout on your forarm. I'll keep at it and try and get better and/or get the whip broken in. (i've got some Pecards on the way )

I've been wondering if triming down the wide fall would help or be bad and it sounds like it will probably help. I will probably remove the strange placed lanyard also. All it all I think it'll be a good starter/beater whip. Oh, it's also got a lot of extra "fringe" where the fall attaches. Is it ok to trim that off fairly short?

I saw some one mention sending it to a COW whip maker to have them tune it or try and re work it a bit. I assume that would probably cost as much as as the whip it self?

I'll probably be on the look out for a better real whip in six months or so if you've got a better starter whip you want to give me for my BD wait till then.