Club Obi Wan

I got e-mail from Joe Strain yesterday evening.

My new Lone Star bullwhip is on it's way tomorrow.

8 foot in brandy with red accents in the knots.



I was leaning toward black with the red making the "lone star" pattern, but as just about everyone looking to purchase or make a black kangaroo whip knows, black and natural are hard to come by, (if anyone's interested, Joe did have a couple black hides, but he said he'd be lucky to get a 6 foot whip out of each of them.)

The brandy is dark already, and will darken with age, and I think is rather distinct. I didn't want a "Zorro" or an "Indy" whip. I wanted a "Dan" whip, and I certainly got it, (or will in the next few days.)

Just wanted to share. I'll let folks know how it handles when it gets here, (OK. Anyone who'se cracked a Strain knows they handle great, but I gotta tell someone, and if I babble about it much more to my wife, she'll kill me! )

-Dan

Sweet whip, my man!! 'Grats indeed. Even thought you didn't want an "Indy" whip, it does remind me of the whip young Indy used to tame the lion at the beginning of LC. All in all though, it looks stunning. Excelsior!!

Regards,
Strider

A really fine looking whip Dan, craftmanship at its finest,
the plaiting looks as smooth as glass.

I can tell just by looking at the whip that it cry's to be cracked,
.

Enjoy that whip,
as Mike Murphy says, ''its always a great day, when a new whip arrives in mail''. I couldn't agree more.


I'll also soon be receiving a new whip from another fine craftsman, Mr. Winrich, a 12 plait deerhide bullwhip, 7' long, for target work and fastcracking.


ATB

Jim J.

I'll also soon be receiving a new whip from another fine craftsman, Mr. Winrich, a 12 plait deerhide bullwhip, 7' long, for target work and fastcracking.

thats it, no more drinking and typing for me, hahha,
I meant 16 plait bullwhip, Oh yeah!



Cheers.


Jim J.

I thought I'd post a couple of pics of my new Strain masterpiece I will have in a day or so...I just told him to make me a unique whip and have fun with it in black and red. Let's just say I am quite pleased with the final product. I can't wait to handle it. It will make a great addition to my growing collection. This is my fourth whip from Joe and as always his work is fanatastic. Let's see my count now is 4 Strains, 3 Morgans, 2 Terry Jackas, 1 Ben Scott and a partridge in a pear tree...
I guess it's time for me for me to get some whips from Paul, Robert Duke and all the others I see posting here. Could be a very expensive Christmas this year.

Damian

Damian,

Joe had one whip ahead of mine, and I'll bet you this is it.

I'm not seeing the pics though.

Jim,

I was outside yesterday cracking my Ugly Duckling for a couple hours yesterday. It had been a while since I'd had a chance to go out and really work with it, (the occasional crack here and there doesn't count.) I'd forgotten just how fast, versatile, and accurate it is. Thanks again! It didn't dawn on me until a couple days ago when I got the pic how similar it is in color to the new Strain.



(this pic was taken several months ago, and it's darkened since then,)

I might be working behind the scenes on a low-budget feature film here pretty soon, and if the producer decides to use whips, well I now have a hero prop and a shorter, work horse stunt prop

Thanks for the comments, folks!

-Dan

Sweet news on the film, man! Let us know how it goes Also, awesome whip!! Pure Indy.

Regards,
Strider

Congrats Dan. I ordered a pair of six-footers, a matched pair back in 2002. They are clearly the best whips in my bag.




Enjoy them,
-Sergei

Sergei,

Those whips look really great. It almost makes me want to save up for my own pair of Strains, but then part of me tells me that I should really try making them myself first.

A little off the topic, I remember reading in another post that you've done research on the development of the bullwhip. Did you find anything out about the use of swivel handles, such as how long they've been around? I've also wondered how long plaited bullwhips have been used in the US. I have an old sewn-cover bullwhip, and I understood that was the predecessor of plaited bullwhips. Did the two co-exist/overlap?

-Adam Winrich

Dan,

I hope I get a chance to crack that beauty next time I'm in Ohio?!!! Pretty Please!

Hey take some more pictures when you get it too!!!

Hey Damian,

I can't see the pictures either, but I would love to. )

Sergei & Adam W.,

I still love those whips!!!!!!!!! I got a chance to crack them right after you got them. In vegas at the Convetion. Excellent pair of whips!

Regards,

Paul Nolan
MidWestWhips

Paul,

Of course. It'd be only fair, as you let me crack a couple of your Strain whips last time I saw you ;-)

I told Joe that's where I'd really seen his more recent work close up, and he had great things to say about your work as well.

So, just let me know when next you'll be in, and I'll make sure I can make it to a whip practice in Columbus, or a trip down to Gery's. If nothing else, I WILL BE at the next Annie Oakley/Ohio WWAC convention! (There's NO WAY I can make it to Oklahoma this year. April is smack in the middle of Spring quarter, and Spring is when I teach all the complex classes with labs.)

As to pictures taking more pictures? Try and stop me! (I'll make a gallery and post a link. I'm on dialup, so I feel the pain of folks with slow connections.)

Thanks again.

-Dan

I can now personally attest to the aformentioned Mike Murphy quote. My whip came Monday, and it is a wonderful thing.

I took some pictures right out of the box, but I really didn't like how any of them turned out, (little Minolta camera doesn't do well indoors and close up. No pics of the fall hitch came out at all!) I was at work all day yesterday, and today was my wife's birthday, (big "30", and she was slightly depressed,) so no pics today either. If it's sunny tomorrow like it was today, I'll take it outside, and snap a few pics of it in better light. I might even get Heather to venture out into the cold to take a few of me with it, (I was extra nice today, B-day and all, so maybe I can convince her, though she HATES the cold!) Hopefully, I'll post then.

I did get a chance to go out and work with it a while today for about 30-45 minutes, and between today, and Monday it's loosened up a good bit already. Still a LOOONG way to go before it will actually do a smooth wrap around anything, but we're getting there. I was just doing fairly basic stuff. Primarily because that's about all I could do. It's so stiff, and I'm used to my "wet noodle" 6' cowhide "Ugly Duckling."

Still, beautiful whip in looks and in handling, (and it keeps getting better!) If we actually have an Ohio summit, and I can actually make it to the thing, I'll of course bring it. It's not an "Indy" whip, but D@M%, it's nice!

-Dan

thefish, what type of Murphy did you specifically get? I'd say he makes one of the greatest whips out there...his bullwhips though would not please an Indy diehard fan as the specs are not of the same feel as a Morgan. In fact, his whips are the easiest whips I've ever cracked. I myself just got 2 twin 5.5 foot stockwhips this summer and have thoroughly enjoyed them.

I didn't get a Murphy, ITG.

I got a Strain Lone Star, but Jim, (RacerX,) had quoted Mike Murphy, (who I've had brief communication with, and he was a great guy to deal with,) as saying "It's always a great day when a new whip arrives in the mail."

Never was a truer word spoken! I played with it for a couple hours today, (collectively, I'd go out and crack for a while, come back in, get warm, then go right back out again! All day. I love University winter breaks. I think I look forward to them more than the students do!)

The picture that Joe sent is in the first post in this thread. I have yet to get pictures of it that I'm happy with. It's an 8 foot Brandy and Red Lone Star with a slighly larger knot, (a la Joe's Indy whips.) The pic Joe sent really doesn't do it justice, and none that I have taken, (and then immediately deleted,) have either. Still, we're supposed to have a sunny, (albeit cold,) day tomorrow. I'll try again then.

Hope you have a Holly Jolly, Holly!

Just digging through some stuff, and just came in from a very fun target practice cutting playing cards with my Strain mentioned above.

It's been several months, and I haven't exactly been forthcoming with pictures. So, here they are, all at once! Pardon in advance the pictures. I've tinkered with them a bit to get the color to come out a little better, but our digital camera isn't the best out there. ;-)

This one was taken several months ago when it was still new, (during those winter months when I couldn't get much cracking in.)



This was taken today, out on the hood of my car, (for the sunlight.) The popper needs replaced, as it's had A LOT of wear lately, cutting through about a deck-and-a-half of cards in the past week or so.



Close up of the plaiting from several months ago. That wonderful, tight Strain trademark. The whip had seen some use at this point, and I've discovered just how easy Brandy kangaroo scuffs. Still, a little saddle soap, and a nice polish makes it all pretty again.



The knot. There's a little lint in the plaiting there because I'd just buffed it up a bit, and the cloth I used wasn't as lint-free as I thought.



The knot head-on. The trademark Strain Lone Star pattern. The flash on the camera really reflected off the leather at the butt end. Blew the contrast WAY out. You can still see the star pattern clearly though.



Those were all taken after I got the whip. This one was taken today, and shows where just general wear from my hand, and the saddle soap I use spread that darker dye around a little bit. It's only really noticable when you're right up on it, and I didn't buy this whip to be a wall-hanger!

It's fairly well broken in now, rolls out beautifully, and is FAR more accurate than I thought it would be. I only just this past week or so did any serious targeting with it, and JEEZ! I'm better than I thought! (for the sake of modesty, however, I'll just say that it's that I have one #### of a whip that does most of the work for me ;-)

Anyway, just wanted to share, as I've been REALLY enjoying the weather we've been having!

Happy cracking!

-Dan

Hmm...That last image didn't show up. I might have just forgotten to add it. Well, here it is!



There...

-D

thefish,
Glad you're getting some time to get out and do some cracking.
I know you love those whips now, but just wait. A year from now you'll love them even more.

ITG,
The first pair of Murphy whips I bought was a pair of 5.5 ft. stock whips.
Just fantastic. I also have a pair of his 5 ft, 4 plait whips. THEY'RE ROCKERS!
They are not your typical 4 plait whips. Just as nice as the 12 plait and handle great.

All the best,
Canasta

That's good to know about the murphy 4 plait whips. I'll bet those take a beating and more. I need to get some pics of my twins. They are dark green and dark brown (brandy?) color...almost a black looking brown.