Club Obi Wan

I hope you guys are going to understand what I'm trying to explain here...

You know how after a while of using the whip, the thong starts to sort of lose its shine, near the end with the cracker? And the end near the handle (handle included) is still very shiny and nice looking?

How do I get the other end to look like that again? Do I need to give it a good coat of Pecard's, or a good rub of Saddle Soap (Which I don't have... can I use Leather Car Seat cleaner?) to buff it again?

In Christ,
Shane

Sounds like shellac that's being worn off... the whipmakers around here would know for sure.

It probably won't be long before the shellac comes off around the handle also.

At least it's getting used and not hanging on the wall or in the back of a closet collecting dust.

Keep on cracking!

Robert Duke
http://www.DukeWhips.com

So then it's not dirty, and it's not a problem... it's just natural aging?

I see...

Well I guess then I'll just get back to my Fig. 8's and such. lol

I'm thinking I might still want to Pecard it though anyway.

Thanks guys!
In Christ,
Shane

IndyMcFly wrote:... can I use Leather Car Seat cleaner?

I think you should invest in some saddle soap instead. Leather cars seat cleaning products might contain stuff that's unnecessary or downright harmful for the leather in your whip.

And don't Pecard too often - or 'over-Pecard' - especially not around the turk's head and fall hitch... you don't want those to get too pliable and come undone.

Shane,

Your whip is going through a natural aging process brought about by using it. The shellac will wear, crack, crinkle, etc and come off with use. But the whip will begon performing better. Not because the shellac came off but because you've used the whip and it is beginning to break in. The more you use it, the better it will get and it will take on the 'patine of usage' a little grass stain on the point end of the whip, a darkening of the butt knot and handle from your hand oils and sweat, and the rest of the thong will follow along at it's own pace.

A whip is not something that you should 'distress' like your Wested or Aldens. Let it happen by itself anf it will be a reflection of you.

As for the Pecard's, I would venture to guess that your whip thong is nowhere near ready for a Pecarding. The whip is barely 2 month's old.and a new whip will have mucho conditionergrease/soap on the inner layers that will keep the whip nice and conditioned for a long time. Paul will be better able to tell you how to condition his whip, but don't overdo it.

Now the fall is another thing. That should be done often. But again, just a little dab will do it.

Keep after those Fig 8's. And with both hands. If you learn to crack with both hands like I think I read that you are doing, you have then doubled the amount of time you can work with the whip.

Have at it, and keep 'em cracking

Jerry

Hi All,


Good advice Jerry. Although out of sheer laziness in not carrying a rag when cracking, I'd always wipe the extra grease on my hand on the last half/third of the thong to clean my hand off. This was after greasing the fall and having extra on my fingers. It never seemed to hurt it, because this part of the whip (especially on longer whips) contacts the ground and gets rubbed by grass and such. Not much soak time for it before it wound up on the grass.

Shane, good questions. The shellac is wearing off, but it's perfectly normal for that area not to be shiny, as well as what other folks have stated here. It's all part of the aging process. Good on you for using it, and keep it up.

Best Regards,

Paul Stenhouse

Bump!!!

http://www.armorall.com/prodcat/pages/l ... wipes.html

That's the stuff I used. What do you guys think?

I think I need to get to class - I'll post the ingredients to these things when I get home - I can't find them on the site.

In Christ,
Shane

5 words: Fiebing's Liquid Glycerine Saddle Soap.

http://www.fiebing.com/product.asp?typeID=3

You can get it all sorts of places. I get mine from a saddle and tack shop locally, but you can also order it from Mark Allen at Western Stage Props.

GREAT stuff! I crack my whips in all sorts of muddy and dusty conditions, and the falls and the ends of the thongs get pretty nasty. You don't want that gunk working it's way into the leather, and this stuff clears it right off.

I've got an ultra soft toothbrush in my whip bag that I spray a couple squirts of the saddle soap onto, brush it into the leather to clear the grit and grime away, then wipe it off with a soft, dry towel and hang it up to dry, (uncoiled.)

After a couple sessons of cleaning with that stuff, (every couple weeks, depending on how often and the conditions in which I've been cracking,) I tend to do what Mr. Stenhouse said, and work that small amount of leftover conditioner from the fall into the last couple feet of the thong to make sure that the section of thong that gets dragged on the ground is in good shape.

When doing this, I try to avoid going above the section on the whip where I can feel the belly underneath. The bolsters and belly store alot of the stuff from the conditioner as it soaks in, but the thinner section toward the fall hitch can't store as much and takes a considerable beating, (at least with my 8' Strain it does.)

Anyway, all the best and happy crackin', Shane!

-Dan

Shane, I really like the idea of a handy leather cleaning wipe like that, but I don’t know enough about that particular product to say whether or not it’s advisable to use on a whip. I would imagine it’s probably fine for general cleaning but if it is specifically made for automotive leather you just never know what effect it could have on other leathers especially if it contains harsh solvents. Their FAQ lists ingredients such as propylene glycol ether, which I believe is a type of biodegradable antifreeze used in solvents in the paint and plastics industries. It also contains isopropanol which is an ingredient of rubbing alcohol and used in many solvents including those purposely made for shellacs. Those types of ingredients could be a problem for example on the shellac finish of a whip.

Unfortunately I don’t think it’s a product I would want to use on my whips, it doesn’t really seem like its made for that kind of use and there are other products better suited for use on whips. As Dan Trout aka TheFish recommened, Fiebings brand saddle soap is a very good product. I typically use either their glycerin saddle soap bar or the traditional paste to clean my whips. Saddle soaps can cause the oils in leather to dry out a bit, so its advisable us use a bit of leather dressing after your done cleaning your whips. I just use Pecards classic leather dressing to grease mine, but fiebings makes a good leather dressing too.

Dan

Yes, handy-wipe things = BAD.

I've had arguements with SO many leather workers over what to use on my whips: "You need some neets foot oil for that." Ummmm. No!

I've gone to saddle and tack shops around the area looking for particular products and just had to walk out because I refused to buy the product they had, (with all sorts of stuff like denatured alcohol and various oils, etc. etc. etc.) No thanks, that's not what I want. "It's the same stuff! It will do the same job" No it isn't, no it won't. Then you try to explain what you want and why...AND...

"I've been working with leather for <number that is approximately their lifespan minus 2 years> and I'm telling you I'm right!" Then use it on YOUR whips, and I'll use my stuff on MINE, and we'll get together in a couple years and compare how they're holding up. I hate to do that too. I have a lot of respect for those seasoned leather workers, and try to keep my business local if I can. Lord know's they've probably forgotten more about leather than I'll ever know. BUT...

Whips are different. Whips are unique. Yes, they're leather, but you don't treat it the same. What works well for coats, boots, upholstery, etc. etc. is all well and good. Don't assume it will work well for whips, (you done the right thing, Shane! Always check!)

I use Fiebings Aussie Leather Conditioner on my whips, (and gloves, and shoes, and occasionally jackets,) and love it. The Pecard gel I have no doubt is great stuff, and I know too many whip makers and artists I greatly respect that use it religiously, but it just seems a little to refined and manufactured for my personal taste.

Fiebings is mostly beeswax and sheep fat, like the drovers that developed these whips make. It's generally non-toxic, (though I'm not about to spread some on bread and eat it...Heck, I don't like Vegemite either...) and when my hands get dry or calloused from cracking whips, (like the new blister I got from the new Jacka whip,) the act of conditioning my whips moisturizes my hands as well.

Just my further two cents

-Dan

Okay, before I head off to bed (I only just finished my homework, and I've been working on it since I got home around 6 - yes, Honors work takes this long... often), I'll give my closing statement.

SO - since I've used this stuff twice - the best idea here is not to keep doing it. It's probably bad, we're agreeing. Okay... I'll try and get some of this Fiebings and clean the whip again with it - just to get that stuff off... one of my coats was kind of recent you see. I had thought this stuff was different than the last stuff (used in the initial post) but it's about the same.

Don't think it'll hurt the whip too bad, do you? Not like I've been using it on the whip for years...

In Christ,
Shane

I wouldn't worry. Most folks around here tend to really baby their whips. They're actually pretty resiliant, and you shouldn't have any problems if you stop using that stuff on them and go with something less chemically abraisive.

I've gotten all sorts of nasty @#$% on my whips, and after cleaning them off and conditioning them, they're fine, (my skin on the other hand is often not as fortunate!)

Don't panic, just go out and find some liquid or paste saddle soap. I use Fiebings, because I know whipmakers that use it, but just about any paste-style or glycerine based saddle soap should do.

All the best,

-Dan

Agreed, if you are worried about any residue being left on, just wipe you whip down with a slightly dampened soft cloth. Fiebings brand saddle soap is pretty easy to find, a lot of tack shops even some hardware stores carry it. There are probably other brands that work just as well though. I use that particular one because I can find it at my local tack shop, and its what has always been recommended to me over the years and it it works great. The Aussie leather dressing is can be a bit harder to find but some places carry it. If you use the store locator on their website http://www.fiebing.com/ you shouldn’t have trouble finding a local retailer to save you the trouble of ordering it.

Dan