Club Obi Wan

G'day All.
Seeing we're strutting our stuff I thought I would share these pics of a whip I have just finished as a donation for the OKC Whip Weekend being held in June. The handle is 32 plait,thong 16 plait and the engraved ring is sterling silver
http://www.em-brand-whips.com/bullwhipi ... llwhip.jpg
http://www.em-brand-whips.com/bullwhipi ... handle.jpg
Here's hoping pics will magically appear.

Obviously not, the links will take you there and if anyone can help me out with posting pics it would be most welcome.

Thanks VP, so fill me in on how it was done.

faq.php#24

Just add these tags around the URL of the image:

WOW that's a masterpiece!!! Wonderful whip !!!!!

Thanks VP much appreciated.

This is craftmanship for You!!

Great looking whip.

Best regards

JAN

Bernie, that is one beautiful whip. The two-toned braiding, the detailed pattern work in the handle, and the metal tube–which looks like it's engraved to me–really compliment one another. I'm not normally overly fond of the two-toned whips, but I would absolutely love to have a beauty like this one! Well done!

WOW!
Great whip Bernie!
Best Regards
Darth

(in the style of Homer Simpson over doughnuts)

Ooooooohhhhhhhh....

Berniewhip.....

<DROOL>

ShanghaiJack wrote:Bernie, that is one beautiful whip. The two-toned braiding, the detailed pattern work in the handle, and the metal tube–which looks like it's engraved to me–really compliment one another. I'm not normally overly fond of the two-toned whips, but I would absolutely love to have a beauty like this one! Well done!

Shanghai,

I am almost positive that Spooky, a member here on COW, told me that Bernie made his whip that I have spoken of, several times on this forum. Spooky's whip is a real beauty. It has that same sterling silver band and on it is engraved, "Fortune and Glory". That is why I always refer to that whip as having the name Fortune and Glory.

Also, Spooky's whip has a sterling silver plate on the butt end of the turks head knot and I believe Spooky's initials are engraved on that plate. Several people saw Spooky's whip at last years QM summit, and I have had the pleasure of cracking it on a couple of occasions.

It was kind of funny, at the QM, GraveRobberGreg and I and Spooky were cracking whips. Spooky was just learning on his whip, and was complaining that he couldn't get his whip to crack very loud. I tried to crack it, and it wasn't very loud. Of course Greg had to give it a shot, and even as strong as Greg is, the crack was not very loud. However, the popper flew off while Greg was cracking it, and Greg put a new popper on Spooky's whip. The next time that whip cracked, it sounded like a cannon went off. It was clearly the loudest whip there.

Like I said, I have cracked that whip on a couple of occasions, and it is still the loudest thing you can imagine. I really don't know what it is about that popper that Spooky had on that whip. I never have seen such a transformation. I have a lot of respect for old Fortune and Glory. It is a beautiful whip, it cracks as easy as can be, and it can be loud enough to literally wake the dead.

How long have you worked on that beauty Bernie?

Hey Bernie, outstanding piece of craftsmanship! Is that one shot-loaded?

Steve.

I can't really say exactly how long it took to make the whip because I don't really keep time on that sort of thing,it takes as long as it takes.At a guess I'd say 12 to 14 hours. Because I do this all day every day I usually have a few whips on the go at a time . I tend not to use shot loading in any of my whips except signal whips, the 4 plaited bellies make up the extra weight anyway.

Buff, thanks for the extra info. That sounds like an excellent way to really personalize your whip without changing the Indy appearance. I'll have to think about that when I get ready to order my first whip.

Bernie,

That is some beautiful craftsmanship. I would almost be afraid to crack such a work of art. I would be afraid of messing it up. My mind can't fathom braiding a whip like that. I have trouble just tying my shoes.

That was one of the reasons I made the handle 32 plait but the thong only 16 plait, so that it could be used. If the whole whip was 32 plait you wouldn't want to crack it on anything but carpet but with the thong being 16 plait it will stand up to just as much abuse as a 12 plait. The finest whips I've made to date are a number of 64 plait collectors whips, link here to the page http://www.em-brand-whips.com/collectorswhips.htm and a photo of one of the whips here.

Wow! 64 plaits I can't even begin to imagine braiding something like that. Amazing work Bernie.

ShanghaiJack wrote:Wow! 64 plaits

More patient than a Certosinian Monk!!!
Very beautiful whips Bernie, they belong to a museum

That one is amazing, too.

Makes me wish I was going to the OKC whip weekend. Some of the DFW folks are going up there so maybe one of them will win it and I might get a chance to crack it. That's really nice of you to donate such a beauty, Bernie.

Bernie, that was really generous of you to donate a whip like that, good on ya.

I’ve visited your website many times, those high plait fancy whips are in a class all there own, Real works of art. Just curious, do you ever compete in any of the whipmaking competitions like the Sydney Royal?

Dan

I've been trying to for the last 5 years Dan. I've paid my $30 every year to enter a bull whip and stock whip but when the time comes find that work commitments don't allow the time. I almost made it this year and got the handle of the stock whip done but didn't have time to make anything else. When your competing against people like Chris and Kerri Barr you have to produce your best to win and at that level just the tiniest mistake can lose it for you , perhaps next year.

Hey Bernie,

Good on ya!!!

quite a nice job! I've always been curious as to how you do the 32 handles with a 16 thong, I just never thought to ask, stupid me eh? do you split the strands that go on the handle part, and do you braid the handle from the transition down and then braid the thong, or do you plait the 32 completely seperate from the thong laces, etc...?

And I agree that is quite generous for you to donate that whip!

Folks, it's not easy to plait that many strands at all! I know Bernie has made many more high plait whips than most whipmakers, but it still takes quite a bit of time effort and concentration! Even if he made the whip in 12-14 hours which he guesses, that's 12-14 hours, perhaps more, that he worked and isn't getting paid for it!

Again Bernie, Good on' ya!

Regards,

Paul Nolan
MidWestWhips

Thanks Paul.When I make a whip like this I plait the handle completely seperate and then fix those strands down with my trusty staple gun with the 1/2 inch staples. I start the thong plait about three inches up the handle so that by the time I get to the transition point everything is neat , tidy and tight,When I've finished plaiting the thong out comes the staple gun again and I cut the thong strands off so they butt up against the handle thongs neatly. All is covered with either a nice fancy knot or in this case a silver ring. There is no fear of any of the strands ever coming loose because all joins are over the solid part of the handle therefore no strain on them.

Bernie, I think with work like that, you’d defiantly give folks like Chris, Kerri, Murph and Simon a run for there money, No doubt about it!

Dan

Hey Bernie,

Thanks for explaining that, I had always wondered what your method was.

On another note, I always forgot to mention that I liked your Garrison Keilor quote you sometimes use as a signature. I didn't know the show was available down under.

Regards,

Paul Nolan
MidWestWhips

Wow...you are, we are, we are Australi...un!! Great one mate. Beautiful work. Hope to see more.

Warm Regards
TAZ

One of my favorite shows Paul,it's available on the net.