Club Obi Wan

Here is a question for a lazy Sunday morning. If you had to limit your whip collection, or could only buy 6 whips, what would you get. I'd like to know what types(bull, snake Stock), lengths and makers. Lets limit cost ot a total of no more than $2500-$3000. Another way of asking the question is what 6 whips would most represent the craft. I hope this will stimulate some discusion............Alan

6 whips...only single whips, or do matched pairs count as 2? Just want to get the parameters down before answering...

I haven't even bought 6 whips yet...so I don't know.

Matched pairs count as one......Alan

2 Morgans (8' / 10')
2 Stenhouses (8' / 10')
1 Strain (8')
1 Edge (Pocketbull)

All bullwhips.

Those would be the ones I'd want. For now I just have an 8' Stenhouse

In Christ,
Shane

Decisions, decisions, decisions!!!

#1- A matched Peter Jack's 10' Zenith bull whip and break-out stock whip.

#2- A matched 10' SKT bull whip and snake whip.

#3- A 7' Michael Murphy "Old Tom's hybrid stock whip.

#4- A 10' Joe Strain fancy bull whip.

#5- A Simon Martin 7' stock whip.

#6- An early David Morgan 8' target bull whip.

Depending on when the whips were made, I may have exceeded the price limit by a couple of hundred dollars.

Ask me tomorrow and I will likely make different choices.

I think matched pairs only count if each whip matches the other, as in matched pairs for two-handed work, not two whips made on the same motif.

I have about 20 whips or so, so I'll just list the most important ones, at least as my whipcracking goes.

1. Pair of 4 ft Janine Fraser kangaroo stockwhips

2. Pair of 6 ft nylon cow whips by Chris Hall

3. 22 ft nylon cow whip by Bob Duke

4. Pair 3.5 ft nylon cow whips by Chris Hall

5. Pair of 6 ft kevlar fire whips by Fire by Riz (I now also have a fire rope for rope twirling to go with the fire whips)

6. 12 ft swivel handle bullwhip, cowhide, made by me

For collecting, I have whips by Schultz, Strain, Morgan, and Drew Schrag, though these aren't whips I regularly use in shows or for practice.

Boggstandard, I didn't know that Mike Murphy made copies of the 'hybrid' stockwhip pictured on his site. I also know you already have a 7 ft Simon Martin stockwhip, unless of course you've already sold the one you got from me.

-Adam

Hey Adam,

In connection with this topic, I will defer to you with regards to matched pairs. But as you know, I do like to explore motifs. Which reminds me....

I was pleased that Mike Murphy agreed to do his version of "Old Tom's" whip for me. It is what I would call a type of break-out stock whip (somewhat like Peter Jack's). The original whip is pictured deep within Michael's web site, and it just captured my fancy when I saw it.

By the way, Mike's "Old Tom" won the top leather crafts awards at the Melbourne fair in September.

Actually, it was Simon's stock whip that I had in mind when I submitted my list to this topic. I don't usually get too excited by stock whips, but to my mind that three color Simon Martin whip I got from you is a real beauty.

1) A pair of 7ft Murphy bulls with 15" handles

2) An 8ft Strain Aussie bull with a 12" handle

3) A 9ft Murphy bull with a 14" handle

4) A 10ft Strain, same as other Strain

5) A 8ft Strain Indy bull in nat. tan.

6) A 12ft Murphy bull with a 14" handle

Since I have 3 bull on the list that are very close to each other (the 8,9, & 10ft Aussie bulls) I would possibly replace one with my 8ft Peter Jack Stockwhip, or a 17-22' Zenith bullwhip if I had the money...

~Jace

My list is VERY personal-preference-centric, and I feel in no way really represents a good cross section of the full craft of whipmaking. Just simply what I would personally have in my bag. Truth is, two of the six, I already have, and the plans are in place for procurement of at least three of the others.

1 8' Natural Tan Indy from Nolan, (the one I currently own. Nicest 8 footer I've thrown.)

2 5' or 6' Stockwhips from Janine Fraser, (soon, baby!)

1 6' "Australian" model bullwhip from Terry Jacka, (the one I currently own, and also the one I use most often for multiple cracking or targeting for shows and demonstrations. Rarely go out without it.)

1 Indy-style 6' from Joe Strain. (Had one. Traded it to Paul for my 8 footer. Want another.)

1 Alex Green-styled bullwhip from Joe Strain in saddle tan with a copper band.

And if I thought I could come in under the stated budget, I'd gladly exchange either the 6' Indy or Alex Green for that 10+ foot Cecil Henderson stockwhip that Nolan had at Annie Oakley this past year.

It was heavy, clumsy, and torqued my arm out after a few throws, but that was one of the most beautiful whips I'd ever seen in my life, (VERY close to the whip that Henderson did for Doug Fairbanks for "Don Q, Son of Zorro,") Single color, but the patterns in the plaiting were the most beautiful in their simplicity and design that I'd ever seen. Henderson died some years ago, and the whip had a 60-something plait overlay. I have NO idea how much that piece would set me back, but it would be a pretty penny.

8' 3 tone whip by James Gentry bull 12" handle

6' solid black bullwhip James Gentry 8" handle

5' light and lean bullwhip with my initials in handle 10" handle James Gentry

4' mulga snake Si Davey

5" nylon 12" osage orange handle maker JAS

4' osage orange handle 12" my design(handle by JAS) plaited by Gus

those are the standard whips that go where I go.