Club Obi Wan

An eight point finish on the thong of an Indy style whip is a significant enough design mod as to render it somewhat un-indy-ish. It might make it better balanced in the long run, but it sure doesn't lend any ruggedness to what is supposed to be an iconically rugged utility.
It's a great whip to be sure, but now I have to look forward to being so very careful upon cracking it, because of the more than minor risk of popping the fall off. This kind of carefulness fits hand and glove with the martial art mentality, inevitably making it look all the more awesome for getting a good crack out. It's quite a rewarding discipline, but a discipline none the less.

So my whip grabbed itself in the hitch loops on a slightly awkward forward thrust, and the cracker just ripped right into three of the strands. I was being relaxed, but my back was a little sore that day, and that was just enough to throw me off balance, all but nullifying the carefull engineering and craftsmanship that went into my latest and biggest investment. My Indy whip is more of a delicate peace of art. I don't dare crack it. It's too expensive.

It wouldn't have occured to me to have to ask for a six point hitch.

I'm going to try to fix it myself because I don't want to have to wait the month and a half to send it away and get it professionally done.

I may be bitter and sorry for that, but I would still like to solicit for any advice, tips or guidlines on reattaching the fall; testimony of first-time experience and the like. It doesn't look easy. I'm sure I'll feel better about having graduated to ownership of such an incredible bullwhip if I can repair it myself. I am optomistic!
Many thanks for any grains of knowledge.

happy cracking,

Steve

Try the video at this link, should help you out.
http://www.em-brand-whips.com/change%20fall.htm

Well Steve, that’s not good and I don’t blame you for being bitter, I’d be PO’d too. You know I have whips that end in both 8 and 6 plait points and I really don’t treat them any differently form one another, with that said though The whip maker who made your bullwhip is known to thin his lace almost to the extreme. He’s a great whip maker, but many of the whips that I’ve heard having those type of sudden “snaps” have been his whips.

If you can, post a picture of the damage, I’d really like to take a look at it. In a past posting you said you where an accomplished whip handler so I doubt your doing anything catastrophically wrong. Snags happen to all of us from time to time especially in the learning process. Unless you’re using something like Kevlar poppers, nylon or poly pro shouldn’t cut or damage the strands so severely. Yes, Accidents happen but these whips are meant to be used and cracked and strands shouldn’t break like that and If I remember right, you haven’t had it that long to begin with.

Re-pointing or retying a new fall is not difficult, but it can be intimidating and it sometimes takes a practice before your satisfied with your results. It will help if you have a book or video to walk you through it. Bernie’s video is great; Paul Stenhouse and Mike Murphy’s Whip maintenance videos also do a nice job of walking you though this kind of repair. I’m all for being able to do your own repair work when it comes up, but if your apprehensive about making the problem worse, or not getting satisfactory results you might just be better off being patient and sending back to WSP for them to inspect and repair it. In any case be sure to let them know you had problems with your whip and your not happy about it.

Dan

Thanks Bernie! The video and pics seem like a terrific place to begin my discovery. I can't wait to sit down and devote some quality time to it.

Thanks too for the words of reassurance, Dan. I'm conscious also about not dissing the maker and the make. Truth is, I wasn't a terribly educated buyer at the time. However I can certainly see making a surgical strike purchase for the whip that I was lucky to end up with. I can see that as this obsession progresses, I might later choose a model with the same design specs.

I'm unfortunately unable at this time to submit photos of the damage as I don't have my own camera, and as it happens in my determination to figure things out, I went ahead and severed the rest of the strands at the damage point and made a clean break right where it was broken. Basically, right below fall hitch, three of the kangaroo strands were sliced clean through. It looked like an open Pez dispenser at that point. The best picture I could have submitted would have been right after the fact. The cracker was hugging that junction for dear life! It looks like it went around three times. I just accepted what lay underneath.

The whip is now ready for repair, and with you guys pitching I now have some understanding of what goes into the operation. I may yet be able to go all the way with it. Then again, getting it right is the point, so I just might continue educating myself whilst waiting for my freshly repaired whip to return from the shoppe.

Cheers and again, continued thanks! Steve

Hi Steve,

I've had a few whips with 8-plait points that I used a lot. Sometimes the braided strands right before the fall hitch will loosen. If the strands at this critical point become loose, they can rub against eachother and the braid loses it's strength. So with my 8-plait points, I keep an eye on the point to make sure everything stays tight. If things start to loosen, I re-tie the fall hitches.

I think it was Ben Hughes who would reinforce the strands before the fall hitches with strips torn from women's nylons. He'd wrap about an inch of the braid before the fall hitch and it'd help keep the strands tight. Ben's a really strong whip cracker and probably cracks whips more than anyone.

If you decide not to tie the fall back on yourself, I'd be happy to tie the fall back on for free if you cover the shipping costs. I typically finish repairs and have the whip on its way back to the owner within a day or two.

Regards,

Adam

Im just curious as to what this means "This kind of carefulness fits hand and glove with the martial art mentality" ?

Also, I've decided to do all my practicing with nylon whips and save the skin for special occasions..

There's a whip handling instructor whose name I can't recall as I type this who observed that of his students, those with experience in martial arts seem to take to bullwhip handling more readily than those who don't. I think balance and precision are just as important in the handler as it is in the whip.
I guess it could also be like golf. If your body isn't lined up just right, you wont hit the ball as long and as straight on the drive as you would otherwise.
I think my twelve-to-eight strand Indy-style whip demands more balance and precision performance from its owner. But OH how glorious it looks and sounds when it all comes together!
I'm going to post some video on youtube of me cracking that beautiful whip in full indy regalia. It's really something!

Steve

Im sure that is true. I was thinking the other day that a fly fisherman might take to the whip faster than anybody else..

It is funny that you say that about fly fishing. I have been a flyfisher for years and feel that whip cracking and flycasting use the same muscles...except in flycasting, you do not want the leader to "crack". If it does that, you have probably just lost a $2.50 fly!

Coronado