Club Obi Wan

Red hide or white hide?

Why?

What are the benefits of each? How long have you been using your fall of choice?

I just bought 1 red and 1 white from DM, just to check out the red kind. I've been using whitehide for 2 years, and I thought I'd use the red one just to see what it's like. I hear it's a little less durable?

Shane

You just can't win with falls, thats why they're changeable...I like red hide or when I can find a decent piece black Latigo....

Tony

well,

I've had the same white hide fall on one of my whips for 6 years. And I use it regularly....so. White hide.

I tend to find myself leaning more towards white hide in recent years but you know it really depends on the actual quality of the fall material itself.

I’ve gotten falls made from both that where terrible and I’ve gotten falls made from both that where excellent. All things being relatively equal though I like the strength and stretch quality that whitehide gives over redhide which is more apt to break as its thinned down. Whitehide falls are a pain to keep clean when your cracking on a grassy lawn though.

Latigo is another fall material that’s gaining popularity, i think it has a lot of potential.

Dan

Redhide and latigo are different things? Thinking that they were one in the same I was considering picking some heavy latigo up to make my own falls. Because, yeah... After only a couple days of cracking on the lawn, the whitehide fall on my new Del Carpio whip is no longer white.

It depends on the batch... but my luck has always been better with white hide falls. The red hide falls tend to break down faster, dry out faster, etc. But they are more SA...

Because, yeah... After only a couple days of cracking on the lawn, the whitehide fall on my new Del Carpio whip is no longer white.

Dos it riley mater if it's not white?

Not really. It just doesn't look as pretty.

Oh

You guys are great! Thanks for the input. I'm looking forward to trying out the redhide, but it looks like whitehide will be my favorite probably.

Shane

I'd like a 36" black fall, a couple actually....

Redhide and latigo are different things?

They are similar but as I understand it red hide is more heavily oiled in the tanning process, and of course dyed red. It's also common to Australia where as latigo is more of an North American leather.

Sergie, The falls on all the original screen used movie whips where white hide remember, just not pristine white hide

Hollywood, talk to Paul Nolan he has some good quality black falls in stock.

Dan

Yep Dan you are right sir. White hide indeed on the raiders. It's been so long. The confusion was David switched to red hide falls for a very long time. He was biased against white hide falls due to bad batches. He sells both falls now.

Bottom line, I just like the white hide falls better. The only issue with white hide with my experience is that they really stretch out. So I will start off at around 28". Slowly over time, I have seen my fall grow to almost 36" - which is too long. If you keep your falls in good condition (with conditioner, wiping off dampness, and avoiding hard concrete or asphalt), you should experience good longevity.

I prefer white hide and latigo to redhide, but that's just me. And I really have no reason other than aesthetic.

I honestly don't care which type of leather it is, but I prefer my falls to be pretty thick, almost round.

I've had some mixed luck with whitehide myself. A couple years ago, I got a couple nice looking ones from WSP. Put one on my 6' Jacka and put the other one on my 8' Nolan.

The one on the Nolan lasted about 3 months. It stretched out, developed a thin spot in the middle that got thinner and thinner, looked like it would snap at any time, and was really effecting how the whip flowed, (kinetic wave runs down the length of the whip, into the fall where it gets thinner...thinner...thinner...THEN SUDDENLY THICKER...thinner...thinner...thinner.)

The Nolan is used for slow, easy cracking. Not a lot of power put into it.

The Jacka is the whip I go after if I want volume and power, and faster cracking, (plus the transition on that Jacka give it an almost spring loaded effect. This was back when I first got it, and I've since gotten used to it, and can easily control the amount of power I put into the crack, but back then, the slightest effort and it was FAR more powerful than I'd intended.)

That fall is still on the Jacka whip, and is still going strong, despite the abuse I put it through occasionally having to work in mud, horse rings, etc. etc.

For various reasons, I've had to change the fall on the Nolan 2 or 3 times, and it could use being replaced AGAIN. The newest one looked like it was going to be just good, strong and long-lasting. Handled great, flowed pretty. But then, I lost about 6 inches of fall within a week of putting it on because someone I let crack it hit something sharp and put a nick that went about halfway though the fall. Needless to say, I was MAD. It seems I can't KEEP a nice, long fall on it! I think it might be jinxed! I don't know whether to have a buffalo hide fall put on it, or send it to an exorcist!

I have a good luck and good service from SKT - George and Sharron Taylor.

http://skt.netc.net.au/spare_parts.htm

Five or six years ago I purchased a whole side of white hide from SofCA and I still have dozens and dozens of falls laying around. So for the moment (and probably the next twenty years) I prefer white hide falls.