Club Obi Wan

...from Tood's. I love it! I should have ordered some Picards while I was waiting for my whip to arrive, but after a few hours, I had the overhead crack down, as well as the diagonal crack (if that is the right term), where you bring the whip up over your head and give your arm a quick jerk downwards on a slant. I'm trying to master the "Cairo crack", which I believe is a forward + overhead + circus...it's been a while since I browsed the Bullwhip section. Either that, or I'm really excited still that I got some cracks down. My arm is killing me though. That's a good sign, right? Anything else I should know for a first time user? I'll try and post some pix soon (I promised pix of my Magnoili shirt months ago, so I'm due).



PS: Will Picards darken the whip in time for May 22nd, and what's the proper way to condition the whip? Thanks in advance, guys!

Congrats on your new whip!! Indiana Neri!! May you enjoy whipcracking till your arm falls off!! Haha... I am not there yet, but pretty close. Anywho, I've just started to do whip cracking myself... and general consensus here regarding whip care is that you don't put Pecard on the whip body and thongs too often... Only in every 6 months or so... You don't want to loosen up the braiding by applying pecards on too much... However you are recommended to use pecard on the fall pretty much every time you use it. (Before or After practice) Popper will fly out once in a while, but hope you have some extra poppers for replacement. (They are easy to make and there are tons of tutorials all over the net including here) I am already on number 3... Keep losing them... oh well... Keep the whip coiled up... when you hang it, don't use nail... use a wooden peg... that way, the hanger side doesn't dig into the braids... Stay away from any moisture... don't leave it out in the sun for too long... it'll darken the whip... Keep away from dirt or any particles... and MAKE SURE you don't use your whip on rough surface like cement as it'll ruin your whip real quick. I think that's all I can recall for now... I bet there will be other members who will fill in what I missed.... Hope this helps!! Once again, congratulations!!

Oh I can't wait to feel what arm is like in the morning! I should have thought of the extra poppers I'm starting to notice some darkening around the handle, specifically the ball and wrist loop. I kinda wih it came darker than it did. Mine was shipped in the orangey-tan color. I knew cement was a no-no, any other surfaces one should stay away from? And I'm having difficulty with the forward cracks, the ones used for wraps, etc. What's the best way to practice wraps without damaging the whip (or the target )



PS: What's the difference between a crack and a flick?

As far as surfaces go, try to stick to grass, smooth tile floor, or carpet. Avoid concrete, asphalt, dirt, sand, etc. With targets, try to use Styrofoam, plastic straws, or greenery (dandelion stems, long grass, etc.). Avoid rough targets like twigs or cracking your whip directly on hard objects or corners.

The way I practiced (horizontal) wraps when I first started was I wrapped a couple thick bath towels fully around a tree trunk, and tied them on with a soft cord I had lying around. Make sure the towel covers enough area that if your aim is a little off, the fall (or especially the braiding) won't scrape against the rough bark.

BTW, there's no real difference between a flick and a crack really. The "crack" is the noise. A flick is a way to create the crack. Check out this Youtube video (also posted in a sticky on this forum) we made... it's the most basic cracks, along with some good universal names to call them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvJ3k16EVX0

Todd's whips don't have the same steel core with plaited bellies internal construction as other heavy duty bullwhips, so be especially careful that you're not power-cracking. Really, the best way to practice getting really good with a bullwhip anyways is to practice getting a soft clean crack with the least amount of effort possible.

Hope this helps, and have fun!

Lauren Wickline
www.midwestwhips.com

Thanks, Lauren for the input. iahd that video bookmarked for months and I watched and studied the movements and tried to keep my arm loose and see if I could get the motions down for when the whip actually arrived. I jsut gotta keep at it. Does the whip have to be a certian length for wraps? The Todd's whip is 8'.

8 foot is a great length for wraps! Basically anything 6 foot or longer works fine... With a whip under 6 foot it's still possible, but it gets a bit more difficult.

Indiana Neri wrote:I'm trying to master the "Cairo crack", which I believe is a forward + overhead + circus...it's been a while since I browsed the Bullwhip section.

Try an underhand + circus crack combo, then reset and do a forward flick.

;0

Shane

So now my popper/cracker has snapped off of the fall, do I replace the entire fall or just somehow retie the popper/cracker to the fall? Is this common for the popper/cracker to snap off this soon? I've practiced with it for three days. Thanks.



PS: McFly - I'll get around to taking some pix real soon - I've just got laid off from my job, so now I'll have plenty of time to get some pix together as well as practice more

Indiana Neri wrote:So now my popper/cracker has snapped off of the fall, do I replace the entire fall or just somehow retie the popper/cracker to the fall? Is this common for the popper/cracker to snap off this soon? I've practiced with it for three days. Thanks.



PS: McFly - I'll get around to taking some pix real soon - I've just got laid off from my job, so now I'll have plenty of time to get some pix together as well as practice more

What do you mean snaped off the fall?? Like it cut the fall or just fell off?? It is easy to replace a cracker or a popper if it just fell off. Here is a thread on the different ways to get the cracker/popper on.

viewtopic.php?t=18232

I use number 2, it is most SA and I have not had my cracker fall off. Hopefully that helps. You just basically hold the fall in that loop for a number 2 and put the cracker or popper inside the loop and pull on the cracker or popper pretty tight. That is at least what I do. Sergei has a YouTube video of him, putting a cracker on. Hopefully you can get that cracker back on and start practicing.

IndianaChris

the popper/cracker snapped off - I guess cut off - somehow. When I found the popper/cracker, it was still attched to the knot of the fall. If that makes any sense.

Hi Neri,

Not a big deal, this happens from time to time. Usually the most common reasons are: The fall is dry and needs conditioning, or you are using too much power, or the fall leather itself is weak, or a combination of any of those three. Of course it could be a fluke as well. Either way, it happens pretty commonly in the world of whipcracking. All you have to do is find the popper(or get a new one if you can't find it), and tie it back on. Any of the methods work well. And it wouldn't hurt to give the fall a coat of leather dressing just in case. Then you are back in business! ;-)

Regards,

Paul Nolan
www.midwestwhips.com

Well I found the cracker and reattached it using the methods shown to me. Thanks, for the input. Now, for my next question: What's the best "rig" for practicing targeting? Are there any special set ups you guys and girls use? PVC pipe maybe?

Know what I use? A Microphone Boom stand.

I also use it to braid with, so it's like my 'swiss army knife' for whips.

The height and width of the arm are adjustable, It's really durable, and it folds up handily for portability.

here's a link to a video I shot a few months ago...The stand is in the foreground:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 0415096422

I basically use modified clothespins or other spring clips to attach targets--In this case, dry fettuccine noodles....I also have spring-loaded mic holders that I use to hold the whip as I'm braiding, which could also be used.

See? It also does 'Whipmaking mode' as well as 'Target Stand' mode...

That's not a bad idea actually - being in a band, I'm sure I can salvage one of our boom stands. I'm trying to practice some body wraps and such, but of course the weather here has been crappy