Club Obi Wan

Noticed today in the Indyshop that they have listed a 6-ft leather whip...it obviously isn't worth much since it is only $9.99, but I have never owned a whip before and right now I cant even afford the "Indy on a budget" whip All I really want to do with this whip is get a basic technique for cracking and hopefully acquire a life skill.

http://shop.indianajones.com/catalog/pr ... d1=;pcid2=

Input is appreciated (since I don't know hardly anything about whips!)

-Robby

I claim no special knowledge or expertise, but I think if they call it a costume item you can't expect to actually use it.

Duluth Trading has one that seems to be for real for 70 bucks at

http://www.duluthtrading.com/search/sea ... _2&kw=whip

Don't waste your money. I doubt you could even really get that thing to crack. Just save some more and get a Caicedo.

A swivel handle whip is a good place to start. I was able to get the basic cracks down on a swivel handle whip. And you can find them for less than the one from Duluth, if you search a little.

Don't buy that man! I know you can pick up a much better deal than that, ebay often has cheap whips available in 4 plait cowhide with or without swivel handles. They may not be great, but at 20 or 30 bucks they will be miles ahead of that one. You could likely learn more about whipcracking by snapping a wet towel than trying to get that one to pop.


Weston

Robby, Basically you can snap it but that’s about it. These are pretty much meant to be toys, costume whips at best. They tend to break and fall apart very quickly, They have no inner braiding and they are useless for trying to learn even any basic whip cracking routines with.

Since your on a strict budget but still want a whip now that will somewhat perform check out. http://www.westernstageprops.com/miva/m ... ry_Code=AB

Its not going handle like a Morgan or a Strain or even a Purewhips, but they are made tough and if you taper the fall, they crack fairly well.

You could also ask Adam Winrich to make you a very basic budget whip like this. Which is what i would recommend trying.
http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?t ... ng+indiana

Dan

RobbyT43,
I would listen to Bullwhipborton here; Adam knows what he is doing and I doubt you will find a better bang for your buck anywhere. When you are ready to lay down a more substantial budget for a high-er quality bullwhip, then your otions will become numourous, but for now with a humble wallet, I would go with this. IF Adam still makes them that is...

It's just a toy, don't buy it!!

Thanks for everyone's responses.

I guess a costume piece isn't exactly the best way to start out with whipcraft I actually really like the Young Indy whip that BullWhipBorton linked to. Its really, really durable and its made specifically for young beginners like me! Although I'm not quite as young as Adam thought the whip would be good for (10-13; I am 16 years old). Plus its a great price! Hopefully, I will be able to purchase it soon!

Thanks again to everyone!

-Robby

Yup, I'll still make the 'young indiana' bullwhip if anyone wants one. For COW members it'll be $40 plus shipping. When I made a few of them last year, they were good enough to turn the light switch on and off.

-Adam

I just ordered one of Adam's Indy-on-a-budget whips and am eagerly awaiting it.

Luke Warmwater wrote:I just ordered one of Adam's Indy-on-a-budget whips and am eagerly awaiting it.

Me too! Hi5.

Ok...well I kinda have a little problemo here.

Idk if you guys know it, but i am one of the youngest COW members here at 16 and of course I live at home with my parents. My mom doesn't want me to get a whip cause "I'll whip my eye out" I am aware that whipcraft is dangerous but its a skill that goes back to ancient Egypt (not that I want to whip Israelites).

Has anyone else ever had to deal with this? What can I do to convince my mom to let me buy a whip?

-Robby

RobbyT43 wrote:Ok...well I kinda have a little problemo here.

Idk if you guys know it, but i am one of the youngest COW members here at 16 and of course I live at home with my parents. My mom doesn't want me to get a whip cause "I'll whip my eye out" I am aware that whipcraft is dangerous but its a skill that goes back to ancient Egypt (not that I want to whip Israelites).

Has anyone else ever had to deal with this? What can I do to convince my mom to let me buy a whip?

-Robby

Tell her it's a costume piece?

Well yes it will be part of my costume, but I still want to learn how to crack it too!

Well, saying that it's for costume is just so that you can buy it. Being able to crack it, you'll have to sneak out someplace that she doesn't go to. Is there a park nearby (yet far enough away from the house) or a friend's place w/ a lawn that you can visit regularly?

You know what, ten years ago I would have told you to buy it, learn how to use it, then tell her and show her how it is of no danger to you since you know how to use it.

BUT

That was ten years ago...

NOW

I have a seven year old boy who loves to see me crack the whip, and it's all I can do to not have him slice himslef open with the darn thing... So my advice to you now would be to try to come to an agreement with your mother where you will respect certain safety do's if she will let you have one. If she doesn't go for that I really don't know what to tell you son, I can't tell you to go around your mum's back can I?

Good luck.

Maybe you can get together with an experienced whipmaster in your area for some lessons. If your Mom gets a chance to see what's involved and meet a "mentor", maybe she'll be more comfortable with the idea.

I know that we've always wanted to meet & talk to our kids' coaches & instructors before they start something new.

LJ

That's a great idea!

Excellent idea LJ!

Canuck, I think I will be able to convince her! She let me have a machette (with a LOT of convincing!) so I would hope my "skills" would reach that far. I totally understand her wanting me to be safe, but she gets scared every time I go out on the road and won't even let me entertain the thought of getting on a plane!

The last thing I want to do is buy it without her permission cause that would totally ruin any trust she has built up with me.

Thanks for everyone's ideas

Robby,
I admire your maturity regarding your mother's trust, it isn't something you want to throw away...

If the plane has no engine problem, I don't see why you should be afraid of it. I've even jumped out of airplanes that were functionning perfectly well, hehehe.

Thanks Canuck

I'm not the one afraid of planes. I LOVE em! I actually want to get my pilot's license one day cause my granddad is a pilot too.

UPDATE:

Good news- my mom finally agreed to let me purchase a whip!!! (with a little bit of my charm of course )

Bad news- the one condition my mom set is that I have to get a job in order to pay for it. I have been applying like crazy everywhere in town and so far I haven't even heard back from anybody

-Robby

That's some great news, Robby. Good luck finding a summer job. You have a lot of competition during this time. Don't get discouraged if you don't get your first choice, and just keep applying.

Also, what whip are you planning to get?

I am going to get the "young indy whip" from Adam winrich

Robby, while you're better off with something like an Indy on a Budget, I can vouch for those $40 "Young Indy" whips that Adam has got.

I got one from Adam strictly for teaching purposes to show the difference in Australian and American design and construction, and it's not my Strain, Nolan, or Jacka, but it's a fun little whip to play with! I pick it up and crack it in my living room all the time.

That $10 Indystore hunk of junk isn't even worth the $10. When I was about 7 or 8, I could go through two or three of those things in a week, (seriously from brand new to "no thong left.")

As to your mother's concerns, you are far more likely to be seriously hurt playing baseball, soccer or football that you would ever be cracking a whip.

If you take the proper precautions that ALL of us recommend in learning how to use a whip, (which can be found in the "Sticky" by Sergei at the top of this forum, and I'm primarily referring to eye protection,) you'll be just fine.

Whip-cracking is an incredibly fun, and relatively safe hobby that people of all ages can enjoy. Whips have a bad rep, and it's true they can be used as weapons, but so can the primary instrument from "America's Favorite Pass time," (i.e. the baseball bat.)

So, good luck Robby! All the best, and keep us informed as to your plight.

If you are getting a job just to buy a $40 whip, you may want to just go ahead and save a little more and get an IOAB or Caicedo. They cost a little more, yes, but with your summer job you should be able to save up the money rather quickly.

Thanks for the tips fish

Indiana...one of the reasons I want to buy the young indy whip is to get a feel for a whip and kind of get the basics in. There is no doubt that I will be purchasing another whip after this one (probably will end up being the IOAB!) but for now, I just want a whip that will take a beating as I try to learn.

-Robby

Good bullwhips aren't cheap....Cheap bullwhips aren't good.

You don't want a cheap whip to learn on. You want a good whip. This is one mistake I see a lot one these boards. You get what you pay for and from some of the fine makers on this board the price is good. A cheap whip will teach you poor habits. I'm with Gery Deer on what a good "First Whip" should be.
From his FAQ:
Better equipment can lead to quicker success. Our instructors generally recommend a 6 to 8 foot Australian 12-plait, dual-bellied, kangaroo-hide whip.

At the least I'd say get a whip made by a whip maker. Not an e-bay seller. Someone who can not only provide customer support but has the knowledge and know how to create a GOOD whip.
Adam, Gus, Louie, Paul, Lauren, Royce, David, Joel, Terry, Other Paul, Bernie are all names you can trust to give you a whip that was hand crafted and is tworld class. You won't go wrong and IMO some questions shouldn't have to be asked.

the good ones definitely are not cheap

I don't think I am going out on a limb here to say that Adam's whips are well made. Its a bonus that I have the opportunity to buy a handmade whip by an excellent maker for the price offered.

FANTASTIC NEWS!!! I just got hired at an awesome antique-sorta hardware store! To me, its very Indy-ish and it has almost anything you can think of.

Ya know what that means....my first paycheck is going towards my saught after Young Indy whip!

I'm so excited and can't wait to order (although I do have to wait til I get that first paycheck )

-Robby