Club Obi Wan

Hi,
My B-day was on March 1st and I recived 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch kangaroo lace from DM. (which I had been wanting ever since I got DM's book "braiding fine leather") After a little while I managed to braid 4 plait over a core and was pretty #### excited about that since I had no idea how to braid. Throughout the next few days I tried new stuff and succesfully braided 6plait over the the 4plait I had braided earlier. Then yesterday an 8plait overlay on top of it. I realized that once you learn 4plait it's very easy to learn higher plaiting. Just today I tried 12plait and I think it came out very good. I can't believe how addicting braiding is. I'm already out of lace. The only problem is your fingers hurt after a while. I showed my friend at school the 8plait braid and he was very impressed. I have "whips and whip making" and "braiding fine leather" but I have learned all I can from them and need a book with step by step instructions on how to make a whip. Since there are quite a few out there I was hopeing you guys could help me out. How I envy you Kyle S. and Paul S. for having an expirienced whipmaker to learn from. well,
I guess thats it. Thanks everybody
best regards
-Scott

Wow. That's pretty cool. Sounds like you have "the gift". I would like to order a 6 foot Indy....Just kidding. Keep up the good work. If you start to make any whips, let me know.

Cheers,
Pyr.

Learning to make a whip is really expensive because of all the lace you use making whips that arn't good enough to be sold but I'm sure I'll stick to it. I'm sure I'll get great satisfaction by making whips for gearheads
heck! I got great satisfaction from buying my cousin a mark allen 8foot swivel handle whip. Don't worry Pyroxene, when I start taking orders, you'll be the first to know thanks
best regards
-Scott

"You've taken your first step into a larger world."

I'm glad to hear about your first steps in braiding. David Morgan would be very pleased to hear how you've been working with his books. Give him a call and share your story with him. He's always looking for feedback.

I started learning to braid using para-cord and then eventually bought some lace from DM just like you did. Things didn't start to truly come together until I met Paul and he gave me some invaluable one on one instruction and introduced me to cutting out my first roo hide. Believe me, it's much more economical to buy a roo hide and cut it out rather than depending on pre-cut lace. You also have much more control over the final product this way. Bite the bullet and give it a try. Just don't set your expections too high. Beware though, it's very addictive.

Pull tight, Plait loose my friend.

-Kyle

Where can I get tools to cut my own lace? I know there are a few tools needed for whipmaking. Where can i get them? thanks
-Scott

sab04 wrote:Where can I get tools to cut my own lace? I know there are a few tools needed for whipmaking. Where can i get them? thanks
-Scott

You don't need any special tool. Just a sharp knife, long thumb nail and a keen eye. I use a retractable x-acto knife with disposable blades. Keep the lace on the same tangent as the blade and you'll do fine. Consult DM's new book on where the best spots on a hide are and how to best utilize them.

-Kyle

Does anyone know a book that gives detailed instructions on bullwhip making? DM's books don't really give you all the info and pics you need to learn how to make a whip. It also doesn't show how to do turks head knots and such. Kyle, Since I'm only 16 and $$$ is limited I don't think I'll be buying a roo skin right away but once I'm a little more educated and confident I'll go for it! thanks
-Scott

Whips and Whip Making by David Morgan

-Turk's head knot diagram on page 87.

Also there is a nice photo of a home made lace cutter (Cutting Gauge) on page 71.

Braiding Fine Leather by David Morgan

Home made cutting gauge on page 14.

-Turk's Knot on page 102 & 103.

This is the best book out there that shows how and where to cut and how to hold the strands while braiding. Unfortunately it has no information on whip making and will not help you much in this regard.

How to Make Whips by Ron Edwards

I won't list all the knots shown in this book but it has quite a few good ones. I highly recommend this book because it has a lot of great information but the bullwhip tutorial is not a very good one. You'll be able to put together a nice stock whip using this book though.

Encyclopedia of Rawhide and Leather Braiding by Bruce Grant

A whole bunch of knots that, frankly, scare the bejeezus outta me... Good book though.

-Kyle

How did I miss the turks head knot's in DM's book?
I might have to through those books again. thanks Kyle
-Scott

Hey Kyle,
What do you braid the turks head knot on? and how do you attach it to the handle?
-Scott

sab04 wrote:Hey Kyle,
What do you braid the turks head knot on? and how do you attach it to the handle?
-Scott

It's not an extra piece that you tie and then attach to the end of the whip. You tie the knot right onto the end of the handle. The butt of a whip usually has something for weight, like lead tape, wrapped around it . I just build this up with extra material and twine into a smaller shape of what I want the knot to look like and then tie your knot around it. Hope that helps. The book by Ron Edwards that I mentioned above has some good illustrations of this.

How have I missed this thread! Thanks for all of the great info, Kyle.

G'day Scott,

Once you have learnt the 4 plait Scott its the basis of plaiting. If you can plait 4 you can plait 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 32 etc. It just takes a bit more practice handling more strands in your hands. 4 plait is the foundation of these sequences.
Purchasing your own hide is definitely the way to go. Its cheaper in the long run and you will be able to experiment allot more with wider or narrower strands. Or alternatively you could think about cow hide while your learning it will save you a few pennies. That way you wont have to mow all the lawns in the neighbourhood just half of them to get the cash to buy more leather! Just pull'en ya leg mate!
Also I see that Paul Nolan is holding a whipmaking course why not hook up with him and see about joining the group! He's a great bloke and im sure he would love to kick start you in the right direction. He's only a young fella too.
Ron Edwards books are fantastic and I think from memory there is a section on how to make bullwhips but im not totally sure. They are a good reference source even when you get on in the whipmaking for knots etc so it would be money well spent.

Thanks for the great advice Janine!
-Scott

I'm coming to CT on 20 September to visit my brother in Wethersfield. Are you anywhere close? I could bring a few whips and go over what I've learned in the last few years.

I'm pretty sure I'm visiting my cousins in Florida around that time
-Scott