Club Obi Wan

Please enjoy these photos of my new Joe Strain 8 foot bullwhip. Actually, it's about 4 weeks old now. This is my first ever whip. You might recall I was musing earlier about selling it to fund a Morgan. That idea has now vanished. I love this whip. It is very addicting, as many of you know. I am a complete newbie with cracking it, but I have learned to do the basic Cattleman's crack pretty well (in my own humble opinion. ) I am still working on the Flick though. Can't seem to get it to crack, as much as I've tried the drag,push, roll. And for some reason, when I do the overhead crack, I feel the need to duck slightly. Here are some pics. I'm very proud of it.

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/3334/img1840au8.jpg
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/7638/img1834sq5.jpg
http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/4572/img1830jo1.jpg
With my Grail I painted:
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/1474/img1835cj0.jpg



And now for some of my concerns/fears/questions:

The fall is looking pretty ragged after only 4 weeks. Here are some pics of what I mean:

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/8920/img1842rt3.jpg
http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/2412/img1832ij2.jpg

I just got my Pecard's conditioner a week ago, and have been conditioning the fall every other use. I am terrified of having to replace the fall. I'm not too confident to replace the popper for that matter.

My question is, is this a sign that I am over muscling it? Am I being to rough on the whip? Can anyone offer any words of encouragement for changing out poppers or falls, or am I better off sending it to Joe Strain when I need the fall replaced?

1st off nice whip and wonderful choice.
I'm not sure why that is happening to your whip. That tends to happen from cuts against hard surfaces etc. Are you cracking this on soft grass with no gravel or anything of that sort? Most likely you are muscling the whip because pretty much everybody new tends to do that at first until they learn how to crack it properly.

Don't send it in to Strain unless you are absolutely terrified, don't mind the wait and paying the price. Replacing falls and poppers are so super easy. My first time around replacing a fall, it took me 30 mins because I was taking my time and the popper? About the same amount of time. Now I can do it in a matter of 1 minute for a popper, and about 15 for a fall. There's plenty of tutorials on youtube and around cow on how to do that but you shouldn't have to do that yet (unless your popper is all knotted or super short)

Thank you. Yes, I am only cracking it on the grass, and I've been careful to crack it only when it is dry and not moist. The grass is pretty soft and non abrasive, so I'm probably over muscling it.

Superb looking whip. It looks like your fall still has plenty of life. Smother it in Pecard's (Just the fall) before each use and keep an eye on it. If the problem progresses simply cut off the lower few inches and re-tie the popper. You will find with more use and applications of Pecard's the fall will stretch and actually thin a bit. Again great choice and I am so glad to hear you decided to keep it.

dont be affraid to replace the fall if you have to
same thing with the popper
i was terrified the first time i lost a popper, but now i got thru them like pencils... and there are several ways to tie them as well , a few ways actually allow you to replace the popper without cutting the fall..

Fall replacement is really easy too....... Bernie has a pretty good tutorial on youtube about it, just cut the loop, pull it out and thread a new one thru.... no problem

great lookin whip by the way...

That's good that it's completely dry. However, I still don't see how muscling would cause that because it's only in certain areas like somebody took a sharp object and sliced at it a bit. Maybe another well knowledgeable maker or cracker would know because I've never seen that before or heard of something happening. Typically poppers would just blow off or the fall would get super dry causing it to constantly snap around the area of the cracker.

Two thoughts... maybe it's the popper doing it? A couple of times I got it pretty tangled. Or perhaps the area isn't as debris free as I thought. There are a few acorns there... I will try practicing in a different part of the yard.

The whip looks fantastic Hedji. D*** that plaiting looks so smooth.

I was going to ask you before you mentioned the acorns, just how dry your yard and grass is? I haven't seen this type of damage yet to the fall on my Caicedo whip but I am a little concerned about how dry the grass is in my yard.

Ah ha! That was 1 of my thoughts Hedji. I was suspicious about the popper getting tangled bad. That could be a reason why. If you are muscling the whip and causing the popper to lash back and hit the fall it could very likely do that, especially if it gets tangled on the fall you don't realize it (or realize it) and continue to swing the whip hoping it will unknot itself, that could cause it to dig itself further in.

Acorns? Possibly. Just kick them out of the way. I typically just take a good glance at the surrounding area and if something like a stick or rock is there, just kick it out of the way. That way you also aren't throwing objects into the air which could possibly get dangerous.

Like everybody else said, just go ahead and pecard it on up good and it should **** that right in and you'll be fine. If you don't have a replacement fall or extra poppers, I'd purchase some now just in case you blow it off or the fall does decided to snap at one of those weak spots (assuming 1 of them get worse)

Hope that helps!

If you are putting a lot of energy into it then you probably are muscling it a bit. But don't flip out. Just keep yer fall well greased and if it gets too roughed-up, it'll just break off where the cracker is, and you just put on a new cracker. No biggey. It'll be a while before you need to replace the entire fall, so don't be too concered there.

I had this sort of thing happen to me when I was using (this goes back 20 years), rawhide for a fall. Just kepp putting Pecard's on it after yer done practicing, and it should be fine.
Good luck and congratulations! Aren't you glad you listened to us now?

First, That’s a beautifully made bullwhip by Joe, I am glad to hear you’ve decided to keep it. Nice jacket and grail too.

Second, I’ve seen this before; it’s nothing to worry about. While power cracking can contribute to this, it’s likely an issue with the leather as well. White hide is a very strong, but also stretchy. The smooth top grain layer and the more fibrous lower layer sometimes stretch differently, especially if the leather is cut thin, as it is at the tip of the fall, or if the leather is dry or if it’s a stiff quality white hide to begin with. Some white hide is almost as stiff as rawhide when new. Weak spots, Insect bites and scars in the leather can cause this too as can hitting hard solid objects with the tip of the whip. But as the whip cracks the leather fall stretches, and small seams or cracks open up in the top grain layer. It can happen with latigo and redhide falls too.

You may be cracking too hard; I can’t say for sure with out actually seeing what you are doing. Since you just started chances are you are though. Just slow down, take it easy and focus on using the technique to crack the whip not your muscles, cracking softer with more control rather then just trying to produce loud noise.

Cracking the whip those first few weeks with out having any leather dressing probably didn’t help, nor does getting your cracker tangled around the tip of the fall, but this shouldn’t weaken the leather significantly enough that it will be a serious problem. Bits of the end of the fall will break off here and there anyways, that’s kind of normal especially when your still learning and cracking the whip harder then necessary. Chances are when pieces of the fall break off now due to that normal wear and tear, they will break off at those small seams as it is a weaker spot over all, but The leather is still pretty thick and strong so you just need tie a new popper on and your set to go again.

Changing falls and poppers is no big deal, People who never done it make more about it then their really is, but don’t worry. If the hitch is still in good condition you don’t even have to retie anything, its like threading a needle. Realistically though you shouldn’t have to change that fall for a couple years, if ever depending on how much you use the whip. When that time comes we can walk you through it . Falls are designed to take the brunt of the wear and tear so the plaited section doesn’t have too, cuts; nicks and dings aren’t that uncommon on a used whip. Poppers, yeah you’ll have to change them out here and there, but its easy once you do it a couple times. Learn to make your own poppers too! Just keep the fall somewhat clean and well dressed with pecards. It should be fine. Try to clear your area of the acorns as best you can though, not only so your not smacking them with the whip but also so you don't accidentally send one flying into the air like a bullet if you happen to catch it just right.

Hope that helps put your mind at ease a bit.

Dan

P.S. Next time reduce the size of your images so they are smaller or just post the links to them.

Wow! Such great information and advice! What a terrific slice of the community is here in the Bullwhip forum. Thanks gang.

It's a bit daunting starting out with this hobby. It's not like anyone offers classes or anything. I wonder how many of us here are self-taught? There are many times I wish I had someone to coach me. I just registered a Youtube account, so hopefully soon I will have some videos up so you all can critique my technique and offer advice.

Again, thank you all for the support. I will probably go ahead and order some new poppers soon.

Whip cracking can be a bit intimidating at times, but if you go slow, follow the instructional videos and practice carefully you should be all right. While there are few places across the U.S, as well as individuals and groups that offer lessons/coaching with the whip, they are few and far between so i am not sure who or what’s located in your area. I thought there was a Whip Enthusiast group in NY, but that might be in the lower part of the state. Still there is also a boatload of great information here and videos on you tube too that can be of help.

No need to buy more poppers, they are very easy to make and i would really suggest learning to make your own. I put together a short tutorial video a while back on how to make them using “Coats and Clark” brand bonded nylon upholstery thread which you may find helpful. The thread is readily available at most fabric stores and is basically the same stuff those popular nylon poppers are made from, just a thinner gauge so you double it up for the same results.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea ... ID=5787754

Dan

Shagbd wrote:dont be affraid to replace the fall if you have to
same thing with the popper
i was terrified the first time i lost a popper, but now i got thru them like pencils... and there are several ways to tie them as well , a few ways actually allow you to replace the popper without cutting the fall..

Fall replacement is really easy too....... Bernie has a pretty good tutorial on youtube about it, just cut the loop, pull it out and thread a new one thru.... no problem

great lookin whip by the way...

Yes, fall replacement is very easy. I've replaced the fall twice on my Strain 8ft. Just go slow. It's very satisfying when your done.

Hiya:

A real fine whip! Congrats. You know own one of the best.

Sometimes white hide can be on the dry side. When very dry, it tends to be a bit brittle. Don't be afraid to run your fall thru a slightly damp cloth. On highly humid days, you may notice your whitehide fall sweating a bit, as the salt tends to attract moisture from the air. (Wetting the tip of a white hide fall is also a good way to get the knot for the cracker very tight. I think it was actually Joe Strain who told me that a couple of years ago.)

I think a combo of over muscling the whip, and a dry fall might be what is leading to your problem.

I can't tell if your cracker is poly. But switching to a poly cracker from nylon will help you cut down on the tangles.

As others of said, just keep going slow.

Poly is great, but I'd say he shouldn't go to that. I crack with great ease and even then, in a good 4 30 min. practice sessions, expect to replace the popper or so. Most poly dies very fast. Nylon does tangle yes, so you have to be careful, but it lasts much much longer and takes more of a beating which is probably what he needs as a starter.

Glad to hear you are keeping your Strain!

My fall looks the same way with less "scarring" though because I got Pecards right when I got my whip. I've been applying it to the fall every other cracking session. Don't worry about it though as the fall is supposed to go through this type of beating.

I also wipe down my whip with a 100% cotton old white shirt I have after every session, just to get excess grime off of it. It can get pretty dirty along the fall and the last few feet of the whip that commonly drag on the ground as you do different cracks.

Nice whip - definetly worth keeping. I've had similar nicks and splits in the top surface
of several of my whitehide falls - not a problem. And don't sweat it when the time
comes to change out your fall. I recently changed out the original fall on my Morgan
whip. Took me a while ( I was going slow ), but afterward thought, " Hey, that wasn't
too bad " Now I've got no qualms about doing this repair myself whenever the need
arises - and changing poppers is super easy. If you can tie a knot, you can attach a
new popper.

Keep on crackin'! :junior: