Club Obi Wan

With the Australian dollar standing as it is, I believe it is time for me to purchase my first whip. My eye was originally set on the Del Carpio Last Crusade whip, but getting a whip for under 500 dollars sounds like a dream to good to be true. Now my eye is set on a Mike Murphy whip. http://www.murphywhips.com/MW03C12-plaitAmerican.html This one to be exact.

10 foot in Natural Tan. My heart is beating faster the more I think about it.

So, any thoughts on purchasing this whip for what appears to be.... 440 American bucks? It looks like the Australian dollar is beginning to rise again, so I may have to make a decision hear quickly.

If you have any thoughts on his whips, I would love to hear them. Also, if you have any pictures of a Mike Murphy whip, I would love to see them. All I could really find here were on the Comparison list.

Thanks!

Mike Murphy whips handle wonderful. I've handled some dual stocks and they were quick. And for them being 4 plait, they looked incredible.

I heard his wait time is rather lengthy.
Is this your 1st whip? A 10 footer is ok to learn with but that's a bit lenghty. I'd suggest getting an 8 footer. Not as costly and is great to learn with.

I'd wait for some other people around here who own his whips or have handled them to give you some advice.

I own a number of Mike's whips.
I think he is a gifted, very artistic, whip maker.
He is easy to communicate with and very accommodating.
Good Luck.

Having seen some of his work, I know he is a very good whipmaker. However, ALL of the Murphy whips I have seen and held, were very finely plaited at the tip, in other words a bit TOO finely plaited for an Indy whip. Now I may be wrong about this because I have NOT seen one of these in person, but it's something to keep in mind if you do order from Mike. Now, if you were talking about a stockwhip, then yes, by all means call Mike. Just saying there are a LOT of whipmakers out there and there is something for everybody )

Also, yes, do go for the 8 footer!

If you are looking to buy from a great maker in Australia due to the AUD being down, check out Simon Martin as well. Also sells an Indy whip and may not have as long as a wait and might cost less as well.

Thanks guys for piping in. I was interested in the 10 footer because I love the way it looked and Murphy wasn't offering a 9 foot.

However, Simon Martin is, at a cheaper price. Thanks for the heads up! From what others have said about Simon, his whips are pretty good. And cheaper. I don't plan on swinging into any Austrian castles or anything so it looks like that's the way I'm going.

He also offers a Whip repair kit with leather dressing, falls, and a few other bits. Worth looking in to.

Any thoughts on using a 9 footer as my first bullwhip?

Adventure Dog wrote:Thanks guys for piping in. I was interested in the 10 footer because I love the way it looked and Murphy wasn't offering a 9 foot.
snip>>
Any thoughts on using a 9 footer as my first bullwhip?

If I might chime in... My first whip was an 8ft. Had it for over a year now, and have almost mastered it. What I realized was, is that with the fall, you're tossing that thing out over 10ft. Most people new to whips (myself included) don't realize that at first. The general prevailing advice I've seen on this forum recommends an 8ft whip to learn with. I have to agree.

Go 8. Simon is great at making whips with good customer service. His waiting line last time I checked was several months. remember though, you don't pay until he's ready to make the whip. So that's good typically, but you are looking to save because of the dollar so in the end, you may save or not.

Try one of Mike's bullwhip making kits. My first one is classic Indy and is the best cracking and most easily handled of all my dozen or so whips.

episaacs wrote:Try one of Mike's bullwhip making kits. My first one is classic Indy and is the best cracking and most easily handled of all my dozen or so whips.

Was the kit difficult? Have you made other whips prior to trying Mike's kit?

Just curious. I would hate to buy one and completely mess it up...

On Murphy's website he suggests getting the stockwhip kit first, then moving to the bullwhip.

I just ordered some hides from Murphy because the exchange rate is good right now. He's got great customer service!

Louie
http://bullwhips.org

AZ Pete wrote:

episaacs wrote:Try one of Mike's bullwhip making kits. My first one is classic Indy and is the best cracking and most easily handled of all my dozen or so whips.

Was the kit difficult? Have you made other whips prior to trying Mike's kit?

Just curious. I would hate to buy one and completely mess it up...

I have made whips prior to trying Mike's kit, but I think someone who had only done the stockwhip kit could do the job nicely. It wasn't difficult, as Mike has already done the cutting, skiving, and splitting; in my humble opinion the most difficult things involved in whip making are cutting and skiving the parts, especially if you are doing it freehand. Take your time and "pull tight and plait loose" and you will come out with a whip to be proud of. Now is the time to buy while the exchange rate is so favorable.