Club Obi Wan

I have bought myself a 10 foot raw hide bullwhip and I have been wondering, are you still able to do all the cracks that you could with a nylon or roo hide one. Because I have been working and working and I can only do a few different cracks.

Thanks
~Luke

Rawhide whips are really very stiff, and a bit lighter than leather whips. You'll have to work it out even more than a regular leather whip, to get it broken in. When the whip is looser, you can make many other moves with it.

I used to do the following on my Mexican bullwhips (which were of a better quality than those swivel handled ones which abound on the Internet, but are now extinct ) but I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT (it worked for me, and the whips are fine). I used to soak the thong (not the handle nor the knots) in Armor All, and the next day it would be very flexible, never getting stiff again (for some reason I dislike the sound of that word... LOL!) Later, I would just keep it conditioned with leather dressing.

Rawhide is much tougher than leather, so it will stand much more abuse than the second one.

Of course, getting back to your question... you should be able to do all the cracks with such a whip, IF AND ONLY IF, it has a good construction. My whips used to be made with a steel rod and a tapering piece of rawhide as a transition. These whips usually taper very rapidly and a few inches after the transition, the rest of the thong remains straight. The fall adds a little taper, plus the cracker, but that's it. Usually you'll have to cast or cut the whip with much muscle to get an "easier" crack.

If the whip has a good shape, i.e. even taper, and good weight distribution, perhaps even balance (you can't expect much from most rawhide whips), it will be easier to perform all the basic and complex cracks. If it has good shape and does not let you do them, perhaps it only needs to be used more to allow the thong to travel the way it should for each crack.

Just a thought.

Aldo.

First of all, I have it on good authority to NEVER soak your whip! The best way to loosen up a whip is to USE it. Conditioning your whip when needed is always good, but soaking it as such may eventually destroy your whip if not careful.

This may be a dumb question, but are you sure your whip is RAWHIDE and not just cow leather? I've seen a lot of whips on ebay being sold as rawhide and visually they look like leather (but I could be wrong).

If you whip is rawhide be careful of the leather dressing you use on it. Many leather dressings that are fine for kangaroo or cow leather can potentially harm the rawhide. Get a dressing that's specifically for rawhide.

Louie
http://bullwhips.org

binkmeisterRick wrote:First of all, I have it on good authority to NEVER soak your whip! The best way to loosen up a whip is to USE it. Conditioning your whip when needed is always good, but soaking it as such may eventually destroy your whip if not careful.

Hi Rick. We all know that sort of advice from people like David Morgan, and any reputable whipmaker. And of course, I neither recommend it to anyone, nor encourage it. Thing is, a rawhide whip, at least in my experience, NEVER breaks in (it may take years, but I have never gotten a rawhide whip broken in). I'm talking here about very cheap whips (around $40), and they are still in excellent shape. I'm not trying to contradict anyone in here, but experience has taught me otherwise. Take it with a grain of salt. I've heard from David that you shouldn't use anything but Pecards for dressing your whip. I have talked with some Australian whipmakers who have told me that plaiting soap is the only thing a whip will ever need. Be certain though, that I would never soak a roo whip in Armor All... NEVER! A good coat of plaiting soap every now and then, and it's ready to go!

The problem seems to be that a whip made with multiple layers of leather may trap moisture in the inner layers, thus, causing putrefaction or the like. A whip like the ones I have, is just a four plait with no core. If it soaks, it dries properly. And as I said, rawhide is a very tough material, even more than a properly tanned hide (not as pretty looking or with a nice texture, and more difficult to work with).

Louie: I have heard that rawhide can be "dyed" in colors using tea bags and rust from nails. Most of the rawhide whips I've had, have been dyed, either black, or brown. A rawhide whip is usually springy, light, and stiff and dry (think of it as a dog's rawhide toy, but whip-shaped), eventhough it may not be plaited tightly (you can sometimes see gaps in the braiding, and the whip can stand on its own! )


All the best,

Aldo.

Aldo,

I've done a bit of rawhide braiding and one thing I've learned is that it's completely different from braiding kangaroo or cow leather. In order to braid it you have to soak the rawhide just right or it will be too soggy or too stiff.

Also most of the whip care advice given is for kangaroo or leather whips, and doesn't always apply rawhide. I've heard from several rawhide braiders that using the wrong dressing can promote the breakdown of the rawhide instead of prevent it. Just something to consider.

Of course I'm not an expert with rawhide (I barely consider myself an amateur with rawhide).

Louie
http://bullwhips.org

Thank you for your observations Louie. It's always important to have different opinions. I myself have only undone and redone (?) rawhide whips, so my experience is also limited. I have seen so many beautiful things done in rawhide that I'd like to learn more of it, but I think it is a bit messier to work with rawhide than with leather.

All the best,

Aldo.