Club Obi Wan

With a budget of $200 bucks, is there anything out there worth it?

Yes, there is. Quite a few very good options actually. But you will only find them if you pay attention to what's going on (offers from whipmakers who have second-hand whips, Ebay-sometimes, and begining whipmakers...).

A thorough shopper is someone who's taken the time to research what is available and who has a clear vision of what they seek.

Anything else is just gambling.


Franco

Try to get some used whip of known maker, or new 8 plait whip. It should cost around 200-250 usd.

If you want you can always take nylon whip. Those are cheap and good whips(for me only poor substitute ).

Regards,
Karol

There are few makers of inexpensive leather whips - Gus Caicedo, Adam Winrich, Mike Murphy. As Kiscien wrote, you can also get nylon whip and 200 bucks will be enough to get custom 8ft.

I definitely want leather; I've been watching the bazaar, and ebay searches turn up "authentic Indiana Jones bullwhip" that are so screen accurate they even come with an official Indiana Jones tag!

I would personally stay away from anything that says "official". That means that Lucas is making some money off of it (not that I mind him making money, mind you!), and that it's meant to be more of a prop or wall decoration.

For $200, either get an 8 plait used, or a nylon, or wait . . . save another $200 or so . . . and get a 12 plait 8' foot from a reputable whipmaker.

If you want to use it, then you've got to get the right thing, otherwise, you're gonna waste $200 on something that's junk, then just realize later that you're willing to spend $400-$500, and then you'll be out $700.

Not that having two whips is a bad thing . . .

DHW

I'd say watch the classified here. Every month or so a Winrich IAOB comes up for sale or auction. To my knowledge (and personal experience thus far), they are the best of the low budget whips. Unfortunately, Adam does not take orders anymore.

You’ve gotten Good advice.

Sometimes high quality used whips pop up in the classified section here for a very reasonable price. They tend to go quick when they do though. You also have to be really careful with e-bay though. There are a lot of whips on there that look good in the photos, but once you get them they are pretty much rubbish or in rough condition. The licensed Indy bullwhips are not very good; they are more collectable souvenirs and novelty items then whips.

The IOAB bullwhips really are a nice whip, their quality and performance ability exceed the low cost. Even though Adam doesn’t advertise them on his site anymore, I believe he still makes them on occasion if you catch him between shows and ask nicely.

As mentioned, Gus Caicedo whips are also another popular budget choice around here.

Mike Murphy sells a budget bullwhip too. The belly is cowhide but the overlay is 12 plait Kangaroo. They are not exactly like the Indy whip, they are lighter in weight, the handle is a bit longer and knots a little smaller etc. but its probably going to be the least expensive but still decent quality kangaroo hide bullwhip you will find, and with the conversion to US dollars it would probably be in your budget.
http://www.murphywhips.com/MW03G12-plaitKangaroo.html

Keep browsing though the sites older posts, you’ll find a lot more information on these whips.

Dan

yeah the 'official' Indy whips I see on ebay I mentioned were as a joke- I would buy one of those right after I bought the jacket with the shirt attached inside halloween costume!

I posted this on another thread, recently:

Disclaimer: I'm no whip wizard -

- That said, I had a great experience dealing with Gus Caicedo ( http://www.caicedoswhips.com/ ). While I've heard there's better, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better deal on a quality entry level whip or a more pleasant individual to deal with. He'll work to make you happy and the prices are VERY reasonable. I have two whips now, but my first was a Caicedo eight foot, eight plait cowhide. I've had it for about a year now and take it out in the back yard at least once a week for twenty or so minutes or more. It's reasonably screen accurate and plenty durable ( as I went through that learning curve where you tend to muscle the whip a lot before honing technique ). Compared to my second whip ( a Paul Stenhouse nine foot, twelve plait kangaroo ), it is very light, but I almost always go back to it to try out new cracks. Here's a pic of the Caicedo I have after just under a year*:

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj29 ... IM2795.jpg

Again, a great starter, and the service is top-notch.

*please, no knocking the deck - I've since re-stained and sealed it

His 8' 12 plait runs $240 according to the site.

ooooh...me likey!

I have a whip from Gus and I love it. It is a bit lighter than some other whips, but it handles really well, and is well made. Gus also has truly excellent customer service.

Vaderbreath


Try Adam Winrich.

Regards.

Gaucho.