Club Obi Wan

I have been interested in turning my own wood handles, but I have no idea what the end of the handle looks like underneath the platting? If any of you whip-makers out there have any detailed pics of a wood handle before you plait it, could you pm ME with pics or or share any info- it would be greatly appreciated, Thanks!! the picture I'm using is from Victor SanSoucie http://www.handmadewhips.com/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;"
-T.Rex

The wooden handle should step down in diameter and extend into the thong of the whip a few inches.

follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqJ5sFodvKI to a video by whipmaker Rhett Kelley. He, as is common for nylon whipmakers, uses steel to go into the thong but it would traditionaly be done by just shaping the wood unless I'm mistaken.

Holmes wrote:follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqJ5sFodvKI to a video by whipmaker Rhett Kelley. He, as is common for nylon whipmakers, uses steel to go into the thong but it would traditionaly be done by just shaping the wood unless I'm mistaken.

Awesome! Thank you, That really helps!
I guess every Whip maker probably has a little bit deferent take on this & I'm sure that their whip handles are all just a little different from one another- Well I have to give it a try - I'll post when I get something that is worth showing-
Thanks again- T.Rex

In David Morgan's book "Whips and whipmaking - Second edition", there are pics of wood handles for bullwhips with swivel handles, the idea being that one could either make it swivel by not tacking the leather to the end of the handle, or non-swivel by securing the leather to the handle. But in either case, the end of the handle had a big step down from the handle itself with a peg extending a few inches and finishing with a rounded mushroom shape end. I believe some whipmakers back in the day would cut their set so as to fold it over on itself along the peg and use the first layer as a core and the second as a plaited layer. Now if that plaited layer was a belly (doubtful) or the overlay, it wasn't mentioned nor whether or not bolsters were used. But the idea is the same; you need some sort of step-down, gradual or not, over which you can attach the different layers of leather. The simplest way would be to shave or turn the end of the handle to a tapered point but the problem with that is that being made of wood, the tip can snap off and it requires a fair amount of skiving and figuring out to be able to have a seamless layering that doesn't bulge out. I should think that Rhett's technique is the simplest and strongest (as long as you anchor it properly inside the handle...). I too am curious to know how Skip does it...

Franco

Canuck Digger wrote:In David Morgan's book "Whips and whipmaking - Second edition", there are pics of wood handles for bullwhips with swivel handles, the idea being that one could either make it swivel by not tacking the leather to the end of the handle, or non-swivel by securing the leather to the handle. But in either case, the end of the handle had a big step down from the handle itself with a peg extending a few inches and finishing with a rounded mushroom shape end. I believe some whipmakers back in the day would cut their set so as to fold it over on itself along the peg and use the first layer as a core and the second as a plaited layer. Now if that plaited layer was a belly (doubtful) or the overlay, it wasn't mentioned nor whether or not bolsters were used. But the idea is the same; you need some sort of step-down, gradual or not, over which you can attach the different layers of leather. The simplest way would be to shave or turn the end of the handle to a tapered point but the problem with that is that being made of wood, the tip can snap off and it requires a fair amount of skiving and figuring out to be able to have a seamless layering that doesn't bulge out. I should think that Rhett's technique is the simplest and strongest (as long as you anchor it properly inside the handle...). I too am curious to know how Skip does it...

Franco

Thank You for all the info-
I guess getting that how to David Morgan book is a must! I have also sent an email to Victor to see if he can help me out as well- Any way, between all the great info you & everyone else has left me, I think I can get started on a couple handles- I'll post pix when I get close to finishing- Thanks Again Franco!
-T.Rex

You're welcome, and while David Morgan's book is a must, it isn't, strangely enough, a how-to book per se; that is to say it talks about how whips are made but not in any great amount of detail - it isn't a how to make a whip for dummies for example. Having said that, there is a lot of information in there that isn't obvious and needs to be read a few times paying close attention to details to fully grasp the width and breath of the meaning. Skip is definitely the man to speak to regarding wood handle bullwhips.

Franco

TREX wrote:

Holmes wrote:follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqJ5sFodvKI to a video by whipmaker Rhett Kelley. He, as is common for nylon whipmakers, uses steel to go into the thong but it would traditionaly be done by just shaping the wood unless I'm mistaken.

Awesome! Thank you, That really helps!
I guess every Whip maker probably has a little bit deferent take on this & I'm sure that their whip handles are all just a little different from one another- Well I have to give it a try - I'll post when I get something that is worth showing-
Thanks again- T.Rex

Glad I could help. This is a project thats on my to do list as well and Skip was very helpful when answering some questions I asked him.

Holmes wrote:

TREX wrote:

Holmes wrote:follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqJ5sFodvKI to a video by whipmaker Rhett Kelley. He, as is common for nylon whipmakers, uses steel to go into the thong but it would traditionaly be done by just shaping the wood unless I'm mistaken.

Awesome! Thank you, That really helps!
I guess every Whip maker probably has a little bit deferent take on this & I'm sure that their whip handles are all just a little different from one another- Well I have to give it a try - I'll post when I get something that is worth showing-
Thanks again- T.Rex

Glad I could help. This is a project thats on my to do list as well and Skip was very helpful when answering some questions I asked him.

I just got an email back from Skip saying he would totally help me with this project! You know, all you whip makers are pretty cool, I haven't met one I didn't like!

"You know, all you whip makers are pretty cool, I haven't met one I didn't like!"

We all had to learn somehow, and while most of us are self-taught to some degree, meaning we didn't study under a professional whipmaker as an apprentice, most had some help from others who were further along than we were, so we remember what it's like to start out with more questions than answers. Just pass it along when someone asks you for information - it's the only way the knowledge will survive...
Cheers,

Franco

Canuck Digger wrote:"You know, all you whip makers are pretty cool, I haven't met one I didn't like!"

We all had to learn somehow, and while most of us are self-taught to some degree, meaning we didn't study under a professional whipmaker as an apprentice, most had some help from others who were further along than we were, so we remember what it's like to start out with more questions than answers. Just pass it along when someone asks you for information - it's the only way the knowledge will survive...
Cheers,

Franco

Will do!
-T.Rex