Club Obi Wan

I am receiving an EC whip for Christmas, and was wondering, exactly what are the Do's and Dont's that go for whips? What matenance should be administered? eTc, etc...

There are tons of threads on this topic. But to recap on the care and maintenance of whips:

Do:
- keep the fall constantly conditioned
- condition the thong maybe every 6 months (don't over do it)
The six month rule is general. Some people live in dry climates, and that requires more conditioning. For more humid climate, the 6 month rule is about right
- crack on smooth non-abrasive surfaces like dry grass, wood floors, tile floors, carpet
- when the whip becomes muddy, DO immediately clean the whip with saddle soap and after drying condition it
- when storing the whip long term, store the whip by hanging it on a wooden peg in a place that is not too dark, and a room with indirect light
- after each whip cracking session check for dirt and wipe down with a DAMP cloth. Always condition the fall after a whip cracking session, and if the thong needs it, lightly dab the thong with conditioner.
- buy a good set of instructional tapes. Learn the basics, like the 4 basic cracks featured in the "Whip Cracking Made Easy" tapes made by Alex Green and Mark Allen.
- take safety seriously. When starting out, wear your fedora, safety glasses, leather jacket and long pants. Get hit by a whip is a fierce pain and can cause very serious injury. I am lalmost lost my left eye - retinal bleed.

Don't:
- crack the whip on abrasive surfaces like driveways, concrete surfaces, asphalt areas, muddy ground, gravel area, etc.
- overcondition the thong (see above)
- store the whip where rodents, dogs, or other vermin can chew up the leather
- condition the knots (the knots will slip and unravel if over conditioned - only condition when noticable dry and just a light dab of conditioner)
- lay the whip in an oven or microwave to artificially distress the color of the hide from light to dark brown - don't laugh I have heard people do this. Also avoid long periods of just sunbathing the whip in trying to darken the whip
- swing on your whip. Whips were not designed to do this. All the scenes you see in movies are stunt whips, made with cable cores.
- over muscle the whips. Less is more. It is pure pleasure to crack a whip with very little effort. That means you are doing your technique correctly.


Remember that dirt, sand is the enemy. Consider the sand particles like tiny diamonds that get in between the laces and will detoriate the laces. Stubborn dirt, sand you can use a toothbrush dipped in saddle soap to rid the sand from in between the laces.

Following the above will keep your whips lasting a lifetime.

Like I said, there are threads and threads of do's and dont's. You can mine out some more pearls from the archives, but this is about 95%

Tell us when the whip comes in. And of course show pictures.

Take care....
-Sergei

IndianaCollins wrote:I am receiving an EC whip for Christmas, and was wondering, exactly what are the Do's and Dont's that go for whips? What matenance should be administered? eTc, etc...

Don't worry, IC. I always send a couple of sheets with information on whipcare and safety along with the whip. You can always ask questions after you receive the whip as well.

Jim

I think this thread should be sticky'd. Or at least added to the first locked topic of the page.

Condition: is that using the pecards. Why not over do it?

Dakota Hurly wrote:Condition: is that using the pecards. Why not over do it?

It will cause the leather to break down, and will loosen the braiding of the thong.

I may have overdressed mine at one point. It now has a dull, rather soapy look to it and no shine at all on the handle. Buffing just allows more to appear in the braidwork of the thong. It needs a new fall and the end needs re-braiding, so I'll be sending it to Mark Allen, who said he could help for a small fee, $12.00 or so. I'll have him clean it, if he can

Thanks you guys. Hope my whip gets here by Christmas, but I totally understand if it doesn't. More time will produce a higher quality whip, but if hast is on the menu, the quality usually drops, no?

Oh, yeah, are there any legel restricions on whips, like carrying them in public, etc?

IndianaCollins wrote:Thanks you guys. Hope my whip gets here by Christmas, but I totally understand if it doesn't. More time will produce a higher quality whip, but if hast is on the menu, the quality usually drops, no?

Oh, yeah, are there any legel restricions on whips, like carrying them in public, etc?

You'll have your whip for Christmas. I just have one more knot to do and it will be all done. As far as legal restrictions go, I've searched high and low and talked to the local police in my area, and so far no one has come up with anything. But use common sense. Try not to purposely annoy anyone with your whip, and walking into a gov't building with it strapped on your belt is probably not a great idea, either.

Jim

ecwhips wrote:and walking into a gov't building with it strapped on your belt is probably not a great idea, either.

Jim

OK , I'll try not to do that!