From falls & poppers to plaiting & cracking technique, this section is dedicated in memory of Sergei, IndyGear Staff Member and Whip Guru. Always remember to keep "Celebratin' Life!"
This has been something I've been curious about for decades, but never really felt the need to get an explanation until now...
When we see Indy draw his whip, after he throws Marion onto the cart, the whip goes from brown at the handle to practically white on roughly the last 2-3 ft of the whip. IDK if it's because Glen Randall beat these whips for production like they owed him money or if the white part of the whip is due to possibly 20+ years of use? Because I've had whips that I've used on a regular basis for years and they still looked remarkably good. Or is it more likely that it's just a matter of the end of the whip being in the dirt after Indy cracks it?
Moreover, is there a way to achieve this "white" look permanently, without going to such drastic measures such as painting it or some other method? I've had SA Raiders whips, but this one in particular has always been rather intriguing and beautiful to me. I've always wanted to replicate this look, but never took the time to figure out how to do so. Thoughts?
Great pics. We get to see some nice distressing detail on the elusive Raiders holster as well (*cough*KramStaar*cough* ).
My impression is that the "white" portion looks that way simply because the whip was well worn as you mentioned.
The handle color hints that the whip wasn't brand new. If it's the same whip we see in the marketplace stills, it looks like a wet noodle. Behind the scenes footage shows us that at least one of the whips was copiously cracked on studio lot pavement. Who knows what other adventures the whip had seen before Raiders. It's clear that stunt whips get fairly abused as industry tools.
The strands probably became "sueded" due to the rough use and thus showed the lighter color. A little Tunisian desert dust probably helped.
I'm guessing it's from multiple takes o f the fight scenes and use on location.
To me it looks like the sandy dusty gray/tan ground cover has just gotten on the last few feet of the whip.
Yeah, I imagine there is some scuffing, but I bet with a nice cleaning, most of that would be gone.
That's what I'm guessing.
).
