Club Obi Wan

today I received my 8ft kangaroo hide whip from LB whips/Leather Bond on Etsy. it smells great and it does crack. however, the fall is horrendous (and not white!) I'll be replacing it ASAP, mostly for aesthetics. I don't plan on cracking this too much. one day I'll get a quality whip from a reputable whipmaker, but this does the job for the foreseeable future! can't wait for it to darken down a little..

here's some photos!

right out of the bag




after conditioning (didn't change the colour much, if at all)




I can't wait for my double wrap holder from makeitjones to come in.

Hmmm, I don't know if it's just me, but I cannot see the pictures....

I can see the pictures on both my phone and computer.

Looks pretty nice for the price.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

Yesss, now I can see them too. I think my mobile data was iffy this morning...

The whip looks great, use it wisely! I really like the light natural colour!

Cheers,
Bear

It looks like it was plaited using ready made laces - you can see that there is no taper in laces at all.

Let us know how does it crack.

That shouldn't be a problem, if it's properly plaited, I guess. After all paracord whips crack wonderfully, without strand taper. As long as the thong is tapered...

Just my ¢2....

Yes, that was just my observation, nothing bad at all

You've got a good eye, Tomek! I hadn't realised the pre-cut lace detail... And I pride myself in catching these kind of things...

Cheers,
Bear

Saw some mixed reviews on these on Etsy about shipping saying "from US" but actually coming from Pakistan, though it does say "Made in Pakistan" either way. Also some mentioned plastic wrapping the belly of the whip and some sort of metal pins in the construction. Since you have one in hand, what's your take on that?

Also very curious to hear how yours holds up. Looks like they're also available on eBay from the same seller but for more money, maybe to offset seller fees. I was eyeing the 10' kangaroo leather version.

Chose Poorly wrote:Saw some mixed reviews on these on Etsy about shipping saying "from US" but actually coming from Pakistan, though it does say "Made in Pakistan" either way. Also some mentioned plastic wrapping the belly of the whip and some sort of metal pins in the construction. Since you have one in hand, what's your take on that?

Also very curious to hear how yours holds up. Looks like they're also available on eBay from the same seller but for more money, maybe to offset seller fees. I was eyeing the 10' kangaroo leather version.

unfortunately I can confirm that there are metal pins or nails in this thing. I noticed one today, and I've contacted them about it.

I don't understand this, really... It is clear that they have the skill and knowledge to make the whips: plaiting is uniform and alright looking.

Adding nails (and plastic?) doesn't make it cheaper OR easier to make...

They could make it better with no effort and no extra costs.

I am curious what they'll answer...

Cheers,
Bear

bearbeast wrote:I don't understand this, really... It is clear that they have the skill and knowledge to make the whips: plaiting is uniform and alright looking.

Adding nails (and plastic?) doesn't make it cheaper OR easier to make...

They could make it better with no effort and no extra costs.

I am curious what they'll answer...

Cheers,
Bear

hopefully I'll get a refund as the description states the following:

"Bullwhip starts with a steel rod for the handle that provides both a solid foundation and weight to balance the thong while a core is an innermost layer inside the thong of the whip. Then consists of two leather braided bellies of 4 strands each and two leather bolsters. The overlay is done in 12 plaits. All the minute details are taken into account to achieve the look and feel of the original whips. Inside Construction of whip is guaranteed and if you find any discrepancy in the whip's inside construction, we will refund the double price."

I edited my review on etsy to reflect the discovery, but had to leave the overall rating at 5 stars to include the photo..

Oh, wow... That does not look good. I am really sorry about that.

This seller is beginning to look like another scammer that was going around ebay a while back. I hope it's not the same one, under a different name.

On the upside: if they do refund you double the price you payed, you can get a great whip for that money. There are a few makers out there which offer some 'budget' versions, which are fully functional, well made and will stand the test of time.

bearbeast wrote:Oh, wow... That does not look good. I am really sorry about that.

This seller is beginning to look like another scammer that was going around ebay a while back. I hope it's not the same one, under a different name.

On the upside: if they do refund you double the price you payed, you can get a great whip for that money. There are a few makers out there which offer some 'budget' versions, which are fully functional, well made and will stand the test of time.

here's the response.

"We are very sorry for the inconvenience. This nail we use to hold the strand while bradding and pull it out after completing the braiding. This nail was used to add another strand in the overlay. This nail will not harm you and you can pull it out if you do not like it. We always stand behind our products and always there to help you and make you happy with your purchase."


that being said, I've really broken this thing in within the last 24 hours!

neromakes wrote:

bearbeast wrote:Oh, wow... That does not look good. I am really sorry about that.

This seller is beginning to look like another scammer that was going around ebay a while back. I hope it's not the same one, under a different name.

On the upside: if they do refund you double the price you payed, you can get a great whip for that money. There are a few makers out there which offer some 'budget' versions, which are fully functional, well made and will stand the test of time.

here's the response.

"We are very sorry for the inconvenience. This nail we use to hold the strand while bradding and pull it out after completing the braiding. This nail was used to add another strand in the overlay. This nail will not harm you and you can pull it out if you do not like it. We always stand behind our products and always there to help you and make you happy with your purchase."


that being said, I've really broken this thing in within the last 24 hours!

So did you pull the nail out? Seems odd that they suggested that only “if you do not like it” versus apologizing for forgetting to remove it and insisting that you pull it out and need not worry about the structural integrity of the whip...

Bearbeast, who are the recommended budget whipmakers you refer to above? Looking to pick one up soon.

Adam Winrich is the first that comes to mind... And there are a few users here who make good whips, I don't know if they're still in the business: lelec and whiskyman.

The explanation they provided is not satisfactory I would say. You don't use nails to hold anything except lead or a leather strip in the heel knot. And those are smaaall nails. A nail in the thong would be lethal to the life of the whip.

Cheers,
Bear

I did a bit of googling, can't find other makers except Adam, offering the budget version. But I am sure you can shoot any maker a message, to see what a more basic whip would amount to..

Having a bolster construction and an eight plait overlay would surely drive the pride down.

Cheers,
Bear

bearbeast wrote:I did a bit of googling, can't find other makers except Adam, offering the budget version. But I am sure you can shoot any maker a message, to see what a more basic whip would amount to..

Having a bolster construction and an eight plait overlay would surely drive the pride down.

Cheers,
Bear

Thanks for the advice!

I can confirm that Lelec makes superb whips, especially from kiphide. Look here: https://www.facebook.com/lelecwhips/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Drop him a message and work out details!

Whatever you end up getting...don't forget us. Come back with a new post with pics!!!

Keep on crackin',
Bear

tomek9210 wrote:I can confirm that Lelec makes superb whips, especially from kiphide. Look here: https://www.facebook.com/lelecwhips/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Drop him a message and work out details!

Also happens to be a super nice guy!

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

Loneken wrote:

tomek9210 wrote:I can confirm that Lelec makes superb whips, especially from kiphide. Look here: https://www.facebook.com/lelecwhips/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Drop him a message and work out details!

Also happens to be a super nice guy!

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

Awesome, I just reached out to him. His work looks beautiful, and he seems to have a solid knowledge of the various whips used throughout the films. Thanks again!

Chose Poorly wrote:

neromakes wrote:

bearbeast wrote:Oh, wow... That does not look good. I am really sorry about that.

This seller is beginning to look like another scammer that was going around ebay a while back. I hope it's not the same one, under a different name.

On the upside: if they do refund you double the price you payed, you can get a great whip for that money. There are a few makers out there which offer some 'budget' versions, which are fully functional, well made and will stand the test of time.

here's the response.

"We are very sorry for the inconvenience. This nail we use to hold the strand while bradding and pull it out after completing the braiding. This nail was used to add another strand in the overlay. This nail will not harm you and you can pull it out if you do not like it. We always stand behind our products and always there to help you and make you happy with your purchase."


that being said, I've really broken this thing in within the last 24 hours!

So did you pull the nail out? Seems odd that they suggested that only “if you do not like it” versus apologizing for forgetting to remove it and insisting that you pull it out and need not worry about the structural integrity of the whip...

Bearbeast, who are the recommended budget whipmakers you refer to above? Looking to pick one up soon.

neromakes how did this end up working out for you? Did you decide to remove the nail and keep it, or send it back? Any further correspondence? Thanks!

Chose Poorly wrote:neromakes how did this end up working out for you? Did you decide to remove the nail and keep it, or send it back? Any further correspondence? Thanks!

honestly, I couldn't manage to find it again to take it out. I'm going to keep it, but it's still quite annoying.

It is a small consolation, but from the IndyGear Community thanks for taking the hit on this purchase. I was considering buying a whip from this maker, but based on your experience I'm going to look elsewhere.

Being the first down the trail can be the hardest, but does clear the path for others.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

got the new fall and cracker on the whip, looks so much better.

So I'm new and late to this thread but couldn't resest a comment. I bought the same whip about a year ago and the photo attached is after much use and some regular leather conditioner application. Not the best whip I have ever bought but it's a great whip for someone who wants to crack and learn and also put some abuse on a whip without ruining a more expensive item. I've used this at least once a day since I bought it and in all kinds of weather and I'm shocked how well it has held up. Again it is by no means perfect but it's a good for beginners and for learning with.


* Could not upload photos, file too large.

Picture didn't load...can you try again? I'm really curious to see it...

Cheers,
Bear

Finally was able to resize the picture.

Wow, nice! Not bad looking indeed, the leather aged nicely.