Club Obi Wan

G'day Fella's,

Just though you might have a bit of a chuckle over this article in our news today! Could be good for us whipmakers! hahah


Hoo Roo

Janine Fraser
RIBUCK LEATHER CRAFTS

“Let a FRASER whip do the cracking for you!” ©





Ferocious kangaroo attacks woman
By Renee Viellaris
March 17, 2004

A BURPENGARY woman feared for her life yesterday as a large kangaroo punctured her neck and clawed her body in a frenzied attack.

Family and friends watched in horror as the kangaroo repeatedly kicked Sylvia Aldren in the back as she tried to scramble to safety.

"I thought I was going to die," Ms Aldren said.

After the attack, Ms Aldren, 48, called triple 0 and paramedics raced to her Burpengary property – about 35km from Brisbane – which backs on to thick forest.

She was taken to Caboolture Hospital at 7am and released a few hours later nursing puncture marks, bruising and deep scratches all over her body.

"My nightie was covered in blood and there are paw marks on the back of it," she said.

Ms Aldren said she was picking flowers in her garden when she heard a noise and then claws ripped into the back of her neck.

"I fell down on my front, it happened so quick, and I got up to hold the bucket out in front of me," she said.

"It kicked the bucket out of my hand and I grabbed him (paw) to stop him, but he got on his tail and started kicking me – he was taller than me on his hind legs.

"I tried to get up four or five times but he kept kicking me over. He also bit my hand."

The kangaroo jumped away when neighbours came to help.

Neighbour and Ms Aldren's mother-in-law Luisa Gervasi said she was shocked when she heard the commotion and saw Ms Aldren covered in blood.

Mrs Gervasi said she and her husband Vito suffered a similar attack two years ago and had warned her daughter-in-law to be wary of the animals and not to feed them.

Ms Aldren said she had followed the family's advice.

"I always thought they were cute animals (but) now I want them culled," she said.

"I can still see his big, beady eyes, like you see in a martian video. He had so much hate in his eyes."

Ms Aldren said she was looking forward to going to work tomorrow so she could feel safe.

She said she worked for lawyers who were personal injury specialists . . . "but what am I going to do? Sue a kangaroo?"

An Environmental Protection Agency spokeswoman said the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service would investigate the incident before relocating or culling the animal.

"A report or complaint was not made to the agency, until it was brought to our attention by the media," she said. "It is unusual for kangaroos in the wild to attack people."

The Courier-Mail

It's a good thing those roo creatures are down-under and not here. Deer up here is bad enough with cars, but having a boxing match inside your home is unimaginable.

Any word on this year's roo hide quality? Is the drought over?

Thanks,
-Sergei

Sergei wrote:It's a good thing those roo creatures are down-under and not here. Deer up here is bad enough with cars, but having a boxing match inside your home is unimaginable.

Any word on this year's roo hide quality? Is the drought over?

Thanks,
-Sergei

Well, being here in the US I can't tell you how the draught is in Australia, but as a whipmaker I can tell you the roo hide is suffering. The latest batch of natural tan I received has been nothing short of terrible. I've got 80 dm hides that get trimmed down to 40 dm by the time I cut all of the stretchy parts and scarred sections out. Even after that, I've had strands snapping on me left and right, even when there are no apparent scars or weak spots on them. I'd say that the last 3 whips I made have been break even ventures at best, not to mention it's slowing production down having to re-cut strands and even whole sets at times. From what I've been told, it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Jim

Yeah glad the bugger wasn't in my backyard mate. I may have had to sum up the situation on a whole different level....! hahha
The drought hasn't broken in most places here in Australia unfortunately and I was talking to a mate at Packers the other day and they were saying hide quality is a real big issue at the moment if you want top quality hides....the situation is; they have bugger all top quality hides! Making it very hard for everyone let alone us whipmakers. Lucky I still have a bit of a stash of A1 hides fewwww! Got to look after my client you know! But I bloody well hope that the drought breaks soon and we get a few roos on the ground over the next few years, at least for us whipmakers. What's good for one is not good for others though, the farmers couldn't care less if there are no roos around eating what little tucker they have left on their farms. The less roos for them, the better!
Ok

ecwhips wrote: Well, being here in the US I can't tell you how the draught is in Australia, but as a whipmaker I can tell you the roo hide is suffering. The latest batch of natural tan I received has been nothing short of terrible. I've got 80 dm hides that get trimmed down to 40 dm by the time I cut all of the stretchy parts and scarred sections out. Even after that, I've had strands snapping on me left and right, even when there are no apparent scars or weak spots on them. I'd say that the last 3 whips I made have been break even ventures at best, not to mention it's slowing production down having to re-cut strands and even whole sets at times. From what I've been told, it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Jim

I've had the same experience the last few months, Jim. Hides with alot of stretch and weak spots. Even in the center of the back. I'd have at least one strand break every time and have to splice in a new one...or two. However, I recently purchased a nice batch of hides from DM. Over the past couple weekends I've made three whips and the leather was perfect. Very little stretch, no breaking of strands, very little waste. I was quite pleased and took this as a good sign of the conditions down under. Of course, I may have just been lucky.

[/quote]

I've had the same experience the last few months, Jim. Hides with alot of stretch and weak spots. Even in the center of the back. I'd have at least one strand break every time and have to splice in a new one...or two. However, I recently purchased a nice batch of hides from DM. Over the past couple weekends I've made three whips and the leather was perfect. Very little stretch, no breaking of strands, very little waste. I was quite pleased and took this as a good sign of the conditions down under. Of course, I may have just been lucky. [/quote]

Hi Kyle,

That's exactly the trouble I have had. Strands breaking that were cut from what are normally the best parts of the hide. It only seems to be the natural tan. I've had no trouble with whiskey, or saddle, etc. I'm actually thinking of asking some customers whos order I haven't started yet if they might want to switch to a saddle or whiskey. I have a side of kip that I'm going to try on a whip for myself. It seems to be very similar to roo hide, maybe a shade darker than the natural is.

Jim

Im not effected by the lack of roo quality because I use cow hides.
They are much cheaper and uasualy get me 3 whips per hide.
Sorry to know the quality of the roo hides is decreasing and price
increasing.
Kindest Regards
Adam

Adam,
Where do you buy your cow hides? Or, what place do you recommend? Thanks!

Bernardo

Here, here. The hides are very poor in quality. Many with tick bites, wire cuts, and skinning and bullet holes galore! Not too bad with the holes as they can be cut around, but a barb wire scratch that runs across a third of the hide, renders it almost useless except for knot and strap lace. And many of the hides I've been getting are dry as all h***. Takes a bit of plaiting soap and an overnight in a plastic bag to get them workable.

And it seems like Jim says, that it is mainly the natural hides that are the worst. Oh well, we keep on and hopefully something will break. Maybe the shoe makers will slow down and find something else to make the shoes out of besides 'roo.

Jerry R

The dought is broken! Now they are getting flooded!!

I spoke to Ron Edwards in Queensland yesterday and he told me that in Queensland at least, they were getting rain. And lots of it. He said Wednesday they had gotten around 6" and Thursday they had about 8" and it was still coming down!

It was about 9:00 am and they were closing the schools because of potential flooding. He said many of the lowlands and fields around were flooded and it was getting a bit nasty.

Now, that kind of rain won't break the drought because most of it runs off and into the rivers and ocean, but at least they know that it does rain over there occasionally. If it is like a typical drought it is going to take several years to recover from it if the normal rains begin, so they are still not done with it yet.

He also said that the next issue of the Whipmakers Journal might be a few days late if the rain didn't let up enough to allow them to get to the postal office.

Keep 'em crackin'

Jerry R

Jerry,
this may be a little off topic, But Ron Told me that
he shipped my first whipmakers journal on the 1st and its the 19th
and its not here yet. How long does it uasualy thake for the journal to arrive?
thanks
Adam

Molorom wrote:Jerry,
this may be a little off topic, But Ron Told me that
he shipped my first whipmakers journal on the 1st and its the 19th
and its not here yet. How long does it uasualy thake for the journal to arrive?
thanks
Adam

Postage is expensive from Australia and there are many members in the US (myself included). So Ron takes the most economical postage rate to keep costs down. It typically takes about 3 to 4 weeks to get stateside. Just be patient.

-Sergei

Jerry,
this may be a little off topic, But Ron Told me that
he shipped my first whipmakers journal on the 1st and its the 19th
and its not here yet. How long does it uasualy thake for the journal to arrive?
thanks
Adam

Adam,

I really don't know how long it takes. I just find it in my mail box and then spend the next couple hours absorbing everything I can from it. So they may have put yours on the 'slow boat' followed by the slow mule train. But be patient little buddy, it'll get there.

I would like to see it more often than 4 times a year, but that's another thing all together. So my next step is to finally order the complete back issue binders. That should keep me busy for a while.

Jerry R

I really need to join up so I can start getting that Whipmakers Journal. It is something I have meant to do for a long time and just never have. Isn't it about Thirty bucks a year?

Yeah according to my records I have been paying about $18 per year. The annual fee is $32AU. So the conversion is not favorable to us as much. $32AU now is about $24.

The other big benefit is getting the bound archive journals. I have the first 5 bound volumes that ran me about $27USD per journal including postage. That was two years ago. Each journal costs $33AU with shipping costs about $18AU.

-Sergei

Kyle, et al,,

It is well worth the money. There are many articles in there that deal with leather braiding in some form or another. Different knots, different tools, techniques, etc, etc. And usually some articles that are historically based. Just good reading.

Drop Ron a line and he'll get you hooked up. Or give him a cal.. Just don't talk to long. I made one call to Oz last year, talked for about 18 minutes and it cost me $75.00. So ya gotta talk fast!

Jerry

Get yourself one of the pre-paid phone cards. It's the only way to go (after an $80 phone call from Norway one time).

The bound journals are great. I bought the first two last year, and just ordered the other four. With the exchange rate I should have bought all 6 last year, but who knew? For the knowledge that's in there, it's still a bargan at twice the price.