Posted: Sun May 23, 2004 9:50 pm Post subject: first quality whip ?s
I will be recieving my first quality roo hide whip in the next week or so from ecwhips. It's an 8ft indy style and I have a question that i couldn't seem to find an answer to in other posts. When I first get the whip and need to break it in do I apply pecards or wait until it starts to break in? I know the fall needs to be well pecarded but what about the rest of the whip when i first get it?
Number one, you also need to contact Jim to find out what to do with your whip. He can tell you the specifics.
But I would imagine that the whip will have plenty of conditioner/plaiting soap still in it since it is brand new off the bench.
You can over condition a whip and during the breaking in period ( I prefer working in as opposed to breaking in.) with too much conditioner, you are also contributing to the breaking down of the whip. Any conditioner whould be used like the old Brylcreme - "a little dab'll do ya." The fall needs regular conditioning as you use the whip, the last 18" - 24" of the thong need a little conditioning as it dries out from the use, and the rest of the thong needs very little. You are only trying to replace whatever natural oils where in the leather, not add additional oils.
While it might seem like a good idea to add conditioner to speed up the color change, let it happen naturally from use, from the oils of your hands, and to some degree the natural secretions of the grass and shrubs that you will be hitting as you use your whip.
So, don't over do it. When the whip dries out, and that may take several months, then just a light coating and wipe off the residue. Don't slather it on in a coating of conditioner so much that you can't hold the whip without it slipping through yor fingers.A tub of Pecard's for example, should probably last for a year or more if you only have one whip and are an occasional cracker.
But again, the best resource is talk to Jim about what needs to be done to your whip. And have a good time with it.
Jerry R