Club Obi Wan

1. I've been practicing in a back alley here and while I think my ability to crack is getting better, I think I think the contact on the whip is scraping up the leather....should I NOT being doing this in the street ?

2. How do I prevent scratches...I mean if this falls under daily wear and tear, then that's cool, its expected ?

3. How many times should I pecard up ? I am getting mixed messages here...some say after every use, others say only four times a year...help !

Don't practice in the street. Instead find a grassy area that will be much better for the life of the whip. As for treatment, the whip itself rarely needs to be taken care of. In fact, if you condition it too frequently, it will be ruined. The fall on the other hand needs a little more care, and should be conditioned as needed. The "4 times a year" you read is probably referring to the whip, while the "every time" corresponds to the fall.

This is from David Morgan's website

Leather dressing is important. A dry whip loses its strength, and one with the wrong dressing may lose strength and/or stretch out of shape. Do not dress a whip with tallow, neatsfoot oil, or any light oils. We recommend Pecard Leather Dressing. Whips to be stored should be kept in light cool conditions, and given a thin coat of Pecard Dressing every six months. Whips in use may be dressed somewhat more often. Whips used in hot, dry, or dusty conditions, and whips used in the wet, may need frequent dressing. Falls on whips last better if kept well dressed at all times.

and from Si Davey's website

A good hide food rubbed in every few months is all that is needed. These usually contain a lanolin waxy cream or a beeswax base. Apply it evenly and sparingly to your whip with a soft cloth changing cloth surface frequently. Leave it to dry and polish with a soft dry cloth. A good clean with saddle soap from time to time will also be of benefit. Mutton fat is also very good.
DO NOT USE ANY OIL BASED PRODUCT, INCLUDING NEATS FOOT OIL, ON YOUR WHIP

When your whip first arrives, give it a polish with a soft cloth.
Similarly keep your whip dry and do not strike hard objects with it. Make sure you avoid striking the ground and don't practice on concrete unless you are skilled

GREAT advice ! thank you ! Actually, I just discovered the garage thing...I found that my under apartment parking structure has A LOT of room for practice and just went at it this morning ! In that you also answered a question I had arising in my head ...there's a lot of garage oil/grease buidling up on my fall, but I guess that's okay. Looks nice and weathered ! So pecard the fall a lot...gotcha. Revamp lesson please, which part is the fall ? Its the long piece of unbraided whip portion at the end right ?

The learning curve for cracking is quite steep as yesterday I could only do one crack at a time, I am doing 3-4 in a combo set ! woo hoo !

Revamp lesson please, which part is the fall ?

It's the unbraided part that the cracker/popper attaches to. So from the end it goes:
cracker/popper ---> fall ----> thong ----> handle

hehehehehe....you said thong.

awesome, thank you for that explanation to rudimentary question !

I'm glad I found this thread! I just received my first whip this weekend...I ordered an 8 foot Lee Keppler whip. Although I haven't officially used it yet, I have spent many hours gazing at myself in full gear in the mirror.

It's amazing, up this point I had a jacket, fedora, MKVII, shirt and pants...but the addition of a whip and gunbelt really set off the costume.

I can't wait for Halloween!

Congrats on the Keppler whip! Let us know what you think of it when you get it out in the field!

bink

Got Maul wrote:1. I've been practicing in a back alley here and while I think my ability to crack is getting better, I think I think the contact on the whip is scraping up the leather....should I NOT being doing this in the street ?

Robert Duke had commented on another thread about roohide and abrasion. It seems rather fitting here.

robert Duke wrote:...the kangaro hide having more TENSILE STRENGTH than cowhide. It is NOT abrasion resistant as cowhide. That's why they say don't use your roo whips on concrete, asphalt and the like. Tensile strength is compared most often in ropes and lines for capacities in holding a maximum weight. The reason kangaroo hide has a tensile strength 7 to 10x that of cowhide is because of a grain much like wood, while cowhide has a random grain.

Got Maul wrote:Revamp lesson please, which part is the fall?

If you happen to be a visual learner, check out Sergei's diagram at http://www.indygear.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1182

The beauty of the search.

This thread precisely answers my questions.

Gracias.

Got Maul (cool name by the way),

Read this thread on whip care:
http://www.indygear.com/forum/viewtopic ... =whip+care

Thanks for the reminder, Sergi. I forgot to condition the fall after cracking yesterday on slightly damp ground! Will a day affect my whip, just so long as I don't leave it for too long? And if your whip gets wet (I wipe mine down after a session if this happens) should you let it dry out thouroughly before conditioning it?

bink

binkmeisterRick wrote:Thanks for the reminder, Sergi. I forgot to condition the fall after cracking yesterday on slightly damp ground! Will a day affect my whip, just so long as I don't leave it for too long? And if your whip gets wet (I wipe mine down after a session if this happens) should you let it dry out thouroughly before conditioning it?

bink

Yeah, I don't mess around. I condition the falls before and after each whip cracking session. There is no harm in doing that. The falls really dry out. As far as getting the whip wet and what to do. I wipe the whip down. Make sure that any sand particles are scrubbed away with a brush (ie. toothbrush). And then I apply conditioner over the damp whip. I check out the whip later and make sure it hasn't dried out. It's usually the fall and the tip of the thong that get the moisture. But I wouldn't be cracking the whip in the rain. It's the dew that gets me.

-Sergei

Thanks for the info, Sergi. I don't crack out in the rain, but it had rained the day before, so the ground was still wet. I looked for the least waterlogged spot I could find for cacking. (I just HAD to get it out of my system, you know? ) I wiped the whip down when I was finished, but the fall could surely use some Pecards. I didn't have it with me, though I usually condition it after a good session. And I do find myself checking to see how dry the fall is from time to time. I Pecard it if I feel it needs the stuff. It's good to know that you should check the fall for dirt and sand particles, though!

bink

You have got to try it in the snow though, it's totally fun!

I just crack a few times before going indoors again and the whip is pretty much dried up after that. I dress my fall in the winter.

Regards,
Swindiana