Bullwhips - 12 plait - Kangaroo - Handmade by Louie

Here are some pictures of the 12 plait 12 foot Indy style bullwhip:

I have it for sale in my “IN STOCK” page.

Louie

http://bullwhips.org

Yesterday I got some work done on an 8 foot bullwhip that will have two plaited kangaroo rawhide bellies.  The kangaroo rawhide is fairly thin and definately a lot more work to use than the Veg Tanned Drum Stuffed Kangaroo.

I’ve got the last bolster and the overlay for this bullwhip cut out, I just need to plait it.  Before I get to working on the overlay of this I need to round some falls that have been soaking since yesterday.

Louie

http://bullwhips.org

I found a link to the .pdf that goes with the bullwhip making video that I posted yesterday.

http://cachefly.oreilly.com/make/whip.pdf

There is a lot wrong with these instructions…for starter it’s not a bullwhip that they teach you how to make!

Louie

I found this video online, it’s a “tutorial” on how to make a bullwhip:

It’s not really a bullwhip, but more of a very short handled stockwhip.  There’s a lot missing from his bullwhip, like paring.  It might be a fun project that would get someone interested in making a bullwhip and inspire them to get David Morgan’s books.

My favorite part of the video is after the thong is braided he shows the thong and says, “Now that you have some nice tight plaits” and if you look at the thong you can see how loose the braid is!!

Louie

http://bullwhips.org

Here’s me giving the almost finished 12 foot bullwhip some cracks.

It’s a monster to crack and a lot of fun!

Louie

Here’s a clip from a practice session:

Louie

Last night I finished the overlay (but need to tie the fall hitch) of a 12 foot Indy Bullwhip.  It was a monster to make, and my hands are very tired after doing it.  I shot loaded the thong of this bullwhip and I’m very curious how it will crack.

I’m also getting a kangaroo rawhide skin ready to cut up.  Yesterday I trimmed it to get ready to cut my strands and case it:

Above is an untrimmed hide and below is the trimmed kangaroo rawhide

Louie

http://bullwhips.org

Today I got some work in on a 12 foot Indy Bullwhip that I’ve been planning on making for myself for a long time.  I had cut out the set for this months ago and was just waiting for time to put the bullwhip together.  I don’t know if I will keep this whip for myself, but I am very curious how a 12 foot bullwhip cracks (which is why I’m making it).

This bullwhip also has a shot loaded core, which is something I’ve never done in a bullwhip.  I’ve shotloaded signal whips and snake whips, but not a bullwhip. So that was a fun little experiment.

Right now I have about 5 feet of the 12 feet of the overlay finished.  With a bit of luck I’ll find time tomorrow to crank out the rest of the overlay.

Before I went on vacation I spent some time at David Morgan’s shop having my braiding technique fixed by David, Alex and Megan.  I’ve applied a lot of the tips that they’ve given me and my braid is much more consistant in tightness and my seam is much straighter!

Also Megan gave me a great tip on paring my falls, that will make paring the top left and bottom right side much easier and have a more consistant angle.

Louie

P.S. I still have an 8 foot 16 plait bullwhip and a sweet 4 foot 12 plait bullwhip for sale in the IN STOCK page of my blog: http://bullwhips.org/?page_id=798

Just a quick heads up that I’m on vacation from today (8/218/08) until Monday (9/1/08).  I won’t be returning any emails or phone calls until I return on Tuesday (9/2/08) and no work will be done on any bullwhips until I return.

Louie

http://bullwhips.org

Yesterday I finished shellacing a 6 foot 12 plait Indy bullwhip. It’s got a lead loaded handle and a nice crack to it!

Recently I’ve backed off the amount of lead that I put into my 6 foot bullwhips and I think it gives me a better looking handle.

Louie
P.S. I’ve got a lot of whips in my “IN STOCK” page. Click here to see what’s in stock!