Yesterday evening I started braiding the 12 plait overlay of one of the bullwhips that I had started. It’s turning out pretty good so far, but it’s still got a long way to go. I’ve plaited almost 2 feet…so I’m a third of the way done.

The last 4 or 5 whips I have made were cow leather, and switching back to kangaroo is great. Kanagroo is soo much better to work with. It’s easier to cut, pare, and plait.

I’m excited to finish work on this whip.

I’ve finally taken a picture of the stockwhip that I made!

This whip is about 4.5 feet and I think the thong is a little bit narrow. I may try to redo it with a some more bolster

I haven’t gotten to really go out and crack this whip yet, so maybe I after my show today I will give it a test.

Today I cut out three 4 plait bellies (2nd belly) and plaited two of them onto their whips. So I have to bullwhips ready for the overlays and one that is all cut out except for the overlay, but isn’t put together.

Making the whips in groups is much much easier and faster than doing them one start to finish, then doing another…but the one step that takes the longest is the overlay…and even cutting it out in batches won’t speed up the plaiting.

I haven’t decided if I am going to make two 8 plaits or two 12 plait whips.

One thing that I have learned from making this batch of whips is that I taper my bellies too fast, it should be much more gradual.

Also earlier today I got some more 8 inch spikes for the handles of whips…but I also got some 12 inch spikes. To add weight to the butts of the 12 inch spikes I got some nuts and put two onto each spike and wedged them in with a piece of fabric.

I’m making some longer handled whips based on some that I saw on Mike Murphy’s No Bull Whipcracking DVD. He had 7.5 footers with 12 inch handles…also his whips looked very narrow…maybe two plaited bellies without a bolster????

Earlier today I cut out three bolsters for the whips that I have been cutting out. Right now here’s the status:

Whip #1: Core * 4 plait belly * bolster cut out and lubed up, but not attached
Whip #2: Core * 4 plait belly * bolster cut out and lubed up, but not attached
Whip #3: Core, 4 plait belly and bolster cout out but none attached

My next step is to attached the bolsters and cut out the next belly. I am not sure what the overlays are going to be. I had someone email me asking me about a pair of whips the same size, so I may make a pair of whips with 12 plait over lay and one with an 8 plait…but I’m not postive yet.

Here’s a picture of the 5 foot bullwhip that is 12 plait kip leather.

This whip was finished last week, I just hadn’t uploaded pictures of it.

I’ve plaited two of the three 4 plait bellies that I cut out the other day. So the next step is to cut out bolsters for them. Also on one of the bellies, I glued both the core and belly to the handle. Normally I just bind them, it’s an experiment to try to get a less wobbly knob when the whip is finished.

Going to the race track today to bet on the ponies…so I probaby won’t be getting too much work on any whips done later today.

I’ve finished the kangaroo stock whip, it’s an 8 plait about 4.5 feet. I haven’t cracked it yet, I’ve been too buy to go to the park. It turned out a little slim and I think in the future I will add an extra layer of bolster to it to bulk it up.

Yesterday I cut out three cores, and three 4 plait bellies for 5 foot bullwhips. I may get them started soon. I’ve realized that it’s much faster and makes less waste of the hides when I cut them in bulk. I’m thinking I will make two 12 plait kangaroo overlay whips at 5 feet and one 8 plait roo whip…but we’ll see what happens.

I have an nice natural roo hide that I got from David Morgan that I cant wait to cut up. After doing a lot of kip overlays lately, then cutting that roo stockwhip…I definately prefer the kangaroo. It makes a better whip…but also a better looking whip!

Yesterday I started work on my first real attempt at a stock whip. My plan is to make two whips so that I can use them to learn two handed stockwhip cracking. I have Mike Murphy’s Fundemental Whip Cracking video that has the basics of two handed work. I ordered the No BS whip cracking/Dueling Whips from Joe Strain yesterday…I know I’m not ready for that DVD yet, but it’s fun to watch more advanced routines.

So back to that stockwhip that I am working on. I’ve made the half plaited handle (12 plait overlay) and worked on about half the overlay of the thong. Depending on how much free time I have today, I may get the thong finished.

Yesterday I put the thong of the cowhide stock(yard) whip that Paul Stenhouse had made for me onto my stock and I did notice difference. My stock is much ligher and thinner than the stenhouse one. but my thong is going to probably be thinner and ligher that the stenhouse thong.

I cut out 2 cores for this stockwhip, since I plan on making two whips, I figured I’d save a bit of time by cutting them out at the same time. Below is the belly set, I ended up cutting these out several times, because I tapered them to a point, and according to David Morgan’s book they should only taper slightly.

Above is the stock without the keeper attached Below is the finished handle. The handle is “natural tan” and the turks head on the butt is “saddle tan”. I think/hope I have enough saddle tan left to do the knot of the matching handle.

Yesterday the canes for the stockwhips arrived from Mike Murphy in Australia. I’m trying to come up with a plan on how to make the actual whip. I’m not sure what I am going to do for the actual construction of this whip. the Ron Edwards book and David Morgan’s book have different construction.

Also in the Edwards book there is a simple whip that is a 4 plait. I may make one of those out of kip first to see what happens. That way I don’t waste the roo on a mistake.

Paul Nolan had mentioned to me that Mike Murphy makes a precut whip kit. That kit is cowhide and uses the pattern from the beginning of edwards book. That’s a 4 plait whip.

I think my plan is go to with a core then a layer that wraps around the core that is connected to a 4 plait belly by a keeper. Then finally the 8 plait overlay. The 8 plait overlay will be 4 plaits on each side of another layer of the keeper.

It’s still early over here, and I have some time before I need to go out and do a show, so I may get cuttin’.

It’s funny how much the color of a whip will change while making it. The knots are the same hide as the thong, but look at how much the color has changed because of the plaiting soap and just being handled!

the whip above was my first roo whip.