Here’s the finished 6 foot bullwhip:
It’s 8 plait in tannery dyed whiskey colored, veg tanned, drum stuffed kangaroo:
It’s got a great crack to it!
I’ve got it listed on the IN STOCK whips page!
8 Plait Bullwhip
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Bullwhip Making on the Road
Sometimes when I travel, I make bullwhips in my hotel room. I’ve done this enough over the years that I have a system. It starts with laying down a plastic drop cloth on the ground to make my mess easy to clean!
Here’s the outer belly of the six foot bullwhip I’m working on:
And here’s the whip with the boslter attached:
And the 8 plait whiskey overlay that has been stretched and pared:
I have a way I lock the whip into the door jam to keep it from slipping out while I plait.
This 6 foot 8 plait bullwhip should be done tomorrow! This is a whip I’m making for fun, so when it’s done, I’ll list it on my IN STOCK whip page.
Junk Shop Whips!
I’m in a small town today and stopped by an “antique mall” and came across some whips.
The first whip looks to be an 8 plait bullwhip that was made out of split leather, so there is no grain side, only flesh on both sides of the strands. That means it lacks the smoother grain side of the whip.
The second whip is a 4 plait two tone swivel handle whip.
The final whip is a rawhide quirt.
The two bullwhips were pretty dried out, and would need some Pecard Leather Dressing before you could crack them without worrying about blowing the ends off the whips.
Usually if you find a whip in an antique shop, it’s poorly maintained and overpriced. I think these are being sold more for decoration that for someone to go out and crack in the yard. You could get better whips or at least equal quality and new for the same price they were asking for these!
Mini bullwhip
Sometimes I have time for a fun project. This is a mini bullwhip that measures approx 14 inches from the butt of the handle to the end of the fall hitch:
It’s a 12 plait kangaroo whip made in the style of the Indiana Jones whips. Internally it’s got a plaited belly and the 12 plait overlay ends with a 6 plait point.
This little whips are challenging and fun to make!
This whip is listed for sale on my IN STOCK whips page
-Louie
Working on a Whip…
Working on a 6 foot bullwhip while watching a documentary that’s projected on the wall by my plaiting hook.
This allows me to watch the movie with my periphery vision while keeping the plaiting as my main focus
-Louie
Hang On…
This blog had my whipmaking journey from my first whip onward. However the archives were lost to 2020 due to a server upgrade.
I’m still making whips, and offer products like my Bullwhip Making for the Beginner ebook.
If you’d like info and pricing on a bullwhip feel free to contact me!
– Louie