Design Analysis

[8thsinner]

What goes into designing a whip

How a whip will act is based on how it is put together, and these different elements are controlled to reach the desired outcome. A true custom maker will be able to carefully control these elements to reach a balanced outcome based on your preferences. speed, mass, impact force, weight, balance point, accuracy, flow, etc

Some things are impossible to balance, or nearly so, eg a 3 kilo 30 footer which will crack with 1lb of force behind it in the space of one second. The extreme mass simply cannot be controlled to allow for such an energy transfer.

Breakdown of what elements effect what.

Flow

The flow of energy is controlled by the density of the material used and how it is manipulated into a pattern.

A four plait belly, with bolster and 16 strand overlay in a regular whip plait, eg, under four over four. has a limited number of connections between each strand, the flexibility of each individual strand is not very well controlled because the number of friction alternations is low.

However, that same 16 strands if plaited in an under one, over one, under one, over one, under one, over one, under one, over one pattern will have more alternating friction points, which means the amount of movement being allowed is severely reduced. Resulting in a higher density plait. Higher density means better energy transfer.

Obviously this principle is also applied to the inside workings of a whip, a double plait belly will reduce the movement allowance in underlying layers meaning higher density and better energy transfer.

Bevels

Beveling the strands can be done in many ways, You take the vertical edge of the lace and change it's angle to perhaps 30 degrees instead of 90. If this is done on the fall end of the whip in each lace, and the opposite ( handle ) side beveled at thirty degrees in the opposite direction these strands will sit in more closely to each other, the angles help the lace fall into a perfect position. This results in more a smaller gap size between laces lying side by side. This greatly effects the work. If you think about it like this.

If you could see the energy as a line being passed down a solid bar of material, what happens when the energy hits a dip in the road? The shock wave must follow the line of the dip which disturbs the flow of energy. It then flows out from this following reflection and refraction. This effects the efficiency of the energy transfer and therefore throw of the whip.

Balance of flow

A good balance of flow must be maintained in the above calculations also. A tight sequence like the latter plaited the full length of a whip will not move as much laterally and take a considerably longer time to break in. It's in fact too tight to allow an efficient level of energy transfer.

Transition area

The area of transition from say a steel cored handle and the leather is important to consider. The energy in a steel bar is unobstructed, the ability for leather to transfer energy is not as smooth, the transition from fast transfer of energy to slow transfer of energy effects much like a traffic jam, it causes things to slow down and get messy. The energy ends up being bounced all around this area and eventually this can result in a broken whip body.

In order to reduce this The leather in this area is normally more tightly bound with strong threads to increase density and therefore more smoothly flowing transfer of energy.

Taper

The amount of taper which I categorize as a ratio from core width at the handle to the core width in the fall area over a limited distance greatly effects the speed of the crack at the end of it's energy transference.

A whip with a one inch handle and half inch fall area over six feet, ( 1/2 x 6 ) will move more slowly than a core of a one inch at the handle and 1/4 of an inch at the fall area. ( 1/4 x 6 )

This is because the energy is traveling much more quickly due to the reduced mass inside the whip over the same distance.

Taper is controlled in one of three ways inside a whip, more noticeable on the overlay.

Tapering strands

A 16plait whip which starts with strands a 1/4" wide may be cut in a tapered fashion perhaps down to 3/16" Because the strand is taperd itself the energy transfer is much smoother.

Reducing strands

Strands are kept the same width during the entire length of the whip, The strands are usually tapered inside the whip lait itself using various methods but at some point that strand ends, inside the main body. This causes two direct effects.

1) The strand lying inside the whip sits up deforming the outer layer.

2) The strand ends.

The first example creates an alternate route for the energy to travel along, and the latter causes the energy to jump from the end of the strand to the next point of contact.

Tapering and reducing strands.

Strands are tapered to a degree causing a more efficient transfer but the strands are also reduced, the loss in reducing the strand is coutner acted by the more efficient tapering shape.

Mass

The mass of the entire whip is important but everything begins at the handle. A very heavy handle will be harder to control with ease but will begin a larger transfer of energy down the body of the whip. This higher energy level causes two main effects.

The fall and crack of the whip will be traveling much more quickly and result is a louder crack with more force behind it.

Also the larger amount of energy also has to come to a sudden stop, creating more, heat, noise and friction against the air itself. All these factors destroy the fibres of the crack. In all cases the crack needs to be replaced more often for the same amount of use.

Balance

Balance is extremely important for the user as it's directly responsible for the ease at which multiple cracks can be made.

A whip with the handle weight being equal to the entirety of the weight of the body of the whip will result in a whip which is easy to move from one crack to another without wasting physical energy by moving your arms and hand more.

A lighter handle will be more cumbersome, this is all quite similar to lever principles.

A heavy handle will take more energy to move around and create a slower whip action.

Accuracy

Many things effect the accuracy of a whip. The skills of the user are not as vital though obviously they do count.

But for the sake of argument we shall say that the whip user is 100% accurate every time.

This comes down the following aspects:

Bias (alignment)

Roll

Circle

Seams

Control

Bias

The bias of a whip is the way the whip falls naturally when the handle is held out horizontally, if the bias is allowed to drop the fall to the ground and you try and twist the handle, it will feel heavier. This is the bias pulling the whip a certain direction. As you continue the rotation you will see the curve of the whip body move more and more outwards, until it eventually pops back into it's natural bias flips around and drops suddenly.

The bias is much more noticeable on a new whip.

Now if you turn a whip 180 degrees against it's bias with the fall towards your shoulder, it will sit in an upward rising curve. but it also comes back on itself forming a near circle. On a new whip this self holding circle can be nearly 3 feet wide.

Roll and circle.

Following on from above, the roll is the distance apart that the body of the whip and the tip end of the whip are apart from each other during the energy transfer. If the BIAS is perfect on every layer, the whip should be touching itself here. If the whip is sitting perfectly vertically during this circle construction but not touching itself then the energy is trying to escape the line of energy which will send the tip of the whip outwards. Not on target.

By dropping your hand slowly the circle should move smoothly down the length of the whip getting smaller and smaller as it does so. If it wobbles to the side the energy will shoot outwards.

If it flops and appears looser in one area (like a kink) the circle will snap because of the energy transfer. this bounces of the internal layers of the whip and causes the area to loosen and breakdown over time.

Seams

Seams are the number of friction points around the whip, A 16 strand under four over four sequence of plait continues to the back in an under four over four for example makes a four seam plait. An under two over two, under two over two 16 strand sequence plait will have 8 seams. As noted with the balance and flow elements of construction this increases the density. Takes longer to break in, slows down the roll and increases the circle dimensions, This can be handy for a dramatically slow whip crack for stage work.

Control

When I say control here, I mean the user control coming from the handle. If the user can move the tip of the handle completely in line with the target and the whip is a good one, then the whip will crack on target. Creating this line is easier to do when the handle is quite long. You have more time to correct the angle during the movement if a mistake in alignment is detected. A shorter handle will not have as much control. A standard sort of length for a target bullwhip is around twelve to fourteen inches, A performance bullwhip may have a handle eight inches long as standard. Stock whips often have handle twice this length in the extreme.

All of the above elements and physics principles can be combined in one word.

THROW

How the whip throws, is the direct result of all of the above factors, describing a whip as "it throws like a noodle" probably means it's not plaited tightly and flops in use. "throws like a needle" may mean it's deadly accurate indoors but it's far too light to stay accurate if the wind catches it. There are probably a million words that can and have been used to describe the throw, but it's common sense to work out why any particular word is used. Throws like a bull probably would be a common term if you kept getting face slapped with the fall.

Things to look for when shopping for a whip.

Nothing can do as much good as having used a really well made whip and you can do this by visiting stores of a suitable nature or fairs or even finding a custom maker who may live in your area.

But if you do not have access to this sort of first hand experience and have to rely on the internet there are a number of things to look for.

Overlay

Regardless of the taper method used in a whips construction the overlay should be smooth the whole way down the thong with no bumpys or wobbly sections,

The plait work should be straight, this is often easier to tell on patterned whips, but the cross over section of the whip plait can easily be followed through the length and doesn't ride too much to the sides in a twisting motion.

Full details of the whip construction should be listed in the least and photographed almost as standard showing enough detail on each layer to prove what is being said. It is possible to get a great looking whip in a picture made from a cloth core with an extremely tight plait, so look for details of the construction method.

Here are a few terms to look at.

Bellies

Bellies can be single or double, leather (Naturally falling) or weighted (loaded)

Naturally falling is when only leather is used to begin the whip, twisted thicker leathers Bull pizzle (traditional), white hide and kip are the usual methods found.

Low plait bellies are standard with the number being most common sitting at four strand.

If a second belly is used there are often more strands usually 8, however this can also be a simple four strand to increase the speed with which the whip can be made, density and flow all improve on the introduction of a second belly.

Loaded

The usual method of loading a whip is to stitch a pigskin, kip, chap leather etc. Even duct taped instead of stitched and this does not affect the results. The leather pouch is formed into a long taper, this can be long or short depending on the desired outcome. This pouch (kip leather, pigskin etc) is filled most often with bird shot lead pellets but other lead pellets are used. Tungsten powder can also be used and it's heavier than lead meaning a heavier whip can be made without automatically implying that it will be a thick whip.

Tapering method.

Regardless of which tapering method is used, it should specify. If someone is using tapering strands for example, the maker probably spent up to a year getting this preparation process perfect enough to be used in a whip. They will be proud of the fact and should advertise it.

The reduction method is somewhat quicker and easier to do but can also reduce the over all costs.

Bolsters

Bolsters are often used to somewhat pad the plaited layer beneath, and help to smooth out the shape of the taper. They can be thin and even a little flimsy or even quite firm. They can be twisted around the thong, or have a straight seam through the length of it's use. A common construction may be, twisted leather core, bolster, plaited belly, bolster then possibly another belly, bolster and finally an overlay.

Type of material

Kangaroo is one of the strongest leathers, Red hide skins being the best, Females improving the quality again and using a drum stuffed tanning process on top will dramatically increase the strength of the laces used. Using this type of leather allows for very fine strands of even 1mm to be used and still pulled very tightly.

It certainly is not necessary for 16 plait whips but the 16 plait with this leather will be extremely tight and take a little longer to break in.

Cow hides

Come in many forms being more common in every day use and careful research should be done on this. Simply stating cowhide doesn't mean much, Chrome tanned (the commercially most common form of tanning) results in a much weaker hide with the fibres being broken down all too much. Vegetable tanned is much stronger, holds it's natural oils better and longer and breaks down the internal fibres much much less.

Cowhides will rarely be split to very low thickness ratings because it is a little weaker, but you can still get very strong plaits from cowhide, especially if the laces are beveled.

Nylon

Nylon used to have this stigma about it in the whip world, older nylon whips have died out. Now a days nylon whips use para cord can be pulled very tightly and can out perform a lesser quality leather whip. It is important to judge nylon and leather on an equal playing field. Nylon reduces costs usually by half but give a low budget user a reliable means of play.

Nylon can also be beaten and abused more than leather on surfaces such as concrete.

Dacron

This is a technologically more advanced material than nylon, extremely strong, and lighter weight. A 10 foot Dacron whip may weigh only as much as a 5-6 foot leather whip. It is rare to find a whip maker who uses it, but those who do can deliver extremely high quality whips.

Edited October 2, 2010 by 8thsinner

[8thsinner]

I am working on the above article for my web site for when it's ready again. If you spot any mistakes or disagree on something point it out and we can work through it, I may be adding and updating myself to develop into a more structured piece.

Otherwise let me know what you think, and whether or not it helps you understand whip making.

[acox4t4]

Whow, For me I found it to be very interesting reading. I learned alot about what goes into the thought process of how a whip is made -- alot of information that I had no idea went into making of a whip. For me not being a whip maker can't say if anything is wrong or right but I can say that I enjoyed reading it.

[8thsinner]

Glad you enjoyed it.

Just went to edit and add more though and realised I couldn't, since when did threads have a time frame for allowing edits?

I'll just repost when I get a little more done. Have to start thinking about newtons law and how to go about employing these elements into physical work.

[bullwhips]

8thsinner,

I replied with my thoughts in bold. You asked for feedback and I'm not trying to say I know more than anyone...In the realm of things I don't know much. However what's below are my opinions on whip making and they are that...opinions based on my experiences. Remember opinions are like *ssholes...everyone has one. The paragraphs I had no comment on I didn't copy, so they aren't below, just things I had thought on. I hope you take it for what I intended it to be constructive opinions...I did my best to put my reasoning for my opinions.

One more note the forum dosen't like my comments in bold, and convereted a lot of the entire text to bold and won't let me change it, so where I couldn't use plain text I put a ** before and after my comments. sorry if this is difficult to read.

Some things are impossible to balance, or nearly so, eg a 3 kilo 30 footer which will crack with 1lb of force behind it in the space of one second. The extreme mass simply cannot be controlled to allow for such an energy transfer.

You can balance a 30 foot whip, you just need a big ol' heavy handle. Think bulluck whip.

Flow

The flow of energy is controlled by the density of the material used and how it is manipulated into a pattern.

A four plait belly, with bolster and 16 strand overlay in a regular whip plait, eg, under four over four. has a limited number of connections between each strand, the flexibility of each individual strand is not very well controlled because the number of friction alternations is low. However, that same 16 strands if plaited in an under one, over one, under one, over one, under one, over one, under one, over one pattern will have more alternating friction points, which means the amount of movement being allowed is severely reduced. Resulting in a higher density plait. Higher density means better energy transfer.By this theory a whip that's entirely checkerboard will crack better than one that's 4 or 6 seam in the lash. There's a reason why you don't see a lot of all checkerboard whips (besides being a pain to make) they don't crack as well as a 4 seam whip.

Bevels

Beveling the strands can be done in many ways, You take the vertical edge of the lace and change it's angle to perhaps 30 degrees instead of 90. If this is done on the fall end of the whip in each lace, and the opposite ( handle ) side beveled at thirty degrees in the opposite direction these strands will sit in more closely to each other, the angles help the lace fall into a perfect position. This results in more a smaller gap size between laces lying side by side. This greatly effects the work. If you think about it like this.

If you could see the energy as a line being passed down a solid bar of material, what happens when the energy hits a dip in the road? The shock wave must follow the line of the dip which disturbs the flow of energy. It then flows out from this following reflection and refraction. This effects the efficiency of the energy transfer and therefore throw of the whip. Personally I think that beveling the strands for a competent whip maker ends up being more of a cosmetic thing that a function that. For example Chris Barr who made that 72 strand stock whip doesn't bevel his lace. If you thing about it beveling actually weakens the leather at the point, the whip will be stronger with more square corners. There's an old sideshow stunt where you tear a phone book in half, and you do that by beveling the edge and tearing a nick in a couple of pages and ride that tear into the next couple and so on and before you know it you've torn the phone book in half. Same thing with a pared strand, you get a little nick in the point (which is the plait part that takes the most abuse) and by flexing and rubbing on the ground that little nick an grow into a broken strand.

Taper

The amount of taper which I categorize as a ratio from core width at the handle to the core width in the fall area over a limited distance greatly effects the speed of the crack at the end of it's energy transference.

A whip with a one inch handle and half inch fall area over six feet, ( 1/2 x 6 ) will move more slowly than a core of a one inch at the handle and 1/4 of an inch at the fall area. ( 1/4 x 6 )

This is because the energy is traveling much more quickly due to the reduced mass inside the whip over the same distance.

**This is dependent on how the whip is actually tapered. a whip that sharply tapers immediately off the handle and then evenly tapers the rest will handle different from a whip with the same start and end dimensions that evenly taper its entire length or one that is thick for most of it's length then sharply drops off at the point. So in my eyes it's more how the whip tapers than the actual dimensions.**

Taper is controlled in one of three ways inside a whip, more noticeable on the overlay.

Tapering strands

A 16plait whip which starts with strands a 1/4" wide may be cut in a tapered fashion perhaps down to 3/16" Because the strand is taperd itself the energy transfer is much smoother.

Reducing strands

Strands are kept the same width during the entire length of the whip, The strands are usually tapered inside the whip lait itself using various methods but at some point that strand ends, inside the main body. This causes two direct effects.

1) The strand lying inside the whip sits up deforming the outer layer.

2) The strand ends.

The first example creates an alternate route for the energy to travel along, and the latter causes the energy to jump from the end of the strand to the next point of contact.

Tapering and reducing strands.

Strands are tapered to a degree causing a more efficient transfer but the strands are also reduced, the loss in reducing the strand is coutner acted by the more efficient tapering shape.

**FYI the above is very difficult to understand, I"m not quite sure what you are trying to say, so I don't have an opinion as to whether I agree or disagree with it. **

Mass

The mass of the entire whip is important but everything begins at the handle. A very heavy handle will be harder to control with ease but will begin a larger transfer of energy down the body of the whip. This higher energy level causes two main effects.

The fall and crack of the whip will be traveling much more quickly and result is a louder crack with more force behind it.

Also the larger amount of energy also has to come to a sudden stop, creating more, heat, noise and friction against the air itself. All these factors destroy the fibres of the crack. In all cases the crack needs to be replaced more often for the same amount of use.

**The cracker is designed to be replaced, so this really isn't a issue...except in the case of a with a braided in cracker. Usually a whip with a braided cracker is shorter and doesn't take the abuse that a 10 foot bullwhip will. **

Balance

Balance is extremely important for the user as it's directly responsible for the ease at which multiple cracks can be made.

A whip with the handle weight being equal to the entirety of the weight of the body of the whip will result in a whip which is easy to move from one crack to another without wasting physical energy by moving your arms and hand more.

A lighter handle will be more cumbersome, this is all quite similar to lever principles.

A heavy handle will take more energy to move around and create a slower whip action

.

**This is very much debatable, for example Adam Winrich who's had the Guiness World Record holder for volleys with a bullwhip prefers a nose heavy bullwhip. However one thing I've learned as a whip maker balance comes down to personal preference. Different balances crack differently, but one isn't necessarily better than another. **

Accuracy

Many things effect the accuracy of a whip. The skills of the user are not as vital though obviously they do count. **What! The skills of the user are more important than the whip...but more importantly it's the skill of the user that's familiar that specific whip. I'd trust a whip cracker to knock a cigarette out of my mouth that's an expert using a poor whip much more than poor whip cracker using a expertly made whip. **

But for the sake of argument we shall say that the whip user is 100% accurate every time.

This comes down the following aspects:

Bias (alignment)

Roll

Circle

Seams

Control

Bias

The bias of a whip is the way the whip falls naturally when the handle is held out horizontally, if the bias is allowed to drop the fall to the ground and you try and twist the handle, it will feel heavier. This is the bias pulling the whip a certain direction. As you continue the rotation you will see the curve of the whip body move more and more outwards, until it eventually pops back into it's natural bias flips around and drops suddenly.

The bias is much more noticeable on a new whip.

Now if you turn a whip 180 degrees against it's bias with the fall towards your shoulder, it will sit in an upward rising curve. but it also comes back on itself forming a near circle. On a new whip this self holding circle can be nearly 3 feet wide. **You can train a whip to change it's bias. The natural curve is put there by the whip maker and the whip making process. However if you take a whip and use is 90 degrees off it's natural curve and coil it 90 degress off, over time the bias will change. **

Roll and circle.

Following on from above, the roll is the distance apart that the body of the whip and the tip end of the whip are apart from each other during the energy transfer. If the BIAS is perfect on every layer, the whip should be touching itself here. If the whip is sitting perfectly vertically during this circle construction but not touching itself then the energy is trying to escape the line of energy which will send the tip of the whip outwards. Not on target.

By dropping your hand slowly the circle should move smoothly down the length of the whip getting smaller and smaller as it does so. If it wobbles to the side the energy will shoot outwards.

If it flops and appears looser in one area (like a kink) the circle will snap because of the energy transfer. this bounces of the internal layers of the whip and causes the area to loosen and breakdown over time.** I'm not sure how I feel about this...obviously this would be hard to test one whip longer than a few feet because if you are rolling out the whip, as soon as it hits the ground initial slow down and continuing friction will drastically alter the results of this. sure you could dangle the whip off a bridge and put a loop in it...but if you already have the whip in you hand you might as well just crack it and see how it tracks in the air...does it throw straight or wobble. **

Seams

Seams are the number of friction points around the whip, A 16 strand under four over four sequence of plait continues to the back in an under four over four for example makes a four seam plait. An under two over two, under two over two 16 strand sequence plait will have 8 seams. As noted with the balance and flow elements of construction this increases the density. Takes longer to break in, slows down the roll and increases the circle dimensions, This can be handy for a dramatically slow whip crack for stage work. **Once again I'm not sure how I feel about this...a skilled whip user will know cracking techniques to dramatically slow down the whip (think Anthony Delongis's style which was designed for film work), that way you can do a mix of slow and fast cracks with the same whip. **

Control

When I say control here, I mean the user control coming from the handle. If the user can move the tip of the handle completely in line with the target and the whip is a good one, then the whip will crack on target. Creating this line is easier to do when the handle is quite long. You have more time to correct the angle during the movement if a mistake in alignment is detected. A shorter handle will not have as much control. A standard sort of length for a target bullwhip is around twelve to fourteen inches, A performance bullwhip may have a handle eight inches long as standard. Stock whips often have handle twice this length in the extreme.

**The length of the handle doesn't really give you more time to correct a bad throw...but it gives you more leverage to really tell a whip where to go initially. If you try to move the whip halfway through the crack the whip will get mad at you because you are giving it mixed signals and not go where you want it. **

All of the above elements and physics principles can be combined in one word.

THROW

How the whip throws, is the direct result of all of the above factors, describing a whip as "it throws like a noodle" probably means it's not plaited tightly and flops in use**Flopping also usually means it's light internally**. "throws like a needle" may mean it's deadly accurate indoors but it's far too light to stay accurate if the wind catches it. There are probably a million words that can and have been used to describe the throw, but it's common sense to work out why any particular word is used. Throws like a bull probably would be a common term if you kept getting face slapped with the fall.

Here are a few terms to look at.

Bellies

Bellies can be single or double or more like Bernie at EM whips, leather (Naturally falling) or weighted (loaded)

Naturally falling is when only leather is used to begin the whip, twisted thicker leathers Bull pizzle (traditional), white hide and kip are the usual methods found.

Low plait bellies are standard with the number being most common sitting at four strand.

If a second belly is used there are often more strands usually 8, however this can also be a simple four strand to increase the speed with which the whip can be made, density and flow all improve on the introduction of a second belly. I personally think that the number of belly strands is irrelevant because of all the layers above compressing down on it. The plaited belly adds density weight, and a bit of stiffness...and I bet the most knowledgeable whip cracker couldn't tell which whip had 4 or 8 strands in the belly if you had two whips by the same maker.

Tapering method.

Regardless of which tapering method is used, it should specify. If someone is using tapering strands for example, the maker probably spent up to a year getting this preparation process perfect enough to be used in a whip. They will be proud of the fact and should advertise it.

The reduction method is somewhat quicker and easier to do but can also reduce the over all costs. **most whip makers don't specify that they taper strands. This is a basic whip making skill. Look at guys like chris barr, joe strain, vic tella, or paul nolan's websites, none of them dramatically advertise that. It might be mentioned in a FAQ, but it's something all whip maker should be able to do if they are selling a whip.**

Bolsters

Bolsters are often used to somewhat pad the plaited layer beneath, and help to smooth out the shape of the taper. They can be thin and even a little flimsy or even quite firm. They can be twisted around the thong, or have a straight seam through the length of it's use. A common construction may be, twisted leather core, bolster, plaited belly, bolster then possibly another belly, bolster and finally an overlay. **A well made whip's bolster shouldn't twist around the thong. It will slow the energy going seam to seam, and the energy will want to travel around the whip instead of in a straight line giving you a turning action. This however will be a very minor effect because the bolster is held tight by the layers above.**

Type of material

Kangaroo is one of the strongest leathers, Red hide skins being the best ** should be the red species...Red Hide typically refers to a specific type of latigo**, Females improving the quality again and using a drum stuffed tanning process on top will dramatically increase the strength of the laces used. Using this type of leather allows for very fine strands of even 1mm to be used and still pulled very tightly.

It certainly is not necessary for 16 plait whips but the 16 plait with this leather will be extremely tight and take a little longer to break in.

Cow hides

Come in many forms being more common in every day use and careful research should be done on this. Simply stating cowhide doesn't mean much, Chrome tanned (the commercially most common form of tanning) results in a much weaker hide with the fibres being broken down all too much.If I recall correctly Terry Jacka uses chrome tanned cowhide in his whips. Vegetable tanned is much stronger, holds it's natural oils better and longer and breaks down the internal fibres much much less.

Cowhides will rarely be split to very low thickness ratings because it is a little weaker, but you can still get very strong plaits from cowhide, especially if the laces are beveled. Beveling decreases the strength...think of that thinner edge

One thing I've learned about whips and whip making is that an article like this is very difficult to do because every whip maker does things differently and whip crackers look for different characteristics in their whips. So much of whip making comes from experience and learning what works for you as the maker and what you as the maker like to crack. Someone could make a whip with all the positive characteristics you mentioned above and still turn out a very bad whip. At the end of the day I'll take the worst whip that Joe Strain made all year over the best whip that a whip maker with a couple years of experience made this year.

Louie

Edited October 3, 2010 by bullwhips

[8thsinner]

8thsinner,

I replied with my thoughts in bold. You asked for feedback and I'm not trying to say I know more than anyone...In the realm of things I don't know much. However what's below are my opinions on whip making and they are that...opinions based on my experiences. Remember opinions are like *ssholes...everyone has one. The paragraphs I had no comment on I didn't copy, so they aren't below, just things I had thought on. I hope you take it for what I intended it to be constructive opinions...I did my best to put my reasoning for my opinions.

I expected constructive responses, thats why I said, if you disagree then say so.

One more note the forum dosen't like my comments in bold, and convereted a lot of the entire text to bold and won't let me change it, so where I couldn't use plain text I put a ** before and after my comments. sorry if this is difficult to read.

No problem

Some things are impossible to balance, or nearly so, eg a 3 kilo 30 footer which will crack with 1lb of force behind it in the space of one second. The extreme mass simply cannot be controlled to allow for such an energy transfer.

You can balance a 30 foot whip, you just need a big ol' heavy handle. Think bulluck whip.

My point here was that there is always a trade of, Perhaps you can suggest another way to word this.

Flow

The flow of energy is controlled by the density of the material used and how it is manipulated into a pattern.

A four plait belly, with bolster and 16 strand overlay in a regular whip plait, eg, under four over four. has a limited number of connections between each strand, the flexibility of each individual strand is not very well controlled because the number of friction alternations is low. However, that same 16 strands if plaited in an under one, over one, under one, over one, under one, over one, under one, over one pattern will have more alternating friction points, which means the amount of movement being allowed is severely reduced. Resulting in a higher density plait. Higher density means better energy transfer.By this theory a whip that's entirely checkerboard will crack better than one that's 4 or 6 seam in the lash. There's a reason why you don't see a lot of all checkerboard whips (besides being a pain to make) they don't crack as well as a 4 seam whip.

I did not actually mean that, and I tried to explain this in the circle and roll section, saying the circle is too large to begin with and will not move right. like I said theres a few things that need redressed.

How about?

Flow

The flow of energy is controlled by the density of the material used, taper method used, mass and method of plaiting used.

A four plait belly, with bolster and 16 strand overlay in a regular whip plait, eg, under four over four has less friction holding it in place so it allows a little more freedom of movement.

However, that same 16 strands if plaited in an under one, over one, under one, over one, under one, over one, under one, over one pattern will have a lot more friction due to the crossovers which restricts the ability of the individual strand to move freely. In essence it's too tight, it's too dense.

Bevels

Beveling the strands can be done in many ways, You take the vertical edge of the lace and change it's angle to perhaps 30 degrees instead of 90. If this is done on the fall end of the whip in each lace, and the opposite ( handle ) side beveled at thirty degrees in the opposite direction these strands will sit in more closely to each other, the angles help the lace fall into a perfect position. This results in more a smaller gap size between laces lying side by side. This greatly effects the work. If you think about it like this.

If you could see the energy as a line being passed down a solid bar of material, what happens when the energy hits a dip in the road? The shock wave must follow the line of the dip which disturbs the flow of energy. It then flows out from this following reflection and refraction. This effects the efficiency of the energy transfer and therefore throw of the whip. Personally I think that beveling the strands for a competent whip maker ends up being more of a cosmetic thing that a function that. For example Chris Barr who made that 72 strand stock whip doesn't bevel his lace. If you thing about it beveling actually weakens the leather at the point, the whip will be stronger with more square corners. There's an old sideshow stunt where you tear a phone book in half, and you do that by beveling the edge and tearing a nick in a couple of pages and ride that tear into the next couple and so on and before you know it you've torn the phone book in half. Same thing with a pared strand, you get a little nick in the point (which is the plait part that takes the most abuse) and by flexing and rubbing on the ground that little nick an grow into a broken strand.

Probably true on finer strands and I am sure theres no way to test it in reality, but I do think on larger whip strands the lack of bevel does effect the performance of the whip, possibly more so if the strands are not split too, I noticed this on the tan, pink and purple I last made.

The thing is with beveling, if you are beveling both sides, one side has excess material and other side is the only weakened side, if this weakened side is made wide enough to make up for it, will it still detrimentally affect it?

Taper

The amount of taper which I categorize as a ratio from core width at the handle to the core width in the fall area over a limited distance greatly effects the speed of the crack at the end of it's energy transference.

A whip with a one inch handle and half inch fall area over six feet, ( 1/2 x 6 ) will move more slowly than a core of a one inch at the handle and 1/4 of an inch at the fall area. ( 1/4 x 6 )

This is because the energy is traveling much more quickly due to the reduced mass inside the whip over the same distance.

**This is dependent on how the whip is actually tapered. a whip that sharply tapers immediately off the handle and then evenly tapers the rest will handle different from a whip with the same start and end dimensions that evenly taper its entire length or one that is thick for most of it's length then sharply drops off at the point. So in my eyes it's more how the whip tapers than the actual dimensions.**

I honestly don't understand the principle that chris barr and some others use of adding a swell is it called? And I always assumed tapers were made evenly to the energy flows at the same speed as the rest of the body. Can you explain more about when a whip is tapered differently in different sections of the body?

Taper is controlled in one of three ways inside a whip, more noticeable on the overlay.

Tapering strands

A 16plait whip which starts with strands a 1/4" wide may be cut in a tapered fashion perhaps down to 3/16" Because the strand is taperd itself the energy transfer is much smoother.

Reducing strands

Strands are kept the same width during the entire length of the whip, The strands are usually tapered inside the whip lait itself using various methods but at some point that strand ends, inside the main body. This causes two direct effects.

1) The strand lying inside the whip sits up deforming the outer layer.

2) The strand ends.

The first example creates an alternate route for the energy to travel along, and the latter causes the energy to jump from the end of the strand to the next point of contact.

Tapering and reducing strands.

Strands are tapered to a degree causing a more efficient transfer but the strands are also reduced, the loss in reducing the strand is coutner acted by the more efficient tapering shape.

**FYI the above is very difficult to understand, I"m not quite sure what you are trying to say, so I don't have an opinion as to whether I agree or disagree with it. **

I mean that every reduction part of the whip that is not tapered and thinned and tucked into the body carefully will effect not only the look but the action of the whip too. I could be wrong on this but physically it makes sense to me.

How does this read to you?

Taper is controlled in one of three ways inside a whip. The method used on the overlay is often easy to see if you know what to look for.

Tapering strands

A 16plait whip which starts with strands a 1/4" wide may be cut in a tapered fashion perhaps down to 3/16" Because the strand tapers itself the energy transfer is much smoother and it looks a little better in my opinion. Being able to cut tapered strands is a fairly standard whip making skill however, without tools it can be a difficult to learn. I myself use the next method, and will do so until I can afford better tools.

Reducing strands

Strands are kept the same width during the entire length of the whip, The strands are cut at predetermined intervals (judged by the thickness of the whip and how the plait is acting at that point ie whether it sits well) and tucked into the body of the whip, the strands are often tucked into the body for a few inches or more and slowly tapered them selves.

Tapering and reducing strands.

Strands are tapered to a degree causing a more efficient transfer but the strands are also reduced, I believe Bernie at EM brand whips often combines both depending on circumstance.

a 24 plait overlay should not have every strand tapered down, an eight plait and six plait finish at the fall is normal there fore tapering and reducing can be combined to best effect. There is nothing against a larger point finish eg 12 strands as long as they are quite fine, but 12 wider strands may not sit well. However, 12 wide strands on a large heavy and hard hitting whip may be suitable.

Mass

The mass of the entire whip is important but everything begins at the handle. A very heavy handle will be harder to control with ease but will begin a larger transfer of energy down the body of the whip. This higher energy level causes two main effects.

The fall and crack of the whip will be traveling much more quickly and result is a louder crack with more force behind it.

Also the larger amount of energy also has to come to a sudden stop, creating more, heat, noise and friction against the air itself. All these factors destroy the fibres of the crack. In all cases the crack needs to be replaced more often for the same amount of use.

**The cracker is designed to be replaced, so this really isn't a issue...except in the case of a with a braided in cracker. Usually a whip with a braided cracker is shorter and doesn't take the abuse that a 10 foot bullwhip will. **

Completely true, and I was only really talking about the cracker here, It makes little difference to a 10 foot bull because the crack can be replaced, but it might help a beginner to know why his heavy bullwhip needs a new cracker every week. Of course the crack material makes a big difference too.

But it does also become relevant if you are trying to cut through tins of coke too. A whip with less mass, will certainly struggle.

Balance

Balance is extremely important for the user as it's directly responsible for the ease at which multiple cracks can be made.

A whip with the handle weight being equal to the entirety of the weight of the body of the whip will result in a whip which is easy to move from one crack to another without wasting physical energy by moving your arms and hand more.

A lighter handle will be more cumbersome, this is all quite similar to lever principles.

A heavy handle will take more energy to move around and create a slower whip action

.

**This is very much debatable, for example Adam Winrich who's had the Guiness World Record holder for volleys with a bullwhip prefers a nose heavy bullwhip. However one thing I've learned as a whip maker balance comes down to personal preference. Different balances crack differently, but one isn't necessarily better than another. **

I suppose it is quite difficult to tell how someone uses a whip and what balance they expect, but I still thought there was some sort of universal truth to balance point being in a certain place.

Would this read better?

Balance

Balance is extremely important for the user as it's directly responsible for the ease at which the whip can be used. Every one has there own preference.

A whip with the handle weight being equal to the entirety of the weight of the body of the whip will result in a whip which is easy to move from one crack to another without wasting physical energy by moving your arms and hand more.

A light handle On a heavy whip may not have the right amount of weight to it for you to be able to control easily. But at the same time for target work it may be easier to get consistent groupings simply because the whip when in motion is much harder to put off course with wind for example.

A heavier handled lighter tipped whip may leave the user in the right line but the wind may also take it easily.

Accuracy

Many things effect the accuracy of a whip. The skills of the user are not as vital though obviously they do count. **What! The skills of the user are more important than the whip...but more importantly it's the skill of the user that's familiar that specific whip. I'd trust a whip cracker to knock a cigarette out of my mouth that's an expert using a poor whip much more than poor whip cracker using a expertly made whip. **So would I even, and I agree cause I have done it, but in my case it was a guy who had six months target cutting practice with only a slightly twisted whip.

I still stand by this, adam winrich being familiar with a specific whip can probably make accurate cuts with a slightly inaccurate whip, but the whip should be at a certain level before he would want to use it. If a whip plait was twisted around three times before it met the fall it would not be an accurate whip no matter who used it, it would be too unpredictable.

But for the sake of argument we shall say that the whip user is 100% accurate every time.

This comes down the following aspects:

Bias (alignment)

Roll

Circle

Seams

Control

Bias

The bias of a whip is the way the whip falls naturally when the handle is held out horizontally, if the bias is allowed to drop the fall to the ground and you try and twist the handle, it will feel heavier. This is the bias pulling the whip a certain direction. As you continue the rotation you will see the curve of the whip body move more and more outwards, until it eventually pops back into it's natural bias flips around and drops suddenly.

The bias is much more noticeable on a new whip.

Now if you turn a whip 180 degrees against it's bias with the fall towards your shoulder, it will sit in an upward rising curve. but it also comes back on itself forming a near circle. On a new whip this self holding circle can be nearly 3 feet wide. **You can train a whip to change it's bias. The natural curve is put there by the whip maker and the whip making process. However if you take a whip and use is 90 degrees off it's natural curve and coil it 90 degress off, over time the bias will change. **

I had never thought of trying to train a whip in this fashion, would it not loosen the other side too much leaving it not as accurate?

Roll and circle.

Following on from above, the roll is the distance apart that the body of the whip and the tip end of the whip are apart from each other during the energy transfer. If the BIAS is perfect on every layer, the whip should be touching itself here. If the whip is sitting perfectly vertically during this circle construction but not touching itself then the energy is trying to escape the line of energy which will send the tip of the whip outwards. Not on target.

By dropping your hand slowly the circle should move smoothly down the length of the whip getting smaller and smaller as it does so. If it wobbles to the side the energy will shoot outwards.

If it flops and appears looser in one area (like a kink) the circle will snap because of the energy transfer. this bounces of the internal layers of the whip and causes the area to loosen and breakdown over time.** I'm not sure how I feel about this...obviously this would be hard to test one whip longer than a few feet because if you are rolling out the whip, as soon as it hits the ground initial slow down and continuing friction will drastically alter the results of this. sure you could dangle the whip off a bridge and put a loop in it...but if you already have the whip in you hand you might as well just crack it and see how it tracks in the air...does it throw straight or wobble. **

It would be hard to test to a very fine degree, but doing this with the whip even on a table will give an indication of how smooth the action is. I could be way off base here but I have seen things like demonstrated and it makes sense.

Seams

Seams are the number of friction points around the whip, A 16 strand under four over four sequence of plait continues to the back in an under four over four for example makes a four seam plait. An under two over two, under two over two 16 strand sequence plait will have 8 seams. As noted with the balance and flow elements of construction this increases the density. Takes longer to break in, slows down the roll and increases the circle dimensions, This can be handy for a dramatically slow whip crack for stage work.

**Once again I'm not sure how I feel about this...a skilled whip user will know cracking techniques to dramatically slow down the whip (think Anthony Delongis's style which was designed for film work), that way you can do a mix of slow and fast cracks with the same whip. **

I was trying to point out how the 8 seams would negatively effect things here, But I have seen videos of delonghis do this, And it's fantastic...Hmm, I am not ever sure here how to write what I mean now.

Am I right in thinking say a 16 footer would probably crack well with a tighter seam but a smaller whip by comparison wouldn't?

Control

When I say control here, I mean the user control coming from the handle. If the user can move the tip of the handle completely in line with the target and the whip is a good one, then the whip will crack on target. Creating this line is easier to do when the handle is quite long. You have more time to correct the angle during the movement if a mistake in alignment is detected. A shorter handle will not have as much control. A standard sort of length for a target bullwhip is around twelve to fourteen inches, A performance bullwhip may have a handle eight inches long as standard. Stock whips often have handle twice this length in the extreme.

**The length of the handle doesn't really give you more time to correct a bad throw...but it gives you more leverage to really tell a whip where to go initially. If you try to move the whip halfway through the crack the whip will get mad at you because you are giving it mixed signals and not go where you want it. **

Does this work then?

Control

When I say control here, I mean the user control coming from the handle. If the user can move the tip of the handle completely in line with the target and the whip is a good one, then the whip will crack on target. Creating this line is easier to do when the handle is quite long because it gives you more time and leverage to get a line initially established. A shorter handle will not have as much control because of this lack of leverage.

A standard sort of length for a target bullwhip is around twelve to fourteen inches, A performance bullwhip may have a handle eight inches long as standard. Stock whips often have handle twice this length in the extreme.

All of the above elements and physics principles can be combined in one word.

THROW

How the whip throws, is the direct result of all of the above factors, describing a whip as "it throws like a noodle" probably means it's not plaited tightly and flops in use**Flopping also usually means it's light internally**. "throws like a needle" may mean it's deadly accurate indoors but it's far too light to stay accurate if the wind catches it. There are probably a million words that can and have been used to describe the throw, but it's common sense to work out why any particular word is used. Throws like a bull probably would be a common term if you kept getting face slapped with the fall.

All of the above elements and physics principles can be combined in one word.

THROW

How the whip throws,this is a descriptive term used by the user to describe a whips actions this is the direct result of all of the above factors, describing a whip as "it throws like a noodle" probably means it's not plaited tightly and flops in use, this is also an indication that the whip does not have a good internal construction being too light for example. A good time to ask about the whips construction methods and materials.

"throws like a needle" may mean it's deadly accurate indoors but it's far too light to stay accurate if the wind catches it. There are probably a million words that can and have been used to describe the throw, but it's common sense to work out why any particular word is used. Throws like a bull probably would be a common term if you kept getting face slapped with the fall.

Here are a few terms to look at.

Bellies

Bellies can be single or double or more like Bernie at EM whips, leather (Naturally falling) or weighted (loaded)

Naturally falling is when only leather is used to begin the whip, twisted thicker leathers Bull pizzle (traditional), white hide and kip are the usual methods found.

Low plait bellies are standard with the number being most common sitting at four strand.

If a second belly is used there are often more strands usually 8, however this can also be a simple four strand to increase the speed with which the whip can be made, density and flow all improve on the introduction of a second belly. I personally think that the number of belly strands is irrelevant because of all the layers above compressing down on it. The plaited belly adds density weight, and a bit of stiffness...and I bet the most knowledgeable whip cracker couldn't tell which whip had 4 or 8 strands in the belly if you had two whips by the same maker.

I was going by speculation here on what I have read and statements by other makers, (perhaps I have been sucked in by a marketing term) I have not tested it myself but was always under the impression that more strands moves better. I think we should test it actually.

Tapering method.

Regardless of which tapering method is used, it should specify. If someone is using tapering strands for example, the maker probably spent up to a year getting this preparation process perfect enough to be used in a whip. They will be proud of the fact and should advertise it.

The reduction method is somewhat quicker and easier to do but can also reduce the over all costs. **most whip makers don't specify that they taper strands. This is a basic whip making skill. Look at guys like chris barr, joe strain, vic tella, or paul nolan's websites, none of them dramatically advertise that. It might be mentioned in a FAQ, but it's something all whip maker should be able to do if they are selling a whip.**

Yeah, they don't really do they, bugger.

Tapering method.

A skilled whip maker should be able to taper strands, it's part of what whip making is about, Some professionals reduce strands to save time and therefore reduce costs for the customer. But tapering strands does kind of look better usually

Bolsters

Bolsters are often used to somewhat pad the plaited layer beneath, and help to smooth out the shape of the taper. They can be thin and even a little flimsy or even quite firm. They can be twisted around the thong, or have a straight seam through the length of it's use. A common construction may be, twisted leather core, bolster, plaited belly, bolster then possibly another belly, bolster and finally an overlay.

**A well made whip's bolster shouldn't twist around the thong. It will slow the energy going seam to seam, and the energy will want to travel around the whip instead of in a straight line giving you a turning action. This however will be a very minor effect because the bolster is held tight by the layers above.**

Bolsters

Bolsters are often used to somewhat pad the plaited layer beneath, and help to smooth out the shape of the taper. They can be thin and even a little flimsy or even quite firm. They can be twisted around the thong, or have a straight seam through the length of it's use. A common construction may be, twisted leather core, bolster, plaited belly, bolster then possibly another belly, bolster and finally an overlay. However a twisted bolster will want to send it's energy in a spiraling motion down the body of the whip and may be negatively effecting performance.

Type of material

Kangaroo is one of the strongest leathers, Red hide skins being the best ** should be the red species...Red Hide typically refers to a specific type of latigo**, Females improving the quality again and using a drum stuffed tanning process on top will dramatically increase the strength of the laces used. Using this type of leather allows for very fine strands of even 1mm to be used and still pulled very tightly.

It certainly is not necessary for 16 plait whips but the 16 plait with this leather will be extremely tight and take a little longer to break in.

I did actually mean red species here, but I made no mention of latigo either which I should have, thanks.

Type of material

Kangaroo is one of the strongest leathers, And it is separated by the colour of particular species of kangaroo, you have reds and grays, much like squirrels. The red species skins being the best , Grays can still be very good skins. Females improving the quality again and using a drum stuffed tanning process on top will dramatically increase the strength and visual appearance of the laces used. Using this type of leather allows for very fine strands of even 1mm to be used and still pulled very tightly.

It certainly is not necessary for 16 plait whips but the 16 plait with this leather can be made much tighter, take longer to break in but will perform well and possibly out last a gray species skin.

However, there are many things which make a difference here, a gray with good tanning will out perform a red with bad tanning.

Cow hides

Come in many forms being more common in every day use and careful research should be done on this. Simply stating cowhide doesn't mean much, Chrome tanned (the commercially most common form of tanning) results in a much weaker hide with the fibres being broken down all too much.If I recall correctly Terry Jacka uses chrome tanned cowhide in his whips. Vegetable tanned is much stronger, holds it's natural oils better and longer and breaks down the internal fibres much much less.

Perhaps you can get good whips out of chrome tanned leather but I remain unconvinced that it will ever be as strong as veg tanned all other things being equal. It just goes against all my experiences with chrome tanned leathers. I wonder if the chrome tanning leathers available in this country differ in some way. I do know that chrome tanned buffalo used in sofas can actually be quite strong...

Cowhides will rarely be split to very low thickness ratings because it is a little weaker, but you can still get very strong plaits from cowhide, especially if the laces are beveled. Beveling decreases the strength...think of that thinner edge

Indeed, I think I meant,

Cowhides will rarely be split to very low thickness ratings because it is a little weaker, but you can still get very tight plaits from cowhide, and if the laces are beveled to a small degree they can still look very finely done. However even a four plait latigo hide can perform well with no beveling and thick strands. See note below.

ADD IN

Redhide

Is pretty tough but more often that not it is made in low four or six plait numbers. It is used for mustering cattle and has a pretty abused life, It's quick and easy to make so it doesn't matter how beat up it gets in use.

One thing I've learned about whips and whip making is that an article like this is very difficult to do because every whip maker does things differently and whip crackers look for different characteristics in their whips. So much of whip making comes from experience and learning what works for you as the maker and what you as the maker like to crack. Someone could make a whip with all the positive characteristics you mentioned above and still turn out a very bad whip. At the end of the day I'll take the worst whip that Joe Strain made all year over the best whip that a whip maker with a couple years of experience made this year.

This is exactly why I wanted to write this article, there is so much information which conflicts with other information I wanted to be sure I was understanding things myself. Clearly I am mistaken on some things and some things I will need to test myself to see if there are any practical and noticeable differences. I have been struggling for weeks on designing a whip to act the way I want it to, I need to get things straight in my head before I can go back into this.

I don't mind bouncing this back and forward, if you have time...Maybe we can end up with something that works.

Louie

Edited October 3, 2010 by 8thsinner

[bullwhips]

Here's the thing about having each plaited belly being a higher plait count than the one before it is if you are using a bolster you are negating any benefit the extra strands would give you. I think of a bolster as a 1 plait layer, so by going up each plaited layer internally your whip is 4 plait, 1 plait, 8 plait, 1 plait doesn't make sense.

So why not just do them all boslters...well you can, you just can't play as much with density, weight and stiffness.

Now if you use only plaited layers I can see how having higher plait count might make sense.

At the end of the day I'm of the mindset that there is no ONE right way to make a whip (but there are a lot of wrong ways), so an article like yours is something I'd never attempt. I've got the way that's right for me...Bernie's whips aren't like mine, but they are right for him...etc

Louie

Edited October 6, 2010 by bullwhips

[Bevan]

[

Well 8th with that much info you should come up with the perfect whip my friend ,, sounds like you have done your home work !!! now comes the practical test !!! best of luck on your journey ,,, i found out on the wekend at a whip cracking show that i have been wasting my time buying red hide ,,,,not Red Roo hide!! thats the goods, but the cow species for falls

because after speaking to a few whip crackers they seem to like a lighter fall and they prefer using roo ,,, Simon Martin has been using roo for falls for awhile now and so has the aussie whip cracking champ ,, and i bet that is not in the text book mate !!!

I also showed him a few of my whips , the first and the last whip i have made ,,

The last whip i made "a 5foot stockwhip " he said after 3 flicks ,, take it home undo it 6 inchs put a roo fall on it then you have an elite pro whip cracking whip ,,, The first whip " a 16strand 8 foot bullwhip " he had a smile on his dial while he was cracking it ,,, He love it and wanted it there and then !!

Well bugga me !!! i was always that close but never knew , I always thought my whips were the beez knees

So my friend there is plenty to learn even when you think you know it all ,,, as my old mate told me ,,, you never stop learning ,,and dont believe all you read untill ya try it .

I now understand why he said undo 6 inchs and what a diffrence it made , it is now like a loaded gun ready to go right off

I hope this helps a bit 8th

Cheers from down under

Bevan

www.bwrwhips.com

Edited October 6, 2010 by Bevan

[8thsinner]

Thanks for that bevan.

Awesome for you that Simon wants one of your whips, and when someone like that tells you to change something you listen or you lose.

What do you mean undo the first six inches, Like make it shorter by six inches? or was there a mistake in the underlying layers or something?

And everything I said above, it's all theory, Trying to get a balance in the practical is an entirely different matter as I am sure you know. But the article is still a long way off, and I think some comparative tests will need to be made before it will be finished which is gonna be months if not years down the line.

What sort of Roo are you talking about as a fall, just a straight cut down the back of one? Thats still pretty thin. But great to know it.

Thanks for sharing.

[Bevan]

Thanks for that bevan.

Awesome for you that Simon wants one of your whips, and when someone like that tells you to change something you listen or you lose.

What do you mean undo the first six inches, Like make it shorter by six inches? or was there a mistake in the underlying layers or something?

And everything I said above, it's all theory, Trying to get a balance in the practical is an entirely different matter as I am sure you know. But the article is still a long way off, and I think some comparative tests will need to be made before it will be finished which is gonna be months if not years down the line.

What sort of Roo are you talking about as a fall, just a straight cut down the back of one? Thats still pretty thin. But great to know it.

Thanks for sharing.

First it was not Simone that wanted a whip it was the whip cracker that i was talking about ,, he also suggested i shorten the whip by six inchs at the fall end because the last taper went for too long and there was not much energy at the tip , after making the last taper a bit shorter it improver the energy 10 fold .

The fall i cut from the butt of the hide after I take the set off strings for the handle, this is for a stockwhip mate

Sorry about the confusion, i meant the fall end.

Cheers for now

Bevan