Bullwhip Cores

[Tanthathide9]

Curious if anybody has tried to use anything outside of ordinary for a bullwhip core for those that have used or know of people who do use them. Also i made my first whip a while back and noticed it was kinda kinky. Questions: Do you let it try coiled up, straight possibly with a little weight on one end? Does it need to be "broke in" for instance like the reata is done in the B.G. Book where mary fields is pulling it through the fence post? Should that be done also cause when i tried cracking it where i was "kinking up" it would just get caught up in itself. after use it was starting to get more life to it but i was curious after the fact if i should've broke it in before. thanks to all who can help.

[Ccastle27]

Did you make it from Rawhide or leather?

I don't make cores from anything unusual (I think) mostly just leather. I have repaired rope core whips (the cheap kind with the wooden swivel handle) these tend to kink where the leather bolster ends and the rope begins...I address the issue by making the transition much longer/more tapered and binding the core thoroughly.

[Tanthathide9]

Rawhide

[Ccastle27]

In that case, I'll have to leave the answer to someone who has worked in rawhide since I don't have experience with it.

I always assumed that there was some conditioner that made the rawhide supple enough for a whip, but maybe it is just broken in like a reata.

-C

[Tanthathide9]

10 4 thanks any who for trying

[rcsaddles]

A little more info please. First off, I'm going to start with the asic questions so forgive me if it is too basic. I just need to know so I can help, hopefully. Have you braided rawhide before and know about temper and all that? I will say, if the rawhide was too wet when braided, it would probably get kinky when it dried. I would recommend drying it straight with a "little" weight to hold it straight. When the rawhide is mostly dry, instead of rolling it, I would take it to an anvil and use a hammer to lightly tap it to get the same effect as rolling. Does two things, first it lays the strings in together and second, it helps to break down the fibers a bit so it is not so stiff. Mary did this to all her reatas before pulling them through the post with the holdw in it. All the holes were the same size and it was to help limber up the rope a bit. Mary was my rawhide instructor so I am familiar with her process.

I've used a rawhide whip before and they seem to be a little stiffer than leather. Can get some good action but my thought is a lot of breaking in.

Keep asking the questions because we all learn something from them.

As far as a conditioner, I use a mixture of beef tallow and beeswax. Just enough wax to make it stiff and not gooey. Might try that or maybe some Ray Holes Vaquaro Rawhide Cream.

Edited July 15, 2015 by rcsaddles

[Tanthathide9]

Yessir I'm familiar with rawhide I kept string moist and tempered good throughout process not too wet and definitely not too dry. Reason I ask about cores is cause I used half a cotton rope on 3ft of it and the rest braided rawhide and it's where the rope is is where it's kinky. So I was asking in hopes of THAT being my issue so I can find a better solution. I've heard of speedometer cable being used up to extension cords. Whatever was around for using. As from what I read u want the weight in the body of the whip not the handle as in a quirt. I must add that when I did try breaking it in before I passed it on it did get better but there was still a small curl to the top where it acted like it wanted to coil up if that makes sense. Please let me know if I'm giving yall the right info to help

Tip not top. It curled at the tip of the whip

[rcsaddles]

I am going to take a shot in teh dark here and see what you think. I'm going to say that the difference in the rigidity of the rope and the braided rawhide core is what is causing the kink. Did you join the two together or put them end to end and braid around it? I try and stick with the same material for a core on whips and quirts.

I did not mean to imply that you knew nothing about rawhide just wanting to get a feel for how to answer. The more you know, the easier it can be to answer.

My thought is to use the same material for teh core on all future whips. The stiffer the core, the stiffer the whip will be but I'm sure you already know that. I make soem four strand stock whips and I jsut use rawhide strings for a core in them. Not braided or twisted, just hanging loose as the braid will bring them together.

Hope this helps.

[Tanthathide9]

Yessir thank you. I lashed the rope to the handle and braided the rawhide core on top of it....i can agree where it kinks now that you mention the rigidness of the rawhide as opposed to the rope. Its smoother and might've caused the braid to ride up...atleast thats how i'm thinking of it lol. I used the rawhide string for a core on a quirt i didn't really want much weight to it since it was for my daughter and was really surprised with the stiffness just the lashed strings would bring me. You definitely shed some light on a few things for me. Thank you all for your help

[rcsaddles]

Glad I could help. Keep asking the questions.

[sos]

I've only done a few leather whips & hadn't read or bought the books yet - but can testify to different materials causing, ... "oddities".

I mixed some upholstery leather for colors on a quick & dirty test, supple little thing & very sleak. I used lamp chain, artificial sinew to attach the lamp chain to a solid set of 3 tannery done oil die 2mm x 2mm pieces. Then did a layer of veggie tan cow ~2-3oz for the belly. Then layered on black zora & a white upholstry leather to get my exterior. What I'm saying here is that I commit a whole slew of sins, so who knows exactly where my errors caused the worst problems.

On the throw it collapses on the rolling loop just before the crack at an uneven rate...sometimes spectacularly so, my little 3' body and 4' with tail+popper ended up deafing myself & some guests one night in the basement when I told one whip cracker to just power through the loop as it didn't handle like a traditional throw.

At rest it exhibited some pull in one direction, curling significantly ... when I took it apart again, I find my artificial sinew had bunched around the ending constrictor knot I did on the core - perhaps I used too much sinew and some of it slip off the other pieces as we cracked it.

I don't have pictures for it, should have though ... especially when I started dissecting it!