As the title says...

[Robby Amper]

.

Please feel free to talk everything about whips. What you like, what you don't like,
what kind of whips you prefer, questions about materials, braiding, and, and, and...

Robby

[Essentia Whips]

.

Please feel free to talk everything about whips. What you like, what you don't like,
what kind of whips you prefer, questions about materials, braiding, and, and, and...

Robby

What I like?

Snake whips would be my first choice of whip, probably then followed by Stock whips, then Australian style Bullwhips then lastly American style bullwhips......Signal whips, well they're just way to fast for me....

What I don't like

American style Bullwhips and Signal Whips I guess

Materials

I'm one of those that belives a well made whip will perform no matter what it's made from....

Here in the UK where the weather is at it's best only for a very short period of the year I'd say I use mostly nylon, at some point this year I will do a tutorial on how to clean a nylon whip for all the *Numpty's* out there that think you shouldn't get a nylon whip wet....sheeeessshh!!!

At some point soon I'm going to order myself a Latigo wooden handled whip offa Skip over at Hand Made Whips as I believe all leather has it's place not just Roo hide...I just need to stop dithering over the various handles he uses and make my choice really

For the few short months we have of good weather here I use my Roo hide whips then...I even own one of those short handled American style Bullwhips I dislike so much LOL

Questions

Braiding....mmmmmm!!! I reckon as soon as I learn to Braid I'll be a good whipmaker

Tony

[Jim]

Do tell, what is a "Numpty"?????

[Essentia Whips]

Do tell, what is a "Numpty"?????

Mmmmmmm....Numpty is an expression thats kind of half way between nice and nasty....

as an example if someone said something really dumb and offensive you may say...

You "^"*"^* stupid ignorant *^""^

If it was someone you liked as a friend or something that was just dumb and stupid but not offensive you my say....

You Numpty or to their face Don't be a numpty

Long over time you American folks started to speak English dontchaknow Jim

Tony

[Robby Amper]

Tony's right, I think

I'm one of those that belives a well made whip will perform no matter what it's made from....

For the shooting of Vol. I, I used a very simple nylon whip. It was a Karaka from New Zealand.
It was important to me to show the people that you don't need a 600 Dollar whip to start cracking.
In my opinion it's more up to the person who cracks, than the whip. A good whipcracker can do great
things with a cheap, simple whip. A bad whipcracker (even if he thinks he's Indy...) couldn't do anything
good, even with the best high quality whip available. What do folks out there think?

I for myself like that bullwhip style, but with a longer handle. For example the whips Simon Martin braids, or the
wooden handled whips from Skip. It's so much easier to crack multiple cracks with a long handle. Sometimes I'm
afraid, too much people think, the DM, the Indiana Jones style whip, is the mother of all whips. Okay, there are
perhaps some other whips, but these are the "original" whips. It's like someone who's going into the same restaurant
every day, eating the same meal. Every day. I really enjoy to crack different whips all the time.

Except one thing... I never cracked a snake whip. I know it's problematic, but is it possible to describe the "behaviour"
of a snake whip compared to others?

And - Tony... Now that I know your work; I can say that I'm confident that you will be some day a pretty good whipmaker.
Well, as soon you learn to braid


Robby

[Essentia Whips]

Except one thing... I never cracked a snake whip. I know it's problematic, but is it possible to describe the "behaviour"
of a snake whip compared to others?

And - Tony... Now that I know your work; I can say that I'm confident that you will be some day a pretty good whipmaker.
Well, as soon you learn to braid


Robby

Bullwhip vs Snake Whip

Thats a difficult question really Robby, and one thats very much dependent on personal preference....

I guess for me a Snake Whip feels like an extension of my arm and very natural, a Bullwhip feels like tool in my hand....that sounds like I have a dislike for Bullwhips which is not true just a preference for Snakes.....I know I'm in a minority so it's just a case of one of the many sayings....horses for courses....each to their own.....different strokes for different folks....etc etc etc

As to the braiding...I try to practice 8 hours a day 6 days a week I figure in another 20 years I'll be quite good at it Do you think thats a realisitic time span Robby

Tony

[Skip]

Hey guys

My first chose is the bullwhip (no surprise there.) I haven’t used to many snake whips hell I don’t even have one. I know I’m a very poor whip enthusiast to not to have a snake.

Tony is right any material will make a fine whip if made well. I think the important thing is for some one to find the material, Nylon Roo or Cow that works best for them in the conditions they’re in.

And Tony I’ve been thinking about one of your nylon whips you may be hearing from me soon….

Here’s a question about the snake whip… I’ve heard (and I don’t know if it’s true or not) That a snake whip was developed in Australia because blackjacks were illegal so the snake whip was made flexible with a heavy lead knot on the end and used as a blackjack. They called them pocket snakes or city whips. Does anyone know if this is true? Or just a myth?

[Das.Legat]

Hello Skip,

I thought, that they are used/developed by the cowboys of the old west (USA) commonly carried in their saddlebag fully curled up - looking like a coild snake? I´ve heard, that there where traditional snake whips called "blacksnakes" used in Montana and Wyoming. They were traditionaly heavy shot loaded and their use as a improvised "blackjack" was just a advancement of them - because the use of blackjacks were illegal. Perhaps I´m wrong, but thisa is what I knew/read ;-)

I think that I remember that Ron Edwards mentioned something about that in his book "How To Make Whips" (Chapter "Snake Whip") too - also Andrew Conway at "The New Bullwhip Book" Bullwhip FAQ - Whips in Combat (Extract from The New Bullwhip Book)


Kindest Regards,
Christopher

[Essentia Whips]

Christopher & Skip...

those two stories have been around since the year dot.... I reckon it's just personal preference as to which one you choose to believe

Tony

[Essentia Whips]

Hey guys

And Tony I’ve been thinking about one of your nylon whips you may be hearing from me soon….

Always up for the good old barter system Skip

Actually I'd of ordered off your site already but keep hopping backwards and forwards between two of your wooden handles...can't seem to make my mind up, I'm starting to annoy myself with my inability ;)L.... wonder if Mel would like one aswell, I could order 2 that way...

Tony

[Skip]

I'm always up for a barter:D

some good old horse trading as they say out west...

back to the snake
I’ve heard both stories as well… It could be that the “true story” is something like someone cut the handle off, or the handle broke off his bullwhip and discovered he could carry it in his bag more conveniently and then others started to do the same. And the snake whip was born...
I’ve always been interested in how and why different whips came to be...
skip

[Essentia Whips]

I think your quite possibly right Skip, I've always had a leaning towards the American story over the Australian one on the grounds that the Ozzy's carry StockWhips so a StockWhip handle is already a ready made *cosh* why would they go to the trouble of carrying another whip when they already have the perfect tool on hand .....made sense to me anyway...

Tony

I don't have any horses to trade, but....a nylon whip, a half eaten chocolate bar, a stale packet of biscuits 300 CD's that are now no good because I just bought an iTouch and Bowes docking station.........any good

[Skip]

I think I'll go for the nylon whip, although the chocolate bar is tempting, and the biscuits do sound good. No I'll stick with the whip =)

skip

[Essentia Whips]

So it's a 7 footer in redhide latigo, 10 inch handle in a brown wood of your choice, the knob at the end of Robby's with the patterns on the one on your avatat....easy at last....

Tony

[Skip]

You got it. Easy as it gets... for the nylon I'll make it easy and let you make whatever you think will look good. Surprise me. :o

skip

[Essentia Whips]

You got it. Easy as it gets... for the nylon I'll make it easy and let you make whatever you think will look good. Surprise me. :o

skip

So a 2 foot signal whip 4 plait in neon pink and neon yellow it is then


Nooooooooooo!!!! LOL your used to Latigo so I'll take it as read you'll want it moderate to heavy but you really will have to give me a clue what length you like Skip

Tony :o

[Skip]

Neon pink and yellow 2 ft 4plait sure would be a surprise! :

I like a 7 ft...

skip

[Robby Amper]

It's the first time ever, that I've seen a two tone whip from Skip. And it looks great!
No pics? Hm, actually I've seen it on Skip's homepage, in the gallery, and without his
permission I won't post any pics. But - if you like - you could visit Skip's gallery, down
right, or Skip will post some pics of his newest creations. I know a lot of Skip's whips.
But never a two tone one. By the way - what kind of wood is the handle made of, Skip?

Robby

[Robby Amper]

And here it is! Skip just sent me the pictures... Both Latigo, one black,
one two toned, and both Ebony wood handles.



Enjoy,
Robby

[Skip]

Thanx for posting the pic for me robby. I would have done it but I'm not that bright and didn't know how. :o

One is black ebony and the two tone is a rare Black&White ebony. both are 8plait indian tan latigo.

skip