6 ft roo stock whip

[Mark Elliott]

I started working on a roo stock whip tonight. I plan to loosly follow Bernie's video, except for the shot bag core. I'm using a twisted taper core made from roo lace for the core.

Here is the core after twisting the lace. I wet the lace and twisted them and then pinned the ends down and ran over it with a hairdryer to dry the strands. I greased the finished twist with Picards before binding.


Starting the binding. The red threads are 4 strands of leaded line. The server worked great.


The finished core with one layer of closed binding and then down and back with an open binding.


Ill use strands left over from the last roo hide whips for the belly. I bought some whiskey colored hide for the overlay and have a really nice pice of Goncalo Alves for the handle. I'll probably not do much plaiting on the handle so as to not cover up much of the wood.


Probably won't get the chance to plait much until after Leo's funeral, though.

[Ron May]

Really good start Mark.
That wood is going to be super.
I can't wait for the wood to reveal it's secret identity.

Ron

[Jyri Haveri]

Looking great Mark!
I cant wait to get my hands on leather!

[Robert Gage]

What a great project, Mark! Your core looks absolutely businesslike - and the wood is going to be gorgeous.

[Georg Ernst]

I've never done a stockwhip so far, I'm curious how you finish it. a very good start I think you have already made the binding. nin very much looking forward to the next steps.

[Mark Elliott]

Thanks, gentlemen.

Georg, I've made a few paracord stock whips, but this is the first leather one. I'm pretty excited about it. This will be the first time I've cut strands with a yoke and I'm a little nervous about it.

Ron, I feel the same way about the wood, it is very cool to watch it develop as you work it.

[Herbert Tardy]

Best wishes on your new leather adventure, Mark! I like the worming and serving.

[Ethan Mitchell]

Sweet! I don't think I will have the guts to try leather for awhile. Looks like a great start!

[Brandon "Sparky" Lam]

A TT leather core looks so nice!! :O

[Scott A. Cary]

Mark, that 's a great piece of wood. I love the contrast of the grain.

[Mark Elliott]

Sparky, I agree, this is the first time I have tried it with roo. I was pretty stoked with how it turned out. Bust part was how much it compressed with binding and rolling.

[Mark Elliott]

I thought so too, Scott. I hope I don't screw it up.

[Sir Roger Tuson]

I like that wetting and drying idea on the core to get a tighter twist. As paracord also shrinks a little after wetting, I wonder if that same technique could be used with similar effects.

[Mark Elliott]

Sir Roger, I don't know if it would work with cord, something to try. The technique is from the Ron Edwards book, only he does it with a single triangular shaped core.

[Mark Elliott]

In order to get my core up to about 10 mm, the size of Bernie's shot bag in his video about making a stock whip, I tied a kipskin bolster around the bound TT roo hide core. Made for a very springy core. There is a place about 2/3rds of the way to the tip I may have to build up a bit with a fillet as I plait the belly. The kipskin was a bit thinner there.

[Ron May]

That's looking very nifty Mark.

Ron

[Jeff Roseborough]

Very nice Mark. I am always a fan of stockwhips.

Make sure you roll the heck out if the core, especially as it is twisted. The kip bolster will help to "fill in the gaps" somewhat.

Plaiting from a yoke is actually very easy. With stockwhips the yoke is actually part of the keeper. Both the belly and the overlay have keepers. This provides for a stronger connection to the stock or handle. I cut the opposite side of the keeper long enough that when plaited over it will not loosen and also becomes part of the bolster. It also helps to provide the "swell" you see in a stockwhip.

Remember when cutting out a belly or overlay with a yoke start at the yoke end. Make careful measurements so that if you taper strands as you are cutting them out the taper at the same rate. I will use the first strand as a guide. Bevel the strands to improve the smoothness of the taper. As you cut strands the thinner strands can be cut from the inside portion of the kangaroo hide where the leather is strongest. Take account the stretchy parts and either cut them out of the hide or cut strands wider. After strands are cut wet and stretch them, resize.

Stocks or handles can be made from most anything. For full plait I use Bernie's method of a fiberglass rod covered with triangle sheets of newsprint, bound with sinew, and plaited over. For a half plait handle I get cane from Franks Cane and Rush supply in Los Angeles - http://www.franksupply.com/bamboo/

Keep up the good work!

[Mark Elliott]

Thank you for the info Jeff, I really appreciate it. I was going to use some strands from the last whips for the belly, but I want to have the doubled keeper so I think I'll cut both the belly and the overlay with a yoke.

[Jeff Roseborough]

One of my first stockwhips using pre-cut lace I took a piece of leather and cut it into a keeper with a "tail" on both ends. I bound this to the whip itself. Much easier than halving strands and braiding a keeper.

[Mark Elliott]

Jeff, that might be an option, for sure. Then I could use those extra strands.