What is leather but a cow's (or other animals) skin. As such it craves moisture. Otherwise it will dry out and crack.
I make my falls from either Australian whitehide, redhide, or Indian Tanned latigo. The redhide is my favorite. It is the strongest of the three and is a "greasy" leather. If I could afford to purchase an entire side I would.
For conditioners I recommend Pecards Leather conditioner. A little goes a long way. Tandy Leather carries Fiebing's Aussie Leather conditioner. It is good also. For cleaning you can use saddle soap. When I make whips I use a homemade leather soap made from Ivory Pure Soap, Water, and Lard. It greases the strands and conditions them also. I also give the whip a good coat of Pecards when I shellac it.
Leather whips require a little more care. Use a good quality leather conditioner on them. NEVER use a product with neatsfoot oil in it. A light dressing on the whip once a month or so is good. Put a light coat on the whip and let it sit a bit to soak in. Wipe the excess off with a cloth. I use the same cloth over and over. There is a bit of conditioner left in my towel.
For falls it is recommended to give it a good coat of dressing before every session or use. If the leather fall is dry let it soak in well and then wipe the excess. After use give the fall and the end of the whip a light cleaning (use the before mentioned cloth) / wipe it down. Store your leather whips in a cool dry space. Hanging the whip vertically is better than coiled. A coiled whip will "remember".
A leather whip can get wet, just don't let it get soaked! If it is too wet let it dry in a cool dry spot and then give it a good coat of conditioner. Grass will not dry out a whip, but might stain it a bit. clean as necessary with your dressing soaked cloth. Avoid rocks and rough surfaces as they can damage a whip.
Here's wishing you find time for the things you want to do, and for the things you need to do.
We see ourselves in our children and hope for a better future.
