The "Making of" Gallery - Giovanni Celeste

This new Gallery replaces the former "Masters Gallery", which will work from now on as pure archive. Here you will find not only the work and art from folks who sell whips, but also from folks, who create their whips out of pure passion. And we have an additional gallery. It is called "The Gallery - Making of".
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Giovanni Celeste
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Post by Giovanni Celeste »

Hi All!
I think that this will be the more longest post i ever made.
I think this post will worth for those who wants to know the "backstage" about the ideas that beyond this whip.
Ladies and Gentleman i'm very proud to show you the pics of:
"The Don Juan de la Celeste" my personal tribute and interpretation of the Zorro's whip.

You can see the full video review on:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTJEVYcqXXI

First of all i want to thank to Robby,
Hello my Friend! Thanks for this great review as well.
According to my opinion the video is simply perfect!!
Thank you so much I'm very proud of it !.
Thank you for having satisfied me with the choice of music as a soundtrack of the video.
All the thinks: pics, audio, texts and music are perfectly balanced and woven together. What can I say: Thanks, Thanks and again thanks. Thank you all for your kind and lovely words!.

Thanks to everyone in advance for your comments.
Gio

Now the description and the pics.
You'll see the pics about the making and the whip.

The Don Juan de la Celeste
The long part of making doesn’t was making the whip in it self but choosing the patterns of the overlay and the right pattern of knots.
As you know, my purpose was make a whip that was the combinations of Hispanic (Andalusian) and Californian and Mexican influences.

“Differently than Indiana Jones whip that however has always the same specs such as:
Bullwhip with a short handle and braided loop at the base of the handle, doesn't exist a typical Zorro's whip because it was always different in terms of style (stock whip, bullwhip sometimes snake whip), shape and length in every movies was shooting from the first of '900 till nowadays.
So doesn’t exist a typical Zorro’s whip but as many whips as Zorro’s movies.
The only thinks we know is that a long black whip and that it's enough.
The Zorro’s whip isn’t not a whip But a whip philosophy.
It’s like a sort of tribute where every whipmaker interprets for this extraordinary character.
So this whip will be only my personal interpretation and tribute to Zorro and his trusty whip.
For this reason I decided to give the name to this whip:

The Don Juan de la Celeste”.


THE WHIP:
The whip is 6 ft long with 30 cm of handle and the overlay plaited with 16 strands, dyed by hand ending to 8 plaited point.

The internal construction features: Double cow hide core ( for better gain and
responding ) four kangaroo belly, cowhide bolster, four kangaroo belly and cowhide bolster.
In every layers of the whip there is a long binding over the handle in order to give and add more leverage for more cracking routines.
Each braided part of the whip after to be cutted it was preliminary:
Stretched, Resized, Splitted and Bevelled.

Braiding Pattern and Knots:
In order to achieve my purpose to make a whip that was the combinations and that exudes strong influences of Hispanic (Andalusian) and Californian and Mexican influences, after accurate studies I decided the choice of the following patterns mixed together:

Gaucho Braid and Short Harringbone braid ( under two, over two ) or eight – seam braid.

These patterns are always present in many braided leather or rawhode goods from California to South America
The same considerations about all the knots.
According to my opinion this intricate alternation of pattern add to the whip elegance complexity but sobriety at the same time.
I also decided to add a braided wrist loop plaited in 8 gaucho braid which it symbolizes the Zorro’s cloak.
So from the wrist loop to the and of the handle we have:

- Wrist flat braided loop in eight gaucho braid
- Silver plate with my logo and my initials engraved on it
- Heel knot in Gaucho knot 7L6B (2passes)
- Double silver rings locked with a Spanish Ring Knot with gaucho interweave.
- First part of the handle plaited in Short Harringbone sequence ( under two, over two)
- Central part of the handle plaited in Gaucho Braid pattern
- Last part of the handle in Short Harringbone sequence ( under two, over two)
- Floreal ferule locked by two Spanish Ring Knot with gaucho interweave
- Thong of the whip plaited in 16 strands in the classic fashion over four under four
- Red nylon cracker to add the last Zorro's signature

Decoration:
The floreal ferule is perfect for a Zorro style whip because the floral motifs engraved on the ferule refer to the Andalusian fantasies adopted by the rich families of the Californian nobility typical of that historical period.
The "Don"precisely.

A few weeks ago I had posted on Fb this picture:
A steel bar with a red twisted cracker.
The red twisted cracker has become a red zed signature.
The Zorro's Signature.
I'm very glad to show you:
"The Don Juan de la Celeste"

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Construction:
Due to the amount of photos taken, I tried to summarize the most interesting steps of the making.
Here below some pics of the making

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The Whip:

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"Perfection has to be sought never reached. This is the only way to inspire and motivate creativity". www.giovanniceleste.it
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Mark Elliott
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Post by Mark Elliott »

Fantastic whip, Gio.
"Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder." -E. B. White
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Scott A. Cary
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Post by Scott A. Cary »

That is stunningly beautiful, Gio.
I'll give it a try, Dad, but it's going to be really hard...kind of like trying to saw something in half using a banana.
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Giovanni Celeste
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Post by Giovanni Celeste »

Many thanks indeed Mark and Scott glad you like it!!
"Perfection has to be sought never reached. This is the only way to inspire and motivate creativity". www.giovanniceleste.it
Georg Ernst

 

Post by Georg Ernst »

Thats Fantastic. and very nice to see how you make it.
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Robert Gage
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Post by Robert Gage »

Gio, your attention to detail in this account of the making of Don Juan helps explain why your whips are so good: you obviously bring the same attention to detail to every aspect of that work. Congratulations!
'Less is often more!'
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Giovanni Celeste
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Post by Giovanni Celeste »

Many thanks George and Robert, really glad and a bit proud you like it.
This time i was able to take the adantage to shot some pics about the making of this whip.
Inside my whips obviously all the whipmaking phases are almost always the same.
Length and shape of the plaited belly, core, boster and various bindings may change from time to time.
What may vary from one model to another may depend on the goal you want to achieve.
Thanks again
g
"Perfection has to be sought never reached. This is the only way to inspire and motivate creativity". www.giovanniceleste.it
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Rachel McCollough
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Post by Rachel McCollough »

Gio, somehow I missed this!!!!! I apologize, wow!!! The attention to detail in your process of work is always astounding to me. This is simply amazing, my friend. Simply amazing...
Inch by inch.
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Giovanni Celeste
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Post by Giovanni Celeste »

Hello my friend, no matter at all!!! thanks again for your kinds words...
See you soon
"Perfection has to be sought never reached. This is the only way to inspire and motivate creativity". www.giovanniceleste.it
Nadine Diek

 

Post by Nadine Diek »

Giovanni, this whip looks absolutely marvelous.

"The red twisted cracker has become a red zed signature.
The Zorro's Signature."
That was a clever idea - i like your imagery :)
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Giovanni Celeste
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Post by Giovanni Celeste »

Thank you so much Nadine!! Glad you like it.
"Perfection has to be sought never reached. This is the only way to inspire and motivate creativity". www.giovanniceleste.it
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Giovanni Celeste
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Post by Giovanni Celeste »

Hello my Friends,
here below a lot of pics of my recent works and i hope you enjoy.
And know finally my well-deserved summer break.
I wish you all happy holidays!
Gio

New project:
Restyling the original braided leather handles of Lancia Aprilia '37
This time I braided in Kangaroo hide.

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Watchband braided in 12 strands Kangaroo hide 2mm wide

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8ft LC whip

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Dressage whip

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Riding crop

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Snakebull 3ft

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Zorro style whip 10ft

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...Last but not least
....sometime I find the time to make something for me too :_)

Braided Bracelet 16 plt double keeper
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Thanks for your kind e lovely attention.
Again i wish you a great summer holidays!!!
Gio
"Perfection has to be sought never reached. This is the only way to inspire and motivate creativity". www.giovanniceleste.it
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Robert Gage
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Post by Robert Gage »

Gio, this is all superb. You really are a master - and that's not a word I would ever use lightly! Well done!
'Less is often more!'
Nadine Diek

 

Post by Nadine Diek »

Nadine Diek wrote:Wow, Giovanni, that are very interesting new projects.
Every of them is beautiful on it's own.
I think i like the Zorro style whip most..hmmn or maybe the LC whip. Can't decide they are all absolutely wonderful.
What was the handle made of before?
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Roy Partin
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Post by Roy Partin »

Gio, that is superb craftsmanship as usual. Its good that you can make yourself a nice item every once in a while. Have a great summer
He died for me, I'll live for him
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Giovanni Celeste
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Post by Giovanni Celeste »

Thanks so much my friends for your kind feedback.
By the way Nadine: what about the handle?
Sorry but I don't understand your question...
"Perfection has to be sought never reached. This is the only way to inspire and motivate creativity". www.giovanniceleste.it
Nadine Diek

 

Post by Nadine Diek »

Sorry, sometimes my english is a little confusing. You said this time you used roo leather. What kind of leather was it before (the original one)? Was it cowhide? Or what kind of handle had it been before?
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Rachel McCollough
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Post by Rachel McCollough »

There are not enough of the right words to describe your collection of work here, my friend! The heel knots... beautiful work. The hand dyed work; on the SnakeBull it seems the color purely vibrates on the heel knot. Beautiful and elegant....

The watch band! It would be difficult to find a finer made one. Handsome work, Gio!!!
Inch by inch.
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Rachel McCollough
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Post by Rachel McCollough »

You always continue to set the bar higher. Well done, well done!
Inch by inch.
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Giovanni Celeste
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Post by Giovanni Celeste »

Nadine Diek wrote:Sorry, sometimes my english is a little confusing. You said this time you used roo leather. What kind of leather was it before (the original one)? Was it cowhide? Or what kind of handle had it been before?
HI Nadine, the original handle was braided in 8 strands in cowhide without a core inside.
I have done the same work to purpose to maintain the same looks but this time in roo hide.
I have
"Perfection has to be sought never reached. This is the only way to inspire and motivate creativity". www.giovanniceleste.it
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