This is the Gallery of "Wolf Creek Whips" - Rachel McCollough

[Robert Gage]

Pokkis, I love your expression 'cowboy swag'!

[Tyler Blake]

Awesome Rachel! That ztock is your best one yet, and the Steer whip looks great too. I wonder what Robby meant about the possibility of another video...

[Rachel McCollough]

Robby, it is good to see you
Thank you very, very much, my dear friend.
The Good Doctor is in the house
There is a slight wave in the two side seams there, that's correct (you see all! Great eye!!!). Notice the top seam is straight- some of it is the light but some of it is two of the seams on the side as well. I chose that picture with purpose They are very slightly wavy- no doubt. I always try to show all aspects of the whip, even the (what I think is) negative, to be fair. That one picture exaggerates it a bit-
I think these two pictures show more accurately exactly what it looks like in person:


You can still see it, more accurate to real view, but it's there!

This Steer whip is 22 ounces in weight with the long loaded fall.
One of my 8' 16 plait cow whips, on average, are around 23-24 ounces in weight.

This is my heavy cow whip thong design slightly altered with a LOT more binding- every belly and overlay is plaited in diamond plait or short herringbone a few inches before the transition and a few inches after.

I consider it a lighter in the handle heavy type of bull whip- slow routines are fine, but no really fast bam bam bam stuff. It has a stiffer transition than the Amper Style due in part to the binding but also due to the plaiting on the inside- it takes a little bit longer to begin forming the loop but not quite as much as a bull with a very firm transition.
Single crack or slow routines, no very fast changes in direction, I think.
My current rates for a 7' 16 plait Steer is $139, an 18 plait would be $146.

On the stock whip, thank you
Dr. Robby, Man of International Intrigue!! There is a mystery in the air....
I like simplicity too.

While I can only admire such detailed and incredible work (especially after my first feeble attempts at cutting lace!), I think I'd have a heart attack if I broke even one strand on a 72 plait whip!!!!!

That's very fascinating about the history of the plait progression on the whips! Thank you very much for sharing this with us- I did not know that it was David Morgan's Indiana Jones whip that made the 12 plait popular.
A week's wage is tough but for a good and necessary tool it is worth it.
A decent saddle you will pay two week's wage for... A very good saddle that is comfortable will set you back a month or two.....

Thank you Robby, I appreciate your time and thoughts very much

[Rachel McCollough]

Pokkis, thank you very much! It is great to see you!

Tyler, thank you (good to see you!), I'm partial to that stockwhip myself! Yes, there seems to be a mystery afoot...

[Jesse Bessette]

Rachel, that steer whip is absolutely beautiful. What a great color scheme. Your plaiting looks incredibly straight, also.

[Robby Amper]

There is a slight wave in the two side seams there, that's correct (you see all! Great eye!!!).

That's exactly the point on my reviews. I will never sit there and say something like "Great whip", as long as I am not convinced that it is a great whip. It speaks for you that you are so honest about your craftsmanship, Rachel. And to be honest from my side of the pond... No one saw those "wavies". Or the were all to kind not to mention it. The point is, that it in fact only that perspective makes it visible. When you look from the side - or a not so sharp angle - you will never discover anything. I think that you're doing a great job, Rachel. And therefore I ask those questions. I never judge on craftsmanship if I like someone more or less. I mean - Craig is a valued member of this forum. And he sent me that one and only antler handle whip. I think, Craig is a great guy and I really like him. But I pointed out, that his transition is problematic. But that way he - and everybody else - knows that the rest of the whip is very well made. Same for you - we're friends. But I would never say only good things about your work and keep anything "not so good" under the blanket, just to be nice.

I am very well aware, that my reviews generate orders for the respective whip maker. That means that I have to be even more critical. Once I received a very nice email. It said "When Robert Amper recommends a whip maker you can buy blindfolded". That was/is a great compliment (and to be honest, it may me a bit proud...) and that is my standard. So - Rachel - when I say that your work is good, it is good. And people can buy from you without hesitation. People (buyers and whip makers) know about those standards. I receive (average) a request per month from whip makers, who want to join the WB Ring of Trust. Because they like me so much? I don't think so. They know that the RoT logo is a quality seal. And will help them to increase their sales. No chance.


On that steering whip... I think, that this whip would be a very, very accurate one and more than good for target work. We should talk about that whip, too.


Thank you for being so honest, Rachel.

Robby

[Rachel McCollough]

Jesse, thank you!


Robby, that's one of the things I admire and appreciate about you (and WB!) is your word is true and solid no matter what....and you know what you're talking about.

The only way we continue to improve is if we can see what we need to work on, both in craftsmanship and quality in our business!
Thank you!

[Jessie Edwards]

Robby, I think Rachel's use of the name "steer whip" is a little play on words. The word Steering, means to guide. Like you steer a car in the direction you would like to go. That's not quite right.

Rachel makes a bull whip, which is fully loaded. A bull is a male cow with his...stuff intact. It has not been castrated.

A steer is a male-cow that HAS been castrated, thus, not fully loaded.

I think, it's a country girl's play on words. The bull whip is heavier and shot loaded. The steer whip is lighter and not loaded as much, if at all. See? It's cute.

City boys. *eyeroll*

[Robby Amper]

Are you talking to me? Did you call me "City Boy"...? Hm. Well, you're right. Thaaaank you for that explanation! Now I see.
But I still think, it would make a great target whip.

Here at WB I can learn new and helpful stuff every day


Robby

[Jessie Edwards]

Ohhhh, I did call you city boy. City Boy.

[Rachel McCollough]

Jessie's correct about the name of the whip

I'm not getting in the middle of the other at all......!

[Jessie Edwards]

Here at WB I can learn new and helpful stuff every day

City boys should know the difference between bulls and steers, if nothing else, so that if you ever decide to "enjoy nature" and go walking through a pasture on a pretty day...

...you at least know when to run like hell.

[Guest]

Ohhhh, I did call you city boy. City Boy.

Aaaand off go the gloves :P

Rachel, it's good to see you too! And your work of course. I've been missing so much stuff that your progress looks amazing, it was nowhere near "bad" a year ago and now it's basically a benchmark for us mortals.


- Pokkis

[Guest]

City boys should know the difference between bulls and steers

Not a "city boy" myself originally, but there's a language issue here too. Find out what "steer" in this context is in Finnish, make a youtube video of yourself trying to pronounce it on the first try, get it right, and I'll declare you the winner of the first annual competition for awesome. And then we'll see how the same thing works with Germanese :P


- Pokkis

[Rachel McCollough]

Pokkis, thank you very much
Alas I'm only a mere mortal myself!!!

[Jesse Bessette]

My turn to sit back with the popcorn. Do people not know the difference between a bull and a steer? I guess that all my western upbringing helped, but I thought that was fairly common knowledge. Maybe it's a German thing, but at least here in the States, we do.

[Ron May]

Jesse, it's more important to know the difference between bulls, steers.... and a milking cow.

Ron

[Jessie Edwards]

Once, as a kid, this fancy car drove up in the yard and a guy with a white shirt and tie got out. I was home alone as it was summer vacation and both of my parents were at work, so I greeted this guy on the porch, thinking he was probably a Jehovah's Witness. He stopped because our "Holsteins" were out on the road. Nevermind the fact that the entire herd were bald-face Herefords. Not a black spot in the bunch.

[Craig Frank]

Rachel - I really like the blue and black pattern. I didn't notice the wave until it was mentioned. That pattern of handle gives me lots of trouble. Frankly, I've seen a few professional whips with that pattern that are not completely straight. I still love your castrated bull whip.

Robby - thank you for the update. I am sorry about the transition. I've decided that I'm not going to skimp on the transition anymore and just let my whips be thick and heavy.

[Jesse Bessette]

Jesse, it's more important to know the difference between bulls, steers.... and a milking cow.

Ron

I think this is my new favorite quote...