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

[Rachel McCollough]

Gio, thank you, I appreciate your words very much! Now if I could accomplish that with a heel knot

[Matt Henderson]

Definitely classy, Rach, and I'm forever impressed at how perfect your handles are just from rasping and sanding by hand.

[Rachel McCollough]

Thank you very much, Matt, I appreciate it.

[Giovanni Celeste]

Now if I could accomplish that with a heel knot

:-) :-) :-)

[Sven van Leeuwen]

That first part of plaiting is truly beautifull, does that style have a name or did you come up with it yourself?
Anyway, it works, it makes the whip stand out. And the handle... wow.
Thanks for sharing.

Sven

[Rachel McCollough]

Thank you very much, Sven! It is a 16 plait Bird's Eye plait. There is a 12 plait Bird's eye which is a little simpler. Once you learn to keep it straight I think its possible to plait almost anything.

[Sven van Leeuwen]

A bird's eye plait. I'll have to remember that one.

Sven

[Fritz Ehlers]

I love this work. 16 plait makes for a beefy whip.
Your work looks reall good Rachel, well done

[Rachel McCollough]

Fritz, thank you very much, I really appreciate it!


Here's the finished whip:

[Ron May]

Rachel, another simple but very sharp looking whip.
Do you find the birds eye at the transition helps firm it up?
How does it crack?

Ron

[Rachel McCollough]

Thanks Ron, birds eye will make it a little more springy and can firm it a little, but that all depends on the inside of the whip, how it is made. Mine are quite dense so it won't add a lot of change to it necessarily- also because I rotate my bellies, it won't affect it as much.
It flies straight and goes bam with little effort

[Tyler Blake]

That's really splendid Rachel

[Jessie Edwards]

I envy your mastery of the birdseye . Beautiful, as usual Whippy sister

[Robert Gage]

Ron, as the owner of Amper Style 002, I can tell you how it cracks: it's fabulous! I was using mine yesterday, and was astonished - yet again - at how good it is!

[Rachel McCollough]

Tyler, thank you very much!

WS you can do it. Its just practice. I have no doubt! Thank you very much

Oh wow Mr. Robert, thank you

[Ethan Mitchell]

Thanks Ron, birds eye will make it a little more springy and can firm it a little, but that all depends on the inside of the whip, how it is made. Mine are quite dense so it won't add a lot of change to it necessarily- also because I rotate my bellies, it won't affect it as much.
It flies straight and goes bam with little effort

Rachel,
I love you style, plain with a little bit of flair.
I have read about how most of the other members line up their bellies. But when you said you rotate your bellies you caught my interest. Could you elaborate on it? Right now I have not even given thought to lining up my bellies, or rotating them for that matter.

[Brandon "Sparky" Lam]

Looks like awesome clean work Rachel! Your birds eyes are clean as all heck!

May I ask, how do you take your photos? I'm having a huge amount of trouble with taking photos of black cord myself :O

[Rachel McCollough]

Thanks Brandon! Pics are just with my cell outside early morning or late evening but not deep shade or direct sun. That's pretty much it!

Ethan thanks, yes most plait down then roll and bind, plait right over that layer the same way. You want to line up those seams. If you dont the flight path of the whip will be off or erratic. Think of it as a backbone.

I turn my whip around 180 degrees to plait the next layer. For my plaiting there's too much curve if I don't. Still, line up those bellies every time.

[Ethan Mitchell]

Ok, I think I understand how that would improve the performance of the whip.
Thanks Rachel!

[Rachel McCollough]

You're welcome!