Cow Whip

[Mark Elliott]

I've been working for the last week on a cow whip and finished the thong today. I threaded 3 strands of leaded line into each of the core strands before twisting them into TT core. It has two plaited bellies that end by twisting the 1st into the belly and the 2nd belly into the 1st belly. The overlay is a 16 plait that I started with a diamond pattern for about 8 inches and then transitioned into a herringbone for 8 inches, then into a short herringbone for 8 inches and finally back into a herringbone for the main part of the 8 foot thong and finally into another tapered twist for the last foot. The handle will be 14 inches and made of purpleheart. The thong is chocolate brown and dark brown paracord, but when I plaited them the dark brown appears more olive drab than brown. The handle has been roughed out with a farrier's rasp but I still have a LOT of shaping and sanding to do on it. Also still need to wax the thong and make a fall.

[Ron May]

That looks really good Mark.
Are you going to leave the "heel" of the handle straight?
The plaiting is spot on.
Very nice job.

Ron

[Mark Elliott]

Ron, thanks. I plan on making it into a sort of teardrop shape, but as with anything I do, the final shape depends on what I have to do to fix any screw-ups:)

[Ethan Mitchell]

Looking great! The handle is the hard part.

[Ron May]

Good new avatar Ethan.

Ron

[Flemming Bo Christiansen]

Well, I can see, that I have to do a little investigation in the difference between a bull whip and a cowwhip. Robby shows the difference in one of the DVD, but I must have a closer look to understand

[Robert Gage]

That's a great looking thong, Mark!

[Matt Henderson]

Who doesn't love a good cow whip? You're an artist, Mark

[Ethan Mitchell]

Thanks Ron!

[Rachel McCollough]

Mark, that thong is really cool! You've done some fine work! Purple heart is a beautiful wood, its going to look great with the brown!

[Rachel McCollough]

More cowwhips being created, I love it!

[Brandon "Sparky" Lam]

Mark, that's looking really nice! Been wanting to make a cow whip myself for ages, but I've never had the woodworking skills! :O

That handle is looking smooth~

[Mark Elliott]

Thanks everyone.

Ethan, the handle is the hardest part for me. I have done some woodworking in the past but it has been a while and my lathe has not been used in so long that it has corroded and is unusable, so I've been doing it with a rasp and sanders. TT techniqies are still new to me as well.

Flemmng, I also had to look up the differences. Rachel and Roy both make gorgeous cow whips and have been a big insiration to me. Rhett Kelly is another that I picked up a few tips from and he also has some info on the history of cow whips and he's is also a paramedic (seems to be a trend with paramedics and whips)

Matt, artist is probably a little to strong a work for my hacking around, but I certainly do enjoy the creative process.

Sparky, there is still a lot of wood to remove but I've always found it easier to keep things as smooth and even as possible as I work wood, I think that If I keep it close to looking like a finished product then it will be easier to recognize when it is finished

[Rachel McCollough]

...I've always found it easier to keep things as smooth and even as possible as I work wood, I think that If I keep it close to looking like a finished product then it will be easier to recognize when it is finished

Exactly!

[Mark Elliott]

Well, here it is all waxed and assembled. 15 inch pupleheart handle, 8 ft thong, 12 ft overall, 2 bellies, TT core, weighted fall. The wax darkened everything so much that it's hard to tell the difference between the dark brown and the chocolate brown, but I still like the way it turned out. Tung oil finish on the handle.

[Rachel McCollough]

Mark, that is beautifully done! You should be mighty proud of that!

[Scott A. Cary]

Well done, Mark!

[Mark Elliott]

Thank you Rachel and Scott.

[Jyri Haveri]

Beatiful Mark!

[Mark Elliott]

Thanks Jyri.