Black and Tan Fantasy

[Mark Elliott]

8 foot kangaroo hide bullwhip, 3 plaited roo hide bellies and 2 kipskin bolsters. 16 plait overlay, 12 inch handle. The handle is a diamond plait using a barber pole pattern, the thong starts off with a short herringbone and transitions into a herringbone, ending in an 8 plait fall hitch, 28 inch latigo fall and one of Rachel's tapered Dyneemo crackers. 7x6 pineapple knots for the heel and transition. The wrist strap(a first for me) is a double-edged 8 strand flat braid (ABoK 2996.) I used shellac for the finish

[Ron May]

Very nice Mark.
Be very proud.

Ron

[Mark Elliott]

Thanks, Ron, now if I could just learn to type!

[Rachel McCollough]

If you figure out that typing thing please let me know. I could use that skill too!!!

This whip is a beauty. I love the taper. The knots look great!
Really fantastic job!!!! You should indeed be very proud of this work. I LOVE the handle plaiting. Beautiful, beautiful!

[Mark Elliott]

Thank you Rachel, you are too kind! I have to admit, I'm pretty happy with how this turned out.

[Scott A. Cary]

As you should be, Mark. This is beautiful. I especially like the way that the barber pole pattern on the handle turned out. Very nice!

[Mark Elliott]

Scott, thank you very much.

[Jeff Roseborough]

Very nice work Mark! The taper is very smooth and even. Strand widths are very uniform. On a whip with this type of design uneven strands would stick out. I see none.

Only flaw I can see, and it is quite evident is in the pattern itself. There is a small section about 1.5ft from the end where the pattern is a bit "jumbled". The number of light strands in between dark strands changes several times and it appears there might have been a strand drop or 2 in this section. I'm not sure how that can be fixed as I have never attempted a pattern like this.

Overall a very good looking whip. How does it handle?

[Mark Elliott]

Thanks Jeff. The pattern was a bit of a problem at each strand drop. From the top of the whip (the view that I had while plaiting) everything looked very regular, it's just the side view that the pattern gets a little wonky. If you hold the whip and rotate it to look at the entire pattern, it seems more regular and correct, but photo's seem to really bring out the flaws.

[Sir Roger Tuson]

That really is lovely Mark. Skillz!

[Mark Elliott]

Thank you, Sir Roger.
Jeff, I haven't been able to crack it, it's been too cold to get the leather whips out this since I finished it. I'll post a video as soon as it gets a bit warmer.

[Sven van Leeuwen]

Very nice work Mark.

[Ethan Mitchell]

Mark,
Great job! It looks amazing, and the BP on the handle turned out great!
I might be able to crack it in a gym. Though ear plugs are highly recommended!

[Mark Elliott]

https://youtu.be/5hka3MlAhIk

[Ron May]

That whip flows nicely. It also looks like it rolls out pretty decently.
Good job.

One suggestion when cracking is to hold the whip by the heel knot and not right in front of it. It will give you more control and more leverage. And as you found out, the wrist strap is quite a bother and if you actually use it around your wrist, it prevents the swiveling of the whip in your hand when needed for some cracks.
It's good for hanging a whip by when not in use though.

I've heard that wrist straps are for umbrellas and I tend to agree.

The whip is a beauty and to be treasured and enjoyed often.
Really good job.

I hope one day to make one this good.

Ron

[Mark Elliott]

Thank you Ron, I'm not sure why I was holding it so far up the handle, I usually don't. It might be because of the strap. It makes the knot feel off somehow. So, turns out I'm not that crazy about the strap myself. I'm still at the trying things out stage of whip making.

[Ron May]

A lot of people think it's more "Indy" like when they order them.

By the way, I fixed your title to read correctly. I hope you don't mind.

Ron

[Jesse Bessette]

Mark, that thing is a beauty. I really do like the way it came out. I also agree with the wrist straps. In the Dog Shelter Campaign from this year, I got a Mike Murphy bullwhip from Jeff, and I love the way it flows, but it is my first whip with a wrist strap. It definitely does change the way it holds.

[Mark Elliott]

Thanks for fixing the title Ron.

[Mark Elliott]

Thank you, Jesse. I'll probably not bother with a wrist strap again.