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"
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
The Whip:
