Purchasing a Whip
The main things to consider when purchasing a whip are:
- Length of the Whip
- Type of leather used
- Cost of the Whip
- Overall construction of the Whip
In choosing a whip to learn with it is best to buy a whip that is durable and hard wearing.
The finer the strands, the less durable they are.
A standard 4 plait Stockwhip or Bullwhip is hard to beat and is the most affordable.
The more strands the Whip has, the more expensive it is. Length of a Whip. The length of the Whip is important.
Australian Stockwhips are measured from the start of the Keeper to the start of the Fall - i.e. only the Thong is measured. For small children up to the age of 5 years, a Whip about 3 feet long is ideal.
For children 5 to 10 years, a Whip 4 feet long is good.
For older children (about 10 years & older), a 5 foot whip is the go.
The 5 foot whip is also good for adults up to 5' 10" tall.
For taller adults and more experienced crackers, a 6 foot whip can be used successfully. The lengths above are for Stockwhips - add 1 to 2 feet for Bullwhips to allow for the different measuring of the Bullwhip (the handle section is included in the length of the Bullwhip).
Types of Leather and Cost. Brian Nemeth Stockwhips and Bullwhips are made from Red Hide, White Hide and Kangaroo Hide.
Kangaroo Hide is the strongest type of leather for it's weight in the world.
This makes Kangaroo Hide the best for fine plaited work of 8 strands or more.
For a beginner, Brian suggests a 4 plait Red Hide whip - either a Stockwhip or a Bullwhip as they are the best value and hard wearing.
Once you have mastered the art of Whip Cracking, then consider the purchasing Kangaroo Hide Whips.
The Belly of a Whip. When purchasing a Whip, look for a "good falling whip".
This means aWhip that cracks nice and clear and with little effort.
A good falling Whip is determined by how the whip is made, not necessarily how fancy it might look.
It all depends on the inside of the whip.
As you cannot see inside a Whip, it may be necessary to give it a few cracks before purchasing it.
The belly of the whip, or the layers under the plaited overlay that you can see, is the most important part of a whip.
All good Whips have a belly, preferably made of leather.
Most good Whips are built up at the thicker end with other layers of leather.
The correct placing, weight and length of this thicker section all contribute to a good falling Whip.
All Brian Nemeth Whips are manufactured with the benefit of Brian's 40 plus years of experience in Whip Making and are correctly weighted and formed to provide an excellent crack.
The Fall. Continuing from the plaited Thong is the Fall.
The width of the Fall where it is attached to the Whip should be the same as the tip of the plaited section or slightly narrower, and the taper should carry on toward the Cracker.
The Fall gets the most wear and tear and over time becomes shorter as bits break off.
Never let the Fall become shorter than about 30cm (1 foot).
Most competitors and show people will generally replace the Fall before it gets this short.
Most Whips will have a Fall that is longer than required when purchased to allow for some wear and tear.
Also, most competition Whip Crackers and performers "fine tune" their Whips to suit their own preferences.
The length of the Fall can determine the loudness and intensity of the cracks.
Fine tuning means cutting off short sections of the Fall at a time and testing the loudness and intensity of the cracks with each slight adjustment.
This is not necessary for beginners, but once you get into competition Whip Cracking or performances you will want to get the maximum crack out of your Whip with the minimum effort and every little bit helps!
The Handle. The Handle is another crucial factor of the Stockwhip.
The length, thickness and weight of the Handle also varies from Whip to Whip.
There are two main types of Handles:
- Half Plaited Cane Handles
- Full Plaited Cane Handles Fully plaited cane Handles are rarely used on any other type of Whip except Kangaroo Hide Whips.
The properties of cane make a flexible yet strong Handle.
Hardwoods are mainly avoided as Handles due to the lack of flexibility. All Whip Handles should have a good sized knob at the end.
This enables it to fit neatly into your palm so your fingers can wrap around just above the knob preventing the Handle slipping out of your hand.
The knob also provides a bit of weight to the end of the Whip to help with the balance of it.
A well balanced Whip and Handle will contribute to it being a good falling Whip.
The Handle of a well balanced Whip will not wobble around as you crack it.
The Keeper. It is also important to look at the Keeper of the Whip.
It should be a nice tight Keeper that has little movement in it.
When cracking continuously, the Whip will tend to wobble if the Keeper is loose.
Leather Keepers will stretch with time and use and therefore it is advisable to buy a Whip that has a tight Keeper to start with.
Keepers are generally replaceable - it is a lot harder to replace a Keeper on a full plait Handle than on a half plait Handle.
Breaking In Whips. Most good Whips require some breaking in.
So the feel of the Whip will change with use.
Leather has the tendency to stretch and although the Whip Makers generally pre-stretch the strands of a whip before plaiting them, the Whip will tend to soften the more it is used.
It is better to buy a Whip that is tightly plaited and break it in than to buy a whip that is loosely plaited that will become saggy and floppy after some use.
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