Bullwhip Buyers Guide

Bullwhip Buyers Guide

Having made bullwhips since 1989, I am often asked for my personal opinion about construction, hide selection, lengths, belly construction and other considerations from those mainly interested in sport whip cracking and target work. Bullwhip construction is not rocket science but most would be surprised by the labor intensiveness to make a quality bullwhip. All high quality bullwhips are handmade but not all handmade bullwhips are high quality..... Bullwhips are not toys, yet used with with gemon sense are, simply put...loads of fun. Those that have caught the whip cracking bug (and with practice) find that the whip is a tool unlike any other. It can push, pull, wrap and crack, all with the delicate touch of a hummingbird wing or that of a solid punch.
Buyer considerations:
1) Hide selection: Kangaroo-generally acknowledged as the premier medium. Strand strength 5-7 timesgreater than cowhide of equal strand width and thickness. Roo hide is very durable and streamlined construction (minimal wind resistance) making for a very fast, fluid casting whip. It's only downside as gepared to quality cowhide and latigois that it is less resistant to abuse, ie. being dragged about in the dirt.Cowhide -calf or kip hide is the normal cowhide employed. Some really beautiful whipsare produced in this medium from grade A quality hides. Give cowhide the nod for those that will tend to abuse the tool or for a less costly alternative toKangaroo. Redhide (latigo) - alum tanned hide, extremely durable.Very little latigo work within the U.S. Australian 4 to a max of 8 plait whipstake the nod for sheer abuse resistance. Chap/upholstery/etc. - well,this leather might be servicable for awhile, but I've seldom seen whips made withthis medium touting belly construction.
2) Tannage types: Wattle bark (drum stuffed) - Kangaroo hides (only) to my knowledge.Highest quality hides with superb strand strength and almost nil stretch. Very fine plaited whips, 24-plait plus can be constructed from this medium but the norm is 12/16 plait. Hides are heavily greased out of the tannery and strands even after soaping (plaiting soap) do not have the sheen thatvegetable tanned hide strands achieve and the normal practice by whipmakers is to apply alight layer of leather lacquer to the finished whip (thong) to acquire a glossy finish. Vegetable - not all vegetable tanned hides are created equal but most are tight fibered, durable. Whip thongs that hold up extremely wellas long as the strands have been soaped and stretched during construction and this is just standard practice amongst quality whipmakers. Vegetable stranded bullwhips have a nice shiney finish and are easily maintained/moisturized with a coat of a good grade hard wax. Chrome - tanned hides for both Kangaroo and Cowhide are generally less desirable due to its stretchiness.
3) Belly construction:Separates the men from theboys. Literally, belly's arefully functional plaited whips within a whip. An old saying by Australian whipmakers is "no guts, no good". This is where you have to trust your whipmaker as to their veracityof claims as to belly/bolstering construction. You can't very well cut the whip in halfto verify the stated claims, well, you could, but... Belly construction can range from a single (plaited) belly to as many as three. A single belly is normally a tapered 4 or 6-strand. Double bellied whips generally are 4