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What kind of person would buy a whip? Maybe someone like you :) Or, for instance, circus people, kids' entertainers, professional whip masters, theatre companies, dog sleigh teams, ordinary enthusiasts from all walks of life; and SM players ;) Today whips are widely spread in all aspects of life all over the world. They have been used in all manner of places, from television studios to the Scottish Highlands, to African safaris - as well as down the local park or club - and by people of all ages, from teenage to well past retirement, in Britain, Canada, Denmark, Eire, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, South Africa, and the United States. So yes, someone like should be an owner of a whip!How are whips measured? Most of whipmakers measure as follows:
How long should my first whip be? There's no set rule. If you've got the space, a rule of thumb that seems to work is that a six foot bull whip is a good length for most adults' first whip. For stock whips, many people are comfortable with a 4 foot stock/yard whip; although a 6 foot one will give more options for tricks like wraps later on; and a slower, more elegant action once mastered. If you are going to be working mainly inside, see 'What sort of whip do you recommend for a novice?' Short snakes and 4' signal whips are our best sellers. As a general rule, it is easier to judge distance with a short whip - an important consideration for SM whip crackers - but for 'sport' whip cracking, a longer whip will be more satisfying.What should it be made of? Contrary to popular belief, leather whips can be got wet - mine have been absolutely sodden at times (not to mention muddy) - as long as they get some tender loving care when you get home. No different to a nice pair of leather boots, in that respect. You look after them, they look after you. But if you don't want to risk it, or don't want the hassle of maintenance, nylon is wonderful stuff. Incredibly hard wearing and cheaper than roo, we reckon that our short nylon whips win over their roo hide peers in terms of performance for price. And if you have an ethical objection to leather, nylon wins every time.How many strands should it have in the braid? In some ways, the number of strands in the overlay is irrelevant. What's important is that the overlay is tight, evenly braided and smooth; and that the insides of the whip are well made from quality materials. Without those things, a whip isn't worth having even if it's got 64 strands in the overlay. I've seen nice 12 and 16 plait overlays on bellies that make you wonder why their makers bothered, and I've seen 4 and 8 plait whips that are streets ahead of many higher plait ones. So, between 2 whips of the same quality of design, made with the same degree of skill and quality of materials, it really comes down to a matter of taste, and budget: a really good whip should almost feel as if it is doing the work for you, regardless of the number of strands it has in the overlay. Three things allow a whip to bend: stretching, compression and moving parts. Multiple bellies and plaited cores mean more moving parts and less stretch-compression. This is a good thing, because the whip wears out more slowly. The moving parts are the individual strands in the braid. As the whip bends, those on the outside of the curve separate and stretch somewhat. Those on the inside are pushed closer together, and compressed somewhat. In a high plait whip compared to a low plait whip, each individual strand moves less to achieve the same curvature. Similarly, each strand suffers less stretching and compression as the whip moves. In theory, this gives a smoother action and a whip that retains it's liveliness for longer. However... In a high plait whip, the strands in the upper part of the thong are often narrower and thus weaker: each individual strand will lose liveliness more quickly under the same forces as the strands on a low plait whip. Also, with high plait whips, it is necessary to drop strands out of the braid in order to provide a smooth taper in which the strands near the fall knot are wide enough to cope with hard pulling during manufacture; as well as wear and tear during every day use. Dropping strands needs to be done very well in order to avoid creating potential wear points along the thong, or affecting the flow of energy from the throw - and thus the smoothness of the whip's action.So a whip with no strands dropped in the overlay, with plaited bellies and a plaited core, is (arguably) the design that best follows the concept of 'form follows function'. For instance, there are 8 plait bullwhips with double plaited bellies and plaited cores. With regard to physical durability, the thin part of the thong above the fall knot takes the most wear and tear. By this stage, most 12 and 16 plait thongs have dropped to 8 or 6. So, typically, in it's most vulnerable part, there is little practical difference between 8, 12 or 16 plait whips made with the same skill; unless strands are dropped close to the tip in the higher plait ones. If this latter is the case, it must be done very well in order to ensure that there is not the slightest bump or bulge that would be vulnerable to abrasion damage. So if you like the look and feel, and the finer braiding patterns, of higher plait whips, you really don't need to worry about their toughness as long as they are well made. So to summarise, an 8 plait bull whip will probably be a more durable whip than a 12 or 16 plait one made with the same skill. At the top end of the range, it will have a smooth enough action and enduring liveliness for most people's uses and, at the budget end, will make an economical entry level whip. At the other extreme, a 12 or 16 plait bull whip will offer handling to suit the most discerning collector and enthusiast, who wishes to combine the best performance in a whip with the most beautiful craftsmanship he or she can find. Lower plait whips: 4 or 6 plait, will have wider strands in the lower part off the thong and so be even tougher; but may not be so satisfying to use. Nevertheless, if made with the same degree of skill as higher plait whips, they can attain a very high quality for the price. Thereis 4 plait roo hide stock whips, especially,which offer an economical entrance to the sport side of whip cracking with an excellent level of performance. Or demo yard whip, which has been used by countless newcomers, to give a first taste of whip cracking and, despite some hideous abuse, is still going strong. What is Sport Whip Cracking? Sport whip cracking, perhaps, is an art that nearly died out and is beginning to resurface. Whereas the sport side of whip cracking is a highly specialised form of target work, in which safety is the primary concern, sport whip cracking for instance in the UK is a broader set of 'disciplines' encompassing:
A definition of sport-cracking could be 'developing and using Whip handling skills'. In other words, getting flash with the Whip. This can be learning straightforward Whipcracking or cracking sequences. Multiple cracking, using more than one Whip. Accuracy of hitting or cutting targets. Picking up, or moving targets with the Whip, controlling targets. It's all done with Whips :) Do you have any information about Indiana Jones, or about Catwoman or Zorro, etc.? Nope :) Unfortunatly, I don't. But I hope to update these pages regularly and as soon as I get it, I'll give it to you with pleasure!Search Whip Guide Calling Cards Cheap Phone Cards Phone Cards Sepak Takraw A-Z Lyrics Archive Love Lyrics Collection |
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