OT: Bullwhips

J

Josh Feltman

Joined
Feb 12, 2001
Messages
4,501
Anybody know anything about bullwhips? How do you select a good one? Also, how do you learn to use one? Any info or links greatly appreciated.

--Josh
 
This is where I got some good info a few years ago http://www.bullwhip.org/ . I've got a cheap one made in Mexico but I've always wanted a good one, since I was a little kid. From the age of about 7 up I idolized Indiana Jones. :cool: Good luck with yours, they're a lot of fun!
 
Everything I know about whips I learned from browsing old David Morgan catalogs. They still carry a fairly broad line of whips and they offer tips on selection and "cracking".

They have a lot of other neat stuff, too. Australian imports, celtic items, and native/folk art from the Pacific NW. :cool:
 
All the kids in my neighborhood wanted bullwhips. A few folks actually had them. I had a small whip. A 10'. It was real though.

I should caution you that a real whip is no laughing matter and control is difficult. It is true you can easily put out an eye.



munk
 
My dad was a leather worker and made a couple when I was a kid. Watch out for your ears when you use one, it is easy to lose a chunk.
 
Ditto the danger potential for yourself,

& others.

I still have a decent whip (somewhere) dropped by trespassing horsemen
on my grandfather's farm when I was a kid.
 
I had a custom whip made my Derald Bright.
He made me a 9 foot indian jones whip for about 200$
His quality is great but his prices are much lower than morgan.
oh yeah, that reminds me.
Buy "the bullwhip book" and read it twice before you touch the whip.
you can damage it by trying to crack it incorrectly, the very first time!

Here are some bits of what I remember:

Always hold the whip by the ball or pommel. do not grasp it like a knife.
Always use the whip over a smooth , clean surface like a gym. Never use it over concrete. (it scratches the leather)
wear safety glasses and a hat to begin with.
keep bystanders at a distance.
 
RonS said:
Watch out for your ears when you use one, it is easy to lose a chunk.
Click to expand...
This cannot be stressed enough!!!!:eek:
I had an oiled rawhide six foot whip with a "cracker" on it when I was maybe 13 and my ears were sore for weeks!!!!:rolleyes: :grumpy:
It does take awhile to learn how to use one without hurting yourself. I have heard that the longer whip the harder it is to learn so would recommend starting off with a shorter one.
 
I have a very nice well made 12 foot bull whip. I'll trade it for a nice Khukri if anyone wants too. Cost me about $175 new. It is a professional whip and not some chessy Mexican whip.

Makes a nice crack sound if done right. Will come with a whip cracking video.

But be carefull, will definately put your eye out or cut flesh.
 
I have trying to get hold of a bullwhip for years in my own country but can't find one. And an original sold overseas is usually too pricey.

I blame it all on Indiana Jones! :D
 
Golok, you need to buy the make your own bullwhip book and learn to make your own!
Plus, you might make some money too.
 
What is the origin of the bullwhip?
Why would anyone want or need to whip a bull?
I have seen whips used on horses and oxen, but never on a bull.
 
There's this gal I know that can teach...oops...wrong forum! ;-)
 
Got me Googling again
The world is full of interesting things

www.google.com/search?q=whip|whips+-fetish+-toys+braid|braided+strand|strands
---------------

www.davidmorgan.com/braidedgoods.html
Several info links top & bottom of page

www.aussiewhipmaker.com
several pages of info in dropdowns from links at top

couple of paragraphs I failed to get links for:

"Raising cattle was, and is, a way of life for many Floridians and South Georgians. In the days before the electric cattle prod, the tool of choice for herding cattle in the region- often, the larger and more obstinate males being the primary recipients- was a long, braided leather whip called a bullwhip (for explanation, read a little more carefully). The cowboys moving the cattle (observe photo of pioneer Florida cattle-rancher, Mr. Summerlin, above), most of which were wild cattle left by the Spaniards, used the crack of the whip to motivate the little suckers to leave their dear cover in the scrub brush and join the rest of the cattle who had already fallen in line."

" But, as few animals are used for transportation, the general use of the whip in our society is no longer necessary. To the martial artist, however, the whip is still a viable tool, both as a weapon and a resource for skill development.
A whip is any flexible lash with a rigid handle. A common type of whip is the bullwhip or latigo. The last six inches of the whip form what is called the popper. The popper renders the snapping, cutting action of the whip. It is usually a short piece of leather. When the popper wears off from use, it is sometimes replaced with slender nylon rope or bailing wire.
The popper is the whip's payload. The handle and the braid make up the delivery system. Usually the braid is connected directly to the handle, but often they are connected through a ball bearing joint. The handle is the rigid portion of the whip that helps to control it during use. The rest of the whip is a flexible braid. This portion of the whip is called the braid because most whips, including the latigo, are made from strips of braided leather.
Proper manipulation of the handle generates a wave of energy that travels through the braid to the popper. When this energy-wave reaches the popper, the popper snaps with great speed and violence. A wave travelling fast enough will cause the popper to exceed the speed of sound and emit a sonic crack!
The whippist's objective is to put a powerful snap on a point target at the farthest distance the whip is capable of reaching. Before this is possible, however, you, the whippist must learn to control the whip. The pre-eminent principles needed to learn are accuracy and distance."
 
DannyinJapan said:
I had a custom whip made my Derald Bright.
He made me a 9 foot indian jones whip for about 200$
His quality is great but his prices are much lower than morgan.
oh yeah, that reminds me.
Buy "the bullwhip book" and read it twice before you touch the whip.
you can damage it by trying to crack it incorrectly, the very first time!
Click to expand...

Danny, do you have contact information for this fella?
thanks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top