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 common 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 times  greater 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 compared to quality cowhide and latigo is 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 whips are 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 to Kangaroo.   Redhide (latigo) - alum tanned hide, extremely durable.  Very little latigo work within the U.S.  Australian 4 to a max of 8 plait whips take the nod for sheer abuse resistance.   Chap/upholstery/etc. - well, this leather might be servicable for awhile, but I've seldom seen whips  made with this 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 that vegetable tanned hide strands achieve and the normal practice by whipmakers is to apply a light 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 well as 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 the boys.  Literally, belly's are fully 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 veracity of claims as to belly/bolstering construction.  You can't very well cut the whip in half to 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&6 or a 4&8-plait.  Triple bellied are extremely time consuming to make and normally sport 4&6&8 plaited belly's.  Bottom line... if the whipmaker doesn't state belly construction... it's probably rope or worst yet, paper.

4) Length:   The normal for bullwhips is 6-12ft, excluding the fall/cracker length.  With the average being between 8 and 10 feet. Strictly a personal preference.  If you're only interested in cracking, then a 6ft. (9ft. total w/ fall & cracker) will probably suffice.  Want something more all around, then think 8-10ft.  Bullwhips,  excluding signal whips (which are not classified as bullwhips) less than 5 feet or so should be considered novelties or hatbands, those 13 feet plus would normally fall into decorative wall hangers catagory.

5) Weight:   Should pretty much be indicative of the total package depending upon whip length, hide, # of belly's, whips range from 16-30 ounces.  Some whipmakers consider 16oz. to be a heavier whip, I consider it to be a light, so weight can be a very subjective matter.

6) Plaiting (strands) in the overlay:   Good average for a high quality working whip is 12-plait, 16+ plaiting extends from artsy to the wow.  Basic, of course, is 4-plait, considering you can't braid with fewer than 4 strands in the round.  Some very nice work is done by some whipmakers in less than 12-plait so don't let that be a be-all factor... again take the whole package into consideration.

7) General quality standards:   #1 to look for is a smooth clean flowing taper along the length, no gaps, lumps or bumps.  Nice, straight seams.  Out of the box, it should be very firm and tight throughout its length.  I personally use a plaiting horse to plait all bellys and overlay producing the tightest/densest possible plait.  Unlike freehand plaiting, strand management is considerably more time consuming and my whips normally take some 90 hours to make from start to finish but the quality is second to none.  All high quality whips absolutely will require a period of break-in.  Whipmakers who tout that their whips will 'crack out of the box' have either broken-in the whip, meaning that it could no longer be considered "new" or haven't plaited a tight whip but maybe a more plausible explanation is that they're simply using a little "salesmanship" to help sell their product.

8) Color:   Again, purely a personal preference.  Some opt for solid colored, some prefer a little more of an artform in the two-toned.... and color combinations are numerous.

9) Parting thoughts:   I can only say, you get what you pay for.  No [sane] quality whipmaker will part with their hard labored work of art cheaply.   Purchase the best whip you can afford, it'll last you many years when taken care of.   The bottom line is that when a customer receives their whip in hand, they say "WOW, BEAUTIFUL" but more important, with practice, when the whip is feeling like a natural extension of your arm, you think... ah, YES...