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All
sorts
of whips share
many of the same
names for their
parts, but listed
below
are labelled
pictures of a
stockwhip, a
bullwhip, a signal
whip, and a
snake whip.
Scroll on down
below the pictures
for definitions
and
explanations of
the terms used.
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Thong
- The thong of a
whip is the
entire flexible
leather braided
section of any
whip. It
should
have an even
taper, and should
be firm - never
squishy - to the
touch.
Handle/Butt
Knot -
This is a
decorative knob,
usually finished
with an attractive
turkshead
knot.
Depending on the
whip, this knob
will be covering a
leather
or lead foundation
to help properly
distribute the
weight of the
whip. Most
whipcrackers hold
this knot in the
palm of their hand
when cracking.
Handle
- On bullwhips and
stockwhips, this
section is not
flexible like the
thong. It
provides the extra
leverage on a whip
that makes it
easier to crack -
so as you might
assume, the longer
the handle, the
better your
leverage for
cracking, within
reason. A
signal or
snake whip will
have a flexible
handle section, so
the whipcracker
must
use his or her arm
and wrist more to
create extra
leverage.
Because of the
flexible handle
section on signal
and snake whips,
these
whip are more
compact, easier to
use in confined
areas, and are
more
easily portable.
Wrist
Loop - An
entirely optional
part of any
whip. Wrist
loops
are not meant to
hold a large
amount of weight,
but will easily
fit
over your wrist
for security if
you'd like.
The main purpose
of a
wrist loop is to
hang the whip from
if you want to
store your whips
that way or if you
are cleaning or
conditioning your
whip.
Fall
Hitch -
This is the end of
the thong, where
the fall is
attached.
Keep a close eye
on the braiding
just above your
fall
hitch, because you
will need to send
it in for repair
if these strands
become
loose. One
or more loose
strands in this
section means
that the energy of
a cracking whip
will falter in
that area, you
whip
will not crack as
well, and you have
a better chance of
breaking a
strand there.
Fall
- The fall is most
often made from a
thick and durable
strip of beveled
and rounded
cowhide.
Though not as easy
as poppers, falls
are
fairly easily
replacable by a
non-professional.
Give us a call,
and we'll walk you
through it.
Or, if you're not
comfortable with
doing it yourself,
you are welcome to
send it to us for
a quick
replacement.
Care for your fall
by coating it with
Pecards after
every few practice
sessions, or
whenever you
notice it is
becoming
excessively
"fuzzy." A
fall on a
full-size whip
needs replaced
when it becomes
shorter than
approximately
18-22 inches.
Popper
- This is an
easily replaceable
portion of your
whip because it is
that
part that takes
the most
abuse.
Contrary to
popular belief,
the
popper is not
necessary for a
whip to
crack. We
just use poppers
because if we
didn't, the end of
the fall would
begin to fray
instead
of the popper, and
poppers are much
easier and cheaper
to replace than
falls.
Keeper
- This is a whip
part unique to
stockwhips.
The keeper is the
"hinge" between
the thong and the
handle of a
stockwhip.
In
addition to the
longer handle,
this is another
feature that makes
the
stockwhip ideal
for fast and fancy
routines.
Ring/Transition
Knot
- On most
modern bullwhips,
this decorative
turkshead knot
serves no other
real purpose
beyond marking the
point of
transition
between the handle
and the thong,
which is why is it
most often called
a transition
knot.
These transition
knots have been an
iconic part of the
bullwhip since the
early American
days of wooden
swivel-handled
bullwhips.
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For questions
or to order
email whipmaker@midwestwhips.com
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