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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
call us at (US) 314-484-0462 or email whipmaker@midwestwhips.com
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