This whip was sent in to us for a fall replacement and to have the loose point replaited with a custom extra long fall hitch.  If the point is loose like this (see first picture), the strands in the braid no longer work together for their strength, and some strands will be put under an exponential amount of stress during use.  Not only does this reduce your whip's ability to effectively transfer energy into the "crack," but it will also over time result in broken strands at the point.  A broken strand at the point is still repairable, but you may lose a couple inches of the total length of your whip, so it's best to fix these loose points before before they become a bigger problem!

We tend to end up with several hunt whip repairs per year, all in various states of need.  Pictured above on the left is a thong that needs a new popper, and please notice in the picture to the right its new modern fall hitch and easily replacable popper we've repaired it with.  Now the owner will be able to replace his or her own poppers and fall  whenever necessary without needing to send it back to a professional whipmaker for repair (or using duct tape, which we have seen frustrated owners try before!).  We also have replaced keepers (including the flat leather piece between the handle and thong) on hunt whips, and in some cases we have even made brand new thongs for hunt whips that were beyond repair.   The thong pictured above is typical of standard hunt whips from large retailers - little to no taper from top to bottom.  Some hunt whips also have just a couple strips of leather or a piece of rope for a core.  Our brand new thongs are made from beautiful and durable kangaroo hide, feature an all leather core with a braided belly, and have a professional taper that makes your whip much easier to crack, and to crack with pinpoint accuracy.  You'll be able to do things with your hunt whip you never before thought possible, and your whip will be the envy of everyone!