Bullwhip leather question

[Ramsey]

I'm about to make my first bullwhip out of leather...the "cowhide" I THOUGHT I had turned out to be nothing but car upholstery...guess I wont be ordering off Ebay for this again. Oh well, I guess I'll be making another Grail Diary with it.

So, anyone know what would be my best bet for leather? I don't have the money for kangaroo hide, so I'm sticking with cow hide or anything else around that general price range.

What I need to know is how big should the side be for an 8-foot bullwhip...what thickness should it be...would it be better to cut the strands in long straight lines, or would it matter if I curved around like I've seen in books (assuming that it needs to be stretched to be straightned)..obviously I've never worked with leather before...very new to this..but I really wanna make that leather Indy whip....so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance, gang.

 

[neosporing]

okay i have no idea what i'm talking about... have you tried to contact... someone like robert duke or adam winrich.. they're pretty nice about answering questions like this...

 

[T2SF]

I have a 5 DVD set on bullwhip making, complete process, let me know if your interested. They were $100 from a guy in Tasmania.

 

[Serafino]

Do a search on 'kip' at this forum and you'll get some info, and find someone to ask about where to get it and so on.

 

[Nexus6]

I have a 5 DVD set on bullwhip making, complete process, let me know if your interested. They were $100 from a guy in Tasmania.

I'm assuming you're talking about Bernie Wojcicki. If so, Ramsey, this is the guy from the video link I sent you in your other thread. I will definitely be getting this DVD set some day. If it's within your budget (it's not currently within mine), I highly recommend getting them. Bernie even says you can call him with questions, as long as you check the time zones & refrain from calling him at ungodly hours.

 

[Ramsey]

Hey ya'll...I saw this on Tandy Leather's site....would this possibly be a good choice for a bullwhip?
As I said before, I know nothing about leather..*lol*

http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/search/searchresults/9100-00.aspx?feature=Product_2&kw=pigskin

or perhaps maybe this?

http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/home/department/Leather/9047-02.aspx?feature=Product_3

 

[Serafino]

:rolleyes

http://therpf.com/search.php?searchid=1053566

 

[Ramsey]

Ok, dang..those links didnt' quite work right...I mean these items here:

or this one here:

If anyone can offer a suggestion..someone who knows whether or not these will be good pieces to use, please let me know. *S*

 

[Rayzorr]

This site might be helpful

http://users.tpg.com.au/users/ramskull/apwa.htm

 

[Nexus6]

Ok, dang..those links didnt' quite work right...I mean these items here:

[B]PIG[/B][/ IMG]

or this one here:

[IMG][B]SADDLE[/B][/ IMG]

If anyone can offer a suggestion..someone who knows whether or not these will be good pieces to use, please let me know. *S*[/quote]
Oink is a no go for sure, & the saddle [I]might[/I] work if you're just gonna lay the whip on a shelf & never crack it.

Anything other than [B]kangaroo[/B] OR [B]kip[/B] just doesn't seem to be strong enough (according to EVERY friggin whip-maker I've ever heard or read) to withstand supersonic punishment. Like a couple of people mentioned, try to find some KIP (less $$$ than 'roo) & give that a go.

 

[Ramsey]

Ok, so if kip is one way to go, how about this piece? How does it sound to you all who are in the know?

Also, in your opinion, what size should I consider for an 8-foot, single-belly whip?

 

[bullwhipcracker]

You can make a decent whip from it...I have.
BUT be prepared. Tandy finishes in such a way you cant see the tick marks and scars. These weak points will break. You WILL break strands with this hide. Pretty easy to splice em in though. Cut em extra wide, because it is quite stretchy. Sadly, it is the best non-roo available local though.
Good luck,
Ron
ps 18 sq will do the whip with a bit left.

 

[bleyd]

Check COW if you can. I recall a coupla years ago someone who had hides. Don't know if they still do but it's worth a shot. I think some of the whipmakers have kits as well.

 

[Ramsey]

You can make a decent whip from it...I have.
BUT be prepared. Tandy finishes in such a way you cant see the tick marks and scars. These weak points will break. You WILL break strands with this hide. Pretty easy to splice em in though. Cut em extra wide, because it is quite stretchy. Sadly, it is the best non-roo available local though.
Good luck,
Ron
ps 18 sq will do the whip with a bit left.

Thanks alot, Bulllwhipcracker...that's just the info I was looking for!
Now all I need to do is get the kip and get started. I'll post pics of it when it's done. *S*