I'll second the Akubra Federation. Probably the nicest quality for a cheap price out there hat there is.
You have to bash it yourself, but that's the real fun anyway.
They're tough, rugged, hats unto themselves. Made in Australia and designed to handle some pretty hostile treatment. I've had mine for about 4 years of heavy wear. In that time it's been smashed, beaten, downpoured on, locked in a very warm car for days on end with the sun shining on it, (wanna turn a Dorfman into a faded, almost pinkish, cone of useless wool felt. Do this for a couple days!) almost buried in snow, covered in dirt, dust, dropped in a puddle of oil, gotten Arby's Barbecue sauce on it, (don't ask...) The list goes on and on... It just keeps looking better and better, (though I do want to send it off to Art Faucett for a good cleaning and reblock...but it doesn't really need it.
Get in touch with Hatsdirect.com, and talk to Jenny Nethercote. She'll hook you up!
As to Strain whips, yeah there are other cheaper alternatives out there. But you get what you pay for. Strain is a machine. He makes some of the nicest whips around and is #1 on my "Top 5 in North America."
You also can't go wrong with a whip from Paul Nolan, (Midwestwhips.com.) Paul is a brilliant whipmaker and a good friend. He and his partner Lauren Wickline are turning out some FANTASTIC stuff! I'd rate him a VERY close #2 behind Strain only because of HIS deep respect for Strain, and that's where he'd put himself, (he got started in whipmaking over a decade ago, by reading a bunch, asking a lot of question, and then finally getting frustrated, buying a $400 Strain bullwhip, and taking it apart to reverse engineer it. He then called Joe Strain to ask questions about what he'd found. Guts. Dedication. Determination. Fascination. Respect. and most importantly, Passion for what he does.)
My favorite whip is an 8 footer that I got from Paul. I wasn't even in the market for a new whip. Didn't have the cash. Saw Paul one weekend, and he handed it to me, (wasn't even finished! Didn't have the knots on it!) and said, "Try it and tell me what you think."
Two cracks later, I didn't even ask how much he wanted for it, or if he'd made it for someone else, or anything. I just said "This is mine. I must have it." No thought of barter, or cost, (or food and gas for the next couple weeks.)
Bernardo Del Carpio, (delcarpiowhips.com) doesn't make my above mentioned "Top 5" list only because he's out of Peru. However, he's currently visiting in the states, (Ohio, to be exact. With Paul and Lauren! I'll see him in a couple of weeks,) and his whips are unquestionably the most SCREEN ACCURATE Indiana Jones whips out there. His current bullwhips are closer to what was used in the original trilogy than what David Morgan himself is currently producing, (David has altered his design slightly over the years to what he feels is a superior whip, and won't "Do things the old way" on request.)
He's also currently doing a replica of the Terry Jacka bullwhip that Indy uses in Crystal Skull. Now, I've been a fan of Jacka's for a number of years, (long before Indy IV started shooting,) and I can spot a Jacka bullwhip a mile away. I recently saw a replica that Bernardo had done. Jacka has a certain way he cuts and bevels his strands that give the plaiting on his whips a VERY distinct look. Terry also has this trademark HEAVILY reinforced transition zone between the handle and the braid of the whip, (which gives it a stiff, very springy action. You can really see it in the trailer when Indy swinging on his whip in the warehouse, misses the truck he's aiming for, and bashes through the windshield of the one behind. As he's saying that he thought that was closer, you can see the stiffness in the whip he's carrying. Signature Jacka!) All of this in conjunction with how Terry does his knots and ESPECIALLY his fall hitches, make a Jacka whip easy to pick out.
Bernardo's COMPLETELY fooled me.
So, it's really all about what you want and how much you want to spend, (the other 3 in my "Top 5 in North America" kinda fluctuates, depending on what you're looking for. When you open the list to Australia, then it get's REALLY complicated!) Really, you can't go wrong with a Strain...Ever...but for if you want choices, there's plenty out there!
By the way, nice to see you here, David!
-thefish (Daniel G. Trout from over on SwordForum.)
