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WHAT'S A COW WHIP? Cow whips are the most common whips used among the cattlemen of the state of Florida. I grew up in Florida and lived on a ranch, at young age I learned to crack and make these whips. The cow whip is normally used in herding cattle on horseback. It is very common for a Florida "cracker" to use a whip 12 feet long and sometimes longer! It is built for durability and reliability. WHAT'S A BULLWHIP? Bullwhips are the most common whips used among the cattlemen of the rest of America. The bullwhip was normally used in herding cattle on horseback. It is also the whip used most often by movie characters such as Lash LaRue, Indiana Jones & Catwoman! It is built for durability, reliability and to be easily carried in saddle bags. They are not intended for swinging with though. Whips used in that capacity in the movies generally had a cable inside & where mounted in place before the stuntman "swung" with it. WHY NYLON? This is a very good question to start out with..... My nylon cow whips are made of weatherproof nylon parachute cord. In my home state of Florida this type of whip began to replace "buckskin" and leather cow whips in the 1970's. It gave the cattlemen of Florida a worry free whip to use in the swamps and during the fowl weather conditions in which they had to work their cattle. The use of nylon in bullwhips is a much more recent occurance. Nylon whips are generally less costly than whips made from natural materials, and do not require as much care either. If you are into whip cracking as a hobby and use natural whips, you often have to wait on the right conditions to crack those expensive whips.... not with these!! You can crack them when YOU want to crack them!! I don't think twice about cracking my whip in the morning dew! CONSTRUCTION I plait my cow whips using a 12 plait. I begin the belly of a whip with a hollow nylon cord in which I stuff with BB's. This gives the whip weight and it helps it to crack better. I plait a small 10 plait whip around the BB filled cord, then I plait another 12 plait whip around that whip. When I get done plaiting, I dip the whip in paraffin wax and attach a cracker and a hardwood handle. I turn my own handles on A lathe. The bullwhips are cunstructed using 16 plait overlay with as 10 plait belly and BB filled cord core. MEASUREMENT This is very important, so please take note: The traditional way to measure a cow whip in Florida is via the "thong". Begining of the plaited body to its twisted end. The fall is a strand of paracord tied to the twisted end of the thong. Therefore when ordering be sure to state the length of the thong only! The bullwhip is measured from the handle to the end of the twisted end of the thong. The fall is not counted for this style of whip either. The chart bellow shows the green area as the part that is counted in the price.
WHIP CARE Though nylon whips are very durable and weatherproof, it is important to take care of your new whip. Nylon is a man-made material that is very durable and resistant to the elements and damage caused by vermin. However, nylon whips are not indestructible and do require some degree of care. I recommend NOT using your cow whip on concrete, gravel or hard dirt surfaces such as packed clay. This will destroy the fibers of the nylon and give it an unattractive "fuzzy" appearance. As you use your whip, always watch for knots in the cracker and fall. Once a fall or cracker has a knot that been "cracked into place" it is almost impossible to get the knot out. Do not leave your whip in the sun for long periods of time. Over exposure to the Sun destroys nylon fibers and will lead to an early retirement for your whip. I recommend re-waxing your whip (depending on frequency of use) about every 4 to 6 months. I normally dip the whip (without handle) into a pot of molten paraffin wax. Be careful no to get the wax too hot as it will melt the nylon. Bees wax can also be used. Light colored whips often get dirty with use. I have heard various ideas on whip cleaning such as spot cleaning using laundry detergent & water. You might try this or another method, but I DO NOT recommend putting your whip in the dishwasher or washing machine!! This is only meant to give some helpful ideas of how to care for your nylon whip, but may or may not be the best method and is based upon my personal experience. If your whip is ever in need of repair please contact me. I do fee based repairs as well as free repairs depending on if the damage is normal or abusive wear, or a workmanship issue. For those who would rather have someone else do the work you can always send it back to me: Whip Maintenance - includes hand wash, rewax, new fall, new crackers and shipment back to client within the US. International destinations will be dealt with individually: $35.00 for the 1st whip and $20.00 per whip beyond that in a single order. |
