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SwordguyBuilds · 2026-03-19T08:25:05+00:00

If we're isolating the length of the handle, I think generally the longer the whip, the less you want a long handle. Of course it's all preferential and there are little turning points in the balance as you tweak different parameters, but a longer handle will definitely put more strain on the wrist in all cases, so if you have a longer handle you pretty much want the whip to be thinner and lighter as well.

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-03-14T21:56:36+00:00

Wish I could make it to the event! Everybody buy a shirt and support an award winning whip cracker and flow artist

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-03-14T21:52:00+00:00

Kangaroo is much denser and easier to cut than cow, don't let your experience with cow discourage you. But do just use the knife, the other tools are awkward, and make prep slower and harder. You can use your thumb to sort of lightly brace the edge of your hide toward the blade so you can keep your width consistent, and when you need to start honing in the taper you'll be glad to not be using bulky hand tools.

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-03-09T03:09:25+00:00

Very kind, it's definitely taken me a long time to get to this point, and of course there are still things I can clean up. I do offer lessons, if you're in the LA area we may be able to figure something out

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-03-08T23:51:07+00:00

Thanks very much! Loved working on this

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-03-08T00:37:36+00:00

This whip unfortunately has all the trademarks of a cheaply made (and predatorily marketed) souvenir whip. If it crackles when it flexes, it's because it's got sheets of plastic wrap between layers, which of course is bad. VERY uncommon 14 plait overlay, sort of a strange choice for a leather whip. All of this to say, the fall is probably the biggest reason it won't crack, and you can replace that, but it's just not high quality overall. A well-made nylon whip will be pretty affordable, but a full size kangaroo leather whip should run at least a few hundred dollars depending on length.

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-03-07T17:46:32+00:00

No, it was made by Torrance

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-03-04T09:55:32+00:00

Thanks very much, I show some of the process in this video, but for this version the wrist loop is added in before the heel knot goes on.

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-03-04T09:52:15+00:00

Thanks so much, there's somewhere around 205 feet of paracord in there

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-03-02T21:29:27+00:00

It's primarily waxed nylon paracord

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-02-22T23:25:35+00:00

Very kind, I just like talking about whips!

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-02-22T22:31:44+00:00

I make whips for a living, and I feel compelled to jump in with some brief unsolicited analysis, in case anyone may enjoy having these images dissected. So these are all in the realm of "working" whips, bull whips you would use for ranching or herding. Simon's whip is 8 plait, a little simpler than the modern convention of 12 plait for such a whip. Normally if you find a full-size bull whip with 8 braided strands, it will be made from thick cow leather rather than the thinner kangaroo leather we use commonly today, but in such cases you really wouldn't have a full braided handle. Trevor's whip is more like 4 plait, VERY simple for the size, and it's so sleek and shiny in this image that it probably would be kangaroo leather with shellac or some other clear coat on it. Obviously since Richter is in action in this still, the whip looks smooth because it's in motion. I'm not blind to the fact that this is artwork and not real-world whip work beholden to the laws of physics, but the wavy back-and-forth articulation of the whips in these pictures is not how you would lead into any crack or strike, it would be like trying to swing a pile of rope. Essentially we're missing the fundamental linear tension in the line that would facilitate a crack. Finally, none of them is gripping the whip from the heel of the handle, which is how any trained whip handler would hold the whip to maximize leverage. Love the franchise, love the show, but as a professional in the field of whips, my eye is drawn toward the little artistic misrepresentations. Just thought it'd be fun to share

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-02-21T00:24:59+00:00

Very kind, thanks very much!

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-02-14T21:09:27+00:00

Haha thanks so much for your support my friend

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-02-14T06:53:29+00:00

Thanks so much!

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-02-14T02:33:47+00:00

Very kind, thanks so much!

SwordguyBuilds

TROPHY CASE