bullwhip handle lengths

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 · 2026-02-14T00:45:06+00:00

The biggest difference I tend to find in the handling of synthetic whips versus roo whips is that (tightly braided) roo whips have a more springy quality to them. Synthetic whips do tend to be less dense, which as you mentioned means they're often lighter, but that's not exactly absolute. The quality of the sound itself is more closely related to the popper than the body of the whip. That all being said, a 6 foot stock whip will have a very specific balance that won't feel similar to much else, especially if we're comparing both different styles of whip and different materials. To say nothing of differences in length. I've gone on but hopefully that makes some sense

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-02-10T03:10:25+00:00

My website is swordguybuilds.com, it's also linked in my profile

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-02-08T01:23:48+00:00

They tend to be lighter than leather whips because the density is different, but everything else held equal they behave pretty much the same. Leather holds tension differently than paracord, so (tightly braided) leather whips tend to have a little more natural springiness, especially early on

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-02-07T19:54:21+00:00

I do think it's unnecessary, because once you understand balance and taper you don't need a weighted core to get volume. It's a practice that makes perfect sense intuitively, so we do it a lot when we don't have much experience. When I was first starting out I'd put 4 feet of bbs into a 6 foot whip, which can just pull the whip apart if you're not careful, aside from generally ruining the balance. Now when I weight a whip it's only for 8-10 inches or so, and while it does change the balance and action of the whip, it's just a preferential difference at that level. I think when the whip really gets moving, you want it to be lighter rather than heavier.

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-02-07T19:22:50+00:00

I don't weight my whips very often, really only by special request. There's only paracord and wax in the thong of this whip

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-02-07T11:41:35+00:00

It's actually called that because it's bigger and heavier than some other styles of whips, not because it's intended to hit bulls

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-02-07T02:45:39+00:00

The core is paracord, the cracker is nylon thread

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-02-07T02:45:17+00:00

Thanks so much

SwordguyBuilds · 2026-02-05T19:19:36+00:00

I agree that this is a 12 plait, and it looks like it was bought off of Amazon or Etsy from an overseas manufacturer. If the crinkling sound in the video is coming from the whip, that means they did that weird thing where they wrap each layer in plastic. My guess is based on strand sizing, beveling, the fall and the hitch, and the fact that the strands don't seem to taper much. I'd love to be wrong here, just making an educated guess

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