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BULL WHIP TUTORIAL

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 Where to start. The logical place to start is with some kangaroo hide so lets start from there.

     In Australia we're very lucky because access to kangaroo skins isn't a problem but fear not, good kangaroo skins are only a click away. Over the 28 years that I've been working at this craft even here in Australia it has been a constant battle to find good quality kangaroo skins. The main problem has been that people who tan kangaroo skins are not normally people who plait with them and so don't really understand what a plaiter wants in a kangaroo skin. They often think they do but they don't.

    For a few years now a certain gentleman has advertised kangaroo skins in the Australian plaiters and whip makers association journal and I've always been going to try his hides out and never really got around to it. Well I finally did and I'm sorry now that I didn't do so years ago. The difference between Richard Taubman and other vendors of kangaroo skins is that Richard is a whip plaiter himself and knows exactly what a plaiter wants and can supply it. You will find him at    click here  He has the best leather I have come across for quite a few years now and has all the necessary licenses and permits to be able to send you skins overseas problem free. Back to basics.

   To start with, to make a 8ft 16 plait bullwhip in black you will need two kangaroo hides about 7sq ft in size. You won't use the two hides fully but in order not to waste the really good parts of the hide on bellies I've found it's best to use two hides. I normally buy skins in lots of 50 or 100 and that way I can go along and cut a bit out of a hide and then go back later and use the rest for something else appropriate. Now you've got your kangaroo hide, the strongest leather weight for weight in the world, that's why it is so good to plait with when crafting fine plaited projects, it can be cut very thinly and is still immensely strong. Put that kangaroo leather aside now, I know you want to get into it and start cutting but there are a few little things you have to know and do before you can start . Kangaroo hides don't come cheap especially if you don't live in Australia so you want to make the best use of them that you can.

      All my bullwhips ,unless asked for , start off with an 8inch steel handle. This  consists of an 8 inch bridge spike, essentially a very big nail. It's 8 inches long and 3/8th of an inch thick and from this we build up with various layers our bullwhip. I use a nail like this because I know that it is always going to be the same size and you can buy them at any good hardware store by the box full, you will need one of these so don't just sit there, rush out and buy one because we can't start without it. Next you need access to a bench grinder and about an inch in from the pointy end of the nail you will have to grind the nail down so that there is a sort of step all around the nail. We are going to cover this with a small piece of leather. Cut a small piece of leather from your hide in the form of a short strip just wide enough to fit neatly around the ground piece of the nail.  Tie it on so that it covers the end of the nail, any cotton will do, I use waxed thread. You can put this aside now and we'll start on the lead shot bag. Lead shot is a matter of personal preference, some people swear by it and others don't like it at all. If you don't like lead shot this is where you can cover the nail with a small 4 plait belly but instead of just an oblong piece of leather over the end of the nail a tapered triangular piece of leather is used. Once again cut the thick end so that it fits neatly around the ground portion of the nail but this time the leather is about 6in long cut to a taper. By doing this it gives a smooth transition when you plait your 4 strand belly over it.  For the plaited belly you need to cut your strands long enough to plait about 2ft and wide enough to fit around the nail 11/2 times. Because your only plaiting four plait and your going to plait very, very tightly you will only need to cut your strands 3ft long.  Cut your strands in a gang of four so that you can leave a solid piece of leather on the wide end to use as an anchor when your plaiting. I've found a good way to cut this belly is to cut a long triangle of leather 3 ft long and then split it into four with a good sharp pair of leather shears.
   Cutting your strands is for most people and especially for beginners, the most difficult part of the job because what you do now is going to effect the final outcome of your whip right from the word go. It's no good saying I'll fix that later or the old Australian adage," She'll be right mate". Doesn't work. Concentrate and do it right now. I can't really advise you on what method you should use to cut your strands either because there are so many different methods used by different people. Some cut freehand with a knife, some grow an extra long thumbnail and use that as a guide for their knife. Personally I use an R.M.Williams lace cutter. I've had this little tool for about 32 years now. It was given to me by an old friend of the family and for a few years I used it to  cut lace for my leather carving projects, then as the whips slowly took over as the bulk of my business it was used for cutting out whips.  Over the years a few adjustments have been made so it doesn't look much like the original but for me it's the most precious tool I have.  You can still buy them now and if your very lucky you just might pick one up at your local Tandy leather shop. I know they used to sell them a few years ago. This little tool fits over your index finger, it has an upright blade attached to it and an adjustable fence to adjust the width of your strand as you cut and by drawing it towards you can cut all the lace you want and adjust the width so as to cut at a taper as well. Works a bit like a Tandy strap cutter  only it fits on your finger.

                    The only way you will become proficient at cutting strands is practice, practice, practice, sorry, no easy way out. Don't say I can't, no such word not in the dictionary so it doesn't exist. You can do it if you REALLY try.

If your going to use a plaited belly plait it over the nail now starting just under the head of the nail. For a shot bag we now make the shot bag. On the biggest one of your hides cut a straight edge and mark out 3ft. We're going to mark out a sort of triangle to be shaped into a cone shaped bag. We'll fill this with lead shot leaving enough room at the top to insert the nail completely into the bag snug onto the lead shot. The first 8 inches of this bag is 1&3/8th inches wide and from there it tapers to nothing at 3 ft. The easiest way  I've found to form  this into a bag is with duct tape. I use duct tape 2in wide. Cut a piece if tape 3ft long and on to this stick your cut out bag about a 1/4in in from the edge all the way down. At the top you will find the bag covers the tape so a short piece will have to be added. Then we fold over the edges of the bag so that they line up on each other and we stick them together forming a cone. You will have some tape protruding which is sticky side up, fold this over and we have a good seal. 
             Now we have to fill the bag with lead shot, the smaller the better because it will pack in nice and tight. Leave  enough room at the top of the bag to be able to fully insert the nail. It should push up nice and tight against the lead shot. It is very important that you get this shot into the bag very tightly otherwise as you plait your various bellies over it lumps and bumps will appear.
      Before we start cutting away madly I should mention that if your going to get serious about plaiting, be it whips or anything else it is essential that you have a good splitter and it just so happens that I know where you can get one. For years I've put up with a couple of splitters that I scavenged from auction sales but finally came across  Mike   Murhpys'     site and low and behold he sells a splitter that his father makes and it's the best thing since sliced bread. The quality of the steel in the blade, dare I say it, is magnificent and the accuracy of the splitter when cutting makes it a joy to use. You can split 1/1000th of an inch off evenly over a piece of leather with no trouble at all which is what you need if you want to do quality work. When hides come from the tannery they are already split but there are always a few lumps and bumps in them and a good splitter will take those out and give you a nice even strand to plait with and avoid those unsightly lumps and bumps in your plaiting.
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