www.cowwhips.com
WHY NYLON?
My nylon cow whips are made of weatherproof #650 nylon parachute cord. Nylon whips are affordable and stand up to conditions that would be bad for leather whips. I order the paracord direct from the manufacturer and have it made without the core strands so it is flat and makes a nice looking whip.
Nylon whips are less costly than whips made from natural materials, and do not require as much care. If you are into whip cracking as a hobby and use natural whips, you sometimes have to wait on the right conditions to crack those expensive whips, but not with these! You can crack them when YOU want to crack them. I don't think twice about cracking my cow whip in the rain or the morning dew!
Some whip crackers and plaiters look down upon nylon whips, but I have hundreds and hundreds of satisfied customers (and even a few plaiters) who are now convinced that nylon whips are a great value and that nylon can be plaited into a good whip.
WHAT IS A COW WHIP?
If you were to conduct an informal survey of modern Florida cowmen, you would probably find that virtually all cattlemen employ a whip that is quite a bit different than the bullwhip made famous by Hollywood. It’s the Cow Whip that rules the ranches of the Sunshine State. According to author George H. Dacy, Florida has a rich cattle ranching heritage with roots that can be traced back over 450 years. The Spanish brought cattle (and probably some whips as well) to Florida long before there was an American “Wild West.”
Older cow whips were made from buckskin, normally plaited from the tanned hides of the whitetail deer that the cattlemen hunted for food. Since the 1970s, the material of choice for ”Florida Crackers” and whipmakers alike has been nylon. Nylon was resistant to the, bugs, humid climate, and swampy conditions that a cowboy often contended with while working the herds. That being the case, this material grew in popularity and has made the buckskin cow whip a rare item indeed. How durable is nylon? In early 2009, put a new tail in a whip that has been in use since nylon first came on the scene in the 1970s! That whip is still in service for around 40 years!
Though the Florida Cow Whip was not well known outside of Florida for many decades, the internet has now made it possible for whipmakers such as myself to export the Florida cow whip to nearly every continent. From Australia to the Arctic Circle, the powerful crack of the Florida cow whip has now been heard!
CONSTRUCTION
Florida Cow Whips:
These are the whips I have been making since early 1991; at the ripe old age of 13 years. I learned to plait cow whips from a seasoned cow whip maker named Richard Clark of Lake County, Florida. I begin the belly of a whip with a hollow nylon cord in which I fill with BB's. This gives the whip weight and it helps it to crack better. I plait a 10 or 12 plait belly around the BB filled cord. The final overlay is a 12 plait that I taper down and finish in a traditional tapering twist.
The Florida Cow Whip features a long, detachable wood handle that connects to the the thong in a way that is unique to Florida cow whips. I make my own handles on a lathe, so when you buy a whip from me, it is 100% my work from end to end. My standard handles are 14 inches long and are made from Ash wood. I also make handles from exotic wood and stratabond for an additional fee. Some exotics are fairly cheap and others can be very expensive, so please contact me for details and a quote.
Bullwhips:
Bullwhips are constructed using a BB filled cord core and two bellies. The first belly is an 8 plait belly, the second is a 12 plait. The final overlay is 16 plait.The transition between the handle and thong is reinforced on each belly with a special wrapping made of artificial sinew. This makes for a very nice transition and a good handling whip. I also make wood handled bullwhips for an additional fee. In early 2009, I stopped finishing the thongs of my bullwhips with the tapered twist and began using a standard fall hitch.
Snakewhips:
My snakewhips are loaded with lead in the core that has been encased in duct tape. There is an 8 plait core covering the lead core with a 12 plait belly plaited over it. A final 16 plait layer is then plaited over all of that. I generally use 5 part, 4 bight turkshead knots on my bullwhips and snakewhips. My snakewhips are also finished with a standard fall hitch.
Aussie Stockwhips:
Stockwhip thongs are constructed much like cow whip thongs, but they have a double, flat plaited keeper that makes a solid connection with the keeper on the handle. The stockwhip handles are half plaited in either a 12 plait or 16 plait and feature a keeper made from 1.5" nylon webbing. The handle itself can be made from your choice of fiberglass, hardwood dowel, or traditional toheti cane.
Wax:
When I finish constructing a nylon whip, I always dip it in paraffin wax to help preserve the nylon threads from wear. Waxing also helps to add weight, density, and keeps moisture out of the whip. It has been my experience that once a nylon whip is waxed, it's always in there. Though some excess wax will melt out on hot days and work out with use, the wax will not totally leave the whip. I've read where some folks have gotten the idea that dipping a nylon whip in hot paraffin can somehow weaken the nylon fibers, but in all my years in making and using nylon whips, I have never seen any evidence of that.
MEASUREMENT
The traditional way to measure a cow whip in Florida is the thong only; the handle is not included. My falls are a single 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 assets/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 do not recommend 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. A double boiler method is recommended as hot wax can catch fire or explode. Bees wax can also be used and applied by hand.
Light colored whips often get dirty with use. I have heard various ideas on whip cleaning such as spot cleaning using laundry detergent & water. I know one whip cracker who puts his nylon whips in a pillow case and throws them in the washing machine. I would suggest extreme caution if using that method!
This is only meant to give some helpful ideas of how to care for your nylon whip. If your whip is ever in need of repair please contact me, my whips are backed by my personal guarantee on workmanship.
ATTACHING A FALL TO A COW WHIP
Copyright © 2009 Rhett Kelley
