Whip Info

Author Unknown

Here is some info on how to care for a whip. A well made whip with a tight braid will be rather stiff when new and will need to be gradually broken in.

Resist the temptation to speed up the process by applying neat's-foot oil or similar to the thong, or by forcing it unduly. Such practices will stretch the leather too harshly, shortening the life of the whip.

If your whip has a cracker examine it to see how it is attached - it will occasionally need replacing. Cracking such a whip without one will quickly wear down the fall and it won't give as loud a crack.

When practicing with a long whip, e.g. a bullwhip, avoid hitting hard objects like walls or stony ground and don't drag it about on gravel.

Give the thong a light coating of a hard leather dressing. e.g. Sedgwick's, every 4 months or so.

Single thong whips have a bias, i.e. they bend more easlily in one direction. In order to reduce the effect of this store long whips loosely coiled following the bias. Short whips should be hung up straight where possible.

Whips stored for any length of time should be kept in dry, light conditions and given a light coating of dressing every 6 months. They may, if not used for some time, develop a whitish bloom at the edges of the strands. This is caused by oils in the leather coming to the surface which can be cleaned off with paraffin or methylated spirits.