Knot Heads World Wide and General Whipmaking
Stormdrane just posted a link to my blog in a thread on Knot Heads World Wide asking about whipmaking details (still waiting for my account to be activated). I know I don't have too much in the way of specific construction information about my projects, but I would be happy to answer any questions. I know that when I started it was difficult to understand the practical details about how to go about actually making all the parts of the whip. I figured the best way was to ask someone more experienced than me and thankfully, some professional whipmakers were kind enough to set me straight - Steve Huntress, Rhett Kelly and Tony Layzell were all instrumental in helping me get going. Likewise, if anyone out there needs help with understanding the process of making a whip, please let me know and I will do my best to help. I also post on a thread over at EDCForums.com about paracord whips so feel free to post over there also.
But some general info:
I tend to prefer making 6' whips, mostly due to the space I have available for personal practice.
I generally do pretty well making bullwhips with an 8 plait belly and 12 plait overlay, but I understand they are not as durable or robust as a two belly whip with a 16 plait overlay. I have made a few in the past but I intend to be making more two belly whips in the future.
I prefer to do my braiding from butt to point using dropped strands rather than point to butt and adding strands...however I have done both methods and if I were to use the strand adding method I would most likely use it for a belly, but I usually don't
I started using large nails and such when I first began making bulls but I have since moved to using 3/8" rods, usually steel, as handles. They tend to transition more smoothly to the nylon sheathed BBs that I use for the core of the thong. Adding in some staggered lengths of destranded paracord I can create a reasonably smooth core taper compared to other methods I've tried. I used to favour electrical cord cores and I think they are still a very good core material, but I stopped using it due to the lumpiness of the wires as you make the core taper. For a beginner, I think electrical cord is an excellent material to learn with and it's a time saver compared to feeding BBs one at a time into a sheath.
When I make a core, I try to incorporates small steps in the taper that act as natural markers for where a strand drop should occur in the next layer and to help hide the natural bumps that occur when a strand gets dropped.
I do use a portable table clamp to hold my whips and it really does help to keep your seams straight, but using a clamp or vice does not absolve the plaiter from the error of uneven tension. You still have to be consistent with the pull on the strands. Generally I pull tight around the handle, but I've found that on the thong itself, pulling too hard with nylon is detrimental to good flow. Very different from leather.
I have given up on using artificial sinew as I found that when I used it with electrical tape as a binding, the tape would become brittle and eventually crack and split creating a weak spot that will ruin a whip. I use unwaxed heavy nylon thread now.
For crackers, I have come to prefer using polypropylene string.
Practice is really key. I tend to eyeball where my drops are going to be more often now, based on the diameter of the core at a give point. The first few whips will likely be very rough looking, although if it tapers well enough you will probably be able to get a decent crack, but the more whips you make the cleaner your construction will become.
Irish Stick Fighting – Doyle Style
So the weekend has come and gone. I kinda miss it even though I was bone weary after the first day. I learned some good stuff and I think this particular style will suit me well. I described the system to someone as having no fluff and no techniques of dubious merit.
Sifu Doyle is generous man and sharp as a tack. He's got a grand sense of humor but he's dead serious about his family art. This level 1 certification is just the tip of the iceberg.
His students were all exceptionally good people as well, and they were a big help to everyone over the weekend. They represented Sifu Glen very well.
It's been a long time since I've taken anyone on as a teacher but there is something about this system that really gets me going and I am very happy that Glen was generous enough to let me come out to play.
Had to wear my Catch Wrestling shirt on the second day tho! 
Thanks to Jocelyn Outlaw of Solstice Photography for the pictures!
Whips #59 and #60
Both 4' bulls, BB core with partial spiral wrap bolstering, 8 plait belly, 14plait overlay in brown, tan and white. The colours were requested for a dance performance to match the outfits.
Not sure why exactly but I found these particular whips aggravating. I know it started out with the core materials being different from the last batch I ordered. I had to ho back to grinding down the point on the handle stock and securing the core to the handle with a whipping. This causes me to compensate for the resulting lump so the handles are thicker than I would have liked and so the taper is more rapid than I wanted as well, especially for short whips like these. And of course this meant I had to do a 14 plait overlay. Also, I started out wanting to do a basic diamond plait for the handles but the 14 strands made that too annoying. They were already taking longer than usual to complete so I took the easy way out. And the knots, OMG! My fingers feel like the skin has all been burnt off. Whine, whine, whine.... They are done now. I wasn't too terribly happy with them initially, but right now I think they are okay. I hope the client likes them.
Happy Cracking!
Whippersnappers from Malin De La Torre on Vimeo.
The two whips in the video:
Welcome
I haven't used my old blog in well over a year now, spending most of my time on Facebook. But then I noticed that Stormdrane has a link to me on his site and suddenly I realized that most people who might visit from there wouldn't be seeing any new stuff. So, time for a revamp.
I will still make this mostly for my personal stuff, although I will regularly post my whip projects for anyone who cares to commission some work. I will be able to categorize the post more easily here though so it should be easier to separate out the stuff that isn't too interesting.
In any case, please be patient while things are under construction and enjoy your stay once the dust settles.