The wood handle bull whip is a whip that the thong is attached solid to the handle and with no swivel, but can swivel if requested. It has 2 plaited bellies that are reinforced with artificial sinew and a 16 plait (8 strands) overlay.  The wood handle bull whip also has a short handle between 8-12 inches long. It finishes with a 5 or 6 point fall and hitch. The point where the handle stop’s and the thong start’s is a decorative Turks head knot. The whip is also waxed, and the handle is coated in a layer of wood glue, just for a nice protective finish.

The wood handle bull whip is simply what it is, a bull whip with a wooden handle.  The bull whip got its name because of the loud noise, weight, and bulk of the bull whip.  The whip its self could probably traced back to Genesis 4:20 “Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.”  Those boys, the Great-grandsons of Lamech, were more than likely the first ones to use the hide off a deceased or sacrificed cow to make a whip.  The whips purpose is for handling and moving domestic animals such as cattle or horses.  The loud crack can get several animals to move in one direction or to motivate them to move faster.  The whip was also a form of communication. A specific volley or series of cracks can be a signal for help or answer to help. An English hunting whip with a light short thong would not have produced the louder crack of a heavy whip.

Though the whip was probably not designed to be weapon or to be used as a punishing tool, the wicked nature of man turned it that. Especially when kings and governors felt that lesser men could be owned and controlled like cattle or other beasts of burden.  Ancient Egyptian pictures show leaders and task masters using whips on their subjects. Though the whip is and can be a very versatile weapon it is to be a tool, much like a knife.

Now on to the construction and features of the wood handle bull whip. This whip is one of the most time consuming , but fun to make. First, I turn a piece of wood on my lathe similar to the cow whip.  Then a hole is drilled in the top about 2 ½ inches down and I glue a piece of round steel into it leaving about 2 ½ inches sticking out.  The shot strand, or shot loaded core is glued and bound to the rod.  The next step is to do an 8 plait belly (4strands) 1/3 the length of the whip.  It is then tightly wrapped or bound with more sinew gradually tapering, widening the wraps down the belly.  On a 6 ft. whip the first belly would end around 24 inches.  Next is a 10 or 12 plait belly (5 or 6 strands) this can depend on the width of the cord itself. If the cord I’m using is on the narrow side I’ll use 6 strands.  This will be a little long than 2/3 the length of the whip.  The second belly is then wrapped with more sinew, whew its tedious but worth it. Now its time for the 16 plait overlay, I’ll use the 8 strands and end with 5. The 5^th strand will be plaited over until  I get to the fall and hitch. The hitch is the same as on the stock whips, taking the 5 strands and tying them off around the fall and thong in a half hitch manner. Tie the cracker on and we are pretty much ready to “Get Crackin” but not quite.  We still have to do something where we started the transition from the handle to the thong. Don’t look know but its ugly, cord over the handle, gaps in it, just nasty…. Wrap it with a little sinew, plug in the wood burning iron and cut all those unnecessary cords off. Now we are going to cover that scar with a beautiful turks head knot.  Using the colors of the whip I tie either a plain 5×4 knot or a more complex pineapple knot.

If you’d like to have your handle branded with your initials or brand just let me know. I’ll heat the iron back up and burn it in for you. Once done with that I’ll wax the whip in hot paraffin wax and then coat the handle in a layer of wood glue.

Take a picture of it for the gallery, put it in a priority mailing box, and to the USPS office it goes.  Now you’re ready to “Get Crackin!”