Australian stock whips for sale

 



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From the land down under comes the Australian Stock Whip.  This particular whip has a its own design from the long handle with the way it attaches to the thong. The stock whip has a 20-22-inch handle and can be either fully plaited, half plaited, or even bare wood.  Traditionally the wood for the handle is tohiti cane, it’s a cane like bamboo except the tohiti cane is solid inside and nearly unbreakable. Its comes in different thicknesses but I get it about ½ inch thick.  Some makers use pool cues, fiberglass rods, maybe even part of a golf club.  Most of those will have a taper from the base of the handle to the tip and have a flat loop for the thong to attach to.  Most of the stock whips I’ve done are half plaited; I do a 16 plait (8 strands) and plait the bottom half of the handle then add a turks head knott for both to hold as well as decoration.  The top or the connecting loop will either be ½ wide nylon strap or a flat 12 plait (6strand) loop and then make a round plait around the top for about 4 inches.  When use the nylon strap I cover it with the or one of the colors of the whip in a grapevine twist.  This also helps to hold that keeper on the handle.  The idea behind the long handle is for the leverage in cracking the whip. Also many whip enthusiasts and sport crackers like the stock whips for this handle length it gives them the control and accuracy for doing multiple cracks.  Another plus to the long handle especially a full plaited handle is a skilled maker can plait many designs into it, including letters and some simple pictures.  Some of the great makers out there have even done very complex pictures in a 22 inch handle.  Most of those are made with thin multiple strands of kangaroo hide and will cost quite a bit.

The thong of the stock whips are generally short and thinner in diameter. The average length of the stock whip is 6 ft. Though I get several orders for 4 ft most of them are for 6 ft and 8 ft.  The length on all my whips are based on what you need of feel comfortable using.

            The thong starts out from a 12 plait (6 strands) makes a loop for keeper to connect to the handle.  It then goes to a round plait over a thin 10 plait (5 strands) belly. The stock whip also has a shot loaded core.  I do gut the strands on in the belly cords so that the thong will be thinner. Naturally the overlay strands are gutted so that they will lay flat.  Again, as the cow whips and bull whips the length of the bell is 2/3 the length over the overall thong.  So, a 6 ft. whip will have a 4 ft. belly.  The end of the thong is ties off in either a 4 or 5 point hitch. The fall is looped around the thong and the last strands are tied in half hitch manner and trimmed.  Then a cracker is tied to the end of the fall. 

            Once the thong and handle are plaited they are coupled together with the keepers or loops at each end.  The whips is then dipped in the hot paraffin wax for the finish. 

            The stock whip is an evolved whip from the 19 century English Hunting Whip.  Those whips had a short thong and log handle with a crook at the end of the handle.  The crack of the whip was to control by signal to dogs, also the long handle with the crook made opening gates from horseback easier.  Stock whips do not have the hook at the base of the handle but a Turks head heel knot.  These knotts can either be plain and small in size, just slightly thicker than the plaited handle.  They can also be larger and fancier with 2 colors in different patter’s, the larger ones wouldn’t be any bigger than a golf ball maybe a small fruit.  On a 4-6 ft. whip I would do a smaller plain knott, the longer whips I would do a larger one.  Most whips are held by this knot instead of the middle of the handle.

            One useful function on the stock whip in the design of the connection of the thong and handle is the whip can hang off the rider’s saddle horn, crook of their arm, or over their shoulder with less chance of dropping it. The connection also gives a swivel to the thong since it is not plaited solid like a bull whip.

            Hopefully this page gives you enough info on the stock whip for you to make a decision on this whip if it’s the style you’d like.