Category Archives: Projects
Cow Whip Tutorial DVD Update #2
The filming of my upcoming 6ft cow whip tutorial DVD is nearing completion! In the photo here, you can see the finished black and tan thong and the zebrawood blank I will be using for the handle.
Today we finished shooting the construction of the thong . Tomorrow I will do the introduction segment and a segment on handles. For the sake of time and disc space, I will not show handle construction in full detail, but I will include some footage from before, during, and after it’s completed. I will be talking about different ways of obtaining handles for those who do not have a lathe.
The only thing so far that I wish I could change is that I could not get the newer, better camera to work with my movie making software. Therefore, I had to use my older camera and a small portion of the footage (when zoomed in) came out a little bit grainy. I didn’t realize this until after the whip was finished, but in spite of that, I think it won’t hinder anyone’s learning. Also, I now believe this project may require 2 DVD discs.
Please note:
In order to find a nice home for the whip I have made for this tutorial, I am going to offer the very first DVD set and the whip from the video on eBay. It will have a signed certificate with it stating that it is the first edition DVD set and that the whip is the one I made in the video. This will be made available before the DVDs are officially for sale. Stay tuned for that announcement!
Have a great weekend!
Rhett
Coming Soon: Nylon Whipmaking Tutorial DVD!
Just wanted to post a quick update that I have decided to produce a tutorial DVD on nylon cow whip construction.
My goal is to make an informative video that will show someone everything they need to know in order make a 6ft Florida Cow Whip. The great thing about a nylon cow whip is that you can make one practically anywhere. I’ve made cow whips while on vacation at the beach, at the in-law’s house, in my living room, and out in my shed too. It doesn’t matter if you live on a 2000 acre Florida ranch, or a one bedroom apartment in Toronto, there’s no reason you cannot make a Florida cow whip for yourself.
I will be starting on this project after the July 4th Holiday. I’m not sure how long it will take me to produce this, so be sure to check back periodically for more information.
Any questions, suggestions, or constructive advice is welcome. Feel free to email me at Rhettswhips @ yahoo.com.
-Rhett
Indiana Jones KOTCS Nylon Bullwhip
I am happy to announce the latest addition to my line of Indiana Jones inspired bullwhips. This whip is made to resemble the bullwhip seen in The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull and is chocolate brown with black turkshead knots. The thong has a 16 plait overlay around 2 plaited bellies.
The transition of this whip has been lengthened to better resemble the KOTCS bullwhip. A nyl
on whip will never be “screen accurate;” my intent with this whip is not to make a “SA” whip, but to craft a reasonably priced, high quality nylon bullwhip that gives a good general impression of an Indy style bullwhip. As U.K. whipmaker Tony Layzell might say, this is my “interpretation” of the KOTCS bullwhip.
The total handle len
gth is 8″ with the knots spaced 5″ apart. The heel knot is a 7 part, 6 bight turkshead taken twice around. The transition knot is a 6 part, 5 bight taken twice around.
If you would like to own this bullwhip, it is now available on eBay!
New Product: Nylon Hunting Whips!
I am pleased to announce that I am now making nylon hunting whips! This is in response to the requests I have gotten for them over the last 3 years. At present, my nylon hunt whips aren’t exact copies of the traditional English whips, but over time I plan to work with the design for those who may want a synthetic hunting whip that’s more traditional in appearance. The whip shown here is a 6ft with grip made from water buffalo horn.
2009 in Review
As 2009 now comes to a close, we witness the passing of what will be remembered as a tough year for lots of people. But even in a difficult economy, I’ve seen that people continue to buy whips; thus 2009 was a great year for my business. I had many wonderful customers who provided me with plenty of whip orders to fill even when the hours at my job were lacking. In this final post of the year, I would like to highlight some accomplishments and say thanks.
Here’s some highlights from 2009:
- Cowwhips.com got a long overdue makeover.
- Developed my own line of Australian stockwhips.
- Saw all-time record ordering volume in April and July.
- Redesigned the bellies and fall hitches on my bullwhips.
- Successfully entered the nylon Indiana Jones bullwhip market.
- Started this blog!
- Added new options for cow whip handles: Stratabond and exotic woods
- Affiliated with the Whip Basics Project: WBSR Whipmaking Team and DVD distribution.
- Began making deer leather and experimenting with leather work.
- Resurrected my line of wood handled bullwhips.
- Saw my son begin his journey as a whipmaker.
- Made lots of new friends!
As you can see, 2009 was a busy year. I’m looking forward to what 2010 has in store. I appreciate all the customers who helped make it possible. Thank you so much! You’re the best!
Happy New Year!
-Rhett
Last Chance For Christmas!
For the last two weeks, I’ve been inundated with calls and emails from folks wanting to buy whips as Christmas gifts. Because of my large backlog of orders, I have not been taking any Christmas orders; I’m currently booked up until Spring.
That being said, there is now one last chance to get a Kelley-made bullwhip before Christmas. The bullwhip you see in the photos is now on eBay.
Happy Bidding!
-Rhett
Christmas Shopping? Last Chance Coming Soon
I closed my book for Christmas orders several months ago, but I am excited to say that there will be one last chance for someone out there to get a Kelley-made whip by Christmas!
I’ve been working on a certain side-project for a while and last night it was completed. This special bullwhip will be the final chance for someone not already on the list to get a whip by Christmas.
I’ll post the details later today or tomorrow…
Hanging out with Joe Driver
Yesterday I was very blessed to have Joe Driver come over for a visit. Joe is one of my best friends as well as a fellow preacher and maker of nylon whips.
Joe drove over and preached at our church Sunday. After lunch, we got together for a little whip cracking. After that, I showed him my leather making projects and how I turn handles on the lathe. The great time of fellowship seemed to come to an end much too soon as Joe had to leave around 3:30pm in order to make it home at a decent hour.
Joe’s website is Joescustomwhips.com. If you need a nice nylon whip without waiting very long to get it, I highly recommend you give Joe a try. His prices are the same as mine and he backs his work with a guarantee that’s hard to beat.
Here’s Joe with my 6ft Aussie stockwhip made by Simon Martin. Joe was really excited about getting to crack this whip as he and Simon are friends as well.
Here is Joe and I throwing a couple of bullwhips. Joe has my 6ft latigo woody bull made by Skip SanSoucie. I’m cracking a 7ft woody bull made by Drew Schrag. (The Schrag whip is on loan to me from one of my customers.)
It was really great to get to see Joe again today. Getting to hear him preach was icing on the cake. We don’t get to hang out nearly enough. I look forward to doing it again soon.
The Quest Ends!
I finished the quest for homemade bark tanned deer leather this weekend. Here’s a picture of me with the hide. After I finish tanning the next one, I will start trying to make a cow whip out them.
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