How to Make Whips

Rating:
Summary: New to Whip Making
Review: I found this book an excellent source for the beginner and intermediate whip maker. I did not know how to make a whip prior to reading this book even though I had read David Morgan's Book titled "Whips and Whip Making" which does not really tell you how to make a whip. If you want to learn to make a whip. This book will definately show you how. You will keep this as your constant reference source.

Rating:
Summary: New to Whip Making
Review: I found this book an excellent source for the beginner and intermediate whip maker. I did not know how to make a whip prior to reading this book even though I had read David Morgan's Book titled "Whips and Whip Making" which does not really tell you how to make a whip. If you want to learn to make a whip. This book will definately show you how. You will keep this as your constant reference source.

Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Whipmaking Book
Review: If you want to make whips...this is the book you need! I knew nothing about making whips or braiding leather. This book shows you everything you need to know and makes it very simple.

Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Whipmaking Book
Review: If you want to make whips...this is the book you need! I knew nothing about making whips or braiding leather. This book shows you everything you need to know and makes it very simple.

Rating:
Summary: The easiest way to tackle down such a difficult craft
Review: Mr. Edwards teaches you every single detail you have to know to get started. You only have to really fall in love to such a beautiful craft, and you'll have half way done. Practice is important too, but you have everything to become a master whipmaker: different styles (bullwhips, redhide whips, stockwhips, shotwhips, hatbands, etc.), even a section on very complex plaiting patterns, how to make use of the hide in a proper way, and many other things which won't let you down. Absolutely recommendable.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Clear Reference
Review: This book adds depth to an understanding of knot and ropework if you have that understanding, and if you don't it'll still set you up with a good foundation of basic and advanced whipmaking techniques. I can see where someone with no leather or cordworking experience can pick this up and go with it. At the same time, having worked as a commercial fisherman and also as a ranch hand, I have some experience with plaiting, splicing and whipping. This book added a new layer to that understanding for me. I've made flat-braided snakewhips for several years, and while they're OK they're just not quite 'right.'

Starting out with the very first lessons in this book, Mr. Edwards goes through the basics of making a fairly simple stockwhip (that can be as plain or as fancy as you wish). He builds on that grounding in technique to cover increasingly complex plaiting and knotting in a way that will have you nodding your head after a little practice and saying, "Aha! Now I understand." This book won't make you a professional whipmaker, but only practice and patience will do that. Mr. Edwards points out that pride in the craft and a willingness to do things until they're dead-on right are what can make a professional or respected amateur whipmaker. This book will give you every technique you'll need to know to make just about any kind of whip.

My own interest is in plaiting whips in nylon parachute cord, so the information on selecting hides and cutting and skiving leather was not so critical for me. Though it isn't as necessary to my own understanding, if this book were merely written about how to make nylon cording whips it would be much less useful than it is. I recommend it highly (as if you couldn't tell!) along with a copy of David Morgan's "Whips and Whipmaking" which will go deeper into the history and uses of whips -- a topic not covered in detail in Mr. Edwards' volume.