Buying Your First Whip

For a first time buyer, purchasing a whip can be overwhelming. There are so many [Whip Types | varieties of whips] to pick from, and unless you're getting advice from someone that knows about whips it can be hard to know where to start. And once you've decided on a style of whip you still need to figure out where to purchase it from.

While it is true that any whip can be used for any technique, some whips are definitely better than others for particular jobs. Imagine it as having a car. any car can get you from point A to point B, but if you're trying to pull your sail boat, the Mazda Miata is not the best choice, you really want your Ford F-150 in that case. If you only can have one car and one of your requirements is to tow a boat, don't buy the Miata. Luckily, whips are a lot cheaper than cars, so you can probably own more than one!

Here are some questions you might want to think about to help you out with answering the question "what kind should I buy?"

Why Do Want a Whip

Did you see Adam Winrich at a RenFaire? Did you watch Zorro or Indian Jones? Do you work with cattle and need a noise maker to help herding them? Each of these possibilities will lead you to different possible whip styles.

If you saw Adam Winrich or someone else at a RenFaire doing some fancy cracking, and that's what interests you, it's likely that you're going to be happiest with a Stockwhip or a Performance Hybrid Whip. Stockwhips and PH Whips are excellent for complex rhythmic cracking patterns, and tend to be lightweight making it easier to crack them for an extended period of time.

Did you watch Harrison Ford swing out of danger on a whip (don't try that by they way, it's VERY rough on whips) or see Michelle Pfeiffer as Cat Woman destroying jewelry stores (don't do that either, it's illegal) then you probably want a bullwhip. Bullwhips are great for targeting, wrapping, and basic cracking combinations. Bullwhips also satisfy most people's preconceived ideas of what a whip should look like. Be aware that in the world of Indiana Jones fandom people can get very fussy about the details of what exactly the "Indy" whip should looks like.

Do you work with livestock and need a noise maker? Your best choices in this case might hinge on whether you're usually on foot or on horseback. Stockwhips were specifically developed with the idea of working from horseback. The handle helps keep the whip itself from hitting your mount, and the hinge formed by the keeper make it easy to sling the whip over your shoulder when not needed. If you're working from the ground, a Snake Whip which you can rollup and keep in your pocket might be more convenient. Another whip (though quite esoteric) for working from the ground might be a Bullock whip.

How Long a Whip Should I Get

5-6ft for a Stockwhip or Performance Hybrid 6-7ft for a Bullwhip or Snakewhip

Seriously, for a first whip, the answer is that simple. But to expand on that... a whip shorter than those will require very fast movements to get that cracks to happen, and the timing and precision necessary to make those work can be frustrating. Going the other direction can be a problem for new whip crackers as well. The longer whip will be heavier which will tire you out quicker, making your practice sessions shorter and less productive.