Whip Maintenance
Replacing Crackers
- When to replace a cracker - Canada Whips (youtube)
- How to replace a cracker - Canada Whips (youtube)
- How to make a cracker - Canada Whips (youtube)
Replacing Falls
Leather Whip Care
High quality Leather whips can be an investment and will require some basic care and maintenance in order to keep them in optimal condition, but will last a lifetime if properly looked after. One of the quickest ways to damage a good leather whip is by using it on rough abrasive surfaces like concrete and gravel, or by hitting it against hard or sharp objects like walls, fences and rocks. Cracking a whip with excessive force can stretch the thong affecting the taper as well as cause early failure in the transition, and cause the fall and or popper to break off. With a good technique you should not need excessive force to crack your whip. If you going to be doing a great deal of cutting or targeting objects with your whip, Let the fall and cracker (popper) take the brunt of the wear. They are replaceable for just that reason.
Keep your whips clean: If you’re using your whips on a soft grassy surface it's probably not getting very dirty in which case wiping it down with a soft lint free cloth after most practices will be adequate. A dampen cloth can be helpful for a more thorough wipe down as needed. If your leather whip becomes especially dirty, it can be cleaned with a high-quality saddle soap and a soft brush to remove stubborn grime. Dirt, mud and sand can also sometimes get inside the plaiting of the whip causing internal rubbing that in time can cause damage. In this case you can wash the dirt out in warm mild soapy water then rinse it clean under running water. Avoid soaking your leather whip. Once clean, let it dry completely in a loose coil or by hanging length wise. Once dry you will want to re condition your whip. Water and saddle soap tends to dry out the good oils in leather so it’s important to add them back by using a good quality leather hard fat type dressing.
Conditioning your whips: Leather dressing is important as the oils in leather dry out, it loses strength and flexibility. The amount of use your whip gets will also determine how often it should be conditioned. Whips in storage or that are not frequently used for example can typically do with just light coat of dressing every 6 months. A whip being used on a daily basis or that is being exposed to harsh elements and rough conditions will need more frequent dressing. Avoid using liquid oils like Neatsfoot oil or mink oil on your whip. If you find you just have too then at least them sparingly. Many whip crackers worldwide recommend using animal fat products like rendered kidney fat and tallow to condition their whips. These fats, especially if not properly prepared have the potential to go rancid over time and or grow bacteria that could attack the leather, use them at your own discretion. There are numerous professionally manufactured hard fat type leather conditioners suitable for use on leather whips that come highly recommended. Pecard Classic leather dressing, Fiebing's Aussie Conditioner, Jay-El Leather Conditioner are a few of the more popular choices and work well.
Be sure the whip is clean and dry before you apply the leather dressing. Work the conditioner in to the thong with your hands or a clean soft cloth, allow it a chance to absorb and then wipe off any excess. With a stock whip, carefully open up the folds of the keeper and get some leather dressing in there as well. Treating them every 6 months is a general recommendation for whips in storage or for the casual whip cracker;. You can grease them more or less depending on how often the whip is being used and the conditions you’re working under. You may find that the last two or three feet of the plaited whip may need more dressing than the handle end of the whip as the belly acts as a reservoir for the oils in the whip. Pay particular attention to the area just under the fall hitch the last few feet towards the point where the whip is more likely to come contact with the ground and experiences more stress and sharp flexing as the whip rolls out and cracks. Don't load up the point of the whip with dressing though, it can throw your whip off balance and make it feel like its kicking back or bucking when thrown. It is also best to keep your fall well-greased at all times, after every practice session or two is a good rule of thumb. It’s equally important not to over treat your whips either. A whip should not feel greasy or tacky after the excess dressing is removed and the whip has been wiped clean. Avoid treating the plaited handles or the knots on a whip. A very light wipe on, wipe off is sufficient, don’t let it absorbed into the leather. You want to keep these areas on your whip tight and secure, so that the overlay on the handle doesn’t start to shift, or that the knots start to come loose over time. The natural oils in your hands will usually be enough to keep the handle treated and you can use a little shoe polish on the knots from time to time, to polish them if you like. With stock whip handle, just wipe them down with a dry cloth, they don't usually get to dirty. Avoid getting them overly wet as moisture can warp cane handles, and often plaited handles are traditionally built up with paper to the form the desired shape, you don't want to get the leather damp to where it would soak though.
Sometimes leather whips will develop a whiteish, powdery coating on the surface and in between the plaiting. A lot of people worry, thinking its mold, fungus or mildew and that their whips are damaged, or ruined, its actually just leather bloom/spew that occurs when the soap, fats and tallows from the plaiting soap and leather dressings seep out and precipitate onto the surface of the leather and between the seams of the plaiting. It’s not uncommon, especially with older whips that have been in storage and/or that have been subject to hot and cold climate/temperature fluctuations and although unsightly, fortunately doesn’t damage the leather and is much easier to deal then mold/mildew etc. It can usually be cleaned off easily with a damp rag, sponge and sometimes a soft bristle brush and some saddle soap if it’s being stubborn. While it can resemble mold or mildew, it typically has a slight silky/waxy soapy film feel and will melt if exposed to a heat source.
Falls and Crackers/Poppers: Replace crackers as the wear down and try to replace your falls if they wear down below 18 to 16 inches. Be sure to check on any spare falls that you may have in storage and be sure to keep them well conditioned too. Treat it with your favorite leather dressing, like you would your whip. This especially true for white hide, White hide is notorious for drying out and becoming brittle if not kept well-conditioned compared to heavily oiled red hide or latigo falls. Dry falls are weak falls, and if they dry out too much they can start to deteriorate resulting in early breakage of the fall.
Nylon Care
One of the big advantages that nylon has over leather is that almost zero maintenance is required. That being said, one thing that you should still be aware of is that most nylon whip makers wax their whips. If your nylon whip has been waxed be very careful about storing it anywhere that the temperature might get high. A common horror story is leaving a whip on the car seat in the summer. The wax will bleed out of the whip and stain whatever it may be in contact with.
