3 Different Kinds Of Whips
There are a lot of whips that people call bullwhips. While many people may call those whips bullwhips, that doesn't mean that they are. So, what are some of the different kinds of whips out there?
Bullwhip
This is the traditional Indiana Jones whip. A bullwhip has a wooden handle. The braided overlay over the rawhide core generally starts where the handle does and will go all the way through the entire thong, creating one whole unit. At the end of the thong is the little string-like thing called the popper, and that is what helps to create the crack when a bullwhip is snapped correctly. The popper creates a small sonic boom and thus the crack happens.
Blacksnake Whip
A blacksnake whip is very similar to a bullwhip. They are around the same length, and they are also both designed so that they are all one piece from the handle to the thong. The biggest difference is that the core of the handle isn't wood; instead it is rawhide, like the rest of the whip. It also features a large knot at the heel of the whip. That makes the handle more flexible and may make the whip slightly lighter.
Stock Whip
The stock whip comes from Australia. They are traditionally made out of kangaroo leather. The handle of the stock whip is really long. The handle might have a wrap or braided area on the end to provide a good grip for the user. However, that grip doesn't cover the entire handle, and the thong is attached to the handle with a special knot called a keeper. There are whip cracking competitions, and stock whips are popular in those competitions because they are pretty light, and that will give the users the choice of several different patterns they can use to create that nice, sharp crack. That lightness also makes the stock whip really fast, which will let the user create more cracks in the same amount of time as other whips.
There are a lot of different kinds of whips. Many people may call all those whips bullwhips, but most of them probably aren't bullwhips. If you are looking for a bullwhip, make sure that you get the real thing. Knowing the differences between some of the more common kinds of whips will make it easier for you to find the real thing. Check out a website like snakewhip.com to learn more.
