Buying that first whip can be a confusing endeavour; hopefully I can help make it easier. Your going to want to ask yourself some questions at this point.

  First and foremost, what do I want to do with the whip? Do I want to just do some basic cracks with it? Do my interests lie in the area of targeting? Perhaps learning more intricate cracking routines? (Usually done by the more advanced whip crackers). Are you planning to use your whip primarily out of doors or in? What are you prepared to pay for one?

 Lets start with what are you planning on doing with it. Some of the basic cracks can be done with whips ranging from 4 feet to as long as 10 feet long. Personally I find whips in the 6 to 7 foot range work the best and are the easiest to crack. As for messuring whips the most common method whip makers use is the length of the braided part not including the fall or cracker, but it,s best to ask the maker/supplier before ordering. At this point  I'd like to say that my first whip was a 4 foot 6 plait American style bullwhip of the economy class and worked well (after I broke it in) and gave me and others years of pleasure. As a matter of fact it still does.

 Next we'll talk about targeting. Targeting can be done with just about any length of whip though some styles and lengths are better suited than others. The general consensus seems to be that Australian style bullwhips (usually have slightly longer handles) work best, again in the 6 to 7 foot range. Please keep in mind, just about any whip can and will work. One more thing to think about is that some competitions have minimum length requirements, usually 5 to 6 feet, depending on the organizers.

 Intricate cracking routines. The Australians seem to have this one down. With names like The Cattlemans Crack, Figure 8s, Fast Figure 8s, Volleys, Coachmans Crack, and the Flick, you have got to wonder what they're doing down there. These are what they refer to as the basic cracks that lead to the more intricate routines. What do they use? Australian Stock Whips. And not just one but two at a time. It's an amazing sight.

 In doors or outdoors? Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. In doors means you can use your whips all year long, the cold or the rain is of no concern. People living with or near you will have concern. Your probably going to be limited as to length, dont forget, in a full swing around your body with a four foot whip could take as much as a twenty foot radius and ten feet of height. Outdoors you,ll have to mind the elements and if its a park your going to, you need to get there. On the plus side, theres nothing like swinging a long whip around in the great outdoors. At times the graceful flow feels like poetry in motion.

 Cost is a big factor. We all want the most for our money but be warned, there is a minimum one can pay to get a whip that will work. If youre really careful for around one hundred dollars you can get a whip that works, if you find one for less, good for you. So how do you find your first, second or third whip? One of the reasons I wanted to start Whip Enthusiasts Toronto was to expose people to different whips. Its hard finding a whip in Toronto, at the time we started it was almost impossible, unless you knew someone who owned one, and there werent many. Today collectively the Toronto Whip Enthusiast members own quite a collection, we are a great resource. Just talk to one of us or better yet, come out to a practice. I have picked up most of my collection; over a dozen at this point are mostly Internet purchases, on the word of others from some of the other whip groups I belong to, as they say, word of mouth is the best advertising. Ebay is not a place you want to be. There are more of "this is the best whip in the world for twenty bucks" sellers than you can shake a whip at J. Theres only a few people I know of that sell a quality whip on Ebay.

 As for breaking in a new whip, yes new whips usually arrive on the stiff side, the usual advice is just use them, in time they will loosen up.

 I hope this helps you in your search for a new or used whip. Please email me if you need to ask a question, thats what we are here for. 

 Gerry/Rufrider