Anatomy
of a Whip:
The
components of a whip include:
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The loop, which is often attached to the end of
a whip. Though it resembles a wrist strap on a camera
or umbrella, the loop was traditionally used to hang the
whip for storage.
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The knob or knot is a ball on the end of
the handle of the whip. For most whip cracks, you hold
the whip by the knot, rather than by the handle.
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The handle is the stiff end that serves as a place
to hold the whip under most circumstances.
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The thong is the braided section of the whip, which,
depending on the whip’s style, may or may not include
the handle. The diameter of the thong gradually diminishes
over its length.
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The cane is a stiff rod found inside a whip’s handle
and the initial part of the thong. Often made of fiberglass
or metal today, the cane was traditionally made of whalebone.
Below, Victor Tella braids strips of kangaroo hide
around the cane--in this case, a steel rod--to form the
bullwhip's core.
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The belly—which surrounds the core of the thong—is
perhaps the most important part of a whip. In high quality
whips, the equivalent of a smaller whip may be used as
the core.
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The fall is a single strand of leather attached
to the end of the thong. This replaceable part is fairly
long and wears away over time.
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The popper or cracker consists of a few
fiber strands attached to the end of the fall. This is
the part of the whip that produces the cracking sound.
With use, the popper tends to disintegrate, so it must
be replaced regularly.
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Program
Notes
For centuries,
the crack of the whip has been a tool for driving animals, particularly
cattle (hence the name bullwhip) and horses. The whip is not used
to hurt the animals; instead, the cracking sound frightens them, causing
them to move in the direction the driver prefers. Carters, coachmen,
and wagoners developed remarkable skill in manipulating whips in various
patterns, and what began as an occupational necessity eventually became
an art form. In today’s presentation, Andrew Conway demonstrates various
styles of whip cracking and discusses the history and physics of the
practice. Victor Tella discusses the stages of crafting a whip.
A whip is a
long, slender, flexible tool often made of braided leather—kangaroo
hide is considered the best material, though some less expensive whips
today are made of nylon. At the thick end of the whip is a handle;
at its other end is a very thin “popper” or “cracker”—usually just
a few fibers—that produces the whip’s distinctive cracking sound.
Although whips
have been used for hundreds of years, it is only since the 19th century
that people have understood why whips crack. A whip is constructed
so that its diameter gradually shrinks down its entire length, from
the “thick” handle to the “thin” tip of the popper. When you crack
a whip, energy applied to the handle travels down the length of the
whip. Through the conservation of energy, the whip accelerates as
its diameter shrinks. By the time the energy travels to the very end
of the whip, the popper is traveling at approximately 1.3 times the
speed of sound. It is now understood that the whip’s crack is actually
a tiny sonic boom.
Whip Styles:
Among the
whips in common use today are the snake whip, the bullwhip, and the
stock whip. The traditional construction, length, and use of these
whip styles vary.
Bullwhips
have short, rigid handles and are usually between four and twenty
feet in length. The style evolved in America for both cattle herding
and noisemaking. The stock whip was developed in Australia
for the same purposes. Its handle—called the stock—is much longer
than that of a bullwhip. A flexible joint connects the stock to the
leather thong, and this construction allows the whip to be used while
riding a horse. These whips are generally between six and ten feet
long. Unlike stock and bullwhips, which have stiff handles, the entire
length of a snake whip is flexible, allowing it to be rolled
and stowed in a saddlebag. This type of whip can be as short as three
or four feet in length, so it can be used in a much smaller space
than longer styles of whip.
| About
the Presenters
 Andrew
Conway (at right) has taught whip workshops at the European
Juggling Festival in Grenoble, as well as at the San Francisco
School of Circus Arts. He is the author of The Bullwhip
Book and the founder of the Lodi Juggling Festival. Victor
Tella (at left) is an expert whip maker.
Contact
Andrew Conway
Contact Victor
Tella
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