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Changing the Fall on a Whip

At some point, you're going to need to replace the fall on your bull, snake or stock whip. It's a fiddly job; and needs care, but it's not terribly demanding from a technical point of view. Any whip maker will be happy to do it for you for a small fee but, if you want to try it yourself, this page shows you a way of doing so. 

These instructions assume that the whip thong is in good condition, with no maintenance needed; and that the fall is an Australian style one. Texas style bullwhips may feature a fall on a yoke, braided into the tip and started from the core or, on cheaper whips, may have a fall that is simply one of the strands used in braiding the thong. Replacing such falls is not covered here.

You will need:

1. Marlin spike, fid or similar pointed but not sharp solid object,

2. Saddle soap, leather dressing, hand cream or other lubricant that won't harm leather.

3. Stanley knife or similar, the sharper the better. Don't use one of those really cheap disposable craft knives - the handles flex and you could slip.

4. Spare fall. The nearer you trim it to be the same shape and width as the one already there, the easier it will be to fit. You may want to grease it, and slide it onto the thong prior to starting. Alternatively, you can slide it on once the old thong has been removed.

5. Spare Cracker (presumably)

You may also find a pair of long nose pliers and a needle and thread to be useful. 

To reduce load time, most of the images on this page are thumbnails. Simply click on them if you want a clearer view, and use the back button to return to the page.

Please note that this is the way that I go about this particular task. I'm not suggesting that this is the only way, and other people may have tips to make it easier. Mistakes can happen. Don't try this if you find the instructions unclear, and please don't try to blame me if you get it wrong or cut the end of your finger off - I do offer a fall replacement service!

1) Grease the fall where it shows above the fall knot. Work your spike carefully around under the fall, above the fall knot.

The objective is to make a space large enough to fit the spike between the fall and the thong, as shown in the picture, so that the spike protects the whip when you cut the fall.

2) The usual method is to carefully cut the fall at this point.

However, if you have several whips, and the fall is still long enough to use on a smaller one in your collection, or you don't fancy the risk of taking a blade to your whip, you may wish to keep it intact. In this case, all you need to do at this point is, remove the cracker.

3) Remove the fall by sliding it through the fall knot.

Give whatever part of the fall will be passing through the knot, a thorough greasing first. Try to keep the pull parallel with the direction of the thong, and apply steady pressure rather than tugging suddenly. This part can be surprisingly strenuous, and can take quite a long time!

a) If you have cut the fall, pull it down towards the tip of the whip. This method gives you good initial purchase, because you have the whole fall to grip onto. However, it means that the widest part of the fall will have to pass through the narrowest part of the fall knot. Gripping the fall in a pair of long nose pliers, turning them at right angles to the pull and winding it around them, can help you to get a much better pull. Don't pinch yourself with the pliers!

b) If you have kept the fall intact, use your spike to slowly lever the fall into a loop on the thong side of the fall knot. This is slow at first, and the fall can break; in which case revert to (a). But if you can do it, once the fall is moving and you can get your fingers under it, you should find that it gets easier because, unlike (a), you are pulling an ever smaller piece of leather from the thinner part of the fall knot to the wider part; and you can more thoroughly grease it. This method also reduces the risk of stretching the strands in the fall knot.

Which ever method you use, you should end up with the fall knot intact, and a  hollow tube running through it. If you accidentally squash the tube, it's easily opened with your spike, or some similar object. You may wish to smear some grease into the top end of the tube, before trying to put the new fall through.

4) If you haven't already done so, slide the loop in the new fall over the fall knot, and push it a short way up the thong.

Now put the point of the fall through the tube in the fall knot. It needs to be properly trimmed to fit.  Don't be afraid to cut the tip narrow for a couple of inches - you will probably want to shorten it later, in any case. A leather working needle, or an ordinary needle, and thread tied to the end of the fall and passed through the tube first, can make life a lot easier.

Once the tip is through, use a steady pull to slide the rest of the greased fall through. Don't be surprised if it's hard work: the fall knot is meant to be tight! Pause if you need to, and add more grease. You can always remove excess later. Using pliers; especially ones that stay shut, offers much better purchase than greasy fingers on greasy leather.

If you can secure the whip without applying a pull to the Turk's head or compression to the thong, this will also help; but basically, if the fall is about the same width as the one you removed, it will eventually end up with it's loop sitting against the fall knot.  Wipe off any excess grease, tie a cracker on and it's time for a beer! Or to crack the whip, if you prefer.

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