Caring for your Whip

updated 8th April 2005

Breaking the Whip In
Common Sense Care
Caring for Leather
Caring for Nylon

You may, or may not, decide to apply saddle soap or leather conditioner. There are conflicting opinions about this. My feeling is that a brand new whip shouldn't need it, because plenty of grease is used during manufacture. However, if you buy a whip that has been sitting around on display in a shop, it may have dried out; in which case it may benefit from a bit of lubrication and/or moisturising in the form of leather dressing and/or saddle soap.

With everything you put on a whip, do it sparingly. If, after a few days, you think you should have put some more on, you can always do it again. But if you put too much on, you ain't going to remove it once it's soaked in! Some modern versions of traditional applications, for example neat's foot oil, are now thinned with chemicals that actually weaken the fibres in the leather. This is exactly what the breaking-in process does, making the whip more flexible by stretching and breaking down some of the fibres, but I strongly recommend against using any application to artificially hasten it - this process actually weakens and ages the leather, reducing the amount of time at which the whip will be at it's best.  It's easy to over do it and be left with a whip that's no better than an expensive piece of string on a stick.

Nylon whips arguably take longer to break in than leather ones, and won't necessarily loosen up as much. Occasionally, the strands bunch up. If this happens you may need to roll the whip under a plank or similar to get it back to shape again, but it isn't a sign of a faulty whip! It's just something that happens sometimes.

If you get a nylon whip wet, it may stiffen up. You just need to use it to re-break it; unless it's also dirty in which case you need to clean it or the grains of dirt will wear at the fibres.

Just apply a bit of common sense, to ensure that your whip remains undamaged and in good condition.

• Don't use it on rough surfaces.
• Don't use target holders with sharp edges 
• Don't practice wrapping on trees.
• Don't crack it against the ground or any hard surface.
• Don't use the whip without a cracker.
• Don't use a leather whip that has stiffened up, looks dull, creaks loudly or you know has got thoroughly wet and not been greased since.
• Leather can be got wet as long as it is looked after - it is skin, after all. But don't allow unconditioned leather to get soaking wet, and always condition it afterwards.
• Keep leather falls well greased, especially at each end.
• Don't put your nylon whip in very hot water.
• Don't use acidic stain removing agents to clean your nylon whip.
• Don't store any whip in direct sunlight, or leather whips in warm, dark places.
• Watch out for knots in the fall and cracker.
• Use your whip in places where the ground is clean and free from loose debris, gravel or grit.
• Don't let the pets or the children near it!

Some products claim to soften leather. This is fine if they do that through moisturising. Again, think of skin. Dry skin cracks and breaks. Moisturised skin is supple, even if thick and tough. The same applies to leather. Most saddle soaps and beeswax based leather dressings act in this way. They often also help to prevent the leather from drying out, by coating it in various waxes and oils that help to keep the moisture in, bacteria out, and bind the fibres together.

I clean my whips, when they need it, with saddle soap. I tend to find that's almost all the thong needs. Some people recommend against it, but I've seen no harm arising from it's use  - and it's really the only thing that you can use to actually clean the whip, if you don't want it to end up dried out. I mix it into a thick, creamy lather and apply it with my fingers; or a sponge or even soft tooth brush if the whip is coated in mud. Then I hang the whip to allow it to dry, possibly applying a tiny amount of a leather dressing while it's still damp (the leather absorbs it better). Once it's dry, excess is removed and it's ready to use. Saddle soap, and some dressings, leave a noticeable residue between the strands of the whip. To my mind this isn't a problem. It acts as a physical barrier to dirt and grit; and provides a small degree of ongoing lubrication. But it's worth bearing in mind, if you're likely to feel that it spoils the look of the whip.

With regard to other dressings and conditioners, what you use is very much up to you. But the following seem to be generally agreed:

• It's easy to apply too much if you use liquid oils. Not necessarily harmful, but you can have a very oily feeling whip for a long time! 

• Hard/thick dressings are preferable to light oils, because excess is easily wiped off and the leather seems to benefit from them for longer. Applying with the fingers rather than a cloth warms the dressing, and helps to make sure it gets into the right places.

• Simple moisturising hand creams seem to do no harm, but the benefits don't last very long.

• Whip makers generally seem to prefer leather dressings made from natural oils and fats: anything from beef dripping to beeswax, depending on the maker. Many whip enthusiasts in the USA, however, swear by Pecard Leather Conditioner, which is a petrochemical by-product. I use Ko Cho Line leather dressing.

• Neat's foot oil is to be avoided. It's available as a stand-along product, but also in many saddlery and furniture preparations. I would avoid mink oil, too. I've seen good whips go from tight and response to limp and sluggish, within weeks of being treated with this stuff.

• Most dressings, including Pecard's have some loosening and stretching effect and should be used sparingly. The lower part of the thong will need dressing more often. The handle and knots should only be dressed occasionally, if at all.

• The fall needs regular dressing to prevent breakage. It should be kept as clean as possible, and feeling slightly greasy. It needs greasing every time it starts to look hairy, or feels dry. I've found that that periodic cleaning with a very thick saddle soap mixture on a sponge, allowing it to almost dry, then applying Vaseline, noticeably reduces breakages compared to beeswax leather dressings such as Jay-el. Some people will no doubt call this heresy, but I'm still using the same falls on heavily used whips over 4 years old. Ko Cho Line leather dressing on it's own is just as good, and the benefits last longer if used after saddle soap. 

• Short whips that are only ever used indoors will rarely (if ever) need dressing - the oils from your own skin will help to keep them in condition.

• After it's got wet and has been dried out.
• If the leather has got scuffed up.
• If the leather seems dull, dry, stiffer than normal, or has started to creak noticeably when you use the whip.
• Before using it somewhere damp or dirty - do it the night before you use it at the latest, to give the dressing time to be absorbed so that you avoid dirt and debris sticking to the thong. Beeswax dressings especially, remain sticky for some time.
• If you don't expect to use it for a long time, to prevent drying and stiffening; and after a prolonged period of non-use.

Caring for Nylon

 

Nylon whips require less maintenance than leather ones, and are much harder to damage. 

 

One thing that you need to look out for is striking abrasive surfaces. This will quickly break the outer fibres of each strand, giving the whip an unattractive furry look. It will still work fine, though. The fur can be removed from dark coloured whips by quickly but carefully passing it through a flame, for example from a cigarette lighter. But make sure you don't cause damage!

 

Although nylon whips can be used in the wet without damage, they can stiffen up after use and need another period of breaking in. A way to avoid the worst of this, and help keep the whip clean, may be to use a nylon waterproofing agent such as those used for walker's jackets. This will reduce the amount of water that gets absorbed, especially useful if that water has dirt in it. Some of these dressings can leave a sticky residue, or alter the colour of the whip - so make sure you're confident that you won't harm your whip before you use it.

Most dirt can be washed off with hand hot water and mild detergent. It has been known for people to put their whip in the washing machine on a woolens cycle. I don't recommend it.

 

Keep your whip somewhere dark. Nylon deteriorates when exposed to UV light, as any climber will tell you. If you keep your whip on the back shelf of your car, you may find it losing colour over time. Left long enough, UV light will actually weaken the strands.

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