Whip quality.

[ammre]

My boyfriend bought 4 whips... the smallest one has these soft leather straps coming off it and it's good for light play... but the other 3 are funny... he got it as a package of 3 for a fairly good price, but i'm not too sure about their quality.
the other 3 are a riding crop a bull-whip and a cat o' nine tails. we've played with the small one but i've been hesitant about the others. the leather is stiff and feels cheep.. and on the riding crop had a tiny piece of metal sticking out in the middle of the leather flap at the end. it's a short piece and it's rounded but sometimes that worries me.
well it's basically cheep stiff leather that makes them intimidating to use and i was wondering if there was a way to soften it and if i should soften it.

 

[cellis]

You can purchase cream leather softner at Wal-Mart in the shoe section. I just rub it in and the put the item in a zip lock bag. That seemed to work well with a cat of nine tails that I bought once.

 

[psiberzerker]

You basicly have to keep them buttered up, and USE them to keep whips soft, and pliant, but there's only so much guilding you can do on a peice of shit. The really good ones have nice amenities like beveled, or even rounded edges to keep from cutting with the belly, and so forth. My suggestion for you is that if it isn't all that expensive (I've never even seen a boxed set) pick one that isn't going to see any use, like the studded crop, and experiment. If they're of the same construction, what works for one will work for another.
Now, I understand that the crop is going to have that car antenna stock, so it won't be easy to transferr the flexibility between that, and the cat, or whip, but then, you can't have everything, where would you put it. If you semi-ruin the test peice, at least you've got a good decoration, or conversation starter next time you show someone your playground. About the only drawback to this is it can be misinterpreted by potential playmates.
Hope this helps. Have fun, don't piss anyone off, and try not to get arrested.

 

[pierced_boy]

Tack shops and rural merchandise stores

ammre

A riding crop cost $13 in a horse shop and $25 pluss in a sex shop, more in one that speacalises in BDSM gear.
Tack shops will also sell leather dressing preparations and will gladly talk to you about different items. There are some great little whips crops etc and straps and webbing to use in bondage. When you go to look for stuff you can pretend to be interested in it for a horse or not, as you choose. I chose to lie and did not blush too much. I am sure the guy knew though

I have made my own cat from some lovely polished hard wood and leather shoe laces. They are a little stiff and have hard edges but hey thats how I like them. They are softening with use!

Harry

 

[Netzach]

As a former whip-ee.

As people brought up, crops *without* metal thingies sticking out can be had for as little as six bucks at fleet farm. I have a variety for different moments.

The stiff cat can be softened with enough oil and massaging, or simple massaging if it's sueded (think new baseball glove)

What I'm *really* not into the idea of is a cheap singletail for any skin contact. That's a serious enough toy that high quality and short length are probably a good investement. If a whip is really stiff and cheap (like the ten dollar novelty ones I often see) it is hard to throw accurately.

I don't have much money, but when I buy impact implements, I spend till it hurts. It's much like trying to paint with bad brushes, they might have some weird useage, but overall, spend the most you can, my prof told me and golly was she right.

I've had good luck with JT's stockroom. It ain't Mr. S, but it's not trying to be. The toys are ones I could afford as an admin assistant, and ones that nobody would sneeze at.

 

[RisiaSkye]

Re: Tack shops and rural merchandise stores

ammre

A riding crop cost $13 in a horse shop and $25 pluss in a sex shop, more in one that speacalises in BDSM gear.
Tack shops will also sell leather dressing preparations and will gladly talk to you about different items. There are some great little whips crops etc and straps and webbing to use in bondage. When you go to look for stuff you can pretend to be interested in it for a horse or not, as you choose. I chose to lie and did not blush too much. I am sure the guy knew though

Harry

Wow...sometimes it's good to be in the Southwest, where people still have horses. I've got two crops--one I paid 6 bucks for, that's designed for humans. (Cheapish but usable leather) and one I paid 4 bucks for that's made for horses. (good leather, very stiff rod). The tack shop in which we bought the crop was small and friendly, and the person behind the counter clearly had seen it before: we were swinging them at each other in the store, and nary a blink.

So, money is not key. I've been broke a lot longer than I've had any money, and I've always managed to find something to play with when the mood struck.

But, on this we all seem to agree: there's no substitute for good leather.

RS

 

[Dracontias]

Whips and Whip Care

Greetings and Hallucinations:

I own quite a collection of whips. I hope the following helps out.

There are several kinds of whips. There are single tail whips (3-4 ft. in length) Signal whips (5-6 ft. in length) and bull whips (6+ ft. in length). There are literally hundreds of whip makers. I have found that Wheeler and Morgan whips are the most reliable and have a long life with proper care. Decent whips range in price from $75 - $500+. There are different plait counts ranging from 4 to 36.

Care tips Do's and Don'ts:

Do use Leather Conditioner

Picard Leather Conditioner is what I use on My whips to keep them soft and subtle. It doesn't leave a "greasy" feel after it is properly applied. Don't use vaseline or... ::grimaces:: Armor-All.

Do store them with other leather gear

This avoids them getting tangled in other things or have lube leak all over them. Besides, there is nothing better than the scent of leather.

You can coil them up in a toy bag or lay them flat in a case.

Do CLEAN after use

The use of antibacterial and antiviral cleaning agents are imperitive in this day and age. CHECK to see if these cleaning products are compatible with leather. Make sure you are very meticulous getting between the plaits. After cleaning you will want to recondition your whips because these cleaning products have a tendancy to dry out the leather. If you chose to use a 4:1 Bleach solution do not be surprised if the leather fades or even loses color completely.

The types of leather also come into play ( ::chuckles:: Yes the pun was intended). There is latigo, deer skin, etc. The type of leather will determine the use of the whip.

You can use these tips for anything made of leather. Crops, Taws, Slappers, Floggers, and restraints.

Be well and be safe.