How to Make Your Own Bullwhips Using Hay Twine

The whip has been in use for thousands of years. Unlike whips used in Ancient Egypt, often seen detailed in hieroglyphics, bullwhips don't come into contact with a person or animal. Bullwhips were developed as a means of driving livestock, such as cattle, by scaring them with the cracking noise the whip makes, without actually injuring the animal.

Things You'll Need

  • 8-inch by 3/8-inch spike
  • Bench grinder
  • 2-inch by 18-inch leather hide
  • Razor blade leather plane
  • Leather dressing
  • Utility knife
  • 3 feet artificial sinew
  • 30 feet hay twine
  • Cracker
  • Shellac
  • Paintbrush
  • Protective eyewear
  • Protective gloves
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Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare the spike. Use the bench grinder to grind the tip off of the spike. The tip does not need to be completely flat, but it should be ground down enough so as to not puncture the leather that will be wrapped around it.

    • 2

      Prepare the leather for the handle. With the utility knife, create an isosceles triangle from the leather, with a 2-inch base and 18 inches in height. Following the manufacturer's directions, use the plane to pare the edges of the leather triangle. Apply leather dressing, to make the leather supple, per the dressing manufacturer's instructions.

    • 3

      Create the whip handle. Tightly wrap the spike with the leather triangle, placing the base of the triangle directly under the head of the spike. Starting under the head of the spike, tie the artificial sinew and snugly wrap down the leather-encased spike, using approximately 1/2-inch spacing, to just below the tip of the spike, and then back up the spike.

    • 4

      Create the whip. Cut three lengths of hay twine, approximately 10 feet in length each. Beginning approximately 10 inches from the ends of the hay twine strands, tie the three strands together. Braid the hay twine together, by alternating the outside pieces in between the other two strands, as in a traditional hair braid. Loosely tie to temporarily secure at the end.

    • 5

      Connect the whip to the handle. Insert the unplaited ends of the whip into the unbound leather extending beyond the handle. Wrap the artificial sinew around the unbound leather very tightly, securing the hay twine whip inside.

    • 6

      Finish the whip. Untie the end of the whip and attach the cracker to the end. Paint the handle and extended leather section that attaches the whip to the handle with a coat of shellac. Let dry and repeat for a second coat.