Looking after the Bull Whip

Once you have a bullwhip you will want to make sure that it is properly maintained as by doing this you will be sure that you will extend the life of your whip. It will always be the case that there are going to be accidents and you will have no control over them but with a bit of care you should be able to keep them to a minimum. Clearly you have no control over what happens if next doors dog jumps into the truck and has a good chew, but there are plenty of things that you can do to protect your whip.
As you will be using them outdoors there will always be dirt and grit that will wear away at the whip. This will not be too much of a problem as long as you don’t let it build up as the only thing you need to clean it is warm soapy water. Don’t dry it artificially but let it dry out alone and when it is dry, it can be treated with a leather protector.
Using leather protector is important and should be used on a regular basis. It will not normally be needed if the whip is new but you must take into account how old the whip is and how long it has been in the store. Oils are no good when it comes to bull whips so it should always be a good quality cream. Depending on where the whip is kept it may dry out quite quickly but under normal circumstances they should be coated about every six months.
Knowing how much cream to use is important as while too little may not protect it properly, too much will not automatically mean that there is more protection given to the whip. It is important to put more of the cream towards the cracker end of the whip and the area that suffers the stress should have less.
The more you use the whip the more likely it is that there is going to be damaged. There needs to be a fair bit of force when it comes to getting the loudest noise and this will result in damage to the thong. There should be little damage done if the whip is used gently but the whip should still be checked regularly to make sure that it is intact. A small break that is missed will soon become a bigger one that needs more time taken in repairing it.
If you adhere to these rules there is no reason why you should not be able to use your bull whip for many years without having to worry that it is becoming damaged beyond repair.