Taking Care of the Bullwhip

When a bullwhip is new it will be easy to think that there is nothing to do but start practicing with it. Unfortunately this is not the case as it is very unlikely that the shop will have kept up maintenance and kept it is the best of condition of the time that it has been sitting on their shelves. Once you get it home it will be up to you to start the protection regime that should keep the whip safe throughout the time that you are going to use it. This is not just something to do when the whip is new, but should be carried out on a regular basis as the whip needs regular protection and care.
It does not matter whether the whip is used for performances or just as practice, it is important to keep it in good condition as any use will risk putting a strain on various parts of the whip. Don’t use harsh abrasive products on your bullwhip, as although it may look bright and shiny in parts, you will soon found out that you are actually doing more harm than good.
The first thing to do will be to use saddle soap to give the whip a good rub down. It will be best if the soap is made into a paste as it will be easier to get it into all the nooks and crannies. Saddle soap is really easy to get hold of and there should only be a small amount of water added to it as the whip needs a good amount of soap, not a runny mess.
It might be a bit of a messy job as there is the need to rub your hands into the soap and help to spread the substance over all areas of the leather. The whole of the whip should be covered and this means taking time to get it right along the length of the bullwhip from the fall all the way along the braiding and even including the handle.
It is best to do this job a good few days before you are planning to use the whip as there   needs to be a set amount of time for the bullwhip to dry out and be ready to use again. It has to be a couple of days at least and there needs to be a place where the whip can be spread out as the last thing you want is for the whip to get a kink in it. The best way to do this is to either very loosely curl it or ideally hang it up by the handle making sure that the bottom is not dragging on the floor.