Whip Cracking Hints:

In 2005 and 2006 I was lucky enough to win the RM Williams AWPA Australian National Whip Cracking Championships in the Open 35-50 yrs Division. 2005 and 2006 I also won the City Muster Western Australian Mens Whip Cracking Title. These events are good fun but a lot of hours learning new skills and practicing old ones is needed to get results. Hopefully the hints below will help you maximize the effective use of your practice time. These hints are based on my whip cracking experiences not only in getting ready for competitions or performances, but also in helping others master new techniques for the first time. I suggest you try ideas that you think might help you out. If it doesn't work for you, modify it. If it then doesn't work, discard it. If it does work drop me a line and let me know of your results and be quick to pass it on to any other whip cracker who might benefit from it too.

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Whipcracking Competition Scoring in Australia:

Scored lately?

The Australian Whipcrackers and Plaiters Association (AWPA) uses a ready reckoner style trick sheet for scoring in Australian whipcracking competitions. Cracks and basic routines are listed down the left with the single and double handed variations running across the top. To determine a score for a together time changing planes Sydney Flash for instance, a competitor or judge looks down the "Both Hands changing planes" column to where it intersects the "Sydney Flash" row to get a score of 15 out of a possible 20. The latest news is now, for future competitions, less importance will now be placed on the MPA list as it's called (short for Maximum Points Awarded).

In the past scoring at Australian whip cracking competitions was subjective. Then came a brave Noel Cutler, former Australian Whipcracking Champion, who was instrumental in getting a new judging system off the ground. It was this new judging system that embodied and embraced the MPA list. In 2000 the AWPA Judge's sub-committee put together a complete guide to the new judging system. It set out the Accuracy and Freestyle criteria - how they were scored, complete with how errors were deducted. The freestyle section was divided into two sections. The first section was 10 routines, with 5 routines having to be chosen from the MPA list. This requirement was later relaxed. The second section was the 1 minute freestyle - continuous cracking, put together however you liked.

The MPA list scores you on a given crack, old or new routine based on one big assumption - that you performed it flawlessly. See Whip Cracking Hints for a thorough discussion on getting your act together as far as reducing errors go. That's not what we are discussing here. It's the value of the MPA list to any whipcracker bent on acquiring new skills that I want to point out. Always keep in mind the errors and pitfalls to progress as set out in Whip Cracking Hints. But look at the MPA list as a "Can I do this?" hit-list. Start at the Cattleman's Crack and test yourself with all the single handed variations. If you can do all of them, move on into the double handed variations and so on. Remember these are the building block basic cracks and routines that the competition standard routines are developed from. If you don't have anyone to show you these skills, treat yourself to a coaching video that does and you'll be on your way.

The MPA list embodies a mind set. That mind set is what you're applying to the skills you've already mastered and new ones you'll eventually attempt…

Can I do it with left and right hands?
Can I do it in different planes?
Can I do it in changing planes?
Can do it with both hands, in different planes and in changing planes?
Can I do it in together time, staggered, balanced, offset staggered, each way together, or each way staggered?

The reduced reliance on the MPA list for judging will affect the competitors very little. They'll still compete with their best routines, polished with practice so they look great and don't miss a crack. And after the competition dust settles the competitor who does it the best will still walk away with the number one spot in his or her division. Looking at the MPA list as a mind set that can help you progress your whipcracking will always be useful. It re-defines what you call 'mastered' doesn't it and that's it's real value.

Whip Colour choice:

This article discusses kangaroo hide colours, not only what's available but also how the effect of braiding techniques change the appearance of a whip. Hopefully this article will make you more aware of what is possible and let your choice on what you want your whip to look like more informed.

Taking a quick tour of this website and quickly you see a huge range of colours used in whip making. Hold your pointer over any whip pictured and the image title will tell you exactly what colour shade(s) were used to make that whip with. Choosing colours is a personal thing and everyone has a different slant on what colours suit them. There are classic examples, like if your an Indiana Jones fan - then natural tan for your American bull whip is the only way to go. Most northern hemisphere whip crackers prefer their whips to be black, totally black in many cases. But in Australia tan whips with little or no colour highlights are the most requested and a black whip is rarely seen.

Kangaroo hide comes in most colours. Saddle tan is the mid range shade of tan. Brandy tan is near black, especially in indoor lighting and gives a softer mix with the above colours as well as natural tan...the light/pale shade of tan. Black mixes well with red, purple, jade green and saddle tan. But there's also gold (gold foil covering black roohide). It's very hard wearing and long lasting. It can look a bit gaudy with red but very regal with purple and fantastic with jade green. White also mixes well with black. My personal favourite is jade green and saddle tan. I did a pair of stockwhips recently in jade green and red and they turned out stunning...I had reservations on this colour mix (and voiced them) but I couldn't have been more wrong in the end. That's pretty well the way it is - always go with what appeals to your eye as I've found that there are very few colours that don't mix well. If you have corsets or outfits that the whips need to compliment, it's a good idea to send your whip maker an image of the colours. They should be able to get colours quite close to meet most of these challenges.

Take a look at this pink and black whip pictured. The effect of the colour mix is accentuated by the braiding pattern employed. It's an old braiding pattern and one that I've used a lot of to make a striking looking whip. I call it 'tiger plait' but it will be known by other names. The same whip would look a lot more formal if plaited in a traditional 2-tone herringbone. Another braiding pattern is 'Running V's, a less formal braiding style. Notice the effect of wider 8-plait strands, compared to the finer 16-plait strands, on the appearance of the two whips you see in these links. Strand width changes the look of a whip too. Neatness of the braiding makes a huge difference. A lot of the effect of the colour and braiding pattern used are lost if the braiding is not neat. Straight braiding seams - the strands form four seams were they cross over on a standard herringbone plait you'll see on practically every whip - these have to be straight for the whip to look neat. Neatness is also affected by the amount of preparation in the whip foundations and also the thickness and preparation of the overlay leathers used too.

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The American Whip Artist:

The influence of the Australian Whip by Brian Chic*

In the late 1970's the Bucheimer Leather Company of Frederick, Maryland discontinued it's distinctive line of bullwhips. For this particular handler, it was a black time.

My first "quality" whip was an eight-foot black revolutionary-handled affair I'd acquired at age 12. And now, so many years later, I hardly knew where to turn next. It was a story I was not alone in recounting, for gradually there came an increasing decline in the manufacture of what some Aussies may laughingly refer to as "the better American whip".

Simultaneously there arose a dreadful wave of attempts to duplicate the Bucheimer style; needless to say, all were inferior. This is not to state, however, that there weren't better whips being turned out in America - I simply was unmindful of them.

But in 1985 I stumbled upon my first Australian bullwhip. It was an eight-foot modestly designed delight turned out by Terry Jacka of Sydney - and all at once my enthusiasm for whips was reborn. I cherish and have it still.

Around this time I also became acquainted with the late legendary Leonard Wheatley. He specialized in crafting THE ideal American bullwhip, usually of rawhide. While I've several in my 'arsenal', I rarely met a fellow whipper who didn't hoard AT LEAST four or five Wheatley's in their respective collections. (Whip artist Alex Green informed me that, since Leonard's passing, his whips now command prices of biblical extravagance).

And now, at this writing, my 'Weapon of Choice' is usually a whip made by Mike Murphy.

I (and here I use the term loosely) "live" in Los Angeles. I often perform in the smaller, more infinitely claustrophobic clubs which cheerfully infest the areas in and around Hollywood and the Greater Los Angeles area. Appreciate, please, that up until 1985 I was an American amateur occasionally dabbling in cabaret theatrics. I knew nothing of the quality so handsomely represented in many a whip from our neighbours "down under".

Heck I didn't even drink beer.

Every now and then I'd lend a whip-hand to this TV show, that movie or make some sort of music video. Due to the rarity of such assignments, I'd rely on any "flavour-of-the-month" U.S. made whip to fall within my grasp.

And upon my receipt of Mr Jacka's steadfast implement, encouraged research enabled me to conclude that Australia is to the whip as Cuba is to the cigar.

For many little club room engagements I try entertaining at with their low ceilings and cramped stages, the Mike Murphy whip I presently use "can't be beat" (no bad pun intended). It's a two-tone 12-plait whip so delicate I can floss a dental patient from a distance while the doctor is out. And then replace the cracker, of course.

But more importantly, it's mere presence commands attention on stage before my first "crack" is ever thrown. Suddenly, the stage seems bigger, my partner looks more attractive, and it gingerly "delivers the goods" with a confidence that would make the youngest novice look like a pro.

Today, more and more American whip artists are succumbing to the Australian whip. May this popularity breathe a new life back into the once-flourishing trade of whip making, and prove mutually beneficial to both our countries.


*Who is Brian Chic? Mr Chic is an entertainer pal of mine. That's him performing in the picture above. The picture is a still from Sean Lennon's latest video music clip from a soon to be released single.

Guinness World Record -  Most Bull Whip Cracks in 60 Seconds:

On September 2nd 2003 whip coach and performer Robert Dante set the first Guinness World Record for "Most Bullwhip Cracks" of 203 cracks in 60 seconds at the Dream Circus, Hollywood USA. The following article is for anyone who wants to make an attempt at this record. It's a tough challenge but a good opportunity for some publicity, as well as some bragging rights.

There has been several attempts since to improve on 203 cracks in 60 seconds. Illinois's Christopher Camp came as close as anyone. Beating the original record by 8 cracks, his effort was recognized by Guinness for one month only to be out-done later by Robert Dante's second official attempt. The latest world record for most bullwhip cracks in 60 seconds is now officially 214 cracks. A quote from Robert Dante's website www.bullwhip.net  captures the moment and gives an insight on the planning involved in making an attempt..."Using a bullwhip made by this year's Australian whip cracking champion Mike Murphy, Dante achieved his goal on the third try, according to affidavits provided by event coordinator Walt Pattison, rodeo star "Lariat" Mike Woolridge, performer Beverlie "Dakota Rose" Griffin, and whip maker Adam Winrich. The record-breaking performance took place on the main stage of the Third Annual Spirit of the West Festival in Sioux Falls, SD, in front of approximately 100 spectators on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2004, on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Guinness World Records".

Reckon you can raise the bar? Get closer to 5 cracks per second? Before an attempt is made - make sure you contact the Guinness people. www.guinnessworldrecords.com has an attempt form you need to fill in. With a date for your attempt in mind, you can then get their okay and they will assign you an attempt number. This process takes approximately six weeks. They will then give you the criteria you must follow for the attempt to be considered as new Guinness World Record. The record was designed for a single handed attempt but the rules don't spell this out. It would be a good idea to discuss this with Guinness when you make your first contact so they can give you clarification. Here's the criteria, as quoted from Guinness...

Whipcracking - Most in a Minute (Bullwhip)

The following acts as a guide to the specific considerations and undertakings, in addition to the general requirements, for any potential attempt on the most whip cracks in a minute record. They should be read and understood by all concerned - organizers, participants and witnesses - prior to the event. 

Rules

 This record is for the most cracks of a single bullwhip an individual can make in 60 seconds.

1. The bullwhip must measure a minimum length of 1.82m (6ft) from the butt to the end of the thong (excluding the length of  the fall - the single un-plaited length of leather and cracker).

2. The handle must be at least 30cm (12 in) long (measured from the butt to where the leather becomes flexible) and have a diameter at the handle butt and thong/handle connection of 2.54cm +/- 3mm (1 in +/- 1/8 in).

3. The single strand leather fall must be a minimum of 76cm (30 in) long.

4. The cracker must be a minimum of 15cm (6 in) long.

5. Only volley cracks that are audible can be counted towards the total.

6. A start and finish signal (loud enough for all the contestants to hear) is required.

7. At least one timekeeper should time the event with a highly accurate stopwatch."

Robert Dante has a few suggestions for people wishing to attempt the record... 

1. "To count the cracks, I had my counter use a manual thumb-click counter (the kind used by scientists to count blood cells through a microscope, or used by doormen to count attendees at an event). Because the cracks come so fast and furious, instead of using the thumb to depress the clicker, use the whole arm with a stiff wrist. Every time the counter hears a crack, they tap the button. Recounts can be made by viewing the video afterward.

2. Contact media -- a TV news crew's video of the attempt carries credibility with it. 

3. Have the time keeper call out the time to the cracker in 10-second increments. This is also good for the video."

What about the bull whip?

I made the bullwhip that was used in the first and current Guinness record. Guinness spent a good deal of time  with me  discussing bull whip anatomy so the bull whip criteria to be used is specific. I doesn't matter what plait count the bullwhip is. Guinness aren't concerned either, but I suggest an 8 plait with an 8-plait point for durability's sake. Use the best moving, sweetest cracking bull whip you can find. It has to has to be energetic, one built on a braided rawhide foundation will give the best results. If the bull whip used is not the best then the cracks aren't going to be that audible and your going to work way too hard on what is already a tough hill to climb.

Best of luck in your attempt and I hope you get a Guinness congratulations - "your record has been approved as an official Guinness World Record".

Latest attempts?:

Whip cracker and entertainer Chris Camp cracked a 6 foot bullwhip 222 times in 60 seconds, breaking the previous record of 214 times set by Robert Dante. Camp’s record breaking attempt took place on April 29, 2005 during a live broadcast of WMAY’s Mike Wilson Show. Congratulations Chris from Murphywhips.com

Since Chris's bullwhip record was made Australia's Andrew Thomas (3 times RM Williams AWPA Australian Whip Cracking Champion) cracked a 4 1/2ft stockwhip 233 times in 60 seconds. Guinness now has two 'fastest' whip categories  -  the 6ft bullwhip and 4 1/2ft stockwhip. Andrew's record breaking attempt took place on the Australia's Guinness World Records television show.

September 2005 - Florida's Mike Woolridge, reached 228 cracks in 60 seconds, breaking the previous mark held by Chris Camp - a record of 222.

As quoted by Robert Dante (official counter/original record holder) - "Mike Woolridge and Adam Winrich went head to head in an old-fashioned contest (it was exciting! I like this format for future attempts). Mike broke my own record by 14 cracks, hitting 228 -- but Winrich cracked an amazing 261 times. Winrich used an unorthodox approach, but it does not appear to be illegal -- he gripped the whip halfway up the handle and used the handle as a pivot, with the lower part of the handle acting as a counterweight. He did a fast wristy volley at waist level in front of himself."

"To tell the truth, I didn't believe Robert (Dante) when he told me that I did 261, but a friend of mine who counted along said I was at 130 cracks by 30 seconds, so I guess it was possible. In training the most I had done was 245. Hopefully Guinness will verify the 261. I remember the old goal for this record, at least between me and Chris Camp, was for 240, or 4 cracks a second for a minute. I guess the new goal should be 300, or 5 cracks a second for a minute." - Adam Winrich.

October 2007 a new world record was set by Adam Winrich for the most number of stockwhip cracks in a minute. 272 cracks using a 4 1/2ft stockwhip is now the official record- one minute of continuous volleys with no switching of hands.


 

How does a whip crack?

There are several theories on why does a whip crack.

A theory that was popular at one time was that the whip's tail/fall and/or cracker slapped back on itself. But high speed photography has debunked this theory long ago. Crackers/the fall striking the whip's body in reality often results in a tangle, very rarely a crack sounds when this happens. Whipcrackers are at pains to avoid this so they don't spend their whipcracking efforts untangling whips all the time - enough said!

Another theory argues a wave travels down to the tip of the whip and gets reflected back to the handle. It's at the change of direction from travelling out to travelling back, that the whip's cracker goes through a brief, but intense acceleration. It's this acceleration that has the whip's cracker travelling faster than the speed of sound resulting in a small sonic boom - the actual whip crack. This theory is close - but no cigar. Yes it is a sonic boom that is making the whip crack, but this 'wave' thing travelling backwards and forwards is not 'how' the sonic boom is created. Any whipcracker who has mastered the basic crack called the cattleman's crack knows the whip's cracker doesn't travel back up the whip against the handle to cause the sonic boom. When this crack is mastered the whip 'sounds' without a ripple or hint of excess energy - all the energy expires out of the whip and leaves the cracker facing away from you uncoiled to the maximum.

Now the accepted theory - proven by high speed motion picture photography - shows the whip's cracker moving faster than the speed of sound resulting in small sonic boom. The speed of sound is approximately 1,230 feet per second (or approx 1,000 kilometres per hour) and the "crack" is the sound of air rushing back into the small vacuum created by the whip's cracker. This sonic boom occurs when the very tip of the whip moves at faster than the speed of sound and so breaks the sound barrier. Physics explains why the whip is capable of this - simply put, it's because it's a precise taper of weight.

To look at, a whip has a physical tapered shape to it. But measured in mass the whip also tapers in weight as you follow your eye down to the tip of the cracker. The whip handle is the lever, it's imparts a certain amount of force that moves the flexible part of the whip - called the 'thong'. This force moves the adjacent whip thong section that is fractionally less in mass and so on and so on down the whip until it has been accelerated enough to break the speed of sound. Each successive part of the thong accelerates it's adjacent part that fraction faster because it's moving less mass in each instance and no energy is lost from the system. Remember the energy in the whip is imparted into a closed system - very little energy is lost in friction with air for instance.

The whips ability to crack is explained in the first law of thermodynamics. The principle of conservation of energy states that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant, regardless of changes within the system.

The Whipcracking Challenge:

Getting frustrated mastering a tough whip routine? Whips are too short, too long, "It can't be done with bullwhips" etc. Ranking whip cracking challenges? - none of these compare to New Hampshire's Ron Currier's.

Ron lost both hands in an electrical accident but it's not stopped him getting out with his whips. After a number of experiments Ron has perfected a bracket that let's him hook up his whips. Snakewhips suit the bracket best because of their even taper wedging the handle/knot area firm into the bracket. "The hole for the whip handle is oversized to fit a slice of heavy nylon weight belt material around the shaft" so the bracket doesn't cut into the whip.

Ron will be competing next year at a WE event from the 9ft and 14ft lines.

The Jackeroos New Whip

The noise rang around the station and echoed through the creek,
When you were having a yarn you couldn't hear yourself speak.
There were jackeroos with stock whips, learning all the cracks,
But they never used them when astride their horse's backs.
Now all this blooming noise was making the bosses head ache,
If all this whip cracking kept up some ones neck he was gunna break.

One evening he'd finally had enough so to the quarters he did drive,
A jackeroo perfected the Sydney Flash, just as he did arrive.
Now the jackeroo was proud of his brand new seven foot whip,
It had a nice long cane handle and a fancy plaited grip.
Every night outside the quarters, he'd practise with that thing,
With all manner of different cracks he'd make those ranges ring

Dick pulled up in a cloud of dust, got out and slammed the door,
His anger was obvious by the set of his rigid his jaw.
But he asked "Is that a good whip?" in a quiet friendly tone,
"To right" said the jackeroo clutching the whip like a dog with a bone.
The boss smiled and nodded, then asked if he could take a look,
As the young bloke's kangaroo hide whip, he calmly took.

Dick then with whip in hand, quietly turned his back,
In all honesty he was sick to death of listening to it crack.
With a pocket knife in hand, he proceeded to turn seven foot into one,
The kangaroo hide whip was seven pieces, when he'd cut and done.
The jackeroo was dreaming of flicking flies from off the back of a cow,
When the boss threw the pieces over his shoulder, and said,
"Crack the Bloody thing now!"

© Corin Linch September 1995
 

Author's Notes:

The circumstances regarding the jackeroos new whip occurred some years ago at Moola Bulla station just out of Halls Creek. I worked there for fifteen years most of the time spent running the camp, I went there in 1971 and left to manage a southern place they bought in 1985. The whip event happened after I left but a mate told me about it. The bosses name was Dick Northcott and I could just imagine Dick doing it. The poem is also in my first book of poems `In Memory of the Drovers and other rubbish that I write` although I have made a few changes since I had the book printed.

Corin's books are available by contacting the author direct - PO Box 613 Jurien Bay 6516 or by email at corin.linch@bigpond.com

Kangaroos & Kangaroo Hide Leather:

When travelling in rural Australia the 'kangaroo sign' is very common. It's your warning as dusk approaches to slow down and be on the look out for 'roo's crossing the road. Many kangaroos feed on the green pick that grows from hay seed blown off carting trucks that are busy on country roads just after Summer cropping. Australian Aboriginals hunting in times past were all too aware of the kangaroo's taste for young sweet green shoots. Burning off (setting fire to the bush) promoted new growth and this is exactly what they did, timing their return to hunt when the green shoots appeared. But roos and cars don't mix too well. Sadly, a kangaroo lying on the side of the road is an all too typical scene on the Australian country roads.

It must be hard for some to imagine why anyone would be involved in the harvesting of such an interesting and strange an animal as the kangaroo. But the fact is many kangaroo populations exceed their environment's capacity to sustain them. This occurs all over country and arid Australia where good rains in the 'wet' enable large populations to develop. Droughts, that are often measured in months and even years, literally dry up resources in the kangaroo's environment. Competition for feedstock is inevitable. Crop damage from these big flat footed beasts can be huge, especially when there's a lot of kangaroos getting into a crop. Kangaroos too are perfect for damaging fences. If you ever get to watch a kangaroo get under a fence you'll first see the short front legs reach through and under the fence. Then the first half of the body is pulled through and then the big back end levers through. Wire stretches and snaps. Kangaroos are incredibly strong and holes big enough for sheep to walk through are not uncommon. But none of these problems are the kangaroo's fault, they just do what comes naturally.

Since the colonisation of Australia several of the kangaroo species have had population increases. Mainly this is attributable to changes in their environment...more cleared land that means more food plus water being made greatly available through artesian bores and dams of all sizes. Hence, it is agreed amongst all Australian state wildlife authorities that kangaroo populations are to be carefully managed. What follows is briefly what is involved in their management that is relevant to the whip enthusiast tracing the path of a kangaroo in the bush to kangaroo hide leather leaving the tannery.

There are nearly 50 known species of kangaroos and wallabies. All of these species, and further sub-species, are Australian native fauna and thus are protected by law. Each Australian state has it's own management programme that permits the culling under a licence system of a small number of kangaroo species that are prolific. Most kangaroos are harvested by professional 'rooshooters'. It is most often the rooshooters who obtain the cull permits on behalf of the landowners (both freehold and pastoral) who have kangaroo problems. On that cull form's completion a finite number of 'tags' are paid for and issued. One tag per kangaroo. The tags are colour coded according to the species being culled. The tags issued are numbered and assigned not only to the rooshooter but also to the specific region the landowner has had the permits on his behalf applied for. No rooshooter would risk being caught coming out of an area that he hasn't a permit to harvest roos in. For the gain of a few extra roos to the night's tally compared to the loss of the rooshooter's hunting privileges it's not worth it. Unused tags along with even more paperwork are returned back to the wildlife authority. The return paperwork itemises when and where, sex etc of the harvested kangaroos.

Rooshooter's trucks are unmistakable. Four wheel drives. like the Toyota Land Cruiser, are the most common being tough enough to deal with the wilder country of the Australia. On the flat rear tray a frame is built that has fixed gambrels that hold each harvested roo. When the rooshooter harvests for human consumption you'll see knife tubes and the like that house white handled knives and hygiene equipment...all neatly spaced out of the way but still within easy reach. On the driver's door a shooting rest is mounted, an important aid to accurate shooting. Mounted through the roof of the cab is a powerful narrow beamed spotlight. It can be moved to nearly any angle as it is rotated on a ball joint by a 'T' piece handle inside the cab with the left hand as the shooter drives with his right. Shooting is done at night, mostly in open country. There is little hunting skill involved in the final act other than letting the shot off properly and some accurate range estimation. The harvested roos are field dressed and tags are placed through a nick in each skin, often at the butt of the tail. After a night's shoot the rooshooter will sell his harvest to his buyer. The rooshooter's job is done. Many buyers operate small abattoirs that process the roos for pet food. A few specialised buyers cater for human consumption. The fresh roo skins, with tags attached, are then on-sold to hide and skin merchants.

Of the limited species of kangaroo that are legally harvested in Australia it is the two species of the grey (Western & Eastern) and the red kangaroo whose tanned skins are important to the manufacture of fine quality whips. All three species of roo can stand nearly as tall as a man, with the red kangaroo being the largest living marsupial. The red has fine rust red fur and is common, especially in the arid regions of Australia. The female -called a doe- can be blue with a red tinge, but often in the arid centre of Australia she will be the same colour as the male. The western grey has a stockier build and often it's colouring is a shade browner with darker facial markings than it's eastern state's cousin. Both are common and populate semi-arid to woodland regions. Their fur is much coarser than the red's.

The hide and skin merchant's business is based on the supply of dehaired and pickled hides and skins to local and overseas tanneries. What follows is a quick look at what happens to the fresh raw kangaroo hides before they are on-sold by the hide merchant to the tanneries.

Dehairing is the first step. This is done with hydrated lime, sodium and water. This is done on a commercial scale, but the principles used in home tanning are the same. Huge rotating drums greatly speed up the chemistry of the lime's action on the kangaroo hide hair follicles by agitation. The physical act of dehairing is performed quickly by rotating drums and is made more effective by the use of sodium sulfide ("quick slip") in the dehairing stage prior. Next the dehaired hides are put through a mechanical splitter. The mechanical splitter not only removes flesh membrane but evens out the overall thickness of each hide. The dehaired kangaroo hides are then washed twice in fresh water and then are placed in another rotating drum with a chemical bate solution. The chemical bate neutralises the action of the lime still present in the freshly dehaired rooskins. Bating of the limed hides is very important to ensure strong firm leather results from bark tanning at the tannery. Bating recipes are closely guarded secrets, but are often a detergent and sulfide compound solution. In primitive or early pre-tanning animal manures were used as a bate, chicken manure being the best.

From the chemical bate the kangaroo hides are washed again and then enter the pickle stage. Pickling is pre-tanning with acid. A sulfuric and formic acid, sodium and water solution is used in large rotating drums to ensure quick uniform pickling. Pickling is completed in a 24 hour session of slow drum rotation and a fungicide is added to maximise the shelf life of the pickled hides. While still damp the pickled hides are graded and sorted by hand. Grading is based on size, species and by obvious defects like mechanical splitter tears and holes. Acid tanned red and grey kangaroo hides are both white but are quickly distinguished as the red has grey shading in the forearm area of the skins. Reds also have smooth thin skins with fine hair pores and are a 'diamond' shape compared to the greys. The hides are then neatly folded and stacked on pallets. The pallets are covered with plastic to prevent them drying out. This way the skins are ready for sale and are safe to transport without fear of spoilage to the tanneries. The use of the fungicide plays an important part in keeping the hides safe from the spoilage by microbes.

Tanneries either buy pickled or raw kangaroo skins. If they buy raw hides, then they process them as above. Once the acid pre-tan stage is finished it's time for the vegetable tanning stage. Tannac is the bark extract brand that is most often used and it is a by-product of the paper making industry. It is a source of highly concentrated and consistent tannin. Tannin chemically combines with the acid tanned kangaroo hides in a water and salt solution. The tanning time is managed with precise agitation, temperature, acidity, salt ion regulation and carefully matching batch weights of hides to the amount of chemicals used. Pre-tanned hides also allow quicker uniform penetration of the 'veg' tanning chemicals, much more so than than a dehaired raw skin ever would. Once complete penetration of the tannin through the neck and tail region of the hide is achieved, the wet tanned hides head to the fat-liquoring stage. A hide that is dried without the addition of mineral oils and tallows is termed a crust hide. It's leather fibres are bound tightly and the hide has little yield, is brittle and thin. The fat-liquoring stage is often combined with the colouring stage too. Tannery specific, space invading dyes are used. Acidity monitoring is critical, especially with black to get even and rich colouring. Kangaroo hide destined to be whipmaking leather is then drum-stuffed. Cod liver, mineral oil or tallow based recipes are heated up in rotating drums and saturate the hides. The resulting hides are laden with the oil mixture and this gives them the best whipmaking properties like being easy to cut, reduced stretching, maximum strength, will cut without feathered edges and so on. The drying is mixed into these previous stages. The water content of the tanned hides is measured to get the best 'as water evaporates out, the oil goes in' effect. Drying racks combined with optimum air flow and heating reduce drying time in the big commercial tanneries. The size of each hide is then measured by an operator on either a manual or computerized measuring table. Each hide's measurement is stencilled on the tail/butt area. Grading is the next stage. Defects like tears, knife nicks, bullet holes, tick bites, fighting scars, you name it, are all imperfections that affect the grade a hide is assigned. Few hides get a 1st grading, even fewer in drought conditions where kangaroos suffer from food and water shortage and even more so from insect pests. The grades start at 1st for perfect leather and finish at outsorts, which is the last grade below 3rd grade.

Tanning Hints for Furred Skins:

Use common fine salt on cool fresh skins - cover the whole flesh side of the skin to an even depth of 1mm. Roll the skin up and hang it in the shade in a jute or cotton bag (no plastic bags - the skin must be able to drain freely). 24 hours later - repeat by brushing off the old salt and replacing it with fresh salt. After 24 hours, remove the salt again, roll the skin up with it's edges folded in to cure for 7 days - hang in the same bag in the cool shade away from direct sunlight.

Use the tanning knife to remove the flesh membrane and fatty deposits. Keep your tanning knife sharp with a flat file and flesh only on a smooth round beam - a smooth round fence post strainer works well as does large diameter PVC storm piping. Go over the whole skin removing the flesh membrane - this takes experience to do a quick neat job, but the flesh membrane is obvious on most types of skins so you'll know when it has been removed and when it hasn't.

Wash your skin in cool water with a little detergent. Wring out the skin until it is damp and not dripping - weigh it. A hide weighing 6kg (13lb) will need a solution of 500ml (16fl.oz) of tanning chemical, 35L (8 gals) of water and 2kg (4lb) of common fine salt (no iodized salt). Use simple proportions to calculate the amount of solution and chemicals you need to mix - a 3kg (7lb) skin will need half as much solution as the 6kg (13lb) one. Use rain water if possible - water laden with minerals, called 'hard water' is no good. Immerse the skin and wring it out several times a day - each time making sure no air bubbles are trapped under the hide and the skin is laying as flat as possible with no folds so as much solution is in contact with the skin as possible. Stir the skin and solution each time you pass your tan bath, at least do this a couple of times a day. After 24 hours, wring out the skin and inspect the flesh side of the skin. Your looking for white patches that are areas that need re-fleshing to remove flesh membrane or fatty deposits.

Tanning time depends on how thick the skin is. A 1mm thick skin will tan completely though in 3 days or so, depending on temperature. A thicker hide will take longer to tan. Nick the skin at the neck or tail (these are the thickest parts of the skin) to check an even blue shade has coloured the entire cross-section of the skin. Once you have complete penetration, tanning is complete and it's time to wash the skin in preparation for the fat-liquoring stage.

Wash the skin in fresh water with a little soap powder. Wring out after rinsing in fresh water. Thick hides can be hung over night to reach a damp, but not wet stage. Weigh the skin in it's damp stage and calculate the amount of Leather Lube required based on 120ml for every 1kg of damp skin (2 fl/oz per 1lb). Peg the skin out with nails or a staple gun flesh side up. Pay attention to getting an even stretch and shape to the skin. A clean sheet of plywood is a good board to peg out on. Brush the Leather Lube over the whole flesh side, with a little more lube along the thick skin areas like the tail, neck and spine. When the skins are dry they can be softened with the curved edge of the tanning knife by pushing the blade over the grain away from you over a soft pad like an old towel. Sand the flesh side with coarse grit sandpaper and trim the skin to give it an even shape and remove the hard edges.

Now look at your handiwork and make a few mental notes on how to improve your results next time. Tanning is an involved and enjoyable game of chemistry. Learn more from Tanning Skins & Furs.

Whip Collectors:

Whip collecting, links to whip collectors, whips from my collection and more...

I've had the collecting bug for as long as I can remember. But I think my interest in collecting whips sparked when I was ten or eleven years old. That was when I realized how interested a family friend - Lew Whiteman - was on a whip I described to him that was in a collection of whips of old Tom's. Old Tom was teaching me whip making and whip cracking at the time. Old Tom told me later that Lew had called on him, saw the whip and asked if he could buy it. Many years later old Tom gave me that whip.

Old Tom's Whip - Circa 1960. 20 inch lead weighted handle in 16-plait, featuring a pineapple hitch knot and a perfect crowning thong to handle connection that makes it quite an unusual stock whip. Both thong and crop are 2-toned in black and tan. The 12-plait thong is 7 1/2 ft long, naturally weighted and tapers to a very fine point. The whip is in the same condition as the day it was made. It has a light falling action, with reasonable sound and is very accurate. The thong is what is termed a straight-out. Most stock whips have a swell or swing belly design where the thong throat emerging out of the keeper knot is a finer diameter compared to 6-8 inches further up the thong. 

Lew was a well known collector and my mother used to bid at antique auctions on his behalf so not to attract interest. He owned the largest brickworks in the southern hemisphere and didn't need people knowing he was keen on a lot, bidding up the price so he paid through the nose. When Lew died he left an amazing legacy, generously funding the Princess Margaret Children's Hospital with proceeds of his vast estate plus being instrumental in setting up Whiteman Park. Whiteman Park is so big it has it's own railway and postcode (Zip code)! It has several museums on it's grounds including Lew's Australian Pioneer and Transport memorabilia collection. It is in this collection that 80 or so of Lew's whip collection is housed. Most of these whips are stock whips, with a smattering of bullock and coach whips used in the horse and buggy days. Val Humphreys is the museum's curator and she invited me in the late 1990's to help her catalogue Lew's whips. We spent 3 days cataloguing those whips! Most of those whips I remembered well from my childhood days when Lew would visit with his latest 'new' whip. Whips from one of the best old time West Australian whip maker's - Dean Davies - featured a lot in Lew's collection. Dean Davies made very neat well falling kangaroo hide stockwhips. I don't have one of his whips in my collection but I nearly got one in 2003.

So here's a typical collector's story. I was at a local Sunday morning swap meet and saw a saddler friend of mine. He had a stall of odds and ends and there in the middle of the table was an immaculate Dean Davies stockwhip. It was a 1/2-cane whip in saddle tan, original fall, original everything. Snowy had bought it ages ago and just hung it up - and he'd just sold it. He was holding it for the lucky buyer who was going to pick it up on his way out. I'd like to hear from anyone who has a Dean Davies stock whip. .

Over the years I've been able to collect some very early Australian whips. They don't turn up often. Most get destroyed by grandkids I think - getting hold of grandad's old whip and flogging it's brittle leather out on the gravel. Sometimes you can get lucky at antique auctions and stores. I got an old Scobie stock whip that way. I visited an antique store near Claire in South Australia and picked up a very early example of Alec Scobie's work. I had a friend with me at time who had a soft spot for the Scobie whips (he already had a couple of them) - "Look what I just bought" - he nearly died. Page 173-175 of "The Stockman" published by Lansdowne in 1984 gives some background to Alec Scobie by RM Williams. Page 175 features a photo of a near identical whip to mine. That whip apparently has a shot loaded belly - mine is naturally weighted as far as I can tell - I don't want to crack it for fear of the old keeper failing. RM Williams wrote of the Scobie whips in "The Stockman" as heavy whips. "The handles were cane, and the keeper was attached with what became known as the Scobie hitch". If you look at the picture of my Scobie whip (left) it has that keeper knot described by RM Williams. There is some conjecture whether that it's the keeper knot or the handle knot that became known as the Scobie hitch. Either way the the keeper knot is similar to a sliding knot woven out to 8-bights but with the 'bight' passes overtaken by two outer bights that cover 4 strands. The handle grip is quite short and the scobie hitch or pineapple hitch, what-ever you want to call it, is beautifully tied and shaped. The handle or crop is 20" long and naturally weighted. The 12-plait thong is a a reasonably large diameter with a shape that stays heavy for quite a way into it's taper. The thong's starts with a 6-seam herringbone, moving into a standard 4-seam herringbone after a few inches for the rest of it's 6ft.

The last whip I'd like to show off is an early 24-plait by Johnny Cadell (left). Johnny Cadell made a lot of whips for RM Williams and is no longer alive. He made quite a few stockwhip/bullwhip hybrid whips similar to the old stockwhip of Tom's pictured at the start of this article. The thong is 7ft long and is likely not Johnny's work judging from the workmanship on this thong compared to others of Johnny's I've seen. Notice in the photo the 'speedo cable' stiffened section that starts just below the thong's keeper and ends 16" down at the obvious bend. This obviously dates the whip after the introduction of the motor car in Australia. Although the thong is 24-plait, heavily patterned, it's the 19" cane handle that makes this whip unusual. This handle is an excellent example of Johnny Cadell's talent. The keeper is attached with a small sliding knot expanded to 8-bights with a second sliding knot of two passes tied a few inches below the keeper - most likely covering the cane's natural node. The handle grip is a beautiful and stunning example of spiraling fish-scale braiding. It's particularly fine and neat and is finished off in a super fine pineapple hitch that's shaped and exaggerated like a light globe. The handle is 19" long and quite heavily weighted.

All these whips in their own way relate to whip making in South Australia. Each state in Australia has whip makers who have made and left their mark with their work. I picked these few whips from South Australia for no other reason than they were the first whips that caught my eye when I looked though my collection before I wrote this article. The fact that each whip tells it's own story based on where, when and by whom it was made is one of the fascinating aspects of whip collecting.

Collecting whips is a rewarding pastime. But don't be tempted to try out your latest find. Old whips are barely hanging in there at the best of times and will damage very easily. Treat yourself to the Whip Repair & Maintenance DVD or Video for all the information you'll need to go about preserving old whips. If you have some old whips in your collection or are a whip collector and would like a link placed here for other collectors to contact you please contact me. If you want to see some more whips visit www.worldwidewhips.com Here you'll find whips old and new and of many different styles and origins. Another keen whip collector is my friend Huk (Hukplanas@aol.com) 

Happy whip collecting - I hope you save some old whips from extinction!

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Whip Accuracy:

How to make simple target stand and more...

This article will help you make a simple target stand that will hold foam coffee cups for you to aim at. The stand's design is similar to the those used in Australian whip cracking competitions. It will hold two foam coffee cups horizontal - roughly at shoulder height. It is far from elaborate but it is effective, neat and can be made by anyone who has access to a hardware store and some simple tools.

The Australian Whip Crackers & Plaiters Association host competitions in most states of Australia, culminating in the National Titles that are held in New South Wales annually. In each of these events accuracy with a whip tested. It is scored on how accurate you are at aiming at ten foam coffee cups. There are five target stands similar in design to the one we're making. Each stand hold two cups and each cup is worth a maximum 3 points giving you a possible score of 30. See the Dueling Whips Video for targeting and more about Australian whip cracking competitions. The scoring goes like this - a miss is zero, a hit is 1 point, a tear is worth 2 points and the cup cut cleanly in two pieces is 3 points. Do that ten times in a row and you get perfect score - but in the Australian competitions you must shoot at 5 targets with your left hand and 5 with your right! A 6ft stock whip is required and you toe a shooting line that is 8ft away from the base of the target stands. 

You'll need a 1800 - 2000mm plus length of 25mm diameter hardwood dowel...similar to broom handle wood - just in case you have an old broom handle lying around that's not earning it's keep. You'll see from the photo there is a cross piece and an upright section of dowel. The cross piece is 500mm long. Depending on how high you want your stand to be, add this length to the hieght that suits you to calculate the overall length of dowel you will need. You'll also need a copper T-piece from the plumbing section of your hardware store. They are normally in imperial measure - you are after a 1" diameter T-piece. If you have access to a metal lathe you can ream the internal lips out. If not you'll need a round file with coarse teeth, a vice and some elbow grease. Work the internal high spots off with the file so the internal diameters are consistent throughout. Time to saw some dowel.

You'll need a wood saw to cut the 500mm long cross piece. I cheated and used a bandsaw. Cut into each end 10mm deep 3mm wide grooves - make sure they are square to each other so the cups are held in the same position. This is all that holds the cups in place and it is surprisingly effective. This also does away with pegs, clips and other target holding contraptions that can break off or worse - cut or nick your fall. Slightly round both ends with a file and sandpaper so there are no edges to give your whip's fall any grief. Slide the T-piece down the cross piece so it's centered...measure both sides of the exposed wood from the edge of the T-piece to check this. Sliding it down should require a bit of effort, but it will be easiest if you 'corkscrew' the T-piece down. Line up the cup grooves so the cups sit downward. That's all that's needed to hold the cross piece in place - the 'round' dowel invariably is oval in it's cross section and it has a 'cam' effect of locking itself in one place, but not so tight a fit that the T-piece can't be pushed into place. The remaining dowel becomes the upright part of your target stand. I cut a 90 degree notch into the end that tucks into the T-piece so the maximum amount of dowel was forced in place (look inside the last T-piece hole -it will make more sense then). On a matt or similar, place the T-piece hole upward and tap the dowel upright in place with a hammer. It'll only go in so far and will be a very snug fit. Your nearly finished.

The base is the last thing you need to sort out. I used an old plough disc with a 1 1/4 diameter galvanised steel water pipe welded in the centre. It's probably a perfect a base as you can get. It's heavy, stable and the whip can lay over it without the risk of any damage. You could fashion a wood base, but I suggest you take the trouble to hunt down a bit of scrap steel plate or anything that is reasonably heavy and will lay flat with a low centre of gravity. You could even try the beach umbrella 'corkscrew' base that will let you twist the target stand into soil. Or drive a metal tube (that has an internal diameter big enough to accept the dowel) into your lawn in an appropriate place so it sits flush to the ground. 

Happy targeting.

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Anatomy of a Stock Whip: 

a close look at how a stock whip is made...

This article will give you some insight into the construction of an old stock whip. The whip pictured is quite old, possibly dating back as far as the 1930's. This style of whip has remained unchanged since the depression years and is similar to those being made for some saddlery stores today.

The 21" crop is in 8-plait kangaroo hide, same as the thong and the handle knot is typical of these saddlery trade whips. It's a 3-bight 4-part Turk's head that is the fastest knot to tie on what is essentially an inexpensive whip. The keeper is a false keeper whipped in place with thread and has withstood a lot of hard work before succumbing. Notice the length of the keeper knot and loops - very long compared to the fine tight keepers of trick whips that get made for competition whip cracking. 

The thong was 6ft long and reasonably finely proportioned compared to the shape of thongs most of these whips came out with. It has a well folded keeper showing that it was made by good whipmaker who was still trying to make a decent whip despite the price he would have received for it. The thong terminated in 6-plait, down from 8-plait which is typical of these hard working whips. The wide strands taper a little, but no much over the entire length of the thong. This gave the whip more durability and also the plaiter some speed in manufacture. 

Have a look at the leather foundation of the thong. It comprises of a simple 4-plait kangaroo hide core that extends 18" down the thong where the plaiting finishes.The core strands extend further down unplaited and are then tapered to give a little shape to the belly. This belly is covered by a chrome tanned bolster that measures near 5ft. The thong plaits to 6ft by using the two dropped strands from the 8 to 6-plait transition as the final part of the core.

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Anatomy of a bullwhip:

A close look at how bullwhip is made...

This bullwhip was made to be sold in a saddlery store. Nothing more, but none the less this article will give you some insight into the construction of a simple bull whip. The bullwhip pictured was probably made in the 1970's. It's not easy to date - it's owner, Justin, wasn't sure when he got it and the style is typical of a commerical whip plaiter's - a whip whipmaking style that has remained unchanged since the depression years, albeit in this case modified somewhat to make a bullwhip instead of the usual stockwhip required by the saddlery retailers.

The overlay is in 8-plait kangaroo hide - a thick grey kangaroo hide to give the whip some body and bulk. The handle knot is typical of the saddlery trade stock whips. It's a 3-bight 4-part Turk's head that is the fastest knot to tie on an inexpensive bullwhip. It's style is what has evolved into the recognizable Australian pattern bullwhip - a reasonably light weight whip with slim tapering proportions.

The thong was 6ft long and reasonably finely proportioned compared to it's heavier American style bull whip cousin. The thong terminated in 6-plait, down from 8-plait which is typical of these hard working whips. The wide strands taper a little, but not much over the entire length of the thong. This gave the whip more durability and also the plaiter some speed in manufacture.

Have a look at the leather foundation of the thong. It comprises entirely of chrome tanned bolsters and fillers that measure different lengths with the longest tapering to 5ft, this length includes the 11" handle section. The thong plaits to 6ft by using the two dropped strands from the 8 to 6-plait transition as the final part of the core. Little wonder the bullwhip's handle/thong transition failed and became a hinge - no plaited core here on account of the whip being made to be profitable to the maker and affordable to the retailer to on-sell. The handle is cane and tapers to a point where the fillers are cut and positioned to bulk out the flexible part of the whip without a change in diameter.

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History of the Bullock Whip

The Bullock Whip:

The first Australian beasts of burden were of course the convicts and the threat of the cat was one of the convict's 'incentives' to perform. The bullock whip was the 'tool of the trade' plied by the teamsters who ran bullock, horse, donkey and camel teams in Australia. It was a whip somewhat essential in managing these teams of beasts that provided the draught power for the fledgling Australian colony.

Olaf Ruhen, in his book "Bullock Teams" remarks on how bullock teams "shaped and built the colony. They carved the roads and built the rail; their tractive power made populating the interior possible; their contributions to the harvesting of timber opened the bush; they offered a start in life to the enterprising youngster"1. Further more, Ruhen makes the point that the cattle that landed with the first fleet where not treated with the care that you'd expect of animals that history shows were so crucial to the development of the new colony. Cattle are not native to Australia and while not all of the first fleet's cattle cargo made the voyage alive, those that did were Australia's first bovine inhabitants.

According to accounts in David Blair's "History of Australia" the first fleet brought on supplies and stock at Rio de Janeiro and Africa's Cape of Good Hope 2. Heavy seas, along with poor on-board conditions resulted in losses of the cattle. The actual losses of cattle are not known. But what is known is that six cattle including one mature and one young bull came ashore on the January 29th 1788 only to run away one week later.

It was at the Cape of Good Hope that the draught power potential of the bullock team was observed by members of the first fleet 4. Ruhen quotes first fleeter Judge-Advocate David Collins "It was not uncommon to see twelve, fourteen, or sixteen oxen yoked in pairs to a wagon and galloping through the streets of a town, preceded by a Hottentot boy who accompanied them on foot, conducting the foremost couple by a leathern thong " Ruhen also quotes the first fleet's Surgeon-General John White "The heavy draft work about the Cape is mostly performed by oxen," The Surgeon-General elaborates later in the same passage on the use of the whip", and with a tremendous long whip which, from it's size, he (the teamster) is obliged to hold in both hands, manages these creatures with inexpressible address". The Surgeon-General is later quoted saying "This immense whip, the only thing with which they guide the team¸ the drivers use so dexterously that they make them turn a corner with the utmost nicety;".

So the bullock whip is clearly not a sole Australian invention. It was ensconced in draught work at the Cape well before the white man arrived on Australian shores. But this is not to say that the bullock whip didn't evolve independently in Australia either. Bullock teams referred to in the earliest of Australian writings indicate not only the 'arrival' of the bullocky on the colonial landscape, but also that of the bullock whip.

Most of the history of the Australian bullock teamsters is unrecorded and lost. Yet a good deal is known of their habits and exploits thanks to those who have taken the trouble to hunt down these old timers of long ago and record their version of events. Logically, the emergence of the bullock whip must coincide with the 'arrival' of the bullock teamster. The "working bullock was still unknown in Australia" 5. by mid-December 1792 according to John Easty, a Royal Marine who left the colony then. Up to 1799 "there is no record of bullocks being used,"6 . Bullock whips are pictured in a drawing dated 1799 ( see "Aust Legends", the book - artist unknown). The drawing seems an accurate portrayal of a colonial bullock team scene, complete with the two wheeled drays drawn by two bullocks. So this is the earliest recording of bullock whip in use in Australia - eleven years after the first fleet arrived creating the colony.

Pictured is Bob Trickett, Western Australia's oldest bullock driver. Bob's bullock whip is typical. A bush timber handle that is 1ft taller than it's owner with a well crafted 4-plait greenhide thong of 7ft. The thong has similar proportions to a robust cowhide stockwhip thong. The second picture show's detail of a sling of heavy cowhide tied the thong's keeper to a yoke on the bush timber handle. The fall is 2 1/2ft long and often the bullocky's didn't use a cracker. A prod in the ribs to relaxed nearside bullock or a flick on the rump to a slowing offside beast was all that was needed. The reach of the long handled bullock whip let the bullocky communicate to his beasts while keeping a safe working distance from his dray. Dangerous conditions and situations would have been a daily occurrence and being run over by your dray was a real possibility if you weren't paying attention and more importantly couldn't communicate with the bullocks out of harms way. Hence the need for the long handle of the bullock whip.

There are other reasons for why the bullock whip looks as it does. Nearly all bullock whips I have seen were made from cowhide. In most cases the bullocky made his own whip. But old catalogues do show bullock thongs being offered. It's likely the bullocky who didn't want to bother making his own whips (or couldn't) bought these thongs. Fresh cowhides weren't a problem for the bullocky to come by and with a little bit of planning for future whip needs he would have enough cowhide cured to make whips from when the time was right.

There is an "Australian Bullock Drivers League" Inc. Their members continue the traditions of the bullockies so as to preserve this colonial heritage. Membership is by nomination by an existing member and their contact details are as follows:

Australian Bullock Drivers League Inc
MR Rod Hutton
Eugowra Rd, Canowindra
NSW Australia 2804

+612-6344-1893


Bibliography:
1. Page 12, Olaf Ruhen's "Bullock Teams-The Building of a Nation" 1980
2. David Blair's "The History of Australia" 1789
3. Ibid page 16
4. Ibid page 14
5. Page 3, L. Braden's "Bullockies" 1968
6. Ibid page 6
 

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Behind The Musical:

Special to The Monterey County Herald. A volunteer finds himself drawn into the frenzied and captivating world of high school theatre

By MARK SHULER

It's 7:55. Do you know where your shackles are?"

It wasn't my plan to be hard at work backstage on the opening night of Aida, the musical at the Golden State Theatre in Monterey. But here I am.

I head to the stage right entrances to inspect actors for last-minute adjustments and notice costume pieces for quick changes draped over every available railing, ladder rung or set piece not used in the first act. Teenage actors spill out of the downstairs dressing rooms to take their places for the opening scene. Fly crews await cues at their stations.

I check the links and connections on the manacles that adorn a row of Nubian slaves. A quick inspection reveals assorted watches, rings and other anachronistic body hardware to be removed and secured until after the show.

The music swells. The curtain opens revealing a lone figure of a young woman on a museum pedestal who begins to sing.

After 35 years of teaching theatre arts to young people and participating in countless live theatre productions, it didn't surprise me that my services were needed beyond the sets I agreed to build for this Forest Theatre Guild high school musical spectacle. Nor was it unexpected that the additional tasks demanded a commitment of long hours of concentrated effort, displacing other projects in my already full schedule.

But I wasn't prepared for the magic.

It crept up on me while I focused on designing an improved catch for a slave's shackle, crafting Egyptian weapons for a fight scene, and teaching eager young actors how to use these props. And during a tussle with the ancient fly system of this grand old theatre, beautifully restored by its owner Warren Dewy, when spirits of its early Vaudevillians seemed to hover in the air. It moved stealthily as I scanned for potential problems in the opening scenes.

Then, in an unguarded moment, it swept over me. The realization dawned that fate had transported me into something very special indeed.

About three weeks ago the time had come to construct sets for the show, directed by Larry Welch, who had gathered a fine cast of high school students from schools around the Monterey Peninsula and Salinas. I recognized some of these as my former students.

The sets were designed by Gabrielle Wolodarski, a recent Monterey High School graduate herself. The work was simple enough: study the designs and build the set pieces, transport them to the theatre and make sure they work right -- and that's it. Then off to other pressing work.

Not so fast!

No sooner was I out the door to begin my next project when a call came from Aida's stage manager, Valerio Biondo.

"I hear you do swords," he says. "We need six Egyptian swords."

"Well, I have not made Egyptian swords for the stage but show me a photo of one and hum a few bars..." I mentally recalibrate my schedule to fit in the design, cutting and finishing of the swords.

The next day Valerio casually asks, "Can you throw in an authentic-looking Egyptian dagger?"

"Yes, I suppose so." Again, I mentally tweak my schedule.

"Oh, while I am on the subject, we need seven sets of shackles that hook into a chain," he adds.

"OK."

My other work gets pushed back another day.

"Ahhh... and one other thing. I hear you know whips. We have a character that has to crack a whip."

"Yes, yes, I can help you out there."

The simple set-building and load-in job was morphing into a much bigger assignment, including the design and execution of some fairly eccentric props. It also became clear that these young actors would need teaching sessions on their use. The shackles, swords and daggers turned out well, save for some initial glitches. The prototype manacles were tested and held fast, until the Nubian slave girls dropped their arms to their sides and they fell off their wrists, clattering on the floor. It can be an embarrassing moment when the manacles of captured slaves fall off on stage.

Another request came in for three spears, and my skills as a stage combat consultant were needed to assist with the student-choreographed fight scenes.

While working on my expanding cluster of tasks, I noticed something amazing occurring visually as Gabby painted some of the largest canvases I had ever seen. Extraordinary images of pyramids, exotic Egyptian landscapes, tomb walls covered in hieroglyphs and a magnificent royal palace were emerging from the brush of this exceptional young theatre artist.

The Golden State Theatre, like most halls, presents unique challenges to the production crew. My help was solicited in erecting the set and securing the canvas drops into flies -- some of which apparently had not been used in many years. During a quiet moment in the theatre, the actors, dancers and singers of a bygone era seemed to be whispering of their glory days. I wondered when the last fully flown theatre production had taken place in the hall.

More elements began to come together: the music, costumes, sound and lights. The show was ready. Opening night was nigh. Soon the fevered work would be over and my life would get back to "normal."

But executive producer Hamish Tyler had other hopes.

"Mark, we could use your help backstage during the show," he said. "Can you fit this into your schedule?"

"I'll have to look at my schedule and can't make guarantees, but I'll see what I can do," I said. I did a quick inventory of the next three weeks' commitments, and said, "I can make some of the performances."

And so I found myself backstage on opening night. Actors are on stage, music is rising, shackles and swords are clanking, whips are cracking and the voices of young actors are projecting out over the audience.

The bubble of backstage energy has moved on stage, and I have a brief moment to myself. Some concerns arise about the set -- and my commitments. Then I look out onto the stage and see the creative life force of live theatre happening.

I am no youngster to many aspects of performing and theatrical enterprises, having been involved with hundreds of productions. With this production, however, I was watching the evolution of professionalism and heard my teachings spoken and owned by these young people, who choreographed their own sword-work and crafted other moments of action on stage.

I watch these young performers sing their hearts out and glance upward into the 80-year-old fly loft. I swear I feel the smiling spirits of young performers from the Depression era -- performers who would later become the likes of Gypsy Rose Lee, Bob Hope and June Havoc -- who visited this stop on the circuit many years ago, and also poured their hearts out to appreciative audiences.

So along with the spirits of the actors and stage hands of the '20s, '30s and '40s, this child of the '50s and '60s witnessed the torch being passed to a new generation in a new century, soon to step forth into the world of adults. Some of them are as capable, and as seriously devoted and committed to their craft as any of my compatriots of years gone by. I feel honoured and blessed that fate drew me into the heart of this amazing moment.

Mark Shuler is a professional educator and psychotherapist. He resides in Carmel CA, USA.

Engaging An Audience:

Strategies that work...

Performing an art to entertain people is very rewarding. You will learn how people react, behave and how to deal with that. Most people start off doing a magic trick for their peers or friends and discover what it feels like to have success at a party.

You can easily get hooked on that feeling. You think you can take on the world and then you get your first booking for strange people you don't know. You discover that these people don't like your tricks or comedy and you go home not so happy. So what did you do wrong? Your friends liked your jokes and tricks!

You've just discovered that performing for people is an art. Performing for your friends is easy - they like you so they will be nice to you. But when performing for money you have to entertain them and this is a different business. So what can you do to make your show successful?

Know your art by off by heart:

You have to be able to do your art on automatic pilot. So if you are learning a new lasso trick and you've nearly mastered it -  it isn't ready to show to the audience. If you use jokes - learn how to tell them. Telling a joke in a bar is different. Learn also when to not say too much or too little. Know your performing area. Know how many steps you have to do. Know where your props are and where you put them so you're ready. If you use music know every beat. It will happen that you make a mistake so if you know where you are in the music you can pick it up and keep the pace.

Personality:

Know who you are. Understand what kind of humour you have. Learn when you tell a joke why they are laughing. Is it the way you said it - the speed- intonation. If you know this you can then focus on jokes and tricks that suit your personality.

The show must build to a finale:

If you picture your show like a wave, the ideal wave is going up. If it goes down you are losing your audience. So a show has to build (as we say). How do you do that?

Make it more interesting. More visual, more comedy, more interaction - more more more. Start low and end high. Keep your best tricks to the end. It can happen that a trick that people like most is an easy one for you. Difficult tricks may not impress people. Perform what people like and they will connect with you. Also know when to stop. An example - a young magician walks up to an older professional magician and says "I know 10 card tricks and you?" - the professional replies "8 - but I make a living out of it". The older magician knows those 8 tricks so well and how to entertain with them. And he's not going to do more tricks when he knows the audience had enough.

Robert Blake is professional magician from the Netherlands. He has over 24 years experience in magic comedy, interacting with audiences over the years through street and kid's shows, table magic, trade shows. Interests = bullwhips, lasso and of course - magic.