:: Del Carpio Whips ::

The Indy Whip

The Indiana Jones bullwhips were handcrafted by master whipmaker David Morgan. He designed his 450 series bullwhip as a heavy-duty American style bullwhip, suitable for use by stuntmen and performers.

Previously David Morgan had been importing and supplying Australian style bullwhips, made in kangaroo hide, when the US placed an embargo on kangaroo skins and products. He then decided to start making his own bullwhips to supply to his customers, first using the kangaroo hides he had left in stock, and when his supply run out, he started using kip side, a vegetable-tanned leather from young cattle. Some years later when the embargo was lifted, he went back to using kangaroo hide exclusively.

Mr. Morgan's bullwhip design went back to the heavy, short-handled American style bullwhip, but using the Australian braided belly construction. The handle foundation consists of a heavy steel spike about eight inches long, well loaded with lead to balance the moderately heavy thong. The whip has two braided bellies, two bolsters and a 12 plait overlay, ending with a 6-strand point for durability under rough conditions (as opposed to the common Australian practice of finely plaited 8-strand points). The handle part is braided in a diamond pattern, and it has a wrist loop. There is a decorative ring knot covering the transition area at the end of the handle, and a large handle knob.

The basic appearance of this whip has remained unaltered throughout the years, and the changes have been limited to improvements in the core and shape. Probably the most noticeable aesthetic difference between old Morgan whips and the modern ones is in the visual length of the handle: while the foundation has remained the same length (8 inches), the ring knot, originally 7 - 8 inches from the end, was moved closer to the end, about 6 - 7 inches from the butt. This has given the impression that the "handle" has been made shorter, although the end stiffened by the spike is unchanged. The other aesthetic difference is in the thickness of the handle and the heavy part of the thong, as older Morgan whips are slimmer in both areas than their modern counterparts.

A hallmark of David Morgan’s design is the use of a heavy kangaroo with the strands cut wide to increase the durability of the whip under the rough conditions encountered in stunt use. For a more detailed description of David Morgan’s bullwhips clic here.