#9 is an eight and a half foot bullwhip with a 10 inch steel rod in the handle and 2 feet of shot loaded core. It has 3 bellies and a 20 plait overlay in black and O.D. green. It has a 24 inch weighted fall attached by a 6 strand traditional fall hitch and a 12 inch cracker.

The handle overlay uses a diamond plait for it’s entire length, which switches to a short herringbone pattern at the transition. The short herringbone continues for another 12 inches before transitioning back through a diamond plait into a regular herringbone plait.  The heel and transition knots are 15 x 8 pineapple knots and there is a Spanish ring knot at the transition from the short herringbone to the regular herringbone plait.

The whip was waxed, which caused the O.D. green to darken to the point that it’s a bit difficult to tell it from the black, but I’m hoping that as the wax sets and dries and stars wearing a bit, the color will become more pronounced again.

The core, stuffed with BBs and attached to the steel handle rod

The core after binding with artificial sinew

1st belly

Starting the 2nd belly

2nd belly complete

3rd belly start

Starting the overlay

Overlay completed

Knot foundations

Spanish ring knot.  The short herringbone is at the bottom of the photo and it transitions into a diamond plait for a few inches before transitioning into a regular herringbone. I actually got the transitions right, but the final transition into the herringbone just seemed lacking in something, so I added the SRK

Heel and transition knots showing the original colors o the whip before waxing.

The whip after waxing