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For some people, replacing a whip fall looks intimidating. We are happy to do it for you (See Whip Repair Services), but why not give it a try yourself? The instructions are below:

If a fall has broken to shorter than 12-18 inches, it needs replacing. If it has stretched, it should be replaced when it has become noticeably thinner than the end of the thong. Red hide falls tend more to hold their shape, but break off. White hide falls tend to stretch more but break off more slowly. The kangaroo strands adjacent to the fall may eventually break because of the sharp flexing at this point. The fall should be replaced as soon as the first of these strands breaks.

Fall Replacement Method 1 

If none of the braided strands adjacent to the fall are broken, the old fall may be removed without undoing the hitches.

To do this, attach the main body of the whip to a hook or some other secure anchor, then trim the end of the new fall to a point. Put the eye of the new fall over the old fall and the end of the thong. Grease the new fall with braiding soap or Pecard Leather Dressing.

To remove the old fall, put a fid through the eye of the old fall (between the fall and the braid). Using a sharp knife, cut the fall against the fid, taking care not to cut the braid. Pull the old fall out of the hitches.

Feed the point of the new fall through the tunnel left by the old fall. Pull the new fall into place while holding the strand of the final hitch. Put this strand through the eye of the new fall as it is pulled into place. The result should appear as shown below. 

Fall Replacement Method 2

If the strands of the braid next to the fall are broken or badly worn, the hitches and part of the thong must be undone until the shortest strand of the loose ends is about four inches long.

Place the end of the thong through the eye of the new fall as shown below and grease the strands with braiding soap or Pecard Leather Dressing.  

With the top strand on the left, tie a half-hitch around the fall and the other strands in the direction shown and pull tight. (With short strands use pliers to pull the strands tight.)

  Move the remaining strands to the left, leaving any core strands against the fall. Fold the end of the first strand down and hold it against the fall. Taking a second strand pull it tight and tie a second half hitch in the same manner as the first.  

Continue on with the remaining strands of the braid, but after the final strand is hitched, put the end of the strand up and under the eye of the fall.  

Tighten all strands again in sequence from the first to the last, pull the fall securely into place, and then trim the ends of the strands to a uniform length.

Attach a cracker.

Lastly, roll the attachment between two hard surfaces to make it smooth.

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Leather and Braiding Supplies

Attaching a Cracker

There have been a few times when our customers wondered why their new kangaroo leather goods were a light tan and not a dark brown. This is understandable when you see a photo of Indiana Jones with his dark brown whip

When we receive our kangaroo leather, it is a light tan. Almost immediately the color begins to darken. In the two photos below, the two whips are placed on top of a piece of kangaroo leather that we received a few months ago. You can see in the image how light the skin is.

Compare the skin with the two whips. The lighter whip in the photographs is approximately one year old. The darker whip is approximately ten years old. Both have remained indoors and have not been directly exposed to sunlight.

Close up of two whip handles, ages (left to right) one year and ten years.

Two whips, ages one and ten years.

We strongly recommend that you do not try to prematurely age your skin. This is a natural substance and excessive trauma on the skin will weaken it. We all know what happens to our skin when we expose it to intense sunlight and heat

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Braided Leather Goods

Braiding and Leather Supplies