BUILD 0001: 4ft Black and Red Lightning Rod
My very first whip
October 16, 2024
Description
This is the first whip that I made. I've been cracking whips many years, and up until this point, I had owned 3 leather whips and 5 Paracord whips from various makers... but I had never made one myself.
I found a video from Connor Hack from Caliber Whips on Youtube. How To Make A Lightning Rod Bullwhip - Nylon Paracord Whip Build. ( Caliber Whips Lightning Rod Build )
The appeal for me was that I've had a lot of fun with my longer whips (I own a 10' paracord 3 belly monster and an 8' kangaroo hide Aussie style bullwhip) but thought a shorter whip would let me be a bit less concerned about damaging the whip on the ground... and would be a bit faster... "whippier" I dare say.
The build is a 1 belly whip with a steel rod and bb packed core. This first whip, I followed the build instructions as closely as I could.
I did not even attempt a heel or transition knot on this.. instead, opting to just wrap the end with artificial sinew and put some tape over it.
This whip cracked well, but I made loads of mistakes - the plaiting was uneven and the transition was not smooth.
Still, I was hooked and quickly went on to make my second.
This whip was gifted to a dear friend of mine after a casual conversation revealed he used to be into whip cracking but had lost his whip in a move years ago. Sadly, he passed away in early 2026
