How to Find an Authentic Indiana Jones Whip

The Indiana Jones character is a cultural icon. He is readily identified by a few possessions that he has with him throughout all four of his movies: The snap-brimmed fedora, the rugged leather jacket and perhaps most prominently, the 10-foot bullwhip. There are numerous bullwhips available through many sources on the Internet and elsewhere, most of which will claim to be authentic Indiana Jones style bullwhips. However, the vast majority of them, even those sold as licensed products, should not be making such claims. They are certainly sufficient for typical Halloween costumes, but they are not the quality of the whips used in the movies. The bullwhips actually used by Harrison Ford when playing Indy were all very high quality and beautifully made works of art.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Determine which whip you want. In the first three movies, Indy carried whips made by the legendary David Morgan. Mr. Morgan’s whips have multiple braided bellies--those are the core of the whip, and an outer layer braided of 12 plaits of kangaroo hide lace. These whips are as flexible as the snakes that Dr. Jones so hates and they coil and flex beautifully. The Turks-head knot that makes the pommel of the whip is distinctively shaped, and is a work of art unto itself. In the fourth movie, with a new whip coach and choreographer, a different, longer handled whip made by master whip-maker Terry Jacka was used. The longer handle makes accurate whip work easier. These whips are also works of art.

2. Figure out which length you want to own. The whips used in the movies were of varying lengths, from 6 feet all the way up to 16 feet in length, depending upon the scene and purpose for which they were used. A 6-foot bullwhip is much easier to crack than a 12-footer, but a 12-foot whip can be handy if you need to swing across a gaping chasm. The hero props were 10 feet in length and look the best coiled at your hip.

3. Choose your level of accuracy. David Morgan still offers high quality bullwhips on his website, but they differ in the details from the whips used in the movies. The size and shape of the Turks-head knot, while still a lovely piece of work, is different from the originals. Terry Jacka offers a line of Indiana Jones-style whips, which appear to be identical to those used in the fourth movie. Mr. Morgan’s whips are still very similar to those used in the earlier films, and the quality is, of course, unequaled. If you are a stickler for accuracy of detail you will need to search further. One option is to go to auction sites such as eBay.com, and search for David Morgan bullwhips from the early to middle 1980s. This may be a long search, as they only show up occasionally. Because of their desirability, they will cost much more than a new whip from Mr. Morgan.

4. Get your whip. Whether you choose a Terry Jacka model, the current offerings by David Morgan or you choose to seek out an earlier David Morgan model, you will end up with an authentic work of fine craftsmanship suitable for hanging amidst your Indiana Jones accoutrements or taking with you through your next swashbuckling adventure.

Tips & Warnings

• Bullwhips are not toys and, in inexperienced hands, can cause damage and injury. The main purpose of a bullwhip is to make noise, not hitting anything. If you choose to add a bullwhip to your Indiana Jones collection and if you choose to learn to crack it, be exceedingly careful both of your surroundings and of your extremities.

Resources

• David Morgan
• Terry Jacka Indiana Jones-style whips at Western Stage Props

[lantzn]

on 1/2/2009 Western Stage Props Indy whip is made by an American whip maker and not Terry Jacka. You need to go here to get one of Terry's whips.
http://www.aussiesaddle.com/Shootist%20Whips.htm