Bullwhip

A bullwhip is a single-tailed whip, usually made of braided leather, which was originally used as a farmer's tool for working with livestock.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bullwhips were traditionally used as a farm tool especially popular with cattle drivers. A bullwhip's great length and pliability allows it to be cast by an expert in such a manner that the very end travels fast enough to break the sound barrier. When the tip of the cracker goes supersonic a minor compression wave (sonic boom) is created. This sounds something like a small thunderclap. This loud noise was used to train cattle and keep them from straying. While a bullwhip can be used for protection against stray cattle, it would be very rare for the herdsmen to actually strike the animal due to the damage that can be inflicted. As the rural cultures have shrunk over the last hundred years, few and fewer whipmakers maintained the art of Bullwhip construction.

Bullwhip related Images and Photos (experimental)

The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin 1967