My New Whip Branding Method
UPDATE: 1/1/24
Recently I began “signing” my whips with a new method. If you’ve received a whip from me over the past 6 months so, likely they look as follows:
For all my whips I now use a logo/insignia with my business name and initials. Cow whips have a branded handle, while stock whips, bullwhips and performance hybrids have a metal-stamped disc with the same design.
It is common practice among tradesmen and craftsmen to ‘sign’ their workâjust as an artist would. Personally, I brand all my whips so whoever finds themselves with one knows it is a quality, handmade good that required time and effort to craft. I don’t care as much about receiving recognition for the work as I do about encouraging people to see the value in hand-crafted items as such. My whips may just be nylon, but I truly enjoy whipmaking and take pride in the history and process behind it.
Over the last ten or so years of making whips, I have experimented with various methods of branding and marking my whips. Originally, I would brand my initials on the bottom of handles with a wood burner. I have since started using our farm brand exclusively.
If you have one of my cow whips made prior to 2022, chances are it has an HW or our brand pictured above. On occasion I have plait whips that I fitted to handles turned by someone else. Generally, this is because I ran short on wood blanks or needed to repair my lathe. Those whips do not have any of my brands/markings.
Briefly, I marked each whip with the brand, then added the year (“2 2” in the example below) on the outside of the brand, and the whip number (“04”) underneath.
Now, I use the brand just as before, but I also incorporate the year and number of whip. I use the International Number Code System. This is a standardized method of identifying cattle based on year of birth; each year is designated with a letter. 1969 started at “A” and has been repeating ever since. Once “Z” is reached, it restarts. The letters I, O, Q, and V are excluded.
For stock whips, bullwhips and snakewhips, I use a 1″ aluminum or stainless disc and proceed to punch the marking into it, placing it under the heel knot. For my cow whips, I follow the same pattern but burn it in the butt of the handle instead.
In the example above, you can see the brand and a letter, followed by a number: “K0011”. This is whip number 11, built in year 2022.
For now, this is the system I will be using to mark my whips.
Thank you. God Bless,
Hunter
Sources
1. https://www.thebeefsite.com/articles/1999/beef-cattle-calving-management/
