Indiana Jones Bullwhips
“Many have tried, all have failed.”
A month has passed since you dropped the gold coins into the wizened hands of the blind bookseller, but you still see his bone-white cataracts stare directly at you. Your broken Arabic understood every word. When you left his musty stall, deep in the labyrinth of that grand bazaar, Cairo’s Khan el-Khalili, you stowed the tome securely in your leather satchel. There was wisdom in his words. The French, the Germans and even a rogue element of Her Majesty’s Army all would kill for it. They almost poisoned you on the train to Aswan, but you know the smell of arsenic, even when disguised by the smell of Turkish Coffee.
Even now, alone in the desert, you pat your satchel to make sure the book is still secure. The Diary of the Mad Arab. You’ll need the answers to the puzzles that lay ahead.
A dust devil stirs the sands at your feet. You wipe your face, and reach for your canteen.
“Empty,” you mutter. You sucked the last drop this morning and the horizon shows no sign of an oasis. The chances of making it to one are slim. But you know that somewhere, just under your feet, hides the treasure written about in the Mad Arab’s book. The rock outcropping, the one described in the book juts through the sand. The face of Anubis, the jackal-headed god, still looks towards the west. The land of the setting sun. The land of the dead, according to the ancient Egyptians. Though eroded over the millennia by wind, his features are still eerily visible. A god refusing to pass from this world.
You mark the distance from the outcropping… one, two, three paces. Already fatigued from the journey, you pull out your field shovel and dig. The hot air shimmers over the sand as an occasional gust blows it into your face. Undeterred, you press on. Fickle sand falls back into the hole you dig, but for every shovel of sand that goes back in, you scoop out two.
A hard clank rings out in the quiet, desert air. Suddenly you are invigorated, as if you’ve just spent a night at Shepheard’s in Cairo. You dig faster until the shovel reveals a stone. Falling to your knees, you wipe away the sand and grin. There, painted on the stone is the cartouche you’ve seen in the Mad Arab’s book: Mnem-pa-tep. You have found the tomb of the forgotten Pharaoh.
You grasp the sharp edges and pull away the heavy stone. Cool air, wet and musty, fills your dried lungs. It takes three tries for your bloodied, shaking fingers to strike a match, but you light the lantern and lower it into the darkness. There’s about a twelve foot drop to the floor below.
You unpack your rope, fastening it securely to the stone. As you slide your way down, you remember the bookseller’s words: “Many have tried, all have failed.”
You take his warning to heart. Danger lurks ahead. It’s a good thing that your trusty whip hangs at your side.
The 450 series bullwhips, our own production, were used in the Indiana Jones movies. This whip, as the No. 453 8 ft. length or the No. 455 10 ft. length, became an icon when it was so skillfully woven into the story by Glenn Randall, the stunt director for the first movie. It became a recognized part of the Indiana Jones character, and an ongoing factor in maintaining the suspense of the story. Equally as important the association of this whip with these outstanding movies led to a resurgence in interest in whips in movies, stage performances, and in sport whipcracking. There are now large numbers of Indiana Jones fans, many cracking whips.
We supplied over 30 bull whips of the 450 series for the first three Indiana Jones movies. These ranged in length from 6 feet to 16 feet. The standard length carried in the movies was the No. 455 10 ft. Bull Whip. The other lengths were used in special stunts. All were in the natural tan color.
In addition to our whips, a child’s whip made by Swayne, Adney and Brigg’s was used in a scene from Indiana Jones’ youth.
In 2007 we supplied one No. 453 8 ft. Bullwhip and five No. 455 10 ft. Bullwhip to LucasFilm for Harrison Ford’s preproduction training and for the movie Indiana Jones 4: the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls. Additionally we provided two special whips, one 12 ft length and one 16 ft. length, with either polyester or nylon line running down the center extending 30′ past the end of the braid. All of the whips were 12 plait natural tan kangaroo hide.
Whip Construction
The 450 series bull whips were developed at a time when kangaroo hide, and so Australian kangaroo hide whips, were embargoed, and we could not obtain the Australian bull whips we had been selling to performers. The design of these whips was based on the older American bull whips and the needs of performers presenting American style stunts for movies or stage such as wraps, snatches, lifts, cutting or target work. The construction chosen was the Australian style, in this case with two inner braided bellies. The first whips were made in kip, the leather from young cattle, but as soon as kangaroo became available again a heavy weight kangaroo was used, with the strands cut wide for durability. The design established was for a heavy whip, well balanced with a loaded butt, brought to a point finer than the old bull whips, and with an Australian type fall and cracker. The taper or shape of the whip, a critical factor, was made to suit the basic stunt needs, including target work and close cutting.
The basic construction and appearance of this whip has not changed significantly over the years. Modifications have been limited to improvements in the core of the whip and the shape. The butt foundation, an 8 inch spike, has remained constant, but the knot, originally 7 – 8 inches from the end, has been moved closer to the end. This has given the impression that the “handle” has been made shorter, although the end stiffened by the spike is unchanged. The knot, once about 8 inches from the butt, was occasionally placed where the thong was starting to bend. Deterioration of the knot was never noted, but it was felt that keeping this knot on the stiff part would be an improvement, so it was moved to 6 – 7 inches from the butt. Durability and longevity have proven good. A fuller treatment of this whip is given in Whips and Whipmaking, 2nd. Ed.
Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions we receive concerning the Indiana Jones movies:
What whips were used in the Indiana Jones movies?
We supplied over 30 bull whips of the 450 series for the Indiana Jones movies. These ranged in length from 6 feet to 16 feet. The standard length carried in the movies was the No. 455 10 ft. Bull Whip. The other lengths were used in special stunts. All were in the natural tan color.
In addition to our whips, a child’s whip made by Swayne, Adney and Brigg’s was used in a scene from Indiana Jones’ youth.
In 2007 we supplied one 453 8 ft. Bullwhip and five No. 455 10 ft. Bullwhip to LucasFilm for Harrison Ford’s preproduction training and for the movie Indiana Jones 4: the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls. Additionally we provided two special whips, one 12 ft length and one 16 ft. length, with either polyester or nylon line running down the center extending 30′ past the end of the braid. All of the whips were 12 plait natural tan kangaroo hide.
Do you ship your braided kangaroo leather whips internationally?
Yes. However, due to the strict US import and export regulations, we are only able to ship kangaroo leather products outside the US by adhering to the US Fish and Wildlife Service export inspection procedures.
Do you offer a whip holder?
No. We suggest you check one of the costume and movie prop sites, such as Todd’s Costumes for possible sources, or search the internet.
Do you carry the hat worn by Indiana Jones?
No, but we do carry the Adventurer by Akubra, in the same general shape, style and color as the fedora worn by Indiana Jones in the “Indiana Jones” movies. The hat worn by Indiana Jones was a custom-made hat. The Campdraft, also by Akubra, is a similar shape.
For more information …
Please follow the links below for more information concerning our whips, braided
goods and related information.
Selecting Your First Whip for Sport Cracking
The Art of Whip Cracking
Care of Whips
Care of Fine Leather
Attaching a New Whip Cracker, Replacement of Falls
Whip Frequently Asked Questions
Our Braided Goods
Stock Whips
Quirts
Whips and Whipmaking
Braiding Supplies