Does anyone know if there's a website or something where I can buy leather falls from in bulk for a reasonable price? Currently I just buy them from David Morgan's website but that's only 2 or 3 at a time and I would like have a bunch just in case I need them but I don't want to spend a ton of money on just falls
Good falls are made to measure and if you want to get the most out of your whips, you may as well start learning how to make them yourself. It is much cheaper to buy a piece of leather and make your own, than to buy a generic one-size-fits-none. All you need is a metal straight edge ruler, a sharp knife, a solid hook, and ideally you would also be using plaiting soap to round the fall rather than leather dressing from the store, The plaiting soap you will be forced to make yourself, but there is a recipe on the David Morgan website, and you can maybe ask them where they buy their whitehide and maybe buy a few lengths of kangaroo to round off your falls. Bernie46 has videos on how he made his falls (RIP) so you can look at that for guidance.
Wow they really didn't do much to that piece of leather except cut it out from the hide and cut a slit into it! You can barely call that a fall! It's doesn't seem like it was rounded much at, and there only seems to be minimal skiving done on the edges, it's too fat and looks dry as a bone! If you are going to buy a fall from David Morgan again, I suggest you at least put the fall on a hook and run a LOT of leather dressing like Pecard's or Fiebing's on it and run a loop of leather (ask them to include a 12" x 1/2" length of kangaroo with your fall, so you can round the fall with it) wound twice around the fall and draw it back and forth vigorously to try and further round it and to get the heat from the friction to help with absorbing the leather grease. If you are not comfortable with that, then roll it between two wood boards and grease it thoroughly for as long as it takes for the fall to be saturated with grease (on a dry fall, that can take a few weeks of multiple dressings). You should cut the point of the new fall to a long point at least 1" BEFORE you cut the old fall out, so you are not fiddling about and allowing the tunnel to close down. Make sure the fall is not twisted before you cut the old fall and grease the new fall, including the inside of the eye. You DON'T need to dress the old fall as it is NOT passing through the fall hitch, only the eye of the fall passes through the fall hitch... Cut the eye with a pair of scissors or a pair of cutter pliers, but there is no need to remove the locking strand beforehand provided you protect it from being cut with a fid or something. Once the eye is cut, ALSO cut the two tabs that were the left and right side of the eye, this will greatly help in pulling the old fall out. Hold the new fall in between your fingers just before the fall hitch as you pull it into place with the other, to make sure it doesn't twist as you pull it into place. You should have the whip anchored somehow so you can pull the base solidly into place after you've pulled the locking strand under the eye. Once it's solidly in place, using a pair of toothless pliers, so a smooth surface that won't damage the strands, pull on each strand of the fall hitch to make sure they are good and tight. Don't yank them, pull them directly in line with the fall. This should see you through the process. I am not trying to make it sound like this video is wrong, these are just some extra tips to help make this a simple process. Keep greasing the new fall every few days until it is completely saturated with grease, you'll know when the fall feels a bit tacky to the touch after many days of not greasing it. It's normal for the above-mentioned conditioners to impart a slight yellow hue to the whitehide fall, as they are themselves slightly yellow in color.
One of the best demos I have seen for fall replacement. Thanks for doing this.
Well done, brother. Excellent idea sliding the hemostats through the hitch strands.
Damn! Its Nick himself bby
Thanks!
Does anyone know if there's a website or something where I can buy leather falls from in bulk for a reasonable price? Currently I just buy them from David Morgan's website but that's only 2 or 3 at a time and I would like have a bunch just in case I need them but I don't want to spend a ton of money on just falls
Good falls are made to measure and if you want to get the most out of your whips, you may as well start learning how to make them yourself. It is much cheaper to buy a piece of leather and make your own, than to buy a generic one-size-fits-none. All you need is a metal straight edge ruler, a sharp knife, a solid hook, and ideally you would also be using plaiting soap to round the fall rather than leather dressing from the store, The plaiting soap you will be forced to make yourself, but there is a recipe on the David Morgan website, and you can maybe ask them where they buy their whitehide and maybe buy a few lengths of kangaroo to round off your falls. Bernie46 has videos on how he made his falls (RIP) so you can look at that for guidance.
Wow they really didn't do much to that piece of leather except cut it out from the hide and cut a slit into it! You can barely call that a fall! It's doesn't seem like it was rounded much at, and there only seems to be minimal skiving done on the edges, it's too fat and looks dry as a bone! If you are going to buy a fall from David Morgan again, I suggest you at least put the fall on a hook and run a LOT of leather dressing like Pecard's or Fiebing's on it and run a loop of leather (ask them to include a 12" x 1/2" length of kangaroo with your fall, so you can round the fall with it) wound twice around the fall and draw it back and forth vigorously to try and further round it and to get the heat from the friction to help with absorbing the leather grease. If you are not comfortable with that, then roll it between two wood boards and grease it thoroughly for as long as it takes for the fall to be saturated with grease (on a dry fall, that can take a few weeks of multiple dressings). You should cut the point of the new fall to a long point at least 1" BEFORE you cut the old fall out, so you are not fiddling about and allowing the tunnel to close down. Make sure the fall is not twisted before you cut the old fall and grease the new fall, including the inside of the eye. You DON'T need to dress the old fall as it is NOT passing through the fall hitch, only the eye of the fall passes through the fall hitch... Cut the eye with a pair of scissors or a pair of cutter pliers, but there is no need to remove the locking strand beforehand provided you protect it from being cut with a fid or something. Once the eye is cut, ALSO cut the two tabs that were the left and right side of the eye, this will greatly help in pulling the old fall out. Hold the new fall in between your fingers just before the fall hitch as you pull it into place with the other, to make sure it doesn't twist as you pull it into place. You should have the whip anchored somehow so you can pull the base solidly into place after you've pulled the locking strand under the eye. Once it's solidly in place, using a pair of toothless pliers, so a smooth surface that won't damage the strands, pull on each strand of the fall hitch to make sure they are good and tight. Don't yank them, pull them directly in line with the fall. This should see you through the process. I am not trying to make it sound like this video is wrong, these are just some extra tips to help make this a simple process. Keep greasing the new fall every few days until it is completely saturated with grease, you'll know when the fall feels a bit tacky to the touch after many days of not greasing it. It's normal for the above-mentioned conditioners to impart a slight yellow hue to the whitehide fall, as they are themselves slightly yellow in color.