Why does a snakewhip or a signalwhip have a wrist loop and a bullwhip
does not?
The reason for this is fairly simple. But first a little
background. The snake whip was originated by the cowboys in Wyoming.
They wanted a whip they could pack in their saddle bags so it needed
to be able to be coiled up nice and tight. However when they where
driving cattle and needed the whip to be readily available they would
wrap it around their neck and feed the thong of the whip through the
wrist loop. When needed it could easily be grabbed by the heel knot
and pulled off of their neck and cracked all in the same motion. The
signal whip on the other hand was intended to be used by mushers of
a dog sled. They actually used the wrist loop for what it was intended
they hung the whip from their wrist, that way they could hold on to
the dog sled and still have the whip ready at a moments notice. As
for bullwhips they don't usually have a wrist loop because when you
are
driving cattle and you crack the whip near say a fence or a tree and
it gets tangled in either if you had a loop wrapped around your wrist
it could easily yank you right off your horse. I know what your next
question is ... So why does the whip used by Indiana Jones have a
wrist loop? Well first of all it's a movie helloooo. Second, the whips
made for the movie where made by David Morgan who makes mostly signal
whips and just about every kind of whip he makes quirt or otherwise
has a wrist loop on it. But take my word for it bullwhips made for
cattle driving don't have wrist loops for the afore mentioned reason.
