"LET A FRASER WHIP DO THE CRACKING FOR YOU!" ã

Recognised Australian whipmaker, Janine Fraser, lives in a place called Gundowring at the foot of the famed Australian High Plains. This real "bushie" learned the skills of her trade out of necessity after returning from her first sojourn to the high country with a neighbour’s cattle. The continuous use of an old, unbalanced whip of unknown origin, left her believing a better quality tool must surely be available. In fact she decided to make her own. And so the fascination with whips began.

After seeking assistance and advice from the most highly esteemed whipmakers in the country, and working closely with dual Australian whipcracking Champion, Noel Cutler, Janine decided to learn to crack whips herself. It wasn’t long before she recognised the need for specialised competition whips. It is in this area she has excelled. Not only has she become one of Australia’s top lady whipcrackers, but she has developed competition whips, which according to Noel Cutler are, "unparalleled in quality."

Using only the very best quality kangaroo hide (from the "Blue Flier") for the thong and full-plait handle, each Fraser whip is completed with the famed "Australian" Scobie Hitch. The whips are "tailed out" to the precise length for maximum performance, carefully fitted to a specially balanced handle and finished with a "tuned" fall to complement all elements of the whip. Particular attention is paid to the preparation of balanced pairs where duplicated precision is of paramount importance.

The most important aspect of a Fraser whip is the overall balance and the easy way it "lays out". Special techniques are applied to the "belly construction" where sound foundations ensure a balanced and very user-friendly end-product. This process has made Janine a pioneer in eliminating the "buck" or "recoil" still evident in most other products. Competition whipcrackers, while performing complex two-handed routines, will immediately feel smoother transitions from one crack to the next and notice a more aesthetically pleasing whip form.

A very important benefit from this lack of "buck" is the minimisation of possible ligament and muscular damage to the wrists, elbows, shoulders, chest and back during practice and competition. Fraser whips therefore allow longer and more enjoyable practice sessions so essential for the serious competitor.

If you are not using Fraser whips in competition, you are giving the opposition a head start.