The secret business of whip making

CHAMPION whip maker says there is more to a good whip than simply looking good.

CRACKIN' GOOD WHIPS: Maurice Doohan makes whips at Dobies Bight and is the 2109 Australian Champion plaiter. Picture: Susanna Freymark

EVERY cliche about "fair crack of the whip" has been used to describe whip maker Maurice Doohan in many news articles.

In the whip shed at his Dobies Bight home, Mr Doohan cuts, tapers and plaits kangaroo and cow hides to make whips.

As the Australian plaiting champion for 2019, Mr Doohan is unfazed by the accolades he receives regarding his skills.

The 79-year-old used to make 1000 white hide whips a year when he retired from full-time teaching after 17 years.

It all began when his uncle gave him a whip for his second birthday.

"It became a hobby when I was teaching and then it was my full-time employment for 20 years," Mr Doohan said.

His skills at patiently plaiting the leather have obviously increased as is evident by his collection of trophies and ribbons in his farmhouse home.

"I'm not the fastest plaiter," he said.

"There are fellas I've taught that are better than I am."

There is more to a good whip than simply looking good.

"The hairpin bend at the end of the whip is where it thins," Mr Doohan said.

"It breaks the sound barrier and makes a cracking sound."

A badly-made whip doesn't fall properly, he said.

"If it hits the ground and bounces back at ya, that's a bad whip," he said.

At his home surrounded by dairy cattle properties, Mr Doohan plans to continue making the whips in his shed.

He has made each of his four children their own whip.

His son Scott Doohan has taken over the business. A kangaroo hide whip costs more than $400.

Doohan whips are sold around Australia and overseas.