Basic Floggers

Floggers are versatile instruments, and all the better when you make them yourself. It is fairly easy to make a utilitarian flogger, but you aren't Janet Heardwood so if beauty is your thing, go buy one! There are, however, some advantages of making your own. First, a moderately sized flogger will set you back less than $15 for materials. Second, you have complete control over weight and feel, and can get exactly the effect you want.

What determines the feel? The length, weight, number and width of the fall (stringy part). To a lesser extent, the end treatment of the fall can effect feel. Generally, you should avoid pointy ends, unless you like that kind of thing!

Another option is to treat the fall separately, braiding it in either a round or flat braid. Braided floggers are beyond the scope of this Basic Floggers page. Here, we'll do just the basics. A few options for handle treatments will be presented as well.

Difficulty: Moderate

Tools

Utility Knife, Edge Beveler #2 (if working in latigo), Multi-stripper (optional, but strongly recommended)

Supplies

Leather (Latigo, Suede, almost anything), Wooden Dowel (about ½" diameter)

Steps

1 - Decisions

There are a number of sizing decisions to make before you begin. The first set of decisions are indicated as letters in Diagram 1, and are as follows:

F - Length of the fall. Almost any length, usually from 6" to 2' or so. Longer fall can build up more speed, but are more difficult to control.

W - Width of fall. Generally between ¼" and 1". Thin fall feels 'cut-ish' while wider falls can thud.

N - Number of falls. Typically between nine and twenty or so. More numerous fall equals more thud.

H - Handle length. Between 5 and 8 inches. Totally personal preference.

X - Excess. ½ - 1" depending on handle treatment desired. In the simplest scenario, this will just get cut off.

Now, what kind of leather? I recommend suede for a first flogger. Obviously, the leather determines the weight of the fall. It also is the final factor in the diameter required in the handle dowel. It's a little hard to explain, but the number and width of the fall determines the amount of leather wrapped around the handle. You need to adjust the dowel size to hit the proper size, about 1 1/8 - 1 ½ inches. You can guess, or cut a scrap of leather to a length equal to W * N and wrap it around things until you find the right size.

2 - Cut Leather

First, cut a good rectangle. The length is F + H + X. Width equals W * N. Next, cut the fall as shown in Diagram 1. Be very careful to cut even strips, and to the right length (F)! A multi-stripper is invaluable at this stage. That the time to trim off any 'splinters' that may be hanging from the fall.

You may also wish to do something with the end of the fall, although this can wait. Some ideas for ending fall:

From left to right, these are square, rounded, side point, snake tongue and center point. The first two are least harsh, while the snake tongue is the nastiest. If you are using a heavy leather, you may also want to bevel all of the edges on the fall.

3 - Cut Dowel

Cut your dowel to the proper length (H) and sand the edges round. If you've got the tools, the flogger will have better balance if you drill a hole in the butt end and add some weight. Either fill with molten lead (the best way to go) or fishing weights held in place with glue (silicon works quite well).

4 - Assemble

Assembly is pretty easy. Lay the leather out on a flat, firm surface, finished side down. Coat the handle area of the leather with a light but thorough coat of Tandy Leather Weld. Starting near yourself, roll the leather onto the dowel. Shoot for a tight roll, and keep everything square. Don't let one side get ahead of the other! You may need to wipe away excess glue as you go.. don't push a heavy bead ahead of the dowel or it will go everywhere.

Once the leather is entirely wrapped, wipe away any excess glue that you can see. Hold everything in place with some rubber bands until dry.

5 - Handle Treatment

You probably want to do something with the handle. The simplest thing is the cut away the excess (X), flatten or round the result with sandpaper (Dremel MotoTool works great!) and paint the end of the dowel. More extensive handle treatments coming here soon.

Diagram 1

The Finished Product

Two suede and one latigo floggers are pictured above. From top to bottom, the dimensions are: