IOAB / Joe Strain Comparison

[Ragingblues]

Well, he did it again. One of the most generous people on the planet and one of my closest friends, decided to unload one of his Joe Strain whips on me. I know.... I know..... how awful huh? Where in the world will I ever find room to keep storing these things G-Mann / John sends me? Well.... I guess I'll manage. Seriously, it was an incredible gesture and one that I am not taking for granted, despite the jovial nature of this post.

I thought this would give me the opportunity to show some comparison photos of the "Indy On A Budget" (IOAB) whip from Winrich Whips that I already owned, with one of the finely made Joe Strain whips. I don't think I have ever seen an IOAB next to a more screen accurate whip in any photos, so maybe this will help someone make a more informed decision.

The IOAB is a 10 ft. 4 plait cow hide whip that came in a color far too burgandy for my tastes. This is why I always change the color of it with PS for everything I post. You can order alternate colors, but I wasn't aware of that at the time. It's a great whip, cracks easily, and does not come with the sealer/finish on it. This makes the whip ready to go right out of the package, as there is not as much time needed to break it in. Adam Winrich makes some incredible, accurate models of whips, though his intention with the IOAB is to provide a "close-enough" offering for little money. So this is not intended to be a comparison of similar offerings at all.

The Joe Strain model is a 10 ft. 12 plait kangaroo hide whip, and is more of a saddle tan color. This whip is lighter in weight, smaller in girth, and cracks even easier than the IOAB. The fast action, accurate design, and super tight braiding make this whip superior in every way. Of course.... that is to be expected, given the price difference. I think everyone recognizes the high quality of a Joe Strain whip, and I must agree. Now, here are a few photos:

IOAB

Joe Strain

Thanks a metric ton once again to G-Mann / John, for the great gift!


Ken

[pagey]

That's a great gift from a great guy! :-*Can't argue with Joe's work either - he's a very gifted whipmaker! Have fun cracking - and make sure you post some cracking shots.

[Marc]

Though I know John's über generous ways and being proud to consider this man one of my closest friends as well, I'll never stop being amazed of reading something like this!

That's a great gift from a great guy!

Nothing I could add to this

Crack it well Ken.

Regards,

Marc

[IndyBlues]

John is indeed a generous man, one of the most generous people I have ever come to know. He gives from the heart, without an ounce of ulterior motive. I can almost agree with Marc above, saying I have nothing to add to this thread, but in fact I do,....

John gifted me with a beautiful Pagey 8 foot whip!!! I was expecting a small package from John, with a CD-ROM inside, and when the package arrived, I thought,..."This is an awful large package to contain a CD,...and kind of heavy too.

I open it up,...Lo and Behold,...a whip.

Needless to say I immediately called John to thank him(and make sure this wasn't some kind of mistake) and tell him how outrageous he is. I owe John so much for his generosity he has shown me since I've known him.

John, you are a gentleman, and a scholar(among other things )
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Mike

[Deleted]

Ken and Mike,

If you guys are happy, I'm happy. You are both very welcome.

Cheers,
John

[agent5]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, John is without question the most generous person of ANY Indy community. The first time I met him he gave me a couple of COW challenge coins, which I never bought. That was very nice of him. Then he offered to give me the Raiders LIFE magazine shortly after which floored me because I don't yet have one and they are hard to come by in nice condition which he said his was in. I told him to just hold onto it until I can make it downtown personally to hang out with him again and neither of us can come to terms on a date.

So, John, I don't want you to think I don't appreciate it. I seriously wanted you to hold onto it so I could pick it up in person. We seriously need to pick a date and stick with it. I've been dying to get down there to see your stuff. You can ask Mike, I've been saying this for months.

I spoke to Mike yesterday and he told me the story he posted above. Needless to say he was very, very excited about receiving his gift and I would be too. You made him a very happy camper, John and I expect Ken is feeling about the same. Both of those whips look fantastic!

In any case, thanks for your generosity to out community as a whole and to myself as well. You never stop short of amazing me with your kindness.

[Ragingblues]

I just noticed Pagey's new avatar. That wouldn't be a "feather boa" around you neck would it?

It can't be as warm as the Dr. Who scarf you have, but.... it is summer now. ;D

Ken