i bought this whip for a first try at whip cracking. i got some good fun out of it, and it does crack, but i wouldn't reccomend it to anyone already involved in whipcracking. maybe for a beginner just trying out this hobby. the whip is really off balance, the handle is way too heavy. also, when the whip gets wet, the black stuff comes off and gets all over your hands. the whip has unbraided, so i tried to re-plait it. it worked for a while, then it just came back appart. the cracker on the end came off, so i put a new one on, which came off. i glued it, it came appart. but overall, i liked it. it was my second whip, but if you are already involved in cracking, my advice would be DON'T BUY IT.