• Novices should use shorter bullwhips.knout whip image by Pali A from Fotolia.com
  
  

Previous Experience Matters

• The size of your bullwhip's cracker should depend on individual skill. A whipper with extensive experience can use a bullwhip with a long cracker much more easily than a novice. Small bullwhips for beginners should have small crackers that are 1 to 2 inches long; bullwhips for more experienced users can have crackers up to 12 inches long.
  
  

Whip Construction

• Home bullwhip enthusiasts have great flexibility in terms of how long they can make their crackers. Bullwhips are easy home craft projects that can be constructed in a matter of weeks. When working with leather or other animal skins, you have the ability to make long, tapering crackers. For an added challenge, crackers can be made up to 6 inches long.
  
  

Bottom Line

• Cracker length comes down to personal choice. According to the American Scientist, the loudest whip all comes down to diameter: "(Using) a tapering that made a virtual whip's tip just one-tenth the diameter of the handle, the tip reached speeds 32 times faster than the original speed of the loop."