St.
Christopher
This
unique tarred nylon codline design was inspired by the Cat used in
the US Whale fleet of the mid-19th century. With their small crews
of seasoned profes- sionals, whaleships rarely used flogging with
the frequency or formality found on warships of the time. When
flogging was resorted to, the Mates who administered the punishment
wanted the miscreant returned to duty as quickly as possible, holding
as little resentment as possible.
Accordingly, their cats were made from heavy twines
rather than unraveled ropes. Handles were often purely utilitarian
“sticks” of the whale bone that served as the all-purpose utility
"lumber" aboard ship. However, elaborate carvings in whale
ivory and handles made of springy “baleen” were also known. This suggests
that some of the Mates took a fetishistic interest in their disciplinary
proceedings.
The St. Christopher was conceived as striking a balance between
the austerely utilitarian and the elaborately decorative. The long
slender handle is French-Whipped with the same tarred codline as
the tresses. A short round-braided section emerges from the handle
and subdivides into smaller braids, then to individual knotted strands. (The
overall length and/or the length of the segments can be adjusted
to meet your needs for play space, etc.)
Leatherman and Whipmaster Guy Baldwin called this, "The nastiest
whip in the world." It always leaves marks and often breaks
skin. Used very carefully and skillfully, it can produce a sensual
stinging sensation that verges on “pleasant.”
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