Whip Care

There is something intriguing about the idea of using a whip as a weapon and tool – the skill involved in turning a long, slender length of braided leather into an extension of our hand, snatching distant objects, yanking on levers that are out of our reach, fending off deadly enemies, wrapping the whip around a tree limb, beam, or jutting piece of stone to swing dashingly over a pit or gap, appeals to our imaginations. Whip-cracking is also a fairly popular sport, and can be done with any decently-made whip. 

The fictional hero Indiana Jones has forever associated use of the whip as a weapon and tool with high adventure, weird locations, and mysterious objects such as gold fertility symbols, crystal skulls, and the Ark of the Covenant. Indeed, it is this fedora-wearing movie adventurer who has created the modern perception of the whip as a tool and armament, rendering its user capable of remarkable feats and dramatic, life-saving acts in the style of “Indy” himself.

Made by the officially-licensed Rubies Costume Co., the lengthily-named Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Adult Hat and Whip Set provides full-sized fans of the film series with costume accessories as seen in the most recent movie. The costume company has been in business for over half a century, and as might be expected, although these are not replica-quality items, they are still good-looking and will give you the style and panache needed to dress up as Indiana Jones for a wide array of different events.

The Adult Hat is in an adult size, of course, and is likely to be too large for children to wear comfortably unless you wrap something around their head first. It should fit the average-sized adult well, and looks like the Indiana Jones hat seen in the movie. Some people have commented that it is probably too fresh and perfect-looking to properly emulate the rough-and-ready archaeologist, who would surely wear a battered hat on his adventures, but it is definitely made to last, since it can be flattened and will spring back into shape. The hatband has a tendency to fall off, however, so you should take some measures to make sure it stays in place – either in the form of stitching or of glue.

The Indiana Jones Whip in this set is a decent size, and is also probably too large for a lot of children to use safely, although those in their early teens will probably have little trouble handling it. The whip has a loop handle, allowing it to be coiled easily, and although it is nowhere near as tough and lasting as a real bullwhip, it is still authentic-looking for costume purposes. It is rather too rugged to be given to small children as a play item, since it could hurt someone were they struck with it. But if you are looking to swagger into the party or convention looking like you have come straight from a forgotten temple or exotic marketplace, then this is the outfit for you.