How to Make a Flogger (that's Actually Functional and Attractive)

When I started making my own floggers I went looking for information and instructions. There is a noticeable lack of anything helpful out there so I thought I'd do a how to of my own and hopefully some aspiring flogger maker will trip over it and get something useful out of it.

Some notes and disclaimers - This is by no means the best or only way to make a flogger, this is just the way I've found that works best for me and I'm still learning. I wrote this originally three years ago for a different platform and have learned some new things, made some new items, but the basics are holding true.The aim of this is to make it as easy as possible for a beginner while still making a quality and decent looking product. I will use default words like 'leather' when in reality you can use many different materials, if you are using something different substitute that word. There will be generalizations, like the size of an 'average flogger' and what makes a flogger stingy vs. thuddy, there are exceptions and varying opinions but we want this to be readable in under 3 days. Notes aren't necessary info, they're useful extras. All prices are approximate and in CAD.

Picture 1

1. 24 X 36 self healing cutting mat - This is where you will cut all your materials so it needs to be as big as the pieces of leather you'll be using. A self healing mat isn't bothered by most shallow cuts, unlike your dining table. $40 at Uline or $80 for double sided at Michaels (watch for 50% off coupons in the mail or on their website!).
2. A metal meter stick and a regular ruler - The meter stick is for long cuts along your leather so you can cut a straight line, you want metal so your cutter doesn't cut it instead of your material. The regular ruler is for measuring smaller things like the width of your falls, way easier to handle. $7 at Walmart/ Home Depot, and $1 at the dollar store
3. A saw or hacksaw - This is dependent on the material of your handle, use the appropriate tool for cutting down whatever you are using. $15-$40/$7-$20 at Home Depot
4. A drill and bits - Only necessary if you are using a wood handle, used to drill out the bottom to add weight. Huge price range, just make sure it'll handle the job you want, some really cheap ones don't have the power to even get through wood well. You may want to consider one that you can get new bits for so you can do metal later too if you want.
5. Sewing pencil - To mark cut lines on your leather that can be rubbed off (though a pencil crayon isn't bad if you are only doing it on the suede side and don't need to erase it). $2 at Fabricland. Note: I rarely use this anymore as it's too faint. I prefer to use tape to mark it then take it off later, or a more noticeable mark made with a pen or marker above where I'll cut so it's not on the finished product.
6. Rotary cutter - You can use other tools to cut your leather but this is what I've found works best. In combination with your meter stick it gives much straighter lines than other options like an X-acto knife or scissors. $10-40 at Tandy leather or Michaels, I suggest you go at least midline for this and get at least one replacement blade ($12) (found a huge pack of no name blades for cheap recently on Amazon, work just fine). Be aware this is the best choice for 1-4oz. leather, not all materials. For many other materials I'd say rotary cutter is almost always the way to go, even with veg tan leather. Box cutter for really thick tough things like a thick rubber or fire hose.
7. Tape - Black electrical tape is a must, this is going to hold things down while you secure them more permanently and it may also be part of your foundation so black usually works better in case it peaks through; you need the quality and stretchiness of electrical tape. You also need a disposable type of tape like masking (which I prefer) or scotch tape which will be used for marking your spot, temporarily holding things in place, etc. so you can use it but get it off easily and throw it away. Depends what size roll you get, but $3-$10 ea.
8. Waxed thread - This one threw me for awhile, couldn't find it, didn't get what it was. It's more the size of thin string than thread and it is indeed covered in wax, the wax makes it stick to itself. You use this much the way you use the electrical tape, to hold things in place with tension before you cover it with the pretty bits. It can be used temporarily or remain on under your final wraps and decoration. $6 at Michaels or Tandy.

Picture 2

1. Handle- The handle can be any material you want but the most typical is wooden dowel or some kind of pipe. Because we will weight the handle the important thing is it needs to either be hollow or be able to be hollowed out. You'll want it to be approx. 1 inch in diameter. In the picture we have wood, copper pipe, and a piece of shower curtain rod. Wood dowel- $5 for 4ft. (saw needed or cut at store) Copper pipe - $25 for 6ft. (hacksaw needed), Home Depot.
2. End cap or concho - This is only necessary if you are using pipe, and even then you can find other ways. This is something to seal the bottom of the pipe for when you add the weight, you can even use a button or coin if it's the right size. $2-$10 Home Depot/Tandy
3. Steel BBs - This is your weight. You will add this into the handle with glue so that your handle isn't super light compared to your falls. Smaller is better as you can pack more into a smaller space. In the US you can get lead BBs which is better as it's heavier, but in Canada lead is a no go. Bottle of 6000 steel BB's $17 at Canadian Tire.
4. Glue - I mainly use two kinds of glue, leather glue and expanding Gorilla glue. Leather glue $20+ at Tandy, Gorilla glue $18 for an 8oz bottle at Walmart/Home Depot. Note: My glue allegiance has changed some. The thinner liquid Gorilla glue is still good for when you need to spread it but I've started using contact cement like glues (Gorilla contact glue, Goop, E6000) for strong single points of contact. Not spreadable but less messy and seem to cure faster.
5. D ring - This is so you can hang your flogger, it's more of a finishing piece and some people prefer a wrist strap which would just be a strand of leather, can be braided. $2 Tandy.
6. Leather or other material - Obviously we need something to make the falls with, leather is preferred if you want something durable that feels and looks good. My first flogger was made with vinyl to save the cost. Leather, enough for 1 set of falls, $30-$40 at Tandy. Vinyl, one meter, $10 (variable) at Fabricland.

So just to be clear, without going crazy and buying the best of everything, using wood and vinyl instead of pipe and leather, not getting any extra tools that aren't strictly necessary but could help, and not including the drill, you are looking at an investment of around $200+ to make your first flogger. Of course you will have many things that are a one time investment like the meter stick, and many that will last for many many projects like the BBs and glue. Your leather is always a new cost (though you can buy in 'bulk' by getting a whole hide) and some things will need replacing over time like the self healing mat and rotary blades. Plus, if you invest all that and plan to make more you will likely want to try new things and new materials and get more advanced which means you will constantly be buying new things that aren't on this basic list. You can buy a pretty decent flogger for $200 so make sure you want to spend the money and that you want to make more than one flogger before you start splashing out your cash. Still want to make one? Here we go.

NOTE about leather:

Generally speaking you will be using leather, you will be using cowhide, and you will be using a standard 2.5-3oz weight (this is the thickness of the leather, don't let the term 'ounces' fool you), this will be my default material and from here on I will mean this type of leather unless I specify otherwise. I've seen many people recommend buying leather clothing at second hand shops and repurposing it. I've tried this and don't recommend it. From my experience what happens is you look for ages, everything you find is still $30+ (same as for a piece from Tandy), you have to spend a lot of time deconstructing the item, many pieces are too small to be usable because of seams and you are unlikely to get one full 20X17 panel, and the leather is usually very thin (as in a quarter the thickness of a piece bought from Tandy) because it's mostly lining. People talk about deer & elk (softer and lighter) or bison, moose, and bull (heavier for thud) as options, but they are more expensive and not as available, cow hide garment leather (not the same as what I was talking about from the thrift store!) works fine for most floggers, especially just starting out.

I have used 3/4 and 1 inch diameters for handles, that's pretty standard. Remember that you will also be wrapping the handle and that will increase the size. First you have to cut it down. A standard flogger handle is about 8 inches long or 1/2 to 1/3 the length of your flogger, though you can absolutely use a smaller handle if that's what suits your needs, you just may need more weight to balance the falls. Closer to half gives more control, closer to one third gives more power. File or sand the end of the handle so it's smooth(ish) and level and able to take whatever end pieces you intend on adding. Take into account your planned knots (the part where the falls attach to the handle and one at the butt end to cover any messy wrap or braid work and provide a stop for the hand), this will shorten the gripable area of the handle. If you want to do close work, accommodate smaller hands, or make something all together lighter for delicate bits then go shorter/thinner. If you want something for a larger person, distance, or need to balance heavier falls, go for longer/thicker. Take into account who will be throwing the flogger, if you don't know who the Top will be stick to standard measurements, most people can use a standard sized flogger. If you have chosen metal and don't know how to use a hacksaw ask at the hardware store, they'll explain it and maybe even show you. If using wood, drill into the end of the handle so you can add weight later, add any additional holes you might need for screws or straps (talked about in later steps).

It's great to use the dowels/pipes as handles and create something everyone will recognize as a standard flogger, but you can use alternative materials as handles as well as long as it has appropriate measurements and falls can be attached. This can save time and effort on the decorating of the handle too. The photos on this step show alternative handles I've used.

Decide what you want your falls to be shaped like and how many you want. If you want something with sting cut thinner width, longer, and fewer falls with pointed ends, and use stiffer material. For a flogger with more thud you want thicker, shorter falls, and lots of them, with rounded ends, using a softer (not lighter) leather. Obviously you can mix this up and get different effects but it's best to pick either the aspects of sting or thud and stick to those properties. For instance, if you do thinner, longer, and stiffer falls, but still have 60 of them, you aren't going to get the sting effect you wanted. Standard for falls is 14-20 inches long, 1/2 inch wide, 20-40 falls. The size of your falls may be determined by what size a piece of leather you have. Consider that your handle size and your fall set up should compliment each other, a standard formula is the handle makes up one third of the length: Handle = 8', Falls = 16'.

We will go with a standard flogger size so we are looking at 30 16' long x 1/2' wide falls. For that you'll need a piece of leather at least 16 1/2'L (because we leave an uncut border of 1/2-1 inch at the bottom of the falls) x 15'W. Even though technically you only need 15' for the width, I'd cut your original piece about 1/2' wider if you can. The reason for this is to provide a buffer. The border at the bottom, what will be your winding strip, is your buffer lengthwise. If you have this extra bit of width then even if you cut a bit crooked, or the leather stretches or contracts while cutting (this happens), you just have to make sure you start cutting for your falls on a straight edge and if there are any issues you'll have that bit of extra at the end you can just cut off when you have all your falls. Before you cut anything for the actual project try cutting off a small piece that you won't be needing if you can, practice cutting this scrap so you can feel how much pressure you need to use and how to hold the cutter, all materials cut differently and a surprise can cost you.

Start by cutting your leather piece to the above measurements. Straight lines are essential or you will not get falls all the same size (which is why a buffer is good!) and that will effect how it throws and how it hits. When you have your square measure off a half inch at the bottom of the length, the 16 1/2'L side, and mark it with your sewing pencil. This part is to give you something to wrap around your handle and you won't cut into this border. Cut it on your self healing cutting mat using your metal meter stick and your rotary cutter, try to keep as far to one side of the leather as you can so you have as large a piece as possible left over to use for other things. A benefit of the self healing mat is that it has straight lines and measurements marked on it. If you line your leather up against the lines on the mat to make sure it's squared up you can use your meter stick to extend the lines beyond the leather thereby keeping your ruler straight (pic 1). I'd like to note that my personal cutting mat seems to be a fraction of an inch off the measurements of my meter stick, might just be that mat and it's a small difference, but it's there. I find it easier to cut if my 1/2' border is at the top so I'm cutting towards it and away from myself.

Things move a lot, especially because leather stretches. I hold my leather taut (but not stretched) in position and tape it down to the cutting mat on at least two sides so it stays put while I'm cutting. Set your meter stick a half inch from the side of the leather using your standard ruler to ensure it's the right distance from the edge in at least three spots. Hold down your meter stick with your left hand so you know it isn't moving and press down and cut along the meter stick (Pic 2). You will likely have to move your hand up the meter stick as you go, pause in your cutting as you move so you always have pressure on the stick while cutting (Pic 3). You may have to go over the leather a few times with the cutter to get a clean cut (you probably shouldn't have to but I've never been good at cutting), this is why it's important to keep everything in exactly the same place so that if you have to cut the same section again you are still cutting on the same line. Make sure your fall is completely free of the rest of the leather before moving your meter stick away (Pic 4). Do not put your fingers over the edge of the meter stick on the cutting side, the rotary cutter moves faster than you think and it's very sharp (this seems obvious but lets just say bandaids aren't a bad thing to add to your craft room). Continue this until all your falls are cut, do not get impatient or try to take shortcuts, there's nothing you can do if you mess up the 12th out of 30 falls, you either have to take a loss on that piece of leather ($40!) or you end up with a screwed up fall in the middle. Technically you can separate your falls and attach them in two sections (in this case 11 then 18, ending up one fall short because of the mistake, or if you've planned a buffer you could still get 12 and 18) but it's best just not to screw up because you rushed.

When you are done you should have what looks like a 'hula' skirt of leather (Pic 5). Check your falls for false cuts that have left strings of leather and tidy things up, every single fall will likely not be perfect, that's okay, no one is going to inspect each one. You will notice a lot of 'leather dust', this is a result of cutting the leather and the natural shedding of the suede side. It's not something you can do much about, once the flogger is in use the shedding will gradually diminish but it will be messy both to cut/construct and to use for the first bit. I brush down my falls with a nail brush to reduce the amount of dust but I don't know if any other maker would endorse doing this.

Take your handle and wrap the falls around the top of it (no glue yet!)(pic 1). You are going to try and wrap as tightly as you can so it stays in place. Use masking tape to secure it at the very start of the wrap then again when you get it all wrapped. Add weight to your handle. To do this in a wooden handle I just pour the bb's in and tape up the hole, for a metal pipe I use a nylon or a rubber glove to put the bb's in then tape it in place. Try to balance the flogger on your finger (pic 2), I prefer to have it balance around the bottom of the fall knot which I believe is usual for people who use this method. There is also such a thing as 'static balance'. This is something I haven't done much with, but it means swinging the weapon in a gentle arc, just hanging down at the end of your arm. When the whole thing swings as one piece rather than the falls flopping at a different angle to the handle, you are balanced. Traditional weapon makers like sword makers use this method (though I'm not sure I get how they do it since a sword is all one piece and I can't understand the math they use). If the balance seems off change your weight, less if the balance point is too far down the handle, more if the weight is way up in the falls. Not all commercial floggers are balanced so some people get used to excessive weight in the falls or handle. If you are already used to this and prefer it and are making for yourself, feel free to use that model. If you are making your first one for yourself, don't have a preference, or are making it for someone else without a preference, balance it.

Take the falls off the handle and take your weight out of it's temporary arrangement. It's time for the glue! If using a pipe instead of a dowel use your end cap or concho now. --NOTE-- If you want to attach a hanging strap or wrist strap you may want to do this now. I am not going to go into this because a strap isn't rocket science, but if you want one decide before you go any further so you can add it at the right time based on your construction needs, it can be added now or later depending.-- Depending on the cap I might add glue to it so I'm sure it's solid, if there is a chance it will slip or it is just sitting flush against the pipe like a concho glue it ahead of time and let it dry (usually 24hrs.) before you add the weight. Once you are sure your end cap is secure you can add the weight you've already measured out. I tend to start with glue, add some bbs, add more glue, add more bbs, and so on until I'm out of bbs, then I top it with more glue. Stand the handle up where it won't be disturbed to let the bbs settle and the glue dry. If you are using an expanding glue (read note below) make sure you check on it regularly for the first hour or two to make sure it isn't bubbling over or out the seems of your end cap.

NOTE

I use gorilla glue for most of my flogger projects when I'm not specifically gluing leather to leather. When using glue always read the label first. As an example, my gorilla glue expands (not all gorilla glue does), I didn't know this when I used it the first time. It made a huge mess that I could have avoided if I'd read the label. Test your glue on the materials you are using (ALL materials including handles), with every new leather I test the glue I'm using to make sure it won't soak through and leave me with stiff and stained leather. And I can't stress this enough, WEAR GLOVES! You will get so much glue on your hands and it is impossible to get off. Latex gloves of the type used by painters, hair dressers, or nurses work fine. If you do get glue on your hands the best way to get it off is to let it dry and then scrub it off with a nail brush and water (believe me, this is like the bit about keeping baidaids around).

I won't do too much with this either because it's too specific to what you want to accomplish and there are so many options. Also, braiding is impossible to teach in text, much better than to find a YouTube video for that. Some sort of wrap on the handle is important, it provides grip so it doesn't slide out of the Top's hand (the bottom knot does this as well), no one wants a Dom/me flying off the handle! I like to start with a simple one layer wrap, this can be of a material like vinyl, not leather, to manage costs because it will be covered, scrap leather is good for this too. The purpose of this is just padding, it makes the flogger more comfortable to use. Just make sure this piece fits the handle exactly then glue/tape/waxed thread it down. If you want a simple looking handle then after you do your base padding wrap take a piece of leather the size of the handle and wrap it around, either fit it exactly or fold under the edge, and glue it down. If you are using a wood handle you can fold over the edge of the leather and tack it down with decorative tacks. If you want to go a bit fancier you can check out 'round braids over a core' on YouTube like this one:

video name - 8 strand round plait around a core

The formula for figuring out your strand width for your braid is circumference of handle X 1.5 ÷ the number of strands you are using. So if your circumference (using calipers for this is helpful, $10 Home Depot) is 2 inches and you are making a 6 strand braid each strand needs to be 0.5 inches wide. Each strand should be twice the length of the handle. Make sure you really secure the braid using things like tape and waxed thread at the ends, you will be attaching your falls to this so your wrap/braid has to be really well attached to the handle. A braid will for sure take more time and effort but will make your project look much more professional/pretty. Be very careful with any glue you use as this is now your visible product, you don't want hardened glue or stains all over that nice wrap.

We are now attaching our falls for real. This is going to include glue at the very least. Put some glue on the first half inch of the extra bit you left at the bottom of your fall skirt and glue and tape it to your handle (Pic 1). I usually use the gorilla glue at the start of the falls because it is much stronger than the leather glue when bonding to wood or metal. You may want to wait until this glue dries before you wrap the rest of the falls, if you are using a screw/nail etc. here or you are confident you can hold things in place otherwise no need to wait. Make sure the falls start at the very top of the handle and that only your border is being glued down so the full length of the falls will swing free

NOTE

If you are using wood, or if you are good enough to have a pre-drilled hole in your metal handle, screw the fall end to the handle. I rarely use a screw or nail to secure my falls. Many makers would die before they relied on just glue, no metal, but I've used just glue/tape/thread with no problems so far. It's up to you what you feel comfortable with as the screw/nail is an extra protection. If you want you can also wait to use the screw until you wrap all the falls and do it through all the layers of leather plus the handle. This will probably mean using a drill before you screw.

Spread leather glue across the bottom border you are going to be wrapping around your handle and allow it to get tacky but not dry (again, read the glue label). Wrap evenly and tightly trying to keep as much tension as you can on the leather but don't stretch it and keep up a steady pace without rushing so the glue doesn't dry too much. Make sure the bottom edge of the leather is even with the previous wrap so everything is the same length. When you get to the end of your falls tape the border tightly with electrical tape, wrap all the way around (Pic 2). You may also want to use your waxed thread, several wraps. And again we are going to wait for the glue to dry.

You already have a flogger, the only thing left to do is pretty it up. For this you need knots. Right now you have a huge mess where you attached your falls, it's all glue and tape and thread, we need to cover that up. We may need to do this at the bottom too to cover up the wrap at that end and possibly to help attach a hanging strap or D ring. Now again, we can do a simple wrap, just a piece of leather wrapped around the knot, this is easiest but also has a couple issues. A real 'knot' tightens the falls towards each other so that they bunch a bit, this means that you can't see down through the falls to the end of the handle (which may not be pretty), and that the falls stay together better when the flogger is being used (which is a good thing). The other part is that it leaves the bottom of the fall wrap exposed which means you can see all the behind the scenes things there too. I suggest trying to find a way to wrap your knot in a way that it hides everything and allows you to pull the falls in, maybe with your waxed thread before you make your knot. The fanciest and most common way to finish knots is a turks head knot (Pic 1). This is a braiding technique that makes you want to kill yourself. If you are good at braiding and such it may not be such a big deal for you, if you aren't it can take awhile to pick up. My main problem with it now that I know how to do it is making lace for it, I find the tools you can get to make lace hard to use and you need a hell of a lot of leather as a knot takes around 8 feet of lace. You can buy lace, but it's expensive and hard to color match. If you want to learn how to do a turks head this is the YouTube video I use:

Video name: 9L8B turk's head

Otherwise, get creative. I've used faux fur and a napkin ring in place of turks heads as shown in the pictures, just make sure your falls are gathered in before you add your knot.

And that's it, you've made a flogger! For visuals to help you out this is a YouTube series of videos that helped me:

Video name: Bloomington Kink Flogger Construction Demo 01

Most other videos I've found are poorly made and hard to follow. I like to experiment and try new things, I figure there's no need for me to have 10 of the same flogger, so some of the things I try work better than others, and some I use only once whether they work well or not. There are things I have to relearn because I haven't used it since I made my first one. I also don't work fast, no need when I'm just doing it for me. If you stick to standard techniques and materials and make more than one every 5 months you'll likely improve vastly between flogger 1 and flogger 4. If you have any questions I'll do my best to answer them though god knows teaching a physical skill through written instructions isn't always effective. I know I've left a lot of ground uncovered to keep this readable so let me know if there are some blanks I can fill in.

Balance - To 'balance' a flogger means to make sure it has a good weight
distribution so you don't get tired or injure yourself using it. Many flogger makers take issue with the term 'balance'.

Falls - The strings of material that you hit people with, each strip being one fall.

Knot - The bulky part of the flogger either where the falls connect to the handle, or at the butt end of the flogger.

Lace - Thin strings of leather from 1/16 inch - 1/2 inch wide used for finishing work like braiding.

Oz. - Ounces, the way leather is measured, not referring to weight, but to thickness. Standard cow leathers you buy will be about 1.5 - 3.5 oz., the thicker/heavier hides like buffalo or moose will be 3-6 oz. and veg tan (not for use in floggers usually, more for cuffs and collars) will be 4-8oz.

Throw - Using a flogger, you don't throw it as in release it, but when the falls fly forward you are 'throwing' it.