WESTFIELD WHIP MANUFACTURING COMPANY
Westfield, MA - Westfield, MA has the nickname "Whip City". In the late 19th Century most of the population of the town was employed in whip making and they produced tens of thousands of whips a day, dominating the US market for riding and buggy whips. There were over 60 companies involved in the manufacturing of whips, now there is only one left, the Westfield Whip Manufacturing Company.
Above are two of the four 18th century braiding machines in existence or at least in use. There is one against the far wall and the other is just off camera. So this factory is like a museum. I was told the manufacturing process is the same as a hundred years ago, just some of the materials have changed. At one time these braiders were motorized but then converted back to manual so there is better control.
This is a close-up of the inside of one of the braiding machines. The one against the wall braids more plaits(strips) of leather.
Stay tuned for more on Westfield Whip. There is a lot more of interesting information.
Labels: braiding machine, Westfield MA, Westfield Whip
posted by Bill @ 6:38 AM
3 Comments:
I hope the Original Building "Westfield Whip Manufacturing Company" will not be torn down. There is a lot of construction with the new bridge . Is there any concern about the preservation of this beautiful old building?
Helen - When I took these photos the owner said that the building next store was going to be torn down and give her a better view. So from that I don't believe they will tear down this building. BYW - that other building is still standing
Bill
Bill, have you seen the new clock tower in Westfield? There are figurines that come out and are portrayed to make whips on equipment that looks like whiskey barrels. Did you find any barrel manufacturing stations on your tour of the company?
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