I love camels, although I haven't had as much opportunity as I would have liked to ride them. There is a tremendous difference between riding a camel and a horse. Camels really are 'ships of the desert' and the motion a camel makes is very similar to that of a small boat riding the waves. I always found it at once extremely exhilarating and relaxing.
Despite the fact that I have no camels of my own, hope springs eternal and I have a few camel saddles and whips.
This camel whip caught my fancy for a number of reasons. It dates from the period of the First World War, and purportedly was made from Italian military ordnance. Without recalling the precise terminology of the 'ramrod' piece, it was used to prepare artillery weapons for firing.
An enterprising artist (and/or camel driver) used the ramrod as a basis for a camel whip. The copper rod itself is concealed within a flexible woven metal sheath. To the end of this, a Tunisian silver coin was sautered. A short hand-braided copper wire 'tail' was welded to the ensemble, creating a very effective whip.
