The active production of whips has been engaged in since 2009, when, as a member of the folk group Hatalovčan, he set out to make this ancient shepherd’s tool for the needs of stage performance. He had not encountered an active whip maker in Zemplín or in the Košice region, so he embarked on a study of literature.
He made the first whip from cords, which were more accessible and cheaper than leather straps (lashes). The whip was functional, which encouraged him to delve even deeper into the issue. He came across the book of master folk artisan Tibor Galgóczy, Pastoral Art of the Užska Region. As the chairman of an agricultural cooperative in Veľké Kapušany, he had experienced herders of cattle who mastered the art of whip weaving, and he captured much about this issue. While in other parts of Slovakia, whips were mostly woven with 4 lashes and started from the thick end, in Zemplín, they traditionally also wove with 4 lashes, but starting from the thin end, and after weaving about 20 cm, the lashes were cut in half and further on to the end, the weaving was done with eight lashes. It is said that the more lashes woven, the smoother and easier the cracking sound is formed.
The production of Zemplín whips is specific in other aspects as well. For example, the upper part of the whip above the grip was ornately wrapped with leather, in many ways. Discovering them is still a great motivation for Ján Ihnát in his creation. He is also attracted to inlaying the whip handle with beef bone, which again draws on traditional surroundings.
In delving into the issue of whip production, he gained valuable advice from master craftsmen such as Peter Blah from Banská Bystrica and Jozef Ďuráči from Trenčín, in addition to literature. In Zemplín, he also carried out his own field research and even reached shepherd pockets. Here, too, he had to resort to studying archives, as there were no pockets in the Zemplín field. From museum pieces, he adopted the method of decorating with embossing on moistened leather with the help of a wooden stick. He creates patterns in lines, combining embossing with motifs from metal stamps (semicircles, crescents, etc.). With shepherd pockets, he also mastered the decorative method of layering leather. He punches the pockets with brass nails, but more sparingly than was customary in the traditional shepherd tradition of central Slovakia.
In making whips and pockets, he is a traditionalist. He sews the pockets by hand with a needle and thread or a leather strap stitch also used in whip weaving. As a retiree who is not dependent on product sales, he has a broad space for creation and contemplation. His goal is not only to produce, but also to discover new historical or technological connections, realizing today’s wide possibilities of connecting or shaping leather.