The Wested I Wanted from the Start!

Castor Dioscuri · Post by **Castor Dioscuri** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:09 pm

Hi Folks,

Just thought I'd announce that after going through four different Indy Westeds of my own, I've finally recieved THE Indiana Jones jacket that I had been gunning for all along, since I began a crusade of my own around this time last year!

Though each of my other Wested all had a little something in them that I really liked, none of them really stood out to me as "Indy" jackets. The last one I ordered, the vegetable tanned leather, had an almost perfect fit for me, but the color, thickness, and certain other details cut that one a bit short of perfection.

However, when I opened that package from Wested, I knew I was in for something of a treat.

Instead of the usual black and gold Wested plastic bag, I found a golden plastic bag inside the envelope. Having just seen "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" not too long ago, I took this to be a sort of premonition...

I held my breath, and pulled it out of the package.

There it was. A novapelle cowhide jacket made to my own specs that I had been tweaking for quite a while. A jacket to die for.

It was nowhere near as heavy as I was expecting. Certainly lighter than a veg-tanned lamb Wested, and maybe just a tad heavier than an authentic lamb. As for the leather? It looked spot on for the Indiana Jones IV publicity stills. Even the color was right!

The texture of the jacket was very different from any of the other jackets, and was more along the lines of a fedora than the other Westeds... I may be exaggerating just a bit, but not by much!

Wested had met just about all of my requests to a tee! I had been so worried after reading the thread "Wested's Custom Becoming Less Custom?", but this totally blew me away.

I of course had to Pecard it almost immediately, which turned out to be a bad idea (or was it?), since the color went from the KOTCS distressed look to what I can only describe as a vintage-black color. I had heard of Pecards darkening leathers, but had never had it happen to my jackets before... but then again, this was no ordinary jacket!

The jacket literally swallowed up all the Pecards standard dressing, with no tackiness left behind. I'm guessing novapelle must be a very dry leather?

Anyway, on to the pictures!

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t167 ... /Front.jpg

Doug C · Post by **Doug C** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:18 pm

CONGRATs it looks great!! Fits perfect too !! What's with the gold lineing though

? Was that something you requested ? Why.. Also, I don't get the use of Pecards on a new jacket at all, but then I don't advocate "conditioning" these jackets hardly ever anyway (put your pitch forks away :evil: ), I think it's overrated. Regardless your jacket is pretty darn sweet!

Doug C

Castor Dioscuri · Post by **Castor Dioscuri** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:23 pm

Thanks Doug! I know many are probably gonna hate the gold lining, and I know it's a feature that is definetly not S.A., but it's a touch that I just couldn't resist adding on just for the sake of personalizing the jacket. It's a silk liner by the way

St. Dumas · Post by **St. Dumas** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:24 pm

Very nice jacket, Castor. Is it an 80's style? Any flaring out under the arms? And where does the collar stand meet the storm flap?

Thanks.

SD

Castor Dioscuri · Post by **Castor Dioscuri** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:26 pm

St. Dumas wrote:Very nice jacket, Castor. Is it an 80's style? Any flaring out under the arms? And where does the collar stand meet the storm flap?

Thanks.

SD

Thanks Dumas! It is an 80's style, and yes, the flying squirrel look is alive and well

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:26 pm

Glad it worked out for you. That leather is something else, huh?

Now, a word about that lining Mr Dioscuri! :!:

St. Dumas · Post by **St. Dumas** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:28 pm

Castor Dioscuri wrote:
St. Dumas wrote:Very nice jacket, Castor. Is it an 80's style? Any flaring out under the arms? And where does the collar stand meet the storm flap?

Thanks.

SD
Thanks Dumas! It is an 80's style, and yes, the flying squirrel look is alive and well

It looks like there'd be minimal flare-out. Probably little or no more than Ford's jacket on the cover of Vanity Fair. I think it's a great cut.

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:48 pm

i've always enjoyed that novapelle option ever since KT promoted it. it definitely looks like great leather and that fits you spot on castor.....length is perfect/sleeves are perfect....perfect wested fit in the body. congratulations my friend.

don't get razzed too much about the gold lining.....i for one think its a classy touch....makes this one distinctive

Mac · Post by **Mac** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:06 pm

Looks great! It's nice that you've gotten exactly what you wanted. Gold liner...hmmm.

How about a closeup of the novapelle?

- Mac

Chevalier Krak · Post by **Chevalier Krak** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:43 pm

The jacket literally swallowed up all the Pecards standard dressing, with no tackiness left behind. I'm guessing novapelle must be a very dry leather

Since novapelle is "buffed to a velvety surface," I imagine the fibers of the grain are raised a fair amount, increasing the surface absorptive characteristics.

coronado3 · Post by **coronado3** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:55 pm

Castor
Could you give us a spec run-down on this new wested?!

C3

PS. I really looks fantastic...

Nebraska Brad · Post by **Nebraska Brad** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 11:04 pm

That looks great! Congratulations. I would like to get a look at your specs.

-Nebraska

IndyK · Post by **IndyK** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 2:16 am

Castor, this is exactly the jacket I am looking to order this very moment! Looks great, but I am a little confused about it... My first Wested was the "ordinary" cowhide, and that was very, very durable and heavy. The next one was a goat, slightly lighter but also thinner.
Now it seems You put the pre-distressed cow just in between the lamb and the goat. Does that mean, that the novapella is a light leather and nowhere near being as durable as the "normal" cowhide or the horse?

Also, do You think the goat is more durable than the novapella?

Cheers
Indy-K

Rundquist · Post by **Rundquist** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 12:44 pm

Go slurp on a lemon, you screen accurate Nazis.

I got my last Expedition with a red lining, made it extra long, and without the “girlie” left sided zipper (just to spite everyone

). Castor’s jacket looks great.

PS-Cowhide sometimes gets a bad rap on this board. Cowhide more than other leathers (from what I’ve seen) can really vary depending on what part of the animal it came from, how it was tanned, and how thin it was skived. I was planning on my next Indy jacket being made out of a “nappa” cowhide. I have a suspicion that the leather I’m going to use is probably similar to Peter’s “novapelle cowhide”. It’s not cheap leather. It runs a bit more than goatskin. I’m a goatskin guy, but novapelle/nappa cowhide gives goatskin a run for it’s money.

Bjones · Post by **Bjones** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 4:21 pm

Looks great. Don't worry about the Pecarding....if you liked the orginal color better, just wait, as it "dries out" it will start to lighten up. To treat it you may have to use a spray

Castor Dioscuri · Post by **Castor Dioscuri** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 12:39 am

Thanks all again! The jacket is breaking in nicely, but one problem has arised... I realized that the jacket is a bit on the short side than what I had asked for, but given that everything else on it fits perfectly, I'm suppose I can let that one flaw go. The only problem is that when I wear a sweater or a long-ish t-shirt underneath, the jacket looks tiny on me.

Already, the original color is coming back to life, but now I realize that I much prefer the darker look somehow...

Dumas, the squirrel effect is minimal, and on this jacket, is pretty much exactly like what you see on that Vanity Fair cover... I don't know, but I always wondered how to get a jacket that fits like Indy's in the Peru Idol scene in Raiders... when he reaches up to fix his hat after grabbing the idol, the jacket doesn't raise an inch. But I suppose that if even Ford's new jacket doesn't work that way anymore, then they just dont make them like they used to...

Mac, you asked for a closeup, so I hope KT won't mind if I borrow a picture he posted earlier:

That's pretty much what mine looked like new. Very 'rusty' looking, and predistressed. However, now it's almost black, and the imperfections are hidden, thanks to Pecards! And thanks for the heads up, dwardeden, since that explains why it feels the way it does (matte-ish and 'furry'), and absorbs pecards the way it does.

Unfortunately, IndyK, I can't really comment on how this leather compares to goat since I've never handled that leather before on a Wested. But I can say that it feels much more drapey and lighter than horsehide, and personally, I wouldn't imagine that it would be a very rugged leather since it is very thin. I always imagined cowhide to be much heavier, so this is a surprise to me. Your best bet is to ask KT Templar though, since he is the expert on all things Wested!

Thanks for the support Indiana G and Rundquist. I always wanted an Indy jacket that would stand out from the crowd, and now I have something that does just that! Really makes it special having that personal touch that even a custom 'tag' won't offer!

I really like your jacket Rundquist, since I'm starting to become a fan of making your jacket work for YOU above all, once you get comfortable with the level of accuracy you want. The extra long even makes it look more Raiders-ish than some of the short Raiders we've seen recently!

And regarding the specs of this jacket, I'm hoping to keep the list of specs to myself, in vain, sad hopes that someday, someone might actually order a Wested with the 'Castor Dioscuri specs'!

I know, I know... but a guy can dream, can't he?

UPDATE

On a related note, while this Wested was an almost complete hit, the second Wested that I had ordered as a Christmas present for a friend (who isn't an Indy fan) was a complete miss. I had asked for drastic changes to the design: I asked for extra small pockets located in the middle of the jacket as opposed to the bottom, and a Minority Report collar. What was recieved was just a standard LC jacket with oversized pockets and none of the requested changes. To their benefit though, Gemma did mention that some of the requested changes might not be met...

Ah well, at least it fits. However, the giant pockets on the baby-doll sized jacket looks very out of place, hence the request for change. My friend seems to like the jacket though, but I'm not sure if this is just out of gratitude. Just a word of warning though, since it does indeed appear that Wested might not be as custom as they once were.

RockBottom · Post by **RockBottom** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 9:44 am

dwardeden wrote:
The jacket literally swallowed up all the Pecards standard dressing, with no tackiness left behind. I'm guessing novapelle must be a very dry leather
Since novapelle is "buffed to a velvety surface," I imagine the fibers of the grain are raised a fair amount, increasing the surface absorptive characteristics.

I had the same experience with mine. I did the Pecards thing three times and every time it was totally absorbed in a few minutes.

IndyK · Post by **IndyK** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 5:55 am

Hi Castor,

- I simply HAVE to bring up this thread again! Everything You say about "the jacket You always wanted" is true!!!

I received my novapella yesterday, and all the hopes I had for it was toned down by myself because I was afraid I would be disappointed when I had the jacket in hand.

But no way! This novapella jacket is everything I always dreamed of. I've had the normal cowhide, I had one of the first goat-jackets and I finally got to the lamb. The lamb is still my "Raiders"-jacket, especially after I distressed it. But the lamb is, though its many qualities, primarily a movie-jacket IMO.

But when I saw the novapella jacket I knew this was the look I had always been searching for and if the feel/drape/weight and leather quality could match the look, then this would be the jacket to end all search. And thats exactly the feeling I have today - It's much thicker than the lamb, it's a lot softer to the feel than normal cowhide and the look of the hide is perfect right out of the bag. No need for pecards here, no need for distressing to get rid of the "plastic-look". It feels a whole lot more durable than lamb and even goat, and even if it isn't as strong as the goat, it's still the feel of the novapella I prefer.

It's great - Thanks to those who recommended it!

And yes, photos will follow

Cheers
Indy-K

rrhanselka · Post by **rrhanselka** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 7:10 pm

Hey, Rundquist.....
What leather is that on your extra-long Expedition. I love it, especially with a red lining.

Randoman

Rundquist · Post by **Rundquist** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:28 pm

rrhanselka wrote:Hey, Rundquist.....
What leather is that on your extra-long Expedition. I love it, especially with a red lining.

Randoman

That a light seal goatskin. Indyblues actually owns the jacket now. I decided to get a jacket one size down. Here it is:

http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?t=27511

The current light seal is a bit lighter than the old.

Cheers

Nobody · Post by **Nobody** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:34 pm

IndyK wrote:even if it isn't as strong as the lamb, it's still the feel of the novapella I prefer.

So is the Novapelle not as strong as the lamb?

Rundquist · Post by **Rundquist** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:44 pm

Nobody wrote:
IndyK wrote:even if it isn't as strong as the lamb, it's still the feel of the novapella I prefer.
So is the Novapelle not as strong as the lamb?

Everything is stronger than lamb. I had a rat belly jacket once. Even it was stronger than lamb.

Novapelle is stronger! Cheers

Nobody · Post by **Nobody** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:00 pm

Thanks, I bet that took alot of rats.

whipwarrior · Post by **whipwarrior** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:05 pm

All these positive reviews of novapelle is giving me high hopes for my new jacket. I'm sitting at the 1-month mark after ordering, so the anticipation is definitely building.

IndyK · Post by **IndyK** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 1:50 am

Nobody wrote:
IndyK wrote:even if it isn't as strong as the lamb, it's still the feel of the novapella I prefer.
So is the Novapelle not as strong as the lamb?

I meant the goat off course! Thanks for pointing out that terrible mistake. I'll try to edit it...

Many fans speaks of the goat as the more durable, even compared to HH sometimes, but what I meant was, that I prefer the novapella even though the goat may be stronger. But I also doubt that goat is tronger, now that I have the novapella in hand

)

Cheers
Indy-K

Castor Dioscuri · Post by **Castor Dioscuri** » Sat May 10, 2008 1:29 pm

Just thought now would be an appropriate time to reminisce about this jacket, since as far as Wested's Indy IV replicas go, I unfortunately have to be all self-congratulatory and say that this jacket based on my specs is the closest you can get!

whipwarrior · Post by **whipwarrior** » Sat May 10, 2008 2:16 pm

Wested's novapelle is a thing of beauty. Or, to quote Indy from Fate of Atlantis: "It's the stuff dreams are made of!"

Mississippi Jones · Post by **Mississippi Jones** » Sat May 10, 2008 2:20 pm

I'm glad to see you supporting Wested's novapelle, Castor. I'm getting ready to order another Wested and I was thinking of getting a novapelle. i want a jacket that's unique, somewhat different but still the same, and a jacket that I can be proud of. Now i'm seriously considering novapelle.

MightyMegs · Post by **MightyMegs** » Tue May 27, 2008 11:09 am

Rundquist wrote:Go slurp on a lemon, you screen accurate Nazis. I got my last Expedition with a red lining, made it extra long, and without the “girlie” left sided zipper (just to spite everyone ). Castor’s jacket looks great.

PS-Cowhide sometimes gets a bad rap on this board. Cowhide more than other leathers (from what I’ve seen) can really vary depending on what part of the animal it came from, how it was tanned, and how thin it was skived. I was planning on my next Indy jacket being made out of a “nappa” cowhide. I have a suspicion that the leather I’m going to use is probably similar to Peter’s “novapelle cowhide”. It’s not cheap leather. It runs a bit more than goatskin. I’m a goatskin guy, but novapelle/nappa cowhide gives goatskin a run for it’s money.

That looks great! I just got off the phone ordering my Expedition. 3 weeks till heaven!