My first Wested pics and a few questions...

Cloud Jones · Post by **Cloud Jones** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 1:27 am

Here are the links to the pics, I hope they work:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/ ... et0006.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/ ... et0007.jpg

Sorry for the horrible quality, had some trouble finding decent lighting.

Specs:

Raiders style
Distressed cowhide
Xbox stitching on side straps
Snaps on the storm flap (although the receiving snaps are missing-it doesn't bother me though)
Two inside pockets, extra pocket with zipper, standard pocket grail-size, no zipper.
Cotton body lining, cotton sleeves.

I was wondering what I should condition it with. I've read through some past threads and Pecards seems to be what everyone suggests and swears by. My only concern is that it will cancel out the distressed look of the jacket. What has been everyones experience with Pecards on the distressed cows?

My other question is concerning tapered sleeves. I forgot to request them and am now finding the sleeves to be a little on the "baggy" side-but baggy or not, I can live with it and I'm afraid that if I send it back to get tapered sleeves I may be disappointed with the irreversable outcome. So for those that have owned both tapered and straight sleeved Wested's, which do you prefer?

I also wanted to thank all the regulars here, and everyone else. Browsing through past threads answered every question I had before I placed my order. This forum was a great help.

Hemingway Jones · Post by **Hemingway Jones** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 8:43 am

I can't really help you with the Pecard question or the sleeve question, because, to tell the truth, I don't even know which sleeves I have. But, I would like to say, that is a very nice looking jacket -though I would like to see it on. I had always wondered what the distressed cowhide looked like and now I know. I would buy one of these. I think it's nice. If you have a chance, please post additional pictures with you wearing it.
Thanks,
HJ

JAN · Post by **JAN** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 9:13 am

I was wondering what I should condition it with.

Sandpaper, a brick and maybe acetone (however predistressed
hide hardly needs acetone)

About the tapered sleeves, I can´t help You. I have "only" got regular
on my Wested jackets.

Nice jacket by the way - lets see it on

Best regards

JAN

Shawnkara · Post by **Shawnkara** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 12:52 pm

I have the straight sleeves on my Wested Raiders. But to be honest I've always wished they were just a bit tapered. I've always believed Indy's to be a little tapered. And I had a ToD wested years ago with tapered sleeves. My advice, go out and try on some leather jackets with plain, tapered cuffs. Maybe take your Wested with you, put one arm in each jacket and study them side-by-side. See what you like best. If they do need to be taken in a little to suit your taste it likely wouldn't be more than 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. I would think any competent tailor could handle that as opposed to shipping all the way back to the UK. Hope that helps.

Feraud · Post by **Feraud** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 1:05 pm

That is a nice looking jacket. My Raiders style Wested has straight sleeves. I considered the tapered sleeve because I have worn a few jackets with sleeves that I do not like. Other than a minor issue with length I would not require a tapered sleeve.
Are the sleeves baggy? I suggest wearing the jacket then re-consider the sleeve question. Post a couple of pics with you wearing the jacket.

Post by **Michaelson** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 1:08 pm

Pecards will affect the distressing as it's replacing the moisture lost by the leather in the distressing/cracking process. If you use standard dressing or the jell, it will darken up pretty good. If you're wanting to condition but not lose that much in terms of color, use the 'motorcyle leather lotion', which is water based. Once it dries, it will not leave the leather quite as dark as the oil based standard products. Regards. Michaelson

eddie vader · Post by **eddie vader** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 1:26 pm

Nice jacket!

My predistressed cowhide needed the Pecard's dressing so that it would look darker. From what I can tell in the photos, it looks like Wested is not distressing them as much as they used to. Mine was a very light color when I received it and the Pecard's worked great in darkening it up a bit.

E. Vader

Indiana Texas-girl · Post by **Indiana Texas-girl** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 7:19 pm

Yeah, I think the current PD cows are darker. Pecards will darken it but I love how mine looks with Pecards on it.

Indiana Croft · Post by **Indiana Croft** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 8:05 pm

Nice lookin jacket my friend, it does seem that Westeds distress cow has changed over the years. My first Wested was distressed cow (check out the pics) and I loved that jacket, still do. But since getting my Auth goat I hardly wear it any more. Been kickin the idea of selling it.

I owned it for about 3 years before discovering COW. Since I never treated it and here I had a new jacket I thought what the heck I'll treat them both. At first it darkened up big time, but after awhile it lightened back up.
Check em out.
Croft
http://public.fotki.com/IndianaCroft/my ... ket_1.html

http://public.fotki.com/IndianaCroft/my ... acket.html

J_Weaver · Post by **J_Weaver** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 8:10 pm

Indy Croft, I love how your jacket doesn't have the facing along the inside of the zipper. In fact I've been kicking around the idea of ordering my next Wested without it. To me all it does it add weight and effect the drape of the jacket. That cow is great looking, but it would need to be a little darker to suit my taste.

Panama Tom Jr. · Post by **Panama Tom Jr.** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 8:12 pm

My Wested has tapered sleeves and I was pretty happy with the result - I've heard from many that the standard sleeve can have your wrist swimming in it - I've only ever had the tapered and have no complaints. Of course, you may want consider what kind of shirts you will be wearing underneath, as thicker shirts and/or sweaters may work better with standard sleeves...

eaglecrow · Post by **eaglecrow** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 4:05 pm

I'm wearing a distressed cow quit a while.

This is what it look like after giving it a coat of pecards:

You might leav the areas untreated which you want lighter and it will get a very good look. I really like the precow, but I might swop it with a regular cow someday

ob1al · Post by **ob1al** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 4:29 pm

My other question is concerning tapered sleeves. I forgot to request them and am now finding the sleeves to be a little on the "baggy" side-but baggy or not, I can live with it and I'm afraid that if I send it back to get tapered sleeves I may be disappointed with the irreversible outcome. So for those that have owned both tapered and straight sleeved Wested's, which do you prefer?

Honestly mate, I wouldn't go to the trouble with ordering tapered sleeves. I've owned jackets with and without this design feature and the jackets without always look closer to the screen used jackets, in my estimation.

There is a propensity to overcomplicate matters with regard to jacket detail - I am guiltier than most in this regard I think - every now and then, some very beneficial progression can come of that tendency for overcomplicating, but on the whole I would offer my opinion that that the current, basic off the shelf design is very good.

That is a very nice looking jacket you have there! It looks perfect to me.

Wear it well!

Regards

Al

jeff · Post by **jeff** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 12:07 am

Indiana Croft wrote:Nice lookin jacket my friend, it does seem that Westeds distress cow has changed over the years. My first Wested was distressed cow (check out the pics) and I loved that jacket, still do. But since getting my Auth goat I hardly wear it any more. Been kickin the idea of selling it.

Hi IndyCroft, can I ask how your 3 year old distressed cow has lasted - strength/durabily wise?

One thing I'm worried about is the distressing weakening the leather. Indeed, I have another (non-indy) pre-distressed leather (cow) jacket that is very fragile - got a nice gash in it within a month of owning it. $20 professional leaher repair later, it looks great, but now I'm paranoid about the jacket.

Deadlock · Post by **Deadlock** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 9:18 am

In regards to tapered sleeves...

I ordered my jacket from Wested over the phone. When I was talking to Jerry, I asked about the tapered sleeves. He responded that they already ARE tapered. He said that I could ask for them to be tapered more, but that I might run the risk of them being too snug (I had told him that I planned on layering the jacket).

Now, my arms are pretty lean, so I just crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. When the jacket arrived, the sleeves were just fine (even if I'm only wearing short sleeves). The cuff diameter (not huge by any means) was very similar to the off-the-rack mall obscenity that I had been wearing previously.

Indiana Croft · Post by **Indiana Croft** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 3:01 pm

Hi Jeff, welcome to the world were insanity rein's supreme, aka the world of COW.

You wrote:

Hi IndyCroft, can I ask how your 3 year old distressed cow has lasted - strength/durabily wise?

When I purchased my Auth Goat I sent my Dis cow jacket along for two reasons 1) for sizing. 2) to have the liner replaced. It was fraying at the bottom of sleeves do to my watch and the liner was fraying in several areas on the inside do to me waering the heck out of it, I had been looking for this jacket for a long time and actully found it through a site called "X marks the spot" Other than that she's held up beautifuly, cow hide is very durable, next to the goat I belive its stronger, any one pipe in if I have it backward. Unless you count that has little bit of the demon roll to the top of the jacket were the clollar and jacket meet. I've had no complqaints, maybe a little warm in the summer, but hey Indy wore his in the desert.
See pic.
(don't mind the hat though, taper!!! what taper!)

http://public.fotki.com/IndianaCroft/my ... acket.html
Croft

Hemingway Jones · Post by **Hemingway Jones** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 3:11 pm

Croft,
This should be your new avatar!

guitone · Post by **guitone** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 3:39 pm

I like the drape of the cow..maybe the goat will break in exactly the same, still it looks very good.

Indiana Croft · Post by **Indiana Croft** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 8:10 pm

Hemingway Jones wrote:

Croft,
This should be your new avatar!

That would be kool, but I don't have the savey on how to do it.
Croft

4-16-05 Yea it worked, kool.
Croft

Cloud Jones · Post by **Cloud Jones** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 1:11 am

Thanks for all the input guys.

I think I may wait on sending mine back to get tapered sleeves for now. "Baggy" may have been an overstatement on my part, but the "swimming wrists" description was a pefect description of my Wested.

I'm still undecided on what Pecards to use. At first I was going to take Michaelsons (sp) advice with the water based Pecards, but the pic someone posted of their precow with the regular Pecards looked really nice, so I'm not sure which I'll end up getting. Am I doing any damage to it in the mean time by having no conditioners on it? I have noticed it has gotten lighter since I've had it, which I assume is an indication it's drying out.

About pics with it on me, I used my bro in-laws cam, so I don't really have convenient access to a cam or I would post one.

Thanks again for the advice.

Indiana Texas-girl · Post by **Indiana Texas-girl** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 10:18 am

Use the basic Pecards on the pre distressed cow...the color it darkens too is amazing. It doesn't stay that dark forever though. You'll want to pecard it every few months or every six months or so.