Hey folks. Applying MK's technique to my new Wested Raiders, and it's coming along pretty well.
The brand new shots were taken outdoors in dappled sunlight and the distressed ones were taken indoors with a flash, but it gives you a general idea of how the jacket is progressing.
What's shown here is only the acetone and sanding...no fullers earth has been applied yet to this jacket:
schwammy wrote:Rab, it's nice to see you posting again. Jacket looks great. I assume it's the new/old Italian leather?
Say, I didn't know you had grass where you live! Somehow I pictured it being all concrete.
Thanks guys! Yeah Schwam...it's the new leather...and it's like Butta. Man...I live in a suburb of NYC...one of the 5 buroughs. It's beautiful here...we've got miles and miles of undeveloped woodland called the Greenbelt. There's plenty of grass and streams and wildlife...even a coupla "mountains". When I get the gear together you'll see some pics of me cracking my whip atop one of our "mountains".
Staten Island is this cool little spot just a ferry ride away from Manhattan. (Or a drive across a few bridges if you've got the courage...or the restraint to not kill others)
Those pics were taken in my back yard.
Beautiful jacket! Did the jacket get the wrinkles in it just by
doing the acetone treatment? Or did you "sit on it" like some
people do.
I have a question for you. Is the collar on your new jacket the
standard width collar that Wested offers? It looks PERFECT
for the jacket! Not to big, not too small.
Also, did you specify any changes from Peters regular patterns
that he offers now?
Thanks again guys. Yeah...I've spent some time breaking it in by crinkling it up, punching it, sitting on it etc. It really does break it in, soften it and seems to bring out the grain.
The collar is indeed a bit smaller than the average Raiders collar (you've got a good eye!) I think it's 2.5 inches at the tips. I had ordered my first Wested with specific slightly smaller measurements for the collar on the advice of one of the members here. (I think it was either Agent5 or Chris King or both of them) They said I'd be better off asking for a bit of a shorter collar, and they were right. I was very happy with the collar on my first Wested.
So...luckily this time around, all I had to do was tell Wested that I wanted the same jacket in the new leather with the new changes.
As to the distressing...we all owe thanks to MK for showing us the light. I have to honestly say that it was...and still is...his Wested Lamb that I've always wanted to emulate ever since I first saw the pics of it on his website. I've got a bootleg Raiders DVD, and freeze frames definitely show MK's jacket to be the closest I've ever seen in appearance to the movie jacket:
schwammy wrote:
Say, I didn't know you had grass where you live! Somehow I pictured it being all concrete.
Schwammy, that's funny. I think we think alike because when I first saw the pics with grass, that was my first thought as well. I have imagined Rab living in this tall building like what you see in movies set in NYC.
That WAS a great looking jacket... Oh well... I hate predistressing so it made me a bit naucious in my stomach... but everyone has got his own taste ofcourse. Enjoy it!
schwammy wrote:
Say, I didn't know you had grass where you live! Somehow I pictured it being all concrete.
Schwammy, that's funny. I think we think alike because when I first saw the pics with grass, that was my first thought as well. I have imagined Rab living in this tall building like what you see in movies set in NYC.
LOL! Nothing could be farther from the truth. Manhattan is a great place to visit...the greatest city in the world IMHO...but I wouldn't live there. It's great to be 10 minutes away from it. But my apartment is on a great tree-lined suburban street...and we have lotsa grass. (Although, looking at those pics...the grass in my backyard could use some attention. )
I'll tell you though...the rent is almost as bad here. You guys would fall over if you knew what a person has to pay for an apartment here. And forget about BUYING. It's a travesty.
And Doctor_Jones... I hope your comment helps to spark the Distressing debate again. I love it when that topic pops up...but it does have a tendency to get a thread locked down. So...you're a "Pristine" guy or are you a "natural distress" guy?
Nicely doen Rabbittooth. I LOVE the patine(sp?) of the leather, the look is truely amazing. You really should start contracting your services out.
Funny, I was always envious of the way your gear looked back in the day, and am moreso now - great job.
Looks awsome Rich, did a fine job. I hope you are coming to QM this year, I would like to see your new jacket, hopefully I will have my new A-2 from Flight Suits by then.
Ok, Rab, don't make me lock this topic down with your prompting the crowd to distress their gear. Nice looking job, even if it IS artifical distressing at it's best. High regards, and I'm ALSO tickled to see you posting again! Welcome back, old friend! Michaelson
Thanks guys. No comments about me tickling Michaelson please!
It really is great to be back, and I'm having alot of fun all over again. Talked to Lee last night and ordered all the leather acouterments. Man...he's a cool cat...it was great to talk to him again. Hopefully the costume will look just as good, if not better this time.
Thanks for the warm words guys.
Now if I can only get MK's seal of approval on the jacket...I'll be a happy camper. (hint hint)
Moving right along, Rab. Very nice, indeed. The first thing I noticed looking at your pics was the smaller collar. Sadly, it's one of the things that was overlooked on my new lamb. I asked for a smaller collar and got the standard. SIGH! Do you by chance have any bunching up of leather right under where that back panel meets the shoulder seam? When I have it on unzipped it's very flappy there. I'm guessing (since I'm not a tailorer) that if the back panel was moved up more like in Raiders it may solve this. I guess Peter's got to give me the final word. I've got to send it back for repairs. My other 2 Westeds didn't do this at all.
Rabittooth wrote:And Doctor_Jones... I hope your comment helps to spark the Distressing debate again. I love it when that topic pops up...but it does have a tendency to get a thread locked down. So...you're a "Pristine" guy or are you a "natural distress" guy?
You've definitely raised the bar with this jacket! That is one of the finest artificial distressing jobs I've EVER seen! Was there a special pattern you followed or did you just put the acetone on a rag and wipe? Also, where did you use the sandpaper? On the seams? Thanks.
MK wrote:
I have been lazy and have yet to age my authentic lamb. I was thinking of just waiting......but I might just have to go for it.
A Suggestion...Distressing it at the QM while (giving us a live-action tutorial lesson on the MK acetone distressing method) would rock!
That is an excellent idea ITG! People are always asking me how to do it and feel the words are not enough. I will do it if there is enough interest and if time permits. How much time I can be there is TBD becuase of my baby. Also.....it is a time consuming process. Perhaps I can show the basic steps then the end result online. We will see.
MK, maybe Pyroxene would be willing to video it like he did with Sebastian's whipcracking at the Texas Summit last August. That'd be a great addition to the site (IMO).
What'll it cost us to see you take one swipe at that lamb with an acetone-soaked paper towel? Better yet! How about souvenir photographs? Careful though, I hear Fuller's Earth is hard as heck to remove from one's moustache!
Or, I could sit ouside the door with a tub of Pecards, offering to help folks return their jackets BACK to the way they were! (I can see it now, the police get a tip there's a meth lab somewhere on the QM, and burst in, finding a waiting crowd in a cabin, in the middle a shifty eyed bearded gentleman wearing a fedora, holding an acetone soaked rag and guilty look on his face. ) Regards. Michaelson
p.s. Well, Brady, guess we'd have to go on that 'ghost tour' again. That in-rushing water was the only 'distressing' I'd care to indulge in myself. (grins)
Well, Brady, guess we'd have to go on that 'ghost tour' again. That in-rushing water was the only 'distressing' I'd care to indulge in myself. (grins)
You got it buddy! Although, I think you could save your money; It seems the thought of acetone and paper towels is more scary to you than a "haint" infested steamship!
Could be, my friend. I'm just afraid the Sergei may light up one of his stogies during the demo and blow the cabin out to sea. I'd rather be down in the hull dodging haints than putting a fire out in my moustache, if you know what I mean. (grins) 8-[ Regards. Michaelson
Michaelson wrote:Or, I could sit ouside the door with a tub of Pecards, offering to help folks return their jackets BACK to the way they were! (I can see it now, the police get a tip there's a meth lab somewhere on the QM, and burst in, finding a waiting crowd in a cabin, in the middle a shifty eyed bearded gentleman wearing a fedora, holding an acetone soaked rag and guilty look on his face. ) Regards. Michaelson
p.s. Well, Brady, guess we'd have to go on that 'ghost tour' again. That in-rushing water was the only 'distressing' I'd care to indulge in myself. (grins)
Personally, I'd like to think of you more as the "Michaelsonator..." dark sunglasses, black leather Indy, with a Supersoaker full of Molten Pecards....
Ya made me laugh out loud today! (grins) Hummm, that would be one sure way to get tossed off the top of one of the funnels, wouldn't it? Guess I better not, but that's definitely an idea! High regards. Michaelson
See...I distress my jacket...and THEN MK decides to do a demonstration.
Just my luck. I always do / buy just before something better or easier presents itself.
I'd just like to jump in here and say that i got to see the Rab's jacket first hand at my prop party last weekend.
If it's possible, it's actually better than the photos show. The coloring is just excellent...very gray-brown looking. Very Raiders, to my eye. I've been hedging on getting the authentic lamb for some time and i think i'm sold now! (Wested number three for me!)
And to top it all off, Richie's a good guy and got a nice girlfriend to boot!
Thanks for the kind words Tom. The party was great and folks...being at Tom's place is like being a kid in a candy shop. I think my dazed expression of wonderment at everthing I saw made some folks chuckle behind my back...but good-naturedly.
Amazing huh??
The best part is...Tom managed to teach me that reversal on the bullwhip I've been beating the snot out of myself trying to learn.
Can't waitfor the next one ...whiskey? !
That's his house? It's like a museum. I can only dream to be able to decorate like that. My mom complains when she comes over to my place about all the action figures and such that I have out. You should have seen her face when she saw the lifesize bust I have of Harrison Ford sitting next to my entertainment center. She'd freak if my place looked like ...whiskey's, but I love what he did with his place.
And that's just the pics of the stuff in ...whiskey?'s basement. There were whole rooms of other amazing things...including a guy who brought his KITT car...from Knightrider. The thing was amazing....the flashing light in the front, it played the theme and the interior was exact to the show. It also "spoke". Astounding.
...Whiskey? has also got alot of actual screen used props there in his basement from alot of movies including ToD. The sword, bow , beetle and monkey head you see in those pics are screen-used items! Just to name a few. The deitrich head is a cast from the original mould I think. Very sweet.
His hat is an HJ (and a ###### fine one at that!!) and the jacket is a Wested. I was extremely impressed...as you might imagine.
Rabittooth wrote:my dazed expression of wonderment at everthing I saw
I had this same expression just looking at the pics! Awesome display ...whiskey?! Rab, did he do these props himself, or was everything purchased. I've longed to build my own R2-D2... His R2-D4 unit looks incredible.
Mike wrote:
Rab, did he do these props himself, or was everything purchased. I've longed to build my own R2-D2... His R2-D4 unit looks incredible.
Mike
Tom is an extraordinarily talented guy from sculpting and painting to paper props...so a great number of those props you see there were indeed done by him I believe. The sandperson is practically from scratch...I know that for sure.
Other items are screen-used, as I said. He's a very talented guy. I only wish I'd seen the life-size Wampa he did. I've seen the pix of it and it was astounding...but he sold it.
)
So...you're a "Pristine" guy or are you a "natural distress" guy?
) Regards. Michaelson
Nice job!
