When did your SA gear ruin your close enoughs?

gmarthe · Post by **gmarthe** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 6:44 pm

A little history. I have been an Indy fan since I was a kid but never had the idea about getting any SA gear (or money for that matter). About 2 1/2 years ago I took the plunge and bought my first piece of gear - an Authentic MK VII and a bag strap. It was a functional piece of gear and I secretly had the "Raiders" theme in my head whenever I wore it. I got a few compliments and was always ready to explain the origin of my getting the bag. Then I need a pair of gloves so I thought "might as well get an Indy pair" while I work in the yard. I of course have several " close enough" shirts and pants. Then I bought a web belt and a hat. As most of you know I recently bought a US wings jacket (which some may argue isn't SA - but let's put that aside). Now I am looking at my other gear in a different light. Maybe my "close enough" stuff kind of cheapens the good stuff. The voices are in my head...

"Maybe I should get a "real" hat. I could always wear it with my suit."
"Aldens aren't THAT expensive."
" I could find a good use for a bullwhip to do something around the house."
and worst of all
"I should get a second jacket, just to have."

So tell me what piece of gear made you go "All in"?

IndyWannaBee · Post by **IndyWannaBee** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 6:45 pm

Jacket!

Actually edit that! Bullwhip! After I started cracking the thing I knew I had to go SA!

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 6:49 pm

for me, it started out with the wpg bag..........after that, i had to have multiple items of every piece of gear there is..........STUPID BAG!!!

Neolithic · Post by **Neolithic** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 6:57 pm

.. fellas, read up on the 'Diderot Effect'.
That's what is happening to you guys.

PyramidBlaster · Post by **PyramidBlaster** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:03 pm

It all started with a jacket...And oddly enough, it 'ended' with it today, too....

I've been a fan for 27 years, but never put in the time to really put together the 'real' outfit. I had a freebie jacket made from Black cowhide from a vendor...For my recent 'close'enough' Halloween outfit. Really a nice jacket, but WAY too big...And no patch pockets. Of course, the company logo on the front, although small (and henceforth dyed black) bugged me, too. I couldn't fit my 'old' close-enough G-8, so I figured...I'm gonna need a jacket-this simply won't do!

Then it started to bug me. I started some research, and I realized that although I've been an Indyfan since I was 10...The first film in 19 years was coming, and my gear was a little shabby for a lifelong Fan. So I plotted out an entire outfit. I figured I 'owed' it to myself...Let's face it, we probably won't get this opportunity again...And I couldn't do this for the first 3 films, I was young and broke...

I just got the jacket today---a G&B expedition. It's the last piece in a 'complete' outfit---I've been piecing it together for two months. I made the Gunbelt, Whip, Whipholder, Holster, and Bag Strap. Not too shabby.

And it hasn't ended. I'm already waiting on a second hat, boots, and pants. Guess this is an all new hobby....

Of course, I have anti-'Diderot Effect' protection...She's called my wife...

...She'll let me know in no uncertain terms when I've had enough...For now...

gmarthe · Post by **gmarthe** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:05 pm

So you're saying I have to remodel my whole house now?

I don't think the wife will approve.

whipwarrior · Post by **whipwarrior** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:09 pm

Nothing new there, friend. Believe me, that sentiment chews at your self confidence until you cave in and buy the absolute real thing. Eventually you wind up with the end-all be-all of Indy gear (Wested, DM, Aldens, Herbert Johnson), while your bank account shrivels up and dies like a banana in the sun. But it feels oh so satisfying when you reach the end. Trick is deciding when enough is enough, and then living with it.

My journey will end this year when I open the coveted big white box from Mississippi. That will be my CS fedora to top off my new outfit. After that, I'm out (and my check book can breathe a great sigh of relief).

Fink · Post by **Fink** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:10 pm

Neo, meaning new and litic... i..t..h..i..c, meaning stone.
Sorry…! D..i..d..e..r..o...t, meaning what?

Uh, nevermind! http://www.humboldt1.com/~bri/diderot.htm

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:52 pm

I have to say the hat. I was never very happy over the twenty some odd years of hats I have owned. I finally feel happy with the hat I'm wearing (the Adventurebilt ). thank you Steve and Marc for being picky about the hat as we all are.
I don't all the gear. Like pants , shirt or shoes. Just what ever of these items that I just happen to have that will fill in. I'm not so SA but for the "raiders hat." It's always been about that bloody hat.

Tron7960 · Post by **Tron7960** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:15 pm

When I got my Alden's my wife said, "those are nice".

When I ordered my Wested she said " did you need another leather jacket?"

Then she asked if I ordered a hat, and I said "I don't really need one".

She said "You might as well order it".

After that I pretty much had no choice but to complete the gear (oxymoron = complete + gear ).

Tron

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 8:53 am

whipwarrior wrote: My journey will end this year when I open the coveted big white box from Mississippi. That will be my CS fedora to top off my new outfit. After that, I'm out (and my check book can breathe a great sigh of relief).

I tend to remember reading a letter from a young man many years ago saying exactly the same thing when he got his first Morgan whip. I wonder what ever happened to that guy?

HIGH regards, old friend!

Michaelson

Montana Plains · Post by **Montana Plains** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:14 am

gmarthe wrote:So you're saying I have to remodel my whole house now? I don't think the wife will approve.

She's only saying that because she's not screen accurate.

Just Kidding!

gmarthe · Post by **gmarthe** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:31 am

She is definitely more Raiders screen accurate than ToD or LC. I guess it's one close enough I'll have to live with.

whipwarrior · Post by **whipwarrior** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:08 pm

I tend to remember reading a letter from a young man many years ago saying exactly the same thing when he got his first Morgan whip. I wonder what ever happened to that guy?

He discovered that a 12-foot Indiana Jones whip isn't nearly as practical (or fun) to wield as an 8-footer.

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:13 pm

Minnesota Jones · Post by **Minnesota Jones** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:19 pm

gmarthe wrote:As most of you know I recently bought a US wings jacket (which some may argue isn't SA - but let's put that aside). Now I am looking at my other gear in a different light. Maybe my "close enough" stuff kind of cheapens the good stuff. The voices are in my head...

As I keep posting in these boards... the US Wings/Cooper jacket may have been tweaked slightly from it's "Screen Accurate" ToD Days, but it's still a fantastic Indy Jacket made by an Original Vendor who supplied them for Temple of Doom. And in this hobby, that's what 99% of us are happy with anyway.

Wear it with pride my friend!

Bruce Wayne · Post by **Bruce Wayne** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:17 pm

when did close enought become not good enough for me? when i found this site...

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 7:31 pm

bruce wayne wrote:when did close enought become not good enough for me? when i found this site...

On most things I would agree but I was never happy with the hats I had. When I found this place is I found Steve aka Fedora and the Adventurebilt and finally happy with a hat.

CM · Post by CM » Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:20 am

Minnesota Jones wrote:
gmarthe wrote:As most of you know I recently bought a US wings jacket (which some may argue isn't SA - but let's put that aside). Now I am looking at my other gear in a different light. Maybe my "close enough" stuff kind of cheapens the good stuff. The voices are in my head...
As I keep posting in these boards... the US Wings/Cooper jacket may have been tweaked slightly from it's "Screen Accurate" ToD Days, but it's still a fantastic Indy Jacket made by an Original Vendor who supplied them for Temple of Doom. And in this hobby, that's what 99% of us are happy with anyway. :) Wear it with pride my friend!

You know, I agree with that. I don't have a USW but I reckon it looks pretty good. I used to be a bit ticked off with Wested because they said that theirs was the actual design, when on closer inspection, it wasn't. But in the end, it's just a jacket and all of them these days are pretty close to the spirit of Indy. And that's probably more important than stitches and zippers and other details. We know HF wore slightly different designs in the same role, so why can't we?

Cassidy · Post by **Cassidy** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:17 am

I can only imagine how daunting it must be to come into the hobby now, where everything is pretty much nailed spot-on by one vendor or another.

You go from a Dorfman Pacific to this place and, boy oh boy, is your wallet in for a shock.

Several years ago we had to settle for a lot of "close enough" gear and it wasn't until the pioneers in the hobby (whom we should all thank from time to time and remember who did all the hard work to get to this point) started digging and questioning and digging some more that we have great gear now.

As I reflect back I think of many, many debates about screen accuracy and how I wanted to look as much like Indy as possible. Whether or not this is a logical progression in the psyche of a gearhead or not, I don't know, but at some point all it comes down to is fun.

Can you put on your DP fedora and have an adventure and feel like Indy? Isn't that what this is all about? Isn't it better to feel like Indy than look exactly like him?

Minnesota Jones · Post by **Minnesota Jones** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 9:49 am

CM wrote:But in the end, it's just a jacket and all of them these days are pretty close to the spirit of Indy. And that's probably more important than stitches and zippers and other details. We know HF wore slightly different designs in the same role, so why can't we?

Exactly. All 3 of the big vendors (Wested, USWings, Flightsuits) as well as the "new kids on the block" (Todd's Costumes, Magnoli) all make a great "Indy Jacket" - notice I said Indy Jacket and not truck chase jacket, or motorcycle chase jacket, etc. They all have the "look" of an Indy jacket (bucket cuffs, action pleats, adjustment straps, cargo pockets with handwarmers, etc) - all the proper details that make an Indy Jacket an Indy Jacket. If they didn't, we wouldn't support them, period. Within these 5, you can probably have any jacket made in any leather to your hearts content. Whether an off the rack, or custom job (if you're into exact details). Rest assured, all 5 of these vendors make great stuff, and we're proud to support and endorse them here at IndyGear.

When did your SA gear ruin your close enoughs?

When did your SA gear ruin your close enoughs?

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