Anybody has BOTH TN and Wested Novapelle?

PSBIndy · Post by **PSBIndy** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 10:44 pm

If so, which do you like better as far as fit, color, and style is concerned? I'm contemplating whether to get a TN or Wested CS Novapelle (can't afford both).......from the pictures among the various threads here, they both look great.......hard choice.......is the TN really worth $200+ more than the Wested?

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 11:47 pm

castor's your man. he actually provided me some great details of both while i was waiting for my TN........i asked him if i could have one of them....he said no.....

Han Jones · Post by **Han Jones** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 8:27 am

I have both and in my opinion the Nowak is worth every penny.

PSBIndy · Post by **PSBIndy** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 10:09 am

Why do you think the Nowak is superior to the Wested Novapelle?

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 6:09 pm

TN uses thicker cowhide than wested's novapelle.

Han Jones · Post by **Han Jones** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 6:11 pm

Better lining, stitching, stronger leather, total accuracy, better color. If you are looking for KotCS jacket it is the best. You can tell that differance in quality when you have them side by side. The Nowak is the in my opinion the best indy jacket out there.

TonyRush · Post by **TonyRush** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 6:14 pm

Man that last post makes me more impatient than ever to get my order from Tony Nowak!

Tony

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 6:14 pm

Han Jones wrote:Better lining, stitching, stronger leather, total accuracy, better color. If you are looking for KotCS jacket it is the best. You can tell that differance in quality when you have them side by side. The Nowak is the in my opinion the best indy jacket out there.

....but its not screen accurate......

....i'm just kidding.....i'm stupid, i know........

PSBIndy · Post by **PSBIndy** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:22 pm

Han Jones wrote:Better lining, stitching, stronger leather, total accuracy, better color. If you are looking for KotCS jacket it is the best. You can tell that differance in quality when you have them side by side. The Nowak is the in my opinion the best indy jacket out there.

So, did you sell your Novapelle?

Han Jones · Post by **Han Jones** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:35 pm

No I have not but I have sold a few jackets to order a second Nowak.

PSBIndy · Post by **PSBIndy** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:38 pm

Han Jones wrote:No I have not but I have sold a few jackets to order a second Nowak.

Sorry for my ignorance, but WHY would you need TWO identical Nowaks?

TonyRush · Post by **TonyRush** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:43 pm

I could ask the same question about ordering multiple AB fedoras. But, now that I own an AB Deluxe, I can see why someone might want to order an AB if they want to "distress" it or put Fuller's Earth on it.

Maybe that's the same logic? Order another Tony Nowak for a different "look"?

Tony

Chewie Louie · Post by **Chewie Louie** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:50 pm

I've actually been thinking about buying a second Nowak myself. I love the distressed look Tony gives it, but I would like to know what some Pecard's would make it look like. I spot tested it and it made the distressing blend and disappear. I'm almost certain that's what they did for the movie as the distressing was still visible in many scenes but toned down considerably. I've read that if you do the whole jacket with Pecard's it will change the look and that it is irreversible. (Can anyway with experience weigh in on that?)

Anyway, the jacket is one of the nicest and toughest jackets I have ever owned and/or seen. I can't imagine ever wearing this one out.

Tony wait until you get yours. People can say all they want about the movie, good or bad, but the hat and jacket were fantastic!

PSBIndy · Post by **PSBIndy** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:50 pm

....this hobby is ruining me..

Han Jones · Post by **Han Jones** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 10:42 pm

Chewie Louie wrote: Anyway, the jacket is one of the nicest and toughest jackets I have ever owned and/or seen. I can't imagine ever wearing this one out.

Tony Nowak keeps telling me not to be afraid to wear the jacket. He tells me I can beat it up so I am going to wear it or he might hunt me down and force it on me. I ordered my second a bit different so I could tell them apart. I am sure I am not the only one here to have more than one of each gear peice. I have 10 hats, 7 jackets, 2 whips, 6 bags, four pair of pants, 5 shirts...you get the idea. Like I tell people I have been collecting this stuff for 8 years and the offering keep getting better and better so you just upgrade as you go. Although I can't anyone making a better hat that Steve or a better jacket than Tony. Its a good thing Bernie Pollak has high standards.

Chewie Louie · Post by **Chewie Louie** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 11:15 pm

Han Jones wrote:
Chewie Louie wrote: Anyway, the jacket is one of the nicest and toughest jackets I have ever owned and/or seen. I can't imagine ever wearing this one out.

Tony Nowak keeps telling me not to be afraid to wear the jacket. He tells me I can beat it up so I am going to wear it or he might hunt me down and force it on me. I ordered my second a bit different so I could tell them apart. I am sure I am not the only one here to have more than one of each gear peice. I have 10 hats, 7 jackets, 2 whips, 6 bags, four pair of pants, 5 shirts...you get the idea. Like I tell people I have been collecting this stuff for 8 years and the offering keep getting better and better so you just upgrade as you go. Although I can't anyone making a better hat that Steve or a better jacket than Tony. Its a good thing Bernie Pollak has high standards.

For your second Nowak, did you alter the inscription on the inside, either in color, font size or what it reads?

Castor Dioscuri · Post by **Castor Dioscuri** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 5:24 am

Indiana G wrote:castor's your man. he actually provided me some great details of both while i was waiting for my TN........i asked him if i could have one of them....he said no.....

I thought you had one of each too, G! Besides, no way I'm parting with mine for those magic rocks you were offered me!

But seriously, in my opinion, the only person that can truly offer a fair and subjective answer to this question would be someone who recieved a TN and a Wested CS Novapelle at around the same time, therefore no "new jacket envy" syndrome would be present!

If it helps any, I did recieve my Wested Novapelle around Jan, but that was to my own custom specs (which I've heard that Wested now has discontinued custom specs for the time being), while I got my TN the day of the film's release.

I'll try to be subjective, which should be easy since I love both jackets:

As far as fit is concerned, it really depends. Since Nowak is currently mostly open to anything, you can get a really good fit as long as you can supply good measurements. However, the temptation is there to get screen-accurate measurements (or as close as possible), since it's the closest thing to owning a screen-used prop that most of us will ever come to, which means sacrificing your own personal fit. But if you can overcome this temptation, you're all set. However, do bear in mind that though the body and chest are fitting, the sleeves tend to be baggy unless otherwise requested.

For Wested. since they said they are putting a hold on custom requests, it seems that it really is luck of the draw here. While my Wested perfectly, this was before they announced the (temporary?) end of custom requests.

The color on the Nowak is noticably lighter than the Wested I have, but I've heard that Wested is now using a more screen-accurate color for their Novapelle. However, I personally think that on-screen, the Nowak jacket on Ford looks darker than what we get out of the box, and closer to Wested's Novapelle, perhaps due to the studio's aging techniques. Yet in certain behind-the-scenes photos, it looks closer to what you get out of the box for a Nowak. So it really depends on personal preference I guess.

Compare these two photos for example:

http://www.theraider.net/films/indy4/ga ... ij4_03.jpg
http://www.theraider.net/films/indy4/ga ... /mo_08.jpg

However, the Nowak jacket out-of-the-box still is lighter than any of the shots I've seen, so perhaps a little Pecards is needed? You can get it distressed like the film used jackets, or undistressed like Wested's jackets, which is a plus I suppose. The distressing I mention here is distressing done AFTER the jacket is made, since both Nowak and Wested use hides that have a pre-distressed look. It's just that Nowak goes the extra mile and offers to hand-distress their jackets just like they did for the movie jackets.

Now when it comes to style, I can't really say. Since my Wested Novapelle was based on my own specs (which I guesstimated from the Nowak jacket), it would be unfair to comment here. However, I've read that Wested made a lot of improvements since then to their Indy IV jacket, as far as similarity to the prototype LC jacket is concerned. I suppose that as far as style of these jackets is concerned, they would be more or less identical, since they are trying to replicate the same jacket anyway. Differences here would be more in design, rather than stylistic.

Is the Nowak jacket worth 200 more than a Wested? Only you can answer that.

The Nowak jacket is thicker than the Wested. I'd call the Nowak winter-spring weight, while the Wested seems light enough to use year round. The Nowak is also significantly heavier. Likewise, based on the 'heaviness', I would imagine that perhaps the Nowak would be able to better take a beating than a Wested. However, as far as all around comfort goes, I'd say go for Wested's Novapelle.

Both jackets have an identical chalky, fur-felt feel to them.

Some would contend that the Nowak has the advantage of being the screen-used jacket vendor. Especially considering that KotCS just came out, it would be the same as getting a Leather Concessionaires around the time of Raiders' release, or LC's release. Though they are right, it still is worth mentioning that Wested still was a major player in KotCS, as far as I'm concerned. They were involved behind the scenes, and I'm sure others can elaborate, and more importantly, Botwright was involved with the original trilogy. So it would be like getting a HJ made to resemble an AB, in that you get the both of both worlds.

If film history also plays a big part of this decision for you, you've got to ask yourself if you like the original trilogy better, or if you like the new Indy movie. Because if you hate this new movie and are getting the gear just to say "It was made by so and so...", then it would be the same as being someone who absolutely hates ToD, but has a Cooper's jacket made around the same time. Sure it is historical, but so what if you hate the movie?

I know I've rambled on for long enough, but hopefully this should help a little in narrowing down your decision.

FLATHEAD · Post by **FLATHEAD** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:10 am

In that second picture you posted, with Ford looking at the monitor with
the others, you can tell that the jacket is made of some heavy cowhide.

It looks heavy, thick, and has about zero drape and wrinkles in the
sleeves like the lambskin jackets of the other three movies.

I like the cowhide jackets, as I have a Wings Vintage Cow, but that thing
just hangs on Ford, with no real form to it.

Flathead

Mannie Bothans · Post by **Mannie Bothans** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 11:00 am

Castor Dioscuri wrote: Compare these two photos for example:

http://www.theraider.net/films/indy4/ga ... ij4_03.jpg
http://www.theraider.net/films/indy4/ga ... /mo_08.jpg

That first photo was the shot that made me decide to order the Nowak.

The exact same jacket, under two (slightly) different lighting conditions:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27236920@N ... 359194844/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27236920@N ... 359194844/

I wish someone would just call Tony up and say they wanted to order a jacket with absolutely NO distressing (this could rile him just enough to disclose what they actually did to the screen used jackets). You should tell Tony, "your jackets look too light, they don't look like they looked in the movie. I know they got them wet in the film, but that couldn't be all they did; all the jackets look so much darker than the ones you are selling now." He almost told me what Bernie (et al) did to the jackets on set, but he stopped short each time of disclosing whether they used a water-based lotion, a wax-based dressing, a no-wax creme, or something else. I'd really like someone to to try to tease the info out of Tony.

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:54 pm

castor,

beautiful breakdown and very impartial. nice work my friend.

i have a TN and a wested novapelle X1 jacket. the only comparison i could give is off the material. also, i got to keep these jackets as far apart as i can in the rotation or i'll spear my nice new Fed 4 with my adamantium claws.....

St. Dumas · Post by **St. Dumas** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 3:20 pm

Good post, Castor. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the jackets differ in the placement of the collar on the storm flap.

SD

Castor Dioscuri · Post by **Castor Dioscuri** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 9:59 am

Thanks G and St. Dumas. I try...

Oh, and I think that the storm-flap/collar thing is identical (collar meets storm-flap halfway), but that depends on whether you request it or not, I suppose. Though I would think that it would be standard of a KotCS).

But, yeah G, look on the bright side... At least you don't turn green and mean, and shred your jacket and clothes (except for those purple shorts) everytime you see the gear bill...

Oh and Mannie Bothans? Consider it a done deal. Nowak revealed that the studios use rubbing alcohol and water on set to further distress those jackets, though he doesn't really seem to recommend it.

PSBIndy · Post by **PSBIndy** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 10:29 am

Well, I received my Wested LC Novapelle the other day and it looks and fits fantastic! (see my other thread for pics). I ultimately went with Wested LC Novapelle for 2 main reasons: 1) I didn't like the style and color of the TN jacket compared to Raiders (my Novapelle has that perfect Raiders color right out-of-the-box); 2) I couldn't justify the huge price difference given the subtle difference in leather quality. (Another minor reason is that I didn't enjoy KotCS as much as the original trilogy and didn't like how the jacket looked on Harrison). To me, the original Raiders is THE iconic jacket and the way that it looked (and fit) on Ford is the benchmark....to me, everything else just doesn't measure up.

Anybody has BOTH TN and Wested Novapelle?

Anybody has BOTH TN and Wested Novapelle?

Tony knows what they did to the jackets, but he's not tellin