FINALLY ordered my Wested Custom Raiders...

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:10 pm

OK

I called today, Spoke to gemma again, and she informed me that my jacket has shipped.

"order #80XX?"

"Yes."

"Do you have a tracking number so I can follow it?"

"No, we should have it tomorrow"

So, that's the story as of today...

I imagine that to mean that the jacket was packaged when I called, but not picked up yet, so not scanned into the shipping computer. Seems reasonable to me.

I guess I'll check in a couple days for a tracking number, if I don't have it already.

The saga continues...

indy1936 · Post by **indy1936** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:17 pm

Can't wait to see how it turns out!

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:20 pm

YOU can't wait?!?!

I've been waiting since 1981 for this jacket!

I have high hopes it will be the jacket of "my dreams".

I will be sure to post pictures once I receive it, of course.

indy1936 · Post by **indy1936** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:34 pm

I hope all of the specs you asked for are included. I am looking at ordering another raider's style too.

By the way did you include any reference photos? Did you order on the Wested site and then send the photos in email?

Thanks!

EchoSix · Post by **EchoSix** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:43 pm

She's not known for her linguistic skills, is she?

She's very quick to answer though... Very short, quick answers. No embellishment and no hand holding.

Unlike Peter, who'll talk your ear off if you let him.

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:50 pm

No offense to Gemma (she's a sweetheart), but I prefer to speak with Peter. He seems to know his business.

I have a gut-feeling that my specs have been met for the most part.

I'm sure SOMETHING will not be perfectly SA (beyond what I changed from what is considered SA) but I am OK with that. I hope it is perfect, but I understand the demands we place on Peter can be a bit crazy...

I sent photos of a jacket Peter made recently to illustrate the details I described, and would like to see on mine. I also included several scren grabs of the yoke seam placement. That is the detail that may not be met, but I won't cry (too hard) if they miss that. I did not ask for anything that Peter has not done before.

Basically, I asked for Playton's pockets (scaled up a bit for my size), no facings, 1.5 inch pleats. (and of course the back length and sleeve length are defined). The zip is a standard 5-gage nickel one. No weak aluminum, and if I break the 5-gage zip, I will lilkley replace it with an 8-gage; possibly even a 2-way 8-gage to completely blow "SA" out of the water. We'll see how it holds up to my abuse...

The zipper will not go to the botom either. I decided this based on a converstion I had with Peter somewhere along the way. According to him (and he's the guy getting jackets back for repair) it is stronger if it is up from the botom seam a bit (My Schott is this way as well). Since Ford switched jackets so much during filming, it is quite likley that both a full lenghth as well as 'short' zip would have been used for filming. Perhaps not 'seen' but on film anyway.

The leather will be Horse Hide. I think my jacket will be more of a 'real' adventure jacket that looks an awful lot like the elusive Raider's jacket. Horse is period correct, and durable. I am not so crazy about the 'drape' everyone goes crazy for. I want a "real" leather jacket that will offer a measure of protection from thorns and abrasion. I understand Wested does not use the beefy front-quarter, but that is fine too. The break-in will be quicker on this!

Now, the final detail, once I have the jacket in hand, is the distressing. Should I do it?

Post by **Michaelson** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:59 pm

Now, the final detail, once I have the jacket in hand, is the distressing. Should I do it?

No.

;-)

Regards! Michaelson

Texan Scott · Post by **Texan Scott** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 5:02 pm

Michaelson wrote:
Now, the final detail, once I have the jacket in hand, is the distressing. Should I do it?
No. ;-)

Regards! Michaelson

....I'll warm up the truck!

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 5:04 pm

I guess I should have qualified that statement...

Should I do it quickly, or over several years?

There is no question, it will be 'distressed'...

Texan Scott · Post by **Texan Scott** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 5:09 pm

J!m wrote:I guess I should have qualified that statement...

Should I do it quickly, or over several years?

There is no question, it will be 'distressed'...

...the ol' tried and true, one step distressing method will take quite a few Indy years off your quest!

indy1936 · Post by **indy1936** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 5:53 pm

I'd go with all natural distressing that occurs over time. To me this makes the jacket more personal and gives it character.

Texan Scott · Post by **Texan Scott** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 5:57 pm

;-) ;-)

Post by **Holt** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 6:01 pm

natural.you will love the look of the HH once broken in.the shine comes of pretty quick after a complete soak.if you do that...it will mold to you and give a wonderfull look.

you should see my HH LC how it looks now.I love it.and the drape is so nice

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 8:21 am

Still on the fence...

My Schott is (of course) Front Quarter and that still (years later- I tried it last night) stands up on its own. I don't think it was chrome tanned; I think it was uranium tanned!

Anyway, if I do 'accelerate' the broken-in look, all I will do it hit the seams a bit with some fine paper. Just get the ball rolling so to speak.

Then again, once I have it in hand, it may prove to be so much more fragile than what I am used to (I know it will be thinner) I amy decide to just let it go natural.

We'll see... Maybe I should get the thing first? ;-)

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 8:25 am

J!m wrote: Anyway, if I do 'accelerate' the broken-in look, all I will do it hit the seams a bit with some fine paper. Just get the ball rolling so to speak.

It may be an obvious thing to say, but if you do sand the seams, take care not to damage the stitching. People have done this and then complained that the stitching came apart!

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 8:56 am

I can see that being a problem, but I would probably go with quite fine paper, and not 'dig in' on it.

I will base my work on the photos of naturally worn-in jackets, NOT movie stills. If you look at the natural ones, it is just the very top finish that is lost, and very litle of the leather itself. (I have a bunch of links to naturally ond otherwise distressed jackets in my "Raider's jacket details" post- check 'em out!)

For the movie, we all know a pocket knife (and other impliments of destruction) were used. Essentially,you shave away some of the leather. Not cool in my book... Regardless of what you use, if you hit the thread, you are going WAY too deep on it...

Post by **Holt** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 9:02 am

they hit the seams on the original jacket too.

you can see this on Fords jacket pocket.the seam is teared up making the pocket come undone.

so if you or anybody do a fake distressing be carefull.

Jakob Emiliussen · Post by **Jakob Emiliussen** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 9:05 am

I say: let the distressing come naturally. Wear it all day, all year, all the time! Two reasons:

1: It's cooler to say: "This scratch came from when I fell down a well of souls" or "this mark was made by an elephant I chased"....

2: You will avoid the risk of destroying the jacket with a too rough "non-natural" distressing.

That's just my opinion.

Regards
Emiliussen

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 9:11 am

All valid points.

But honestly, no one is going to ask me where any damage on my clothing came from. And it is really no different than buying a new pair of jeans that look to bad for Goodwil to even sell...

Want to see where I've been? Just look here: www.drivetheglobe.com

(PS web site has been re-vamped and I haven't even seen it yet!)

Jakob Emiliussen · Post by **Jakob Emiliussen** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 9:33 am

J!m wrote:All valid points.

But honestly, no one is going to ask me where any damage on my clothing came from. And it is really no different than buying a new pair of jeans that look to bad for Goodwil to even sell...

Want to see where I've been? Just look here: www.drivetheglobe.com

(PS web site has been re-vamped and I haven't even seen it yet!)

Well, it's up to you...

PS: the site looks nice

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 9:34 am

That is true- it is up to me.

Thanks for the site compliment! I did take a quick look at it, and it is coming along nicely...

indy1936 · Post by **indy1936** » Thu Nov 20, 2008 2:32 pm

Is it here yet?

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Thu Nov 20, 2008 4:39 pm

Not yet...

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 9:28 am

Well..

I HAVE IT!

it came just before Thanksgiving, but I did not put it on until Saturday afternoon as I was visiting with my girlfriends family for the holiday...

I am quite happy with it. Initial fit/finish/quality/detail looks excellent. I will takemeasurements and give it a critical eye begining this evening.

I may have to get the sleeves a bit longer- I will chat with Peter today regarding that (and to thank him personally) but otherwise, I think it looks really nice.

A few comments from the girlfriend when she saw it:
"What's with that 70's collar? It's huge!"
"looks like Starsky and Hutch."
"I think it needs to be a bit longer, and the sleves are too short too."

She also said this:
"Should I be worried that your are buying all this Indy stuff? You Do realize he is a fictional charecter, right?"

Bear in mind, she is looking at the jacket purely from a current fashion perspective, and not screen accuracy. As such, she is a good gage of how 'acceptable' certain of my fashion choices would be received by the masses. I think the body length is perfect myself. I am on the fence with the sleeves. They could easily be an inch longer, but right now, they fit like a suit jacket length- perfect with my arms at my side- problem is, the movie sleeves were sized more like my Schott- proper length in riding position (arms raised). if they shrink (probably not much, being Horse) it will be a problem.

I may stay with the 'short' sleeves, as this is to be a real world jacket. Not for riding, so the sleeves might just be perfect for the intended use (a real adventure jacket).

The hide is fantastic. If you are at all on the fencs about Horse Hide, get it. It has such a nice feel- and the quality of the hide is far better than I expected. I am quite pleased overall.

Photos will be coming, but I am just in work after the long weekend, and had to update everyone right away of course.

Happy reading!

WhipDude · Post by **WhipDude** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 9:59 am

I'm looking forward to photos of this. How long was the wait time for you? And since you recently ordered, what does the email "processing" mean exactly? They are reviewing your order or that they are making your jacket?

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 10:54 am

J!m, I can't wait to see pics! I'm glad you're happy with your jacket. One word on the sleeves, though. They will ride up a little with wear, so if you're unsure about them being short now, they will "shrink" a little more when they become shaped to folds of your arms. (This is true of most any leather jacket.) That's the only real issue I have with my goatskin Wested I got almost five years ago. If I had known about that, I would've asked for the sleeves to be a little longer to accommodate it.

Post by **Holt** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 11:35 am

this is great news.cant wait to see the pictures.

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 12:06 pm

Thanks, guys.

Yeah, I was a bit worried about my sleeves, but based on my Schott, I don't expect them to shorten much. Goat and especially lamb do shrink substantially with wear.

The point is taken, and I will look at it more critically tonight with the other ordered dimensions. Maybe they are the length I orderd, and in that case I have no option other than ordering another jacket. If they are shorter than I ordered, well, we might have to look at that a bit closer.

I called wested and thanked Gemma for such a nice jacket. She said she would forward that on to Peter, but I will be calling again tomorrow anyway.

I just wanted to be sure Peter heard some GOOD news for a change. We are all guilty of jumping down his throat about each detail and delivery times, but far too often neglect to thank him when things go well...

Post by **Holt** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 9:33 pm

so Jim. whats taken so long?

we wanna see some pictures!

indy1936 · Post by **indy1936** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 9:34 pm

crismans · Post by **crismans** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 10:01 pm

Absolutely. I know you've been waiting a long time for this jacket. Bring on the pics!

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 7:27 am

I was tempted to not post at all until the photos were taken and uploaded, but I need to call Peter first anyway- I think the sleeves are a bit too short..

Here are the actual measurelents from the jacket in the mean time...

Back- 28-1/4
Pocket- 6-7/8 wide X 7-1/4 high
Strap Location- top is 6" from botom of jacket
Storm Flap- 1-1/2
Collar- 3 at tip; 2-3/4 at back
collar size- 18
Yoke Height- 5-1/4
Shoulder seam length- 6-1/2
Arm length- 25-1/2
Yoke width- 18-1/2 ~ 18-3/4 or so
Back width- 18-1/2 top to 16-3/4 bottom

Back panel is full width
Arm seam 1 inch below yoke seam

This is a Horse Hide jacket. The sleeve length is perfect right now, but I have been advised that it may shrink. I doubt it will shrink like Lamb or Goat, but I suppose it is possible. My Schott has not shrunk any perceptable ammount, but I will call Peter now and see what we can do.

Stay tuned! ;-)

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 8:21 am

Photos, as requested.

Six per post, so there may be two posts... I don't remember now how many I took.

Look at the shot of me in some of the gear- I think the length is perfect right where it is now. ;-)

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd15 ... G_2741.jpg

Notice the collar closes properly. Nicely done!

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd15 ... G_2742.jpg

Pocket close-up

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd15 ... G_2743.jpg

Rounded storm flap top and collar going half way as it should

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd15 ... G_2744.jpg

Yoke / sleeve seam relation

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd15 ... G_2745.jpg

Gussets

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd15 ... G_2746.jpg

Side strap detail

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 8:26 am

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd15 ... G_2747.jpg

Collar close-up. Perfect! He used my 18" collar dimension as well.

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd15 ... G_2750.jpg

Inside pocket. I did not say anything about this really, so I guess this is current standard.

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd15 ... G_2759.jpg

Zipper detail

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd15 ... G_2760.jpg

Other side of zipper

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd15 ... G_2758.jpg

Me in some gear (not all of it)

Post by **Holt** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 8:29 am

jim.the jacket looks great,really great.I can see why you are happy

yes. 6 pr post,good lad.but you need to rezise the images.

viewtopic.php?t=21315

Instead of me doing it..you can just hit the resize button.alot of time is saved if you do thta.

care do resize them?

thanks
Holt

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 8:41 am

I'll see what I can do holt.

The sleeves look OK in that picture, but that is "posing". In real world wear, they seem to be a bit short, and if they shrink, I'll really be mad.

I sent an e-mail to Peter explaining the situation, and I will be sending it back to him for new sleeves I suspect.

it is SO CLOSE to perfect! I hate to part with it!

Post by **Holt** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 8:44 am

you know.....I really cant see if the lseeves are too short.I mean it does not look like it.the arm leaning on the chair looks like it has a good sleeve length on it...

and its horse right?

the sleeves will not ride up like a lambskin will.its way to thick for doing that.

I shoud kno

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 9:05 am

OK! All resized...

The sleeves look perfect in that pose, I agree. In fact, I think that the sleeves as-is are perfect for a suit jacket; however this is not a suit jacket. They are also perfect for a scren prop.

You see the sleeve problem most when it is zipped up, the jacket is worn on the shoulder properly, and the arm is lifted slightly (not straight out like riding a moto). Then it looks to be just barely long enough, hinting at too short. Hard to explain, but if you saw me in person wearing it, you would see what I mean. If it shrinks even a little bit, it would definately be too short.

In that pic, the jacket is worn off the shoulder, as Ford wears it often on screen. For the movie (yes, I watched Raiders yet again last night to check how the fit was on me) when he wears the jacket 'up' properly, you can see the sleeve is not nearly as long as it seems to be in other scenes. if you watch carefully, Ford's sleeves ride up quite high when he lifts his arms while wearing the jacket properly. if you look for it, you see it. Otherwise, you don't really notice it.

Anyway, this is a real jacket for me, not a screen prop. I need a bit more sleeve length to be comfortable, so I'm doing it. Once I do, the sleeve will actually be slightly too long to be scren accurate. Sleeve length shown above is scren accurate to my eyes, and makes perfect sense- the jacket I have now fits like a proper fitting suit jacket should, and is likley how Ford was originally fitted for the jacket. it just makes sense.

I will send it back, and have Peter add an inch. Then there will be no issues ever! Not looking forward to the wait again...

whipcracker · Post by **whipcracker** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 9:21 am

Beautiful jacket! Well worth the wait. I really like the pocket flaps. i think they look very close, if not the same as the TN pocket flaps. Which should mean that both are as they should be. Peter really has turned out some terrific jackets.

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 9:41 am

Thanks whipcracker.

I have to say that Peter has really upped his game these days. it may be due to the wide spraed DVD use. Now we are all seeing the same things (more or less) and he can finally rest on some of the jacket details, rather than having them change with every order.

Pocket flaps are great too. Pocket size is perfect to my eyes. it looks a tiny bit weird due to the 'height' of the jacket. I am quite tall, and it had to be this way. Looking back, I should have increased the spacing under the pockets slightly (1/2 to 3/4 inch or so), but it looks just fine when worn as it is now. If you hold the ratio, they would get too wide for the space on the front panel. if you just make them taller, they look funny. Increasing the space under them is the only real way around this I think.

Great hide (far better than expected) with an excellent 'hand' as well. really great choice if I do say so myself.

Not anywhere near what my Schott is, but this will be a year-round jacket, and not be required to protect me in the event of a fall from a moto. I'd also rather have the Schott on if dragged under a truck too, but that is (hopefully) not likely to happen...

What else can I say? Peter NAILED it on this as far as I'm concerned.

When I speak to him, I will try to find out what is current standard and what is custom to make ordering a bit easier for others moving forward... If I get that info, I will start a new thread with the date, and perhaps others might do the same in the future to keep the 'custom' laundry lists to a minimum...

Russian Raider · Post by **Russian Raider** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 10:52 am

J!m, now thats a work of art. Congrats!

I will be ordering custom Wested HH today, hope it will turn out that great.

Rom Hunter · Post by **Rom Hunter** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 11:21 am

J!m wrote:I will send it back, and have Peter add an inch. Then there will be no issues ever! Not looking forward to the wait again...

Add an inch?

You mean: creating a folded sleeve.

Your decision of course, but the sleeve length looks ok to me.

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 11:40 am

No, Rom.

Look at the photo of me wearing the jacket and note where the collar is resting.

I am wearing it off my shoulders, so the sleeves appear longer.

When worn normally they JUST make it.

To close for my comfort in the event of shrinkage or excess wrinkling with age.

They are about 1-1/2 inches shorter than my Schott jacket sleeves, but those were intentially made extra long for coverage in riding position (arms forward like a zombie). So, an extra inch will still be short of the Schott by 1/2 inch. The Schott is admitedly too long for everyday wear, but perfect for riding- its intended purpose.

I hope that cleared it up.

Rom Hunter · Post by **Rom Hunter** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 12:26 pm

Jim,.

Please know that if you decide to let Peter "add" an inch, you will most probably see a fold.

AFAIK this fold will never disappear completely.

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 2:05 pm

Yes. I spoke to Peter on the phone for several minutes today.

he suggested trying to 'unfold' the sleeve a bit.

Actually, he said to leave it alone, if it fits now, as there is a chance it WONT shrink. His personal jacket stretched, and he had the opposite problem... The trouble is, the longer you wait before you unfold the sleeve, the more difficult it is to get the crease out. It can be ironed (they use a wooden mallet).

So, he gave me instructions on how to let the hem out a bit at the end of the sleeve. So, I will give that a go tonight. If I botch it, I will send the jacket back for new sleeves to be made.

So, letting it out will gain me about 1/2 inch, which should be good for the time being. if they stretch from there, fine. If they shrink, I guess I'd send it back then for new sleeves.

As he said: there's nothing to loose trying to do it myself (or have a tailor do it), as it will cost to send it back and make new sleeves. If this plan works, I save some money. If it doesn't, I just send it back and get the sleeves re made.

crismans · Post by **crismans** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 3:41 pm

How does the back look (did I miss a pic)? I was wondering if you went with Wested's standard yoke or if you went with the smaller yoke that Holt came up with.

indy1936 · Post by **indy1936** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 4:16 pm

The jacket looks great! Was it about 2 weeks time from Wested to your door? It's great how all of your specs were met. Did you ask for the shoulder seam of 6.5"? I was curious as to how close to the actual requested measurements they were able to get.

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 4:29 pm

crismans wrote:How does the back look (did I miss a pic)? I was wondering if you went with Wested's standard yoke or if you went with the smaller yoke that Holt came up with.

The back looks great. I have a close-up of the yoke/arm seam to illustrate that he did in fact make the change here (or maybe this is standard now?). I thought I did, but I guess I didn't do a full back shot.

The yoke height is 5-1/4 inches. That is from the bottom of the collar stand to the yoke seam. I have no other wested's to compare to.

I have all the requested specs in the first post. Then some changes were made based on conversations here, as well as with Peter himself. He convinced me to go with a 'normal' zipper, and since full length and normal are used in the film (and normal is the more durable arrangement) I went with normal. I also deleted the facings all together, rather than try to do a 'thin' facing. other than that, the specs as shown at the begining of this are what I sent to Peter.

Speaking of that, I asked Peter to review the specs I have and indicate what is currently 'standard' and what would be on special request. I told him it would be easier for both him, and us, if there was a current 'state of the art' for Wested's Raiders Jacket so we don't keep sending in those dreaded laundry lists. It would then be more like this:

"Hello Peter. Please send me the standard Raider's specs with pocket size X and Y in size Z. leather type A." Much simpler that way don't you think? ;-)

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 4:33 pm

Very nice looking jacket. The sturdiness of the horsehide shines through.

Could you do a straight on shot with your arms relaxed at your sides to help gauge the sleeves?

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 4:35 pm

indy1936 wrote:The jacket looks great! Was it about 2 weeks time from Wested to your door? It's great how all of your specs were met. Did you ask for the shoulder seam of 6.5"? I was curious as to how close to the actual requested measurements they were able to get.

Thanks for the praise! But it was Peter's crew who deserve the thanks! He did let me know that he personally checked it bewfore it went out the door. That is nice to know, and shows in the jacket I received. My "benchmark" is a custom Schott, and that was over three times the cost of this jacket. So, I'm not an easy critic! This equals the quality of that US made custom. Not bad at all I think. (Don't tell Peter, but these jackets are a STEAL!)

It was paid October 16th, and I received it November 25th or so. I also paid ~$22.00 in customs fees upon delivery.

Bear in mind that Peter is VERY busy. He told me that he is curently shipping about 100 jackets a week, and expects that to continue through Christmas.

If you want a custom jacket, you might be well served to wait until after the holidays, or risk long delays and/or details being missed.