agent5 wrote:I think you misunderstood. It would be beneficial to have Tony give us some of the specs so we will know exactly what we're getting, not us send him a requested list. Maybe not size measurements, but things like the hardware, the straps in question above, the standard collar length and width, hides, things like that. Since the jackets will change in size due to the individual it would be pointless to ask him for size measurements of the jacket itself. Since there are two jackets in question it would be nice to know what was what on each so there is no confusion and may make for an easier order experience for those who are pondering the purchase.
To hear, "It's the jacket that matters", means little to me if I don't know exactly what I'd be getting. I don't know about you but that's me. To reiterate a point I made before, Tony is not a gearhead and may not think about such small details as something that really matters such as the way the strap is attached. He is an expert jacket maker and IMO as long as we know exactly what we're getting it will help us decide better what we want and should result in a smoother transaction for everyone.
I kind of agree with what you're saying, A5. At the same time I'm also looking at it a little from Tony's side. Yes, a list would benefit him by reducing the clutter of unnecessary request but at the same time he has got to protect himself a little bit. There's been a little bit of talk of IP (intellectual property) around COW, and even though the design is not of his creation, he may have actually figured out some things that nobody has been ever to figure out before. He has a right to protect some of what he has figured out. Some of it is just hanging out there in the open but other are more subtle.
I know that Tony has expressed to me a little concern that he himself might be taken advantage and undercut by possible competitors by giving away too many details. He is the one who spent his own time on his own dime to come up with what he believes (and so many others now) is the de facto Raiders jacket. On certain questions I asked he very politely but firmly said that he intentionally would like to leave out certain specifics of the jacket so that it would lessen the chance that someone steal his template (I'm paraphrasing here). There were certain details he saw in the jacket that he is pretty sure that most other people haven't and wouldn't initially pick up on that give the jacket some of the certain signature characteristics it has and that other makers have not picked up on. I read into his statement as: even if someone amongst us at COW were to give him an accurate listing of those characteristics, he would still neither confirm nor deny them in their entirety. Maybe he would smile and nod or even throw you some bones but he's not giving it all away - no way, no how. And I don't blame him. I would almost be disappointed on a certain level if he did.
He is quite confident and quite clear: As other have quoted him before (and this is paraphrasing from some of our phone conversations, "My Indy I jacket is not for everyone. It's simple. I think I have figured out how to make the best copy of the Indy I jacket currently available. Hands down. Even still, I will customize it however you would like if that would make you happy. If you like it buy it, if not, then that's OK too." Some things might just have to come down to faith. I guess the question for some is, are you Mulder or are you Scully?