just got my wested custom raider in horsehide.

bullet08 · Post by **bullet08** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:13 pm

amazing quality. all the measurement per my request. even the chest size i requested 42 with 4" movement room which was done. the tag says 42, but the jacket measured when flat on the floor is 23" meaning 42" with 4" movement room. the back and the sleeves right down to the request.

loving this jacket. everything i wanted in a leather jacket.

took less then 1 month from the day the credit card was charged to the time i got it. with christmas and new year in between, that's faster than i expected.

pete

crismans · Post by **crismans** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:22 pm

Just wait until that HH starts to soften up, you'll love the jacket even more. Did you ask for any specifics to the jacket other than size and...

;0

knibs7 · Post by **knibs7** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:45 pm

cant wait to see pics

Nibs

PSBIndy · Post by **PSBIndy** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 6:28 pm

Did you ask for the thin or thick horsehide? (I used to have a thick horsehide LC a while ago and while the look was great, it was a little too stiff for comfort).

Russian Raider · Post by **Russian Raider** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 3:15 am

bullet08, show us some pix man. ;-) Mine should arrive soon, and i can't wait to see what it looks like.

rover smith · Post by **rover smith** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 5:59 am

Bullet, when did you order? If it took less than a month to arrive I'm guessing it was some time at the end of November beginning of December?

Scott

bullet08 · Post by **bullet08** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:36 am

as to picture.. i'll have to work on it. as to when i order it, i think i ordered it on dec. 3rd or somthing. the credit card was charged on 10th. i got the jacket on jan. 6th.

with christmas and new year inbetween, i would have imagined that i would get the jacket at fastest on jan. 15th or later.

pete

Russian Raider · Post by **Russian Raider** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:25 am

Pretty much the same time i ordered. Gemma said jacket would leave last week. Asked for tracking, still no answer.

bullet08 · Post by **bullet08** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 10:07 am

i read few post on this forum about difficulty in ordering through internet and all that, so i just called mr. botwright directly. made things whole lot easier. after that i sent email to him with detail on what i wanted, and he sent back the confirmation number. i just waited after then for the jacket to come.

i sent an email on monday asking for status. then on wed, i got the jacket.

pete

Russian Raider · Post by **Russian Raider** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 10:42 am

Yep, i got a message from Gemma today, she asked for my adress, so i guess jacket will be shipped soon.

jacksdad · Post by **jacksdad** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 5:18 pm

wested has two differnt kinds of horshides, I didn't know that. What are the real diffenreces and which jackets do they usually come with?

bullet08 · Post by **bullet08** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 5:54 am

PSBIndy wrote:Did you ask for the thin or thick horsehide? (I used to have a thick horsehide LC a while ago and while the look was great, it was a little too stiff for comfort).

i didn't know if there were options. i didn't ask for thin or thick. just got what they sent out. it feels thin.. compare to my schott perfecto cowhide.

pete

bullet08 · Post by **bullet08** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 4:51 pm

here are the pix.

Post by **Holt** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 5:00 pm

nice!!

yours is not an 80's cut is it?

there is no taper..

bullet08 · Post by **bullet08** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 5:11 pm

Indiana Holt wrote:nice!!

yours is not an 80's cut is it?

there is no taper..

i asked for 80's cut and the fabric in one of my pocket said 'RAIDER 80 FIT 42' along with leather sample.

but, i don't know enough about the jackets to tell what is what. i did ask for size 42 with 4" movement room.

pete

Russian Raider · Post by **Russian Raider** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 5:13 pm

Holy Moses,

it sure looks great!

Baldwyn · Post by **Baldwyn** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 5:16 pm

bullet08 wrote:
Indiana Holt wrote:nice!!

yours is not an 80's cut is it?

there is no taper..
i asked for 80's cut and the fabric in one of my pocket said 'RAIDER 80 FIT 42' along with leather sample.

but, i don't know enough about the jackets to tell what is what. i did ask for size 42 with 4" movement room.

pete

Perhaps it's photography?

How much taper is taper? I just folded the bottom edge of my new Wested to the yoke, and it's about 3/4 of an inch narrower on each side.

Piers · Post by **Piers** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 6:44 pm

fantastic looking!!!

the side-straps are going the wrong direction for Raiders tho

coronado3 · Post by **coronado3** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 11:03 pm

what are the dimentions of the pockets?

They look very good proportionally...

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 9:25 am

That looks incredible! The color is awesome- it has the 'reddish' undertones on my screen. Is it pretty accurate to how you see it? My HH that I got back in the spring is such a very dark brown, from a distance it looks black. It has a 'charcoal' undertone instead of the reddish.
I wonder if this is a different run of the leather or if they changed the color?
It looks great!

Russian Raider · Post by **Russian Raider** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:14 am

Kokopelli wrote: I wonder if this is a different run of the leather or if they changed the color?

\
I thinf photo flash altered color a bit.

bullet08 · Post by **bullet08** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 1:50 pm

pocket demension is as follow.

Pockets: scalloped flap (if at all possible stitches on the pockets are re-enforced. They will be used heavily.)
Width of pocket: 6.75 inches
Length of pocket (including pocket flap):7.25 inches
Pocket flap length in middle of flap: 2.75 inches

the colour on the screen is rather accurate to actual jacket.

pete

RCSignals · Post by **RCSignals** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 2:07 pm

bullet08 wrote:...

the colour on the screen is rather accurate to actual jacket.

pete

So it is deep reddish brown. It's a nice colour.

Post by **Holt** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 2:55 pm

Im wondering if it does the ''flying squirl effet'' ?

thats a bad thing though,at least in my book..

I hate it,can never truly understand why the UK made jackets come with the flying squirl effect and the of the rack jackets come without,which is a good thing about the of the rack jackets.makes them more atractive..

bullet08 · Post by **bullet08** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 3:23 pm

Indiana Holt wrote:Im wondering if it does the ''flying squirl effet'' ?

hmm.. not sure what "flying squirrel" is.. can you show me what it looks like? i mean.. i know what the actual animal looks like, but not sure what that referres to in a jacket.

pete

RCSignals · Post by **RCSignals** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 3:26 pm

Do the off the rack jackets have elastic?

Hatch · Post by **Hatch** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 3:43 pm

My OTR washed goat purchased about 5 mos. ago does.........

Post by **Holt** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 4:28 pm

look at the jacket to the rigth.

they are the same size,44, the left one is ''of the rack'' with no FS effect in it and the one to the right is UK made with a huge FS effect in it. and its a 80's cut

I dont know WHY wested keeps on making them like this.I dont think they did before? not sure...

so the of the rack jacket has the real raiders fit,and its made in India,how Ironic...

[

RCSignals · Post by **RCSignals** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 4:29 pm

Is it the cut or because the action pleat opens too wide?

Post by **Holt** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 4:32 pm

the cut. the pleats has nothing to do with it,

the armholes are bigger and a different cut. look at the armholes on the of the rack.it has a more straigther cut,and a little higher placed to...

crismans · Post by **crismans** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 4:32 pm

Really nice jacket. I like the color and the scallops on the pockets is very nice.

My custom doesn't have the "flying squirrel" effect (not that I've noticed, I'll have to go check

). It does have gussets, however. Would that help out in some way? (edited for a never mind as you answered my question above)

It is odd that these jackets should be coming off the same basic pattern and one have the effect and one not. I wonder why those made out of the UK have the armholes patterned this way and the UK ones do not.

RCSignals · Post by **RCSignals** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 4:35 pm

I see some of that now. I also see a big collar on the otr

Glad my ToD does't have the flying squirrel effect

Hatch · Post by **Hatch** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 4:37 pm

Holt, what leather is the off the rack ?....that's a primo distressing job !!

Post by **Holt** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 4:40 pm

thats my lambskin jacket.my very first jacket with abig hole in it in the back.

can never use it again.but I use it as my test jacket. you believe it if I said I had a pair of scissors and try stabbing it on the chest?no holes what so ever

and man I used force! thats one tough lamb.

in fact,I actually love the fit and look of this jacket.

there is something about having an unacurrate jacket with the spirit of raiders. it becomes yours and not indy's if you know what I mean.

I am actually pretty tired of this whole SA thing...

RCSignals · Post by **RCSignals** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 4:43 pm

that's tough lamb!

you could sew a blood chit on the back

Hatch · Post by **Hatch** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 4:45 pm

Holt,Were you serious when you said you were going to archive that perfect spec jacket......man, I'd have to wear that !!

Post by **Holt** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 4:46 pm

VERY serious

;-)

Hatch · Post by **Hatch** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 4:51 pm

That may be the closest Wested ever comes to a truly authentic looking jacket.....have you talked with them about retaining the specs ? I'd love to have one in a size 46.

coronado3 · Post by **coronado3** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 4:52 pm

The best way to solve the "FS" effect is to avoid standing like an airplane!

Post by **Holt** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 5:49 pm

true,but when you lower your arms you have lots of excess leather under your arms on the sides,which makes the jacket look TOO baggy,hate it..

bigrex · Post by **bigrex** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 6:09 pm

So, that's what the difference is with my off the rack wested and the custom job. True one is size 40 and the other a water shrunken 44, but I thought something about the custom cut was odd, I couldn't quite place my finger on it. I think the oddness must be the "flying squirrel effect" of the one when compared to the other. I didn't realize the otr westeds don't have it while the custom jobs do. I thought my off the rack raiders looked quite a bit better and it wasn't all just the sizing.

Post by **Holt** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 6:11 pm

welcome to the club of knowing about it,feels good doesnt it when you finally see why ;-)

Kevin Anderson · Post by **Kevin Anderson** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:14 pm

I had four Wested jackets last year, all customs. Three LC's, one TOD.
I've since sold all but one LC. All three LC's have/had the flying squirell effect, big time. The TOD I simply didn't like because of the incorrect side vents.
Your OTR above is how a leather jacket should look and fit, Holt.
How can Wested sell a jacket that fits like that custom pictured?
Up until now, I had thought it was simply something inherent in this stlye of jacket, but I now see it's all do with how it's cut.
What is it about the cut that causes it, and how can it be corrected, and why hasn't it been correct still? I don't want a jacket that just looks good with my arms at my sides, I want a full, unrestricted range of movement.
As RC said, his TOD has no flying squirrel effect, and neither did mine thanfully. However, it annoys me a bit that I bought three custom jackets thinking I would be getting a better made product than an 'off the rack' jacket made elsewhere, when the OTR is made better than custom job.
I've ordered yet another jacket, a TOD in washed goat, and it's nice to know that following the NH pattern, there's far less of that ridiculous flying squirrel in the fit.
I almost went fo a G&B, and I may wish I did still, despite the rather large
difference in price.

Post by **Holt** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:20 pm

well,the LC has the flying squirrel effect on Ford too.you just have to look for it,and youl find it.thats how the LC is cut.its the HUGE armholes that causes it...and the HUGE armholes causes the restriction...

but NOT the raiders,well a little FS effect is in the raiders but NOT by that much as the custom UK made jackets are today.as you said,it is ridiculous!

blueoakleyz · Post by **blueoakleyz** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:49 pm

RaiderZee · Post by **RaiderZee** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:49 pm

Aw, man, now something else. I was ready to order a Raiders custom (I need a 42 long due to my monkey-like arms), but I DEFINATELY do not want that FS thing. Now what??

This jacket thing is blowing my mind . . . Give me some options here, folks.

RaiderZee

Kevin Anderson · Post by **Kevin Anderson** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:56 pm

To me, and I may be simplifying things a litte too much here, it seems the Indian made OTR jackets are cut better for a better fit.
If I order another Wested jacket, it'll be an Indian OTR. I'd love to have higher smaller armholes and no flying squirrel.

Post by **Holt** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:04 pm

guys,I just thought about it.we are getting to far of topic.and I am helping

mind making a new thread so we can talk about the of the rack jackets and UK made jackets, with and without the FS effect there.

I am heading to bed now guys.

good night!

Imahomer · Post by **Imahomer** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:07 pm

Wow, I'd never heard of the flying squirrel effect, but I sure see it in that photo.

Man, your jacket looks very cool and I love the horsehide! I'm assuming that was a few bucks extra?

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 1:32 am

You need to differentiate between the 'Raiders' OTR's and the 'Rola's' OTR guys! The 'Rola's' were the ones with the slimmer cut and raised arm holes (ie most of the most often asked for mods) that's why they fit tighter.