my friend tony ;)
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- Indiana G
- Legendary Adventurer
- Posts: 3918
- Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 12:55 pm
- Location: in the Temple of Insanity
my friend tony ;)
last wednesday i boarded a plane for the 3 hour flight to LA LA land to go visit the man who had provided me with the best indy jackets on the planet. i made arrangements with tony to ensure that he was going to be at the shop that week so that i do not miss him.....not only was he going to be there, but he was quite excited to pick me up at LAX. right when i exited the airport doors, there he was at the curb! he greeted me with a big hug which confirmed to me that he was as genuine in person as he was on the phone.
we drove over to his shop in el segundo which was just south of the airport. at that time i was just in my little world of being star struck just because of all of the hollywood stars he's schmoozed with we got to his shop and he gave me the tour. i was like a kid in a candy store! "this is where all the magic happens eh?", i said to tony.....he kind of looked at me with a 'ain't no big deal' look. i saw the jackets he was working on......just some really beautiful stuff: chris king's replacement jacket, orb's LC jacket (orb man......are you going to love that thing!!!). after seeing han jones and orb's, i kept thinking to myself that mr. holt should be here to give his blessing on this LC design as i don't think he would be disappointed at all....i think tony is going to conquer the LC market pretty soon as i have not seen anyone who can do the LC distressing as accurate as he can. he showed me the CS hides, the holy goat leather, and the 747 leather....all great stuff. i was orginally set to purchase a goatskin indy but he did not have enough to do up a jacket for me (which was a blessing in disguise). he also showed me all of the movie stuff he was working on or have worked on......yes hatch, i did see the bruce willis jacket which is styled as a vintage 'hercules' bomber....it's in a russet hue if i recall correctly.......that was a beautiful jacket. sorry that i did not get any pics of that, but i didn't want to take pictures of things that i thought was sensitive to big tony's work. if you look at the hercules jacket that aero leathers make....it's close to that design.
i'm sure those that visited tony know he loves throwing jackets on people and getting them to pose for a picture......even if they don't fit he had one jacket there that he made for himself for a planet holywood opening. it was a very light blue leather which he got bruce willis, sly stallone, and tom jones to sign....i don't look good in light coloured jackets but if big tony wants me to try it on, who am i to say no.........here are some pics of my 'modelling session':lol:
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m212 ... CT2703.jpg
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m212 ... CT2706.jpg
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m212 ... CT2707.jpg
after that, we just chewed the fat for a while. the subject of the conversation went to the whole shrunken lamb debate......now i'm not going to entertain any shrunken lamb debates on this thread, but please feel free to post them on the other thread where they belong (mr. holt, man the flak cannons please )......anyways, tony told me that he use to work across the alley from where he is now, but the current tenant is a gentleman who was in the tannery business for many, many years. he is a 4th generation leather expert that tony frequents to supply him leather from time to time. tony said, "let's go see if we can find him!".....we step out in the alley and see a man taking a smoke break at the back of his building. tony proclaims, "there he is!!!!". tony introduced me to the man, jean oui martin (sp?) and we talked about the shrunken lamb that tony uses. he commented that the leather gives off the texture that it does via a process where it's PH level is dropped (by adding acidic catalysts to it). the degree of the pattern and grains that you get is highly dependent on what kind of lamb you use and the amount of acid that you drop (:lol: no pun intended )....ie - an australian lamb hide will produce different graining than a new zealand lamb hide. he also commented that in the 80's, the company that his father owned in france would ship more than a million dollars of shrunken lamb a MONTH to manufacturers in korea alone.......perhaps tony didn't think i was convinced with the shrunken lamb in raiders, perhaps he wanted to defend wested's claim that his hides are stamped....i don't know....i never doubted tony when i bought my very first shrunken lamb jacket that indiana williams now owns today.....the whole incident of finding and talking to jean oui just set the flavor of discovery for the trip.
after that, tony was preoccupied with current business issues which allowed me to look around his shop some more. tucked away in the back i found some leather that tony recently used on a secret endeavour but did not use that type of leather on a jacket for years. he custom specified the leather long ago to build jackets out of but never used them to make anything indy. it was a flat matte leather that kind of looked predistressed until you examine it closer.....the distressed mark's were all NATURAL. tony found me poking around that leather pile and he asked me, "what did you find now???"......he took a sample of this stuff and he brought it to his table to test it.......we found that the sample, when 'prepped' would lose all of it's distressed markings, turning it back into a matte dark brown that was uniform across the hide....... and it only took a small pull of the leather to bring the lighter brown undertones back! the hide distressed on a dime, to put it simply. not only that, it was tough. it was a tough, stiff cowhide as it sits by itself but when tony massaged it and rubbed it around, it softened up extremely quick. it felt like how those oilskin jackets felt but it wasn't oily at all........strangest leather i've ever seen.....but man, was it a dead ringer for the colour of the raiders jacket!!!!
"this is the stuff.....i want this stuff on my jacket please".........tony was a little hesitant as he likes to test all of hides before he offers it to the public. he put the hide through a test treatment that would take some time to get the results. this was a good time to break for lunch
when we got back he released his manufacturing crew on the task. ricardo, a man that has been cutting tony's patterns for decades cut out the 38 pieces that it took to make an indy jacket. the leather was reinforced and awaited the sewing. that was the end of the day so tony brought me back to my hotel for some much needed rest and to plan the next days events.
the following day i hit downtown LA, west hollywood (the beverly centre shopping mall), beverly hills (including anto's, where they made the CS shirts.......look in the general gear section...and i'm willing to give info to select members here interested in the shirt....those that didn't tick me off in the past....but there isn't too much info to share anyways), and the santa monica pier. i called tony when i was on rodeo dr late in the afternoon and he told me the jacket was done!!! geez, that was quick!!! louise is the man responsible for sewing the jackets and not only is he precise, he is extremely fast. he is another gent that's been working with tony for years. both ricardo and louise were extremely pleasant gentlemen and i want to thank them for all the care they put in my jacket. with these 2 highly skilled craftsmen, and several other 'behind the scene' individuals, tony acts as the director to orchestrate all of the efforts.....and in the endy....indy magic
we decided to call the hide 'DIRTY OIL' cowhide.....quite befitting as i work in the 'dirty oil' patch of alberta . i claimed no. 569 of 888 to commemorate the date that i met tony. this is by far my most SA jacket....in colour and dimension....but not in drape. it does not drape like lamb, but i wasn't looking for the fashionable drape of lamb, i was looking for an indy jacket that i could run through a thorn bush with and come out unscaved......this is the guy. this jacket almost stands on its own like a FQHH horsehide jacket....but once it gets worked in, it will get as soft if not softer than the CS cowhide.
so if you're still awake, off to the pictures:
here's how it looked in big tony's shop.......
here's how it looked today.........
the last day of my trip is when i went to pick up the jacket. tony and i spent the whole day talking about indy, about family and about life. we also took a bunch of his jackets to the supermarket to weigh on the produce scale ........cowhide beats the shrunken lamb btw (lamb was about 3.2 lbs while the cow was at 4.0 lbs). people at the market know him by name as he stops there frequently for his lunch and dinners....not because he's big in the hollywood circles....but because he is just friendly and outgoing with people........ he would ask the person behind the counter, "did you see the indiana jones movie"......then he would point at me, "he was the guy that was in it......." (i was in fedora and my new jacket).
out of all the fun stuff i did, including all the indy jacket stuff that i saw and touched, all the sights and sounds of LA LA land......my most favourite memory will be of myself and tony sitting on a bench outside the supermarket eating our dinners. talking about manny ramirez and his 50 game suspension (his subject)...talking about which canadian teams are left in the stanley cup playoff (my subject)....talking about the old days of 'pumping iron' with arnold, and basically talking about our families in general.
he was a kind a gracious host to me, and i am truly greatful to have made a friend with this man. the quality of his products are only overshadowed by the quality of his character. thank you for everything tony
we drove over to his shop in el segundo which was just south of the airport. at that time i was just in my little world of being star struck just because of all of the hollywood stars he's schmoozed with we got to his shop and he gave me the tour. i was like a kid in a candy store! "this is where all the magic happens eh?", i said to tony.....he kind of looked at me with a 'ain't no big deal' look. i saw the jackets he was working on......just some really beautiful stuff: chris king's replacement jacket, orb's LC jacket (orb man......are you going to love that thing!!!). after seeing han jones and orb's, i kept thinking to myself that mr. holt should be here to give his blessing on this LC design as i don't think he would be disappointed at all....i think tony is going to conquer the LC market pretty soon as i have not seen anyone who can do the LC distressing as accurate as he can. he showed me the CS hides, the holy goat leather, and the 747 leather....all great stuff. i was orginally set to purchase a goatskin indy but he did not have enough to do up a jacket for me (which was a blessing in disguise). he also showed me all of the movie stuff he was working on or have worked on......yes hatch, i did see the bruce willis jacket which is styled as a vintage 'hercules' bomber....it's in a russet hue if i recall correctly.......that was a beautiful jacket. sorry that i did not get any pics of that, but i didn't want to take pictures of things that i thought was sensitive to big tony's work. if you look at the hercules jacket that aero leathers make....it's close to that design.
i'm sure those that visited tony know he loves throwing jackets on people and getting them to pose for a picture......even if they don't fit he had one jacket there that he made for himself for a planet holywood opening. it was a very light blue leather which he got bruce willis, sly stallone, and tom jones to sign....i don't look good in light coloured jackets but if big tony wants me to try it on, who am i to say no.........here are some pics of my 'modelling session':lol:
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m212 ... CT2703.jpg
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m212 ... CT2706.jpg
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m212 ... CT2707.jpg
after that, we just chewed the fat for a while. the subject of the conversation went to the whole shrunken lamb debate......now i'm not going to entertain any shrunken lamb debates on this thread, but please feel free to post them on the other thread where they belong (mr. holt, man the flak cannons please )......anyways, tony told me that he use to work across the alley from where he is now, but the current tenant is a gentleman who was in the tannery business for many, many years. he is a 4th generation leather expert that tony frequents to supply him leather from time to time. tony said, "let's go see if we can find him!".....we step out in the alley and see a man taking a smoke break at the back of his building. tony proclaims, "there he is!!!!". tony introduced me to the man, jean oui martin (sp?) and we talked about the shrunken lamb that tony uses. he commented that the leather gives off the texture that it does via a process where it's PH level is dropped (by adding acidic catalysts to it). the degree of the pattern and grains that you get is highly dependent on what kind of lamb you use and the amount of acid that you drop (:lol: no pun intended )....ie - an australian lamb hide will produce different graining than a new zealand lamb hide. he also commented that in the 80's, the company that his father owned in france would ship more than a million dollars of shrunken lamb a MONTH to manufacturers in korea alone.......perhaps tony didn't think i was convinced with the shrunken lamb in raiders, perhaps he wanted to defend wested's claim that his hides are stamped....i don't know....i never doubted tony when i bought my very first shrunken lamb jacket that indiana williams now owns today.....the whole incident of finding and talking to jean oui just set the flavor of discovery for the trip.
after that, tony was preoccupied with current business issues which allowed me to look around his shop some more. tucked away in the back i found some leather that tony recently used on a secret endeavour but did not use that type of leather on a jacket for years. he custom specified the leather long ago to build jackets out of but never used them to make anything indy. it was a flat matte leather that kind of looked predistressed until you examine it closer.....the distressed mark's were all NATURAL. tony found me poking around that leather pile and he asked me, "what did you find now???"......he took a sample of this stuff and he brought it to his table to test it.......we found that the sample, when 'prepped' would lose all of it's distressed markings, turning it back into a matte dark brown that was uniform across the hide....... and it only took a small pull of the leather to bring the lighter brown undertones back! the hide distressed on a dime, to put it simply. not only that, it was tough. it was a tough, stiff cowhide as it sits by itself but when tony massaged it and rubbed it around, it softened up extremely quick. it felt like how those oilskin jackets felt but it wasn't oily at all........strangest leather i've ever seen.....but man, was it a dead ringer for the colour of the raiders jacket!!!!
"this is the stuff.....i want this stuff on my jacket please".........tony was a little hesitant as he likes to test all of hides before he offers it to the public. he put the hide through a test treatment that would take some time to get the results. this was a good time to break for lunch
when we got back he released his manufacturing crew on the task. ricardo, a man that has been cutting tony's patterns for decades cut out the 38 pieces that it took to make an indy jacket. the leather was reinforced and awaited the sewing. that was the end of the day so tony brought me back to my hotel for some much needed rest and to plan the next days events.
the following day i hit downtown LA, west hollywood (the beverly centre shopping mall), beverly hills (including anto's, where they made the CS shirts.......look in the general gear section...and i'm willing to give info to select members here interested in the shirt....those that didn't tick me off in the past....but there isn't too much info to share anyways), and the santa monica pier. i called tony when i was on rodeo dr late in the afternoon and he told me the jacket was done!!! geez, that was quick!!! louise is the man responsible for sewing the jackets and not only is he precise, he is extremely fast. he is another gent that's been working with tony for years. both ricardo and louise were extremely pleasant gentlemen and i want to thank them for all the care they put in my jacket. with these 2 highly skilled craftsmen, and several other 'behind the scene' individuals, tony acts as the director to orchestrate all of the efforts.....and in the endy....indy magic
we decided to call the hide 'DIRTY OIL' cowhide.....quite befitting as i work in the 'dirty oil' patch of alberta . i claimed no. 569 of 888 to commemorate the date that i met tony. this is by far my most SA jacket....in colour and dimension....but not in drape. it does not drape like lamb, but i wasn't looking for the fashionable drape of lamb, i was looking for an indy jacket that i could run through a thorn bush with and come out unscaved......this is the guy. this jacket almost stands on its own like a FQHH horsehide jacket....but once it gets worked in, it will get as soft if not softer than the CS cowhide.
so if you're still awake, off to the pictures:
here's how it looked in big tony's shop.......
here's how it looked today.........
the last day of my trip is when i went to pick up the jacket. tony and i spent the whole day talking about indy, about family and about life. we also took a bunch of his jackets to the supermarket to weigh on the produce scale ........cowhide beats the shrunken lamb btw (lamb was about 3.2 lbs while the cow was at 4.0 lbs). people at the market know him by name as he stops there frequently for his lunch and dinners....not because he's big in the hollywood circles....but because he is just friendly and outgoing with people........ he would ask the person behind the counter, "did you see the indiana jones movie"......then he would point at me, "he was the guy that was in it......." (i was in fedora and my new jacket).
out of all the fun stuff i did, including all the indy jacket stuff that i saw and touched, all the sights and sounds of LA LA land......my most favourite memory will be of myself and tony sitting on a bench outside the supermarket eating our dinners. talking about manny ramirez and his 50 game suspension (his subject)...talking about which canadian teams are left in the stanley cup playoff (my subject)....talking about the old days of 'pumping iron' with arnold, and basically talking about our families in general.
he was a kind a gracious host to me, and i am truly greatful to have made a friend with this man. the quality of his products are only overshadowed by the quality of his character. thank you for everything tony
Re: my friend tony ;)
Glad you had a great time! I'd love to fly out and meet Tony and get fitted but it would take me more than 3 hours! Sounds like a wonderful experience and glad you found that perfect leather you were searching for. It looks like a great hide, lots of character in that one right off the bat!
- nicktheguy
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- Location: Vancouver, Canada
Re: my friend tony ;)
That is a great story and a really nice looking jacket. I am envious. As a fellow Canadian I just want to let you know if you want to give me the jacket I will let you
- Indiana G
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Re: my friend tony ;)
well, since it is staying on this side of the border.........nicktheguy wrote:That is a great story and a really nice looking jacket. I am envious. As a fellow Canadian I just want to let you know if you want to give me the jacket I will let you
the beauty of the jacket is that it looks 10 years old already!!! no need to declare that at customs.......they already have enough of my money
- TheExit148
- Professor of Archaeology
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- Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 1:22 pm
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Re: my friend tony ;)
What a great story G. Glad to hear that it was such a good time. You have to love flying out there, being picked up by Tony, and then taken on the grand tour of his shop, getting sized, and having a jacket made super fast, in a really nice hide if I may say so myself. That looks to be one of the best fitting jackets on you. Its perfect Raiders! And no declaring at customs is an added bonus! Very nice!
-
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Re: my friend tony ;)
Thanks for sharing that G. Fantastic looking leather. Have you taken the jacket off at all yet?
- Vaderbreath
- Archaeologist
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Re: my friend tony ;)
What a great experience! And I absolutely love the looks of the jacket. Man, that must be fun to see a batch of leather and presto, a jacket is made! Wear that with pride...it's beautiful.
-
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Re: my friend tony ;)
Not to fuel the Shrunken Lamb debate.....(what debate?)
The story of Jean Louis Martin from Tony is interesting. His friend Jean Louis Martin is the guy he bought the shrunken lamb from 30 years ago in France, and about the same time that Tony found his 30 year old hide, Tony discovered the fellow moved into the shop behind in LA.
Tony can't get over it still. He says he took the hide to show him, and he couldn't believe he still had it.
Amasing circumstance isn't it?
The story of Jean Louis Martin from Tony is interesting. His friend Jean Louis Martin is the guy he bought the shrunken lamb from 30 years ago in France, and about the same time that Tony found his 30 year old hide, Tony discovered the fellow moved into the shop behind in LA.
Tony can't get over it still. He says he took the hide to show him, and he couldn't believe he still had it.
Amasing circumstance isn't it?
- nicktheguy
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Re: my friend tony ;)
very cool story - serendipity!
- Indiana G
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Re: my friend tony ;)
absolutely serendipitousRCSignals wrote:Not to fuel the Shrunken Lamb debate.....(what debate?)
The story of Jean Louis Martin from Tony is interesting. His friend Jean Louis Martin is the guy he bought the shrunken lamb from 30 years ago in France, and about the same time that Tony found his 30 year old hide, Tony discovered the fellow moved into the shop behind in LA.
Tony can't get over it still. He says he took the hide to show him, and he couldn't believe he still had it.
Amasing circumstance isn't it?
- orb
- Dig Leader
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Re: my friend tony ;)
Man your Raiders Jacket looks Godlike! Love that oily cowhide!
Have you touched my jacket?
Good to hear that you have enjoyed your trip to the Master.
Regards
orb
Have you touched my jacket?
Good to hear that you have enjoyed your trip to the Master.
Regards
orb
- Satipo
- Professor of Archaeology
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- Location: London, England
Re: my friend tony ;)
Wow! Tony's customer service seems to improve by the day. Whoever's planning the next trip needs to stay at his house, go to his gym, maybe even marry his daughter or something!
Great jacket, G! Looks particularly good in the zipped-up shot. Interesting to hear about his production team too.
Great jacket, G! Looks particularly good in the zipped-up shot. Interesting to hear about his production team too.
- Indiana G
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Re: my friend tony ;)
you didn't expect me to eat that greasy sandwich with MY new jacket on didja??? (just kidding).......orb wrote:Have you touched my jacket?
btw.....your jacket weighs approximately 3.9 lbs
- orb
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Re: my friend tony ;)
Waaah! I knew you did it!
Now I know why you call your new cowhide "dirty oil" ^^
Wear it with proud!
Regards
orb
Now I know why you call your new cowhide "dirty oil" ^^
Wear it with proud!
Regards
orb
Last edited by orb on Mon May 11, 2009 1:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
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Re: my friend tony ;)
CM will love all these weights of jackets
-
- Museum Curator
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Re: my friend tony ;)
It's refreshing to read a story such as yours! So many times people don't even com close to meeting expectations. Sounds like a great time all around, and a nice jacket to boot!
Thanks for taking the time to type out a summary of the trip and your time with TN.
Randy
Thanks for taking the time to type out a summary of the trip and your time with TN.
Randy
- mark seven
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Re: my friend tony ;)
Wow!,Amazing trip!,Beautiful jacket! thanks for sharing!
Re: my friend tony ;)
Wow, what an amazing experience. I love learning about the weight of those jackets.
- Michaelson
- Knower of Things
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Re: my friend tony ;)
Sounds like you had a fine visit, 'G'.
I find it a constant throughout this hobby that our vendors seem to have the same thread....if they know they're going to have a visitor, they go out of their way to provide personal hospitality.
Joe Peters Sr. does so at his shop at Peters Bros, Peter Botwright has been known to drive people to and from the train station to Little Wested House, Dave Marshall has opened his doors at G&B on many occasions....and now Tony to his shop. We have our discussions and disagreements about gear, but these folks honestly enjoy breaking bread with us when an opportunity presents itself.
Oh, and I sure wish Tony would get around to reading email again. I've sent a couple to him regarding questions I have, and have received from other members, and he has yet to reply to any of them (with the exception of a quick note saying 'nice to hear from you!' No answers, but at least a nice 'hello!' More than I've received from a couple OTHER vendors that will remain un-named. )
Regards! Michaelson
I find it a constant throughout this hobby that our vendors seem to have the same thread....if they know they're going to have a visitor, they go out of their way to provide personal hospitality.
Joe Peters Sr. does so at his shop at Peters Bros, Peter Botwright has been known to drive people to and from the train station to Little Wested House, Dave Marshall has opened his doors at G&B on many occasions....and now Tony to his shop. We have our discussions and disagreements about gear, but these folks honestly enjoy breaking bread with us when an opportunity presents itself.
Oh, and I sure wish Tony would get around to reading email again. I've sent a couple to him regarding questions I have, and have received from other members, and he has yet to reply to any of them (with the exception of a quick note saying 'nice to hear from you!' No answers, but at least a nice 'hello!' More than I've received from a couple OTHER vendors that will remain un-named. )
Regards! Michaelson
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Re: my friend tony ;)
That is for certain !! !! Noel Howard (RIP) used to do this do if I recall correctly back when he was still at MBA.Michaelson wrote: I find it a constant throughout this hobby that our vendors seem to have the same thread....if they know they're going to have a visitor, they go out of their way to provide personal hospitality.
Joe Peters Sr. does so at his shop at Peters Bros, Peter Botwright has been known to drive people to and from the train station to Little Wested House, Dave Marshall has opened his doors at G&B on many occasions....and now Tony to his shop. We have our discussions and disagreements about gear, but these folks honestly enjoy breaking bread with us when an opportunity presents itself.
Re: my friend tony ;)
That sounds like it was a great trip G Man, I wish I was able to go there myself. The jacket looks great! I just can't believe how good that leather looks I might be a bit funny in the head for this, but I'd love to see a ToD made in this leather for that was what immediately came to mind when I saw it.
According to Tony I will get #79 somewhere next week so you might have seen it (or parts of it) lying around. Too bad I didn't speak to tony while you were there: I would have loved to say hi to you.
Oh, and Michaelson, I think you'd better call Tony: I'm getting the impression that he just dislikes talking trough e-mail and loves to be able to talk to someone in "real-time".
Regards, Geert
According to Tony I will get #79 somewhere next week so you might have seen it (or parts of it) lying around. Too bad I didn't speak to tony while you were there: I would have loved to say hi to you.
Oh, and Michaelson, I think you'd better call Tony: I'm getting the impression that he just dislikes talking trough e-mail and loves to be able to talk to someone in "real-time".
Regards, Geert
Re: my friend tony ;)
G, I'm just curious, why did you get rid of your Shrunken lamb in the first place? Did you tell Tony about it? If so, did he get mad?
Fantastic jacket BTW....does the feel of the hide resemble nubuck in any way?
Also, is this skin available to the public yet or was this a one-time thing just for you?
One more thing.....how did the Holy Goat and 747 Cowhide look to you in person?
Fantastic jacket BTW....does the feel of the hide resemble nubuck in any way?
Also, is this skin available to the public yet or was this a one-time thing just for you?
One more thing.....how did the Holy Goat and 747 Cowhide look to you in person?
- Michaelson
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Re: my friend tony ;)
True, and we have a few members who can personally testify to that too!Dutch_jones wrote:That is for certain !! !! Noel Howard (RIP) used to do this do if I recall correctly back when he was still at MBA.Michaelson wrote: I find it a constant throughout this hobby that our vendors seem to have the same thread....if they know they're going to have a visitor, they go out of their way to provide personal hospitality.
Joe Peters Sr. does so at his shop at Peters Bros, Peter Botwright has been known to drive people to and from the train station to Little Wested House, Dave Marshall has opened his doors at G&B on many occasions....and now Tony to his shop. We have our discussions and disagreements about gear, but these folks honestly enjoy breaking bread with us when an opportunity presents itself.
Regards! Michaelson
Re: my friend tony ;)
Great write up G, the leather almost looks like a lighter weight oiled boot leather....should wear like iron....how would you compare it to your dark CS cow of your other Raiders (and how is that one breaking in ?)..keep us updated on the break in process of the new one.......also interested in your take on the 747 and the 'holy goat'.......glad you had an "Excellent Adventure"......
Last edited by Hatch on Mon May 11, 2009 11:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: my friend tony ;)
Man, I don't know what you are talking about.... That jacket has great "drape"! Much more lamb like than the CS leather IMO.
- Raskolnikov
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Re: my friend tony ;)
Congratulations, G!!! A great story, and another beautiful jacket made by Tony. It looks perfect.
But now that I think, someone has to ask you.... Can I have it???
But now that I think, someone has to ask you.... Can I have it???
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Re: my friend tony ;)
Brilliant, simply brilliant! Ironically, I believe "so this is where the magic happens..." to be one of my star-struck lines as well when I stepped in! Wonder how many times Tony must have heard that!
And that jacket is... Well I've got to have one.
And that jacket is... Well I've got to have one.
Re: my friend tony ;)
I know Tony had a great time with Mr. G and he too thought it was pretty amazing how the meeting with the "shrunken lamb connection" occured.
The new jacket's a beauty and I've become very torn over some of the new cowhides I've been seeing vs. the goat, and really love both the "747" and now this one.
The new jacket's a beauty and I've become very torn over some of the new cowhides I've been seeing vs. the goat, and really love both the "747" and now this one.
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Re: my friend tony ;)
i thought i should add this......folks, please don't get turned off if your e-mails go unanswered for a while. tony does his best to get through them but loves to do the business the old fashioned way via phone call or face to face. tony answers e-mails with ONE finger. he types with his left index finger while the right hand stays on the mouse. that's the best he can do as he prefers to write everything in his little daytimer. he does not use his computer to aid his business endeavours but to adapt to the growing e-business world around him (even though most of his sales are done through phone calls). btw.....he won't take the caps lock off cuz that's his style (he doesn't have another finger to hit the shift key to capitalize stuff......
i've had nubuck boots before, but never a jacket. i would say that it feels 'drier' and stiffer than nubuck. the 'dryness' of it brings out the distressing....but it's not dry. it looks oily, but it's not oily.....it just has to be seen and felt in person to truly understand this stuff. i thought shrunken lamb had very dynamic characteristics but its an oak compared to this stuff. i believe he still has a bunch of this stuff in stock. i did see the holy goat and the 747 samples. the goat is the exact same hue (brown with purpley undertones) as the shrunken lamb and has nice pebbly graining in it. it is considerabley light and tough as nails (being goat). the 747 was a light cowhide as well, lighter than the CS if i were a betting man though there wasn't a finished jacket of it to confirm. the cowhide had a brownish-green-grey undertone to it and more shine than most of the hides that i've seen with the nowak name on it. please bare in mind that these indy hides are all a good indy brown colour......but there are various hints and influences to them.....just like how someone compared shrunken lamb to have a 'beet' undertone. i couldn't really argue with that. the 747, to me, has a very forestty undertone......my opinion as that is what i see with these old eyes the dirty oil colour, to me, is THE raiders colour......very close in it's undertones to the wested washed goat...but with a hint more brown than grey per the washed goat. take that opinion with a grain of salt.
doctor hatch.......this jacket feels just like my CS raiders jacket. if i were blindfolded, i wouldn't be able to tell what was on my shoulders till i felt the leather. the dirty oil loves to crinkle in the sleeves....that would be a dead give away. at this point, the CS indy 1 is softer as it's more broken in. i've asked for some small revisions on the dirty oil to give it more SA-ness imo (ie - same big collar as my CS TN1 but with my shrunken lamb lapel specs, an extra inch around the cuff to give it more 'barrel', elf-hardware buckles which i believe tony will start using because they are of good quality and they are black (finally!!!), smoother scallop on the pocket flaps......and that's about it).
cheers,
g
hey psb.........the first shrunken lamb was sold to indiana williams as it fit him better than it fit me. i then got a new shrunken lamb in my size .....tony didn't get mad. he wasn't even mad when i requested that i didn't want his inscription on the jacket either. he said, "hey, i'm no f'en pri-madonna you know.......you won't hurt my feelings...i want you to have the jacket that you want!"PSBIndy wrote:G, I'm just curious, why did you get rid of your Shrunken lamb in the first place? Did you tell Tony about it? If so, did he get mad?
Fantastic jacket BTW....does the feel of the hide resemble nubuck in any way?
Also, is this skin available to the public yet or was this a one-time thing just for you?
One more thing.....how did the Holy Goat and 747 Cowhide look to you in person?
i've had nubuck boots before, but never a jacket. i would say that it feels 'drier' and stiffer than nubuck. the 'dryness' of it brings out the distressing....but it's not dry. it looks oily, but it's not oily.....it just has to be seen and felt in person to truly understand this stuff. i thought shrunken lamb had very dynamic characteristics but its an oak compared to this stuff. i believe he still has a bunch of this stuff in stock. i did see the holy goat and the 747 samples. the goat is the exact same hue (brown with purpley undertones) as the shrunken lamb and has nice pebbly graining in it. it is considerabley light and tough as nails (being goat). the 747 was a light cowhide as well, lighter than the CS if i were a betting man though there wasn't a finished jacket of it to confirm. the cowhide had a brownish-green-grey undertone to it and more shine than most of the hides that i've seen with the nowak name on it. please bare in mind that these indy hides are all a good indy brown colour......but there are various hints and influences to them.....just like how someone compared shrunken lamb to have a 'beet' undertone. i couldn't really argue with that. the 747, to me, has a very forestty undertone......my opinion as that is what i see with these old eyes the dirty oil colour, to me, is THE raiders colour......very close in it's undertones to the wested washed goat...but with a hint more brown than grey per the washed goat. take that opinion with a grain of salt.
doctor hatch.......this jacket feels just like my CS raiders jacket. if i were blindfolded, i wouldn't be able to tell what was on my shoulders till i felt the leather. the dirty oil loves to crinkle in the sleeves....that would be a dead give away. at this point, the CS indy 1 is softer as it's more broken in. i've asked for some small revisions on the dirty oil to give it more SA-ness imo (ie - same big collar as my CS TN1 but with my shrunken lamb lapel specs, an extra inch around the cuff to give it more 'barrel', elf-hardware buckles which i believe tony will start using because they are of good quality and they are black (finally!!!), smoother scallop on the pocket flaps......and that's about it).
cheers,
g
Re: my friend tony ;)
Hey G,
That's so cool. Glad you got to meet the man, and take home a jacket It's beautiful, and I daresay it's the perfect hide for a TN ToD!!
That's so cool. Glad you got to meet the man, and take home a jacket It's beautiful, and I daresay it's the perfect hide for a TN ToD!!
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Re: my friend tony ;)
i would love to see someone do a TOD jacket in the dirty oil (cough...cough...han jones........come on, you got the specs!!! ).Baldwyn wrote:Hey G,
That's so cool. Glad you got to meet the man, and take home a jacket It's beautiful, and I daresay it's the perfect hide for a TN ToD!!
if someone does do a TOD jacket. when you get it, put it on.....roll up the sleeves for 5 minutes with your arms bent........when you pull the sleeves back down, i think you're gonna love what you see
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Re: my friend tony ;)
does that just appeal to this leather or just in general?Indiana G wrote:i would love to see someone do a TOD jacket in the dirty oil (cough...cough...han jones........come on, you got the specs!!! ).Baldwyn wrote:Hey G,
That's so cool. Glad you got to meet the man, and take home a jacket It's beautiful, and I daresay it's the perfect hide for a TN ToD!!
if someone does do a TOD jacket. when you get it, put it on.....roll up the sleeves for 5 minutes with your arms bent........when you pull the sleeves back down, i think you're gonna love what you see
Re: my friend tony ;)
freakin A, the jacket and the story.. thanks for typing that all up, what a trip!
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Re: my friend tony ;)
this leather. it is a very pliable leather.....kind of like those little stick people that artists use to draw up cartoons with characters in motion. you can play with the collar to match a scene that you want, you can play with how you want the straps to point........when it's new of course...i don't know what it would be like when she softens upDutch_jones wrote: does that just appeal to this leather or just in general?
Re: my friend tony ;)
Hey Indiana G,
I think the back in the photo above is longer that what we are used to in Tony's jacket.
Am I wrong, or not?
I think the back in the photo above is longer that what we are used to in Tony's jacket.
Am I wrong, or not?
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Re: my friend tony ;)
platon,
you are absolutely right.......by an inch . my jackets have an extra inch in length applied to the pattern because i'm so freak'n tall......
patty,
i agree with you on mr. hack...he has always been a gentleman when i had questions. that's a great story btw.......you know, there were nights in the hotel where i thought....man, if this were the actual QM summit, me and _ would be at a gentleman's club right about now ........but we wouldn't be able to stay too late as i know seagal would drag him off in the morning for shopping on rodeo dr....
you are absolutely right.......by an inch . my jackets have an extra inch in length applied to the pattern because i'm so freak'n tall......
patty,
i agree with you on mr. hack...he has always been a gentleman when i had questions. that's a great story btw.......you know, there were nights in the hotel where i thought....man, if this were the actual QM summit, me and _ would be at a gentleman's club right about now ........but we wouldn't be able to stay too late as i know seagal would drag him off in the morning for shopping on rodeo dr....
Re: my friend tony ;)
I love it. congrats my friend.
since we are both the same size would you care to say what the chest across and bottom across is to me?
and I love the backpanel. what is the half shoulder?
thanx my friend!
bests
Eric
since we are both the same size would you care to say what the chest across and bottom across is to me?
and I love the backpanel. what is the half shoulder?
thanx my friend!
bests
Eric
Re: my friend tony ;)
Nice looking jacket you got there! What is that? Number 10 now???
I really enjoyed reading about your visit too - I hope one day I'll make it out to the States - there are one or two folks i'd love to visit, including Tony and David Morgan.
That's an interesting looking hide you chose. I'm, not sure it immediately says Raiders to me, perhaps some outdoor shots would help show it off. It slightly reminds me of Wested's washed goat, if anything. I hope we'll be seeing more pics soon.
Strange you should mention a greenish hue to the 747 - it's not as red as the original shrunken lamb, but to my eyes at least I don't think it's got much green/grey in it either. The shine is coming off with wear as well.
I really enjoyed reading about your visit too - I hope one day I'll make it out to the States - there are one or two folks i'd love to visit, including Tony and David Morgan.
That's an interesting looking hide you chose. I'm, not sure it immediately says Raiders to me, perhaps some outdoor shots would help show it off. It slightly reminds me of Wested's washed goat, if anything. I hope we'll be seeing more pics soon.
Strange you should mention a greenish hue to the 747 - it's not as red as the original shrunken lamb, but to my eyes at least I don't think it's got much green/grey in it either. The shine is coming off with wear as well.
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Re: my friend tony ;)
Michaelson wrote:........
Oh, and I sure wish Tony would get around to reading email again. I've sent a couple to him regarding questions I have, and have received from other members, and he has yet to reply to any of them (with the exception of a quick note saying 'nice to hear from you!' No answers, but at least a nice 'hello!' More than I've received from a couple OTHER vendors that will remain un-named. )
Regards! Michaelson
Geert is correct. If Tony doesn't answer an email, it's best to call him on the telephone. At a minimum include your telephone number in the email.gwyddion wrote:.........
Oh, and Michaelson, I think you'd better call Tony: I'm getting the impression that he just dislikes talking trough e-mail and loves to be able to talk to someone in "real-time".
Regards, Geert
He's been extremely busy lately and even hard to get on the telephone. Leave your number and he will get back to you. If you have a specific time you don't wan tot be called later than, tell him that too.
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Re: my friend tony ;)
G, As I recall it turned out that Holt's big collar turned out to be about the size of the regular TN Raiders collar. How much different is your collar?Indiana G wrote: i've asked for some small revisions on the dirty oil to give it more SA-ness imo (ie - same big collar as my CS TN1 but with my shrunken lamb lapel specs, an extra inch around the cuff to give it more 'barrel', elf-hardware buckles which i believe tony will start using because they are of good quality and they are black (finally!!!), smoother scallop on the pocket flaps......and that's about it).
cheers,
g
Tony told me he will start to use the 'elf' buckles, probably because they are black, but he does likes them. I asked which buckle is closest to the jacket he copied, and he said his buckle. So I guess people will have a choice there now.
Re: my friend tony ;)
Hmm, that dirty oil jacket would make a knockout ToD, I think.
THanks G for giving me something else to think about!
THanks G for giving me something else to think about!
Re: my friend tony ;)
wrong place for the post!!
Last edited by crismans on Mon May 11, 2009 8:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Indiana G
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Re: my friend tony ;)
i believe holt's collar is about 1" bigger than mine....but the whole look is highly dependent on how your shoulders are built. if you want that 'sloppy' collar, you should drape a tape measure around your neck while wearing your todd's, wested, magnoli, ab, nh, or what have you shirt. find out where you want the lapels to sit and bingo, you have your raiders collarRCSignals wrote: G, As I recall it turned out that Holt's big collar turned out to be about the size of the regular TN Raiders collar. How much different is your collar?
crismans, i don't think tony has a 1-800 number does he?
oh and if mr. chris king is out there, please pm me with your e-mail address and i can send you pics of your replacement jacket. i didn't want to show everyone without his permission.
when i get my oversized AB strap buckle, i'll try to get some full gear shots up......come to think of it, i've never posted any full gear shots
Re: my friend tony ;)
That was meant to be a pm!
Anyway, he does have an 800 (or did, at any rate). It was posted in one of the threads but I've lost the thread and the #. Double !
That is a fine looking jacket, G, and that leather is spectacular. Looks like I've got 2 more nowaks to get (eventually!) before I call it a day.
Anyway, he does have an 800 (or did, at any rate). It was posted in one of the threads but I've lost the thread and the #. Double !
That is a fine looking jacket, G, and that leather is spectacular. Looks like I've got 2 more nowaks to get (eventually!) before I call it a day.
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Re: my friend tony ;)
Hey Everyone
My father and I met up with "G" and Tony at their Shop on Friday. It was really nice to meet a fellow gearhead and a fan. It was this visit that convinced me to get a shruken lamb jacket from Tony.
I did bring him a bottle of wine in a futile attempt to get him obliterated and say "Ya know what, I like you, heres a free jacket" but I am sure G would have stopped me (or perhaps joined in? ) HAHA!!! LOL
Seriously, if any gearheads are even remotely near Tony's workshop in El Segundo, take a visit up there even if you dont plan on buying anything. Just chill and talk Indy. You will see some amazing stuff.
I plan to go back up there next week to get fitted and will try to take some pics for everyone.
And G, I love that jacket Tony made you try on, the "blue danube" hollywood jacket as I call it. It was nice meeting you and I am glad you had a great time. Simply great stuff!!!
(P.S. the leather you picked out was AWESOME!!!)
My father and I met up with "G" and Tony at their Shop on Friday. It was really nice to meet a fellow gearhead and a fan. It was this visit that convinced me to get a shruken lamb jacket from Tony.
I did bring him a bottle of wine in a futile attempt to get him obliterated and say "Ya know what, I like you, heres a free jacket" but I am sure G would have stopped me (or perhaps joined in? ) HAHA!!! LOL
Seriously, if any gearheads are even remotely near Tony's workshop in El Segundo, take a visit up there even if you dont plan on buying anything. Just chill and talk Indy. You will see some amazing stuff.
I plan to go back up there next week to get fitted and will try to take some pics for everyone.
And G, I love that jacket Tony made you try on, the "blue danube" hollywood jacket as I call it. It was nice meeting you and I am glad you had a great time. Simply great stuff!!!
(P.S. the leather you picked out was AWESOME!!!)
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Re: my friend tony ;)
that might have been RaiderS having some fun......crismans wrote:.........
Anyway, he does have an 800 (or did, at any rate). It was posted in one of the threads but I've lost the thread and the #. Double !
.........
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Re: my friend tony ;)
I'm just curious, because the standard collar is already quite large diameter. Mine measured along the collar stand is 20.25".Indiana G wrote:i believe holt's collar is about 1" bigger than mine....but the whole look is highly dependent on how your shoulders are built. if you want that 'sloppy' collar, you should drape a tape measure around your neck while wearing your todd's, wested, magnoli, ab, nh, or what have you shirt. find out where you want the lapels to sit and bingo, you have your raiders collarRCSignals wrote: G, As I recall it turned out that Holt's big collar turned out to be about the size of the regular TN Raiders collar. How much different is your collar?
.......
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Re: my friend tony ;)
RS.....it was great to meet you and your dad to. heck, if you would have uncorked that bottle, i'd be in for passing the bottle around
i think you'll love that shrunken lamb when you get it....make sure you post pics when you do my friend......but i bet your dad will "borrow" it before you get the chance ......it was great to see your dad shared an interest in the jacket with you. cherish that
my meager 44" sized chest fits a nice 22" collar stand for that sloppy raiders look (iirc).
cheers,
G
i think you'll love that shrunken lamb when you get it....make sure you post pics when you do my friend......but i bet your dad will "borrow" it before you get the chance ......it was great to see your dad shared an interest in the jacket with you. cherish that
my meager 44" sized chest fits a nice 22" collar stand for that sloppy raiders look (iirc).
cheers,
G
Re: my friend tony ;)
my friend.
I must have missed it. how long is the backlength and sleeves?
I must have missed it. how long is the backlength and sleeves?
Re: my friend tony ;)
RCSignals wrote:that might have been RaiderS having some fun......crismans wrote:.........
Anyway, he does have an 800 (or did, at any rate). It was posted in one of the threads but I've lost the thread and the #. Double !
.........
Perhaps I just dreamed the whole thing? I did have a dream where my camping party were all killed by the Hulk the other night.