Making your OWN Jacket !

[mooniteman]

Alright kids - I've yet to see this discussed here....

Now in your pursuit of the PERFECT Indy coat have any of you ever attempted making your OWN custom Indy coat - that means buying the leather - making the pattern and sewing the puppy all by yourself?

This is an adventure I'm very interested in. I've made many coats, shirts, pants and everything under else under the sun from various fabrics and pleathers in the past - but I've never done anything that was made from 100% leather and intended to brave everyday use (aside from my Jack Sparrow gear)

So anyone have any attempts and have any tips - suggestions or perhaps horror stories regarding making your very own Leather coat ?

Cheers!

Moony

[Ranger36]

Wow, I can't wait to see how this thread turns out. Should be some interesting feedback.

[Kevin Anderson]

Leather is just so hard to work with. Even experienced tailors often shy away from leather work.
That's why I admire makers like Tony Nowak. I've worked with leather for drum skins. Rawhides.
It's difficult enough soaking and cutting and stretching them onto a drum, let alone having to make a
perfectly symetrical jacket to precise measurements that also looks good!
So, my hat is off to anyone who works with leather well!

[CM]

A number of people have tried it - mainly making A2's. One - John Chapman - was so good that he now sells them with great success - Goodwear may be the company he trades under, I forget. Look at the Fedora Lounge for info on this. Fishmeok (I think that's teh other guy's user name) has just started making them too.

It's not too different to working with fabric, you just need the right sewing machine and, naturally some skill. But that is true for most activities.

[Tibor]

Yup, John Chapman's company is Goodwear.

http://www.goodwearleather.com/pages/index.html

I'm very close to production-time with John (I put in my order back in February - he's a one-man show). He made all the A-2s for the upcoming film "Redtails" about the Tuskegee airmen. I promised to post mine in Lao Che's Table once it comes (can't wait).

John's not only a fine craftsman, but quite a historian on the topic as well. Well worth a visit to the website.

Indy jackets do present some additional tricky stuff though.

[IndyinMiami]

Hey AJ! Its Dave from Miami. Listen, you might want to take a look at this website before you start anything....

Hope this helps you out!

www.filmjackets.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6

Let me know what you think!

Dave

[nicktheguy]

Best of luck on this....
and as Red Green says, "If the women can't find you handsome, at least they can find you handy".
(A Canadian comedy show -- Red Green uses lots of duct tape on everything)

[IndyinMiami]

I know Jon well, and spoke to him not too long ago about the idea of custom making an Indy jacket. Now, craftsman wise, Jon is the best at what he does, and thats saying something, because if there is one thing I know better than INDY, it's the United States Army Air Corps/Forces, and their garments, since I also do WWII reenactments. He told me that while he is able to make his jackets based on patterns he puts together off of ORIGINALS he has, making an Indy jacket would be a nightmare!!!! And then, everybody becomes a nit picker, "Ooh.. I want THIS buckle", and "Awwww I wanted a more pointed collar.." ad so on. So, it's one arena he is not even getting into. As far as supplies and advice, sure, I would contact him, because Jon is the kind of guy who you can sit for hours with and he'll tel you everything you'd ever want to know!!! But like I said, and I cant over emphisize this A.J., before you start ANYTHING, as good as your skills are now in costuming, do YOUR HOMEWORK . This may be a great project to start, and I am sure that every Indyfan on this planet will be more than happy to lend you his left arm if it'll help you, but its just one of those projects, you really want to get right!

[Indiana Jake]

What is your time worth? The tools that I have to make leather holsters cost more than a holster. Now there are simpler cheaper ways of doing it, but that's not been my style. I cannot speak with authority on jackets, but by the time you buy good cutting tools and a sewing machine you could have bought someone else's jacket plus a few extras too. There is a commitment factor to this jacket making process - time, equipment and materials. Good luck!

Indiana Jake

[lantzn]

Yup, John Chapman's company is Goodwear.

http://www.goodwearleather.com/pages/index.html

John's not only a fine craftsman, but quite a historian on the topic as well. Well worth a visit to the website.

I really like the looks of the Horsehide: seal brown, vegetable–tanned leather. It has a the veins of a Raiders look to it.
http://www.goodwearleather.com/pages/leather.html