Tony was very receptive to my input throughout the ordering process. I think he must have been working on a movie order this summer, as it took a bit longer to get the jacket than I expected (and longer than some of his estimates), and he emailed me a few times late at night and on weekends. Given that it's a bespoke jacket made by a craftsman of some renown, however, I didn't really mind the wait (up to the point I got the FedEx tracking number, of course, which started me on an obsessive quest to hit the "refresh" button on the FedEx tracking page).
Tony is a great guy to buy a jacket from. In dealing with him it was clear that he was going to make me the jacket I wanted made. I found this level of deference from a vendor to be both refreshing and a bit scary. But I've bought a few custom and off-the-rack jackets over the years and was pretty sure about the measurements, so I gave Tony the ultimate specs last week and began the final wait.
Today that wait came to an end. My initial impression of the jacket is WOW. It just looks like a Raiders jacket right out of the box. I basically got the original movie specs, plus one inch in the length on the front (24") and two inches on the back (25"), along with an inch in the sleeves (26.5"). The fit is just about spot on. The sleeves are perhaps a touch long, but with some creasing I expect they'll settle in right where they should.
Details that I love: the handwarmers are incredibly functional -- bigger and tougher-feeling than Wested, much more practical than G&B (which basically consists of only the space between the leather patch for the pocket and the body of the jacket). The lining is comfortable, smooth, and robust. The inside pocket is deep, and per my request is where the TN label and 47/888 embroidery is located. (I like the clean look this gives the lining.) The zip is a nice, heavy-feeling 5 gauge YKK in nickel, with a left hand pull.
What to say about the leather? It's cool, almost like a cow-lamb hybrid. I've never seen anything quite like it. It has great graining, with subtle lighter highlights in the grain that stand out and then recede depending on the lighting. It's heavy and feels both tough and soft. It drapes very, very well and the sleeves are already developing some nice crinkles. It has some scuff marks, but they don't appear to be anything but cosmetic and in fact work with the overall impression of the jacket. The leather has a bit of a shine, but I expect that to tone down with some wear and breaking in.
The quality of the build is great. It's an extremely well-made jacket. At least one stitch line is less than laser straight, but it is on the interior and doesn't bother me at all. I actually kind of like it, as it's a reminder that the jacket is hand made. (I contrast this with the almost total precision of the G&B cut and stitching, which gave those jackets a bit of a "machine" like feel to me.)
Overall I am thrilled with the jacket so far. This is not a complete review, however, as I've learned from hard experience that you can't really give an honest assessment of a jacket until you've owned and worn it for a few months. You won't notice all the details right away, and the niggling little problems that eventually drive you nuts and convince you to get rid of it won't show up until the novelty of ownership has worn off. So I'll provide an actual "review" six months or so from now. But for the time being, I am in hog heaven. When I called Tony today to tell him how delighted I was with the jacket, he told me to wear the #### out of it. I intend to.
Pictures coming in the next few days when I have a few moments at home with a camera and some daylight.
EDIT: Here are some more shots in evening sunshine, with a couple of closeups with my Adventurebilt Deluxe:
Here are links to the indoor nighttime shots with flash:
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k171/ ... et/TN1.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k171/ ... et/TN2.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k171/ ... et/TN4.jpg
Or is better to ask for forgiveness then permission... 
Do that baby the justice it deserves!
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