Where are the original Raiders jackets today?

[RCSignals]

You've been away too long again _

Thanks.... I've been busy selecting colors... Apparently "I don't care" is not an acceptable position...

"I don't care" Should be the commercial name of a whole color line

(There are some colors it probably shouldn't include though )

[Don't Call Me Junior!]

You've been away too long again _

Thanks.... I've been busy selecting colors... Apparently "I don't care" is not an acceptable position...

"I don't care" Should be the commercial name of a whole color line

(There are some colors it probably shouldn't include though )

It could also be one of the options when you order an Indy jacket.

Size: Please follow sizing guide.

Hide: I don't care

Color: I don't care

For those that REALLY want to be surprised when they open the package!

[faststreetsofhongkong]

I just want to set the record straight, as I am "Mr. Sparks".

My jacket is special, special to me because it reminds me of a time in my life when I was young, and a big fan of Indiana Jones. Now I'm a bit older, and am still a big Indiana Jones fan.
Back to the Jacket. It is special because imagine meeting your favorite actor, I mean in the world. Well, you run the risk of catching people at the wrong moment, etc. Well, the couple of times when I met Harrison he was a super cool guy. I had met Leslie (his assistant back then) when they were there previously for “Patriot Games”. During this time, I was working in the Paramount mailroom, and they were on the lot again for “Clear and Present Danger”. I ran into Leslie and asked her if there was any magazines or newspapers that they would prefer, she told me what she and Harrison liked, and I had them there everyday and would leave them in a mail bucket outside of Harrison’s trailer as instructed to do so by Leslie. I knew I could ask her for a couple of autographs, but I felt that I should do something for them in return, hence the reading materials.

Anyway, towards the end of the shoot Leslie asked me if I wanted to take a picture with Harrison … guess what my answer was:

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu35 ... G_0177.jpg

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu35 ... ture26.png

And yes, I am wearing my Leather Concessionaires Jacket. What is really strange about this picture is that if you look in the background, yes, that is the café from KOTCS on the Paramount New York Street.

I miss those days, Life was simpler then. If I could ever travel time, I would go back and get at least three of the Star Trek TNG people to ask me for my autograph … but there is no time travel. Eh, maybe in the next life.

But as far as meeting Harrison, I would never change any of that. I still have that jacket, it is hanging in my closet next to my Nowak KOTCS …

But to clarify, I have, even myself, had some confusion as to the origin of the Leather Concessionaires Jacket (all I can say is that I got it from someone in England). But I am certain after many talks with Tony that this Leather Concessionaires Jacket is NOT a production jacket. If it was, it would be worth more than I could ever imagine.

I want to say one last thing about all of this “Indy” stuff. I have met some cool people through this experience. I consider Joe Strain, Steve Delk and Tony Nowak to craftsmen of exceptional skill, and am happy to call them my friends.

[sallah4]

Being studied by "Top Men"
-Jake

[Castor Dioscuri]

Wow, finally the Watergate source has been outed! Welcome aboard, "Mr. Sparks"!

Brilliant story, and brilliant jacket! And that's just awesome that that set would be revisited a decade or two later, and Ford even wore closes-enough clothing! The only thing that's missing in the story is Ford's reaction to seeing that jacket! That's something I'd love to hear! And I'm sure everyone here is probably behind me when I say...

;0

After a year or so, it's about time we get to see pictures of THE jacket... And the Nowak copy!

You gotta love how Indygear history is so easily mutable (no offence intended to everyone), and something we all take for gospel one day, the next day it turns out the earth is ROUND, not FLAT! Good thing though that Nowak already was working on that mysterious Raiders source jacket when he recieved Spark's jacket, otherwise I don't think we could handle what that would mean to the Nowak Owners Club!

Sparks asked Tony to make him a copy of the jacket that he sent. At the time that Tony received Spark's jacket, he notified Sparks that he was actually working on his own Raider's jacket and that it was made from an actual HERO jacket that he had obtained from a secret source. Tony told him that his HERO jacket actually had a silver colored zipper and hardware (buckle/snaps). However Sparks at the time believed that his jacket was a closer match to the actual screen used jacket...

So the real question remains: Did Nowak use any elements of the Sparks jacket in the end for the Indy I line? Jacket owners have to know!

[RCSignals]

..........

So the real question remains: Did Nowak use any elements of the Sparks jacket in the end for the Indy I line? Jacket owners have to know!

If you ask Tony the question, the answer will be no, I'm sure. Two different jackets completely.

[Castor Dioscuri]

The Sparks jacket is a fish. A red fish. A red herring. It's just a Leather Concessionaires jacket from the late 80's. Nothing more. Just like somebody having a great story about their Wested that's lasted a bunch of years.

Ouch! Burn! Zing!

Well played!

[RCSignals]

Yeah it confuses things about the jackets, with the timing of them in his shop. It was posted here before that Mr sparks jacket was an old Leather Concessionaires that he wanted copied.
I think it was also said that Mr Sparks ended up also purchasing a TN Raiders copy of the original movie jacket that was sent to Tony.

It's convenient for some people to 'combine' the two stories.

[Baldwyn]

Yup, this was thankfully clear on the outset, although easy to forget that the Sparks jacket was not the basis for the 000 jacket (I forgot it!)

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=36638

Mr Sparks, thanks for posting, however, it's wonderful to have you posting here. Your Nowak Raiders FASCINATES me!!! It looks like an old Wested!

[faststreetsofhongkong]

From what Tony told me, NONE of my jacket was used in his Indy 1 jacket. His Indy 1 jacket is an exact copy of a production jacket ... which, unfortunately, mine is not.

As for Harrison's reaction to seeing the jacket. Yes, he recognized the jacket. If I remember correctly, the conversation went something like this:

Harrison: Hi.

Me: Hey.

Leslie takes the picture.

He shakes my hand.

Me: Thanks.

Harrison pauses for a moment, kind of leans down a bit (he was wearing sunglasses) to look with a clear line of vision at what I'm wearing. Does the half smile very slightly ...

Harrison: Nice Jacket.

And then Leslie hands me the camera and then he starts talking to Leslie and I walk away to get the film developed before anything can happen to the camera (these are the days of film, not digital). You have to understand, I was a kid in the mailroom, I couldn't strike up a conversation with Harrison, even if I wanted to. Leslie was cool to offer to take the picture, and I didn't want to "Geek Out" in that situation. For an Indy fan you have to put it in perspective, it is like you are a Humphrey Bogart fan and you have a picture with him and he has his hand on your Maltese Falcon replica. That jacket is a keeper, even if it is not perfect ... it met Indy once.

I used to get a lot of time around the Star Trek TNG people (as I said in my previous post), there are always things we wish we could have said, but the moment passes, and you have to go back to work.

I am open if anyone has any time travel hints ...

Hope that this clears it up once and for all. The only reason I posted on this thread is, well, people kept mentioning me by name and the original Raiders Jacket, I just want to clear that up. Only Tony has ever had access to a production jacket from Raiders.

[PETER]

This is indeed a clone of the Flight Suits jacket Lee developed and which Peter Botwright later confirmed he copied as he had no documentation of the original Raiders jacket.

That is a complete fabrication. It is well documented that I used to supply Lee with Raiders jackets. It is only when I stopped making jackets for him that I assume he went to Flight Suits. He certainly never sent me one to copy. If he had done I would have been severly insulted and probably cut it into little peices and sent it back to him. I had the hates for FS for ripping off my design in the first place.
Come on _, I admire your tenacousness but think it through.
You have repeated this several times and I have always denied it.
Peter

[agent5]

[Michaelson]

I could have used one of those yesterday, '5'.

Regards! Michaelson

[frogman]

That image from Agent 5 doesn't show
Anyone can post the link please?

[Holt]

just type pink bunny on google.

[frogman]

...and I thought it was an image of a Wested copied from a Gibson & Barnes..

[PETER]

[quoteOnly Tony has ever had access to a production jacket from Raiders][/quote]
Not quite true, I had access to all of them when I made them.
Unfortunately I must confirm that all films jacket had Bermans & Nathan labels in them
even the first prototype, susequent production had Leather Concessionares labels.
Incidentally does that Leather Concessionaires jacket have a material inside collar facing or a leather one
it dates the jacket.

[PETER]

I stick by what I said. I have never had or copied a Flightsuit Jacket.
The first I knew of Flightsuits was when a I think you and some others took one of MY originals to
them to get it copied.
I have no wish to get into a slanging match
Please lets have some mutual respect.

[Restless Dreamer]

Peter - I have you on audio tape admitting exactly what I said. September of 2007.

is there a way to convert it in a digitalized audio file and let everybody listen to it? this could be the best way to share light on these facts.

[crismans]

I stick by what I said. I have never had or copied a Flightsuit Jacket.
The first I knew of Flightsuits was when a I think you and some others took one of MY originals to
them to get it copied.
I have no wish to get into a slanging match
Please lets have some mutual respect.

Again, this is getting confusing and I never know if it's because I'm remembering something wrong or for other reasons. It was my understanding that the LC jacket was based on a Flightsuits jacket purchased from Lee Keppler that had the storm flap snaps added as a request of the buyer (presumably someone from Lucasfilm). Am I misremembering here?

Sorry for the somewhat off-topic but I wanted to clarify this point but didn't think it needed its own thread started.

[eazybox]

Although kindness and forgiveness are desireable traits, truth must never be censored, and does not always come wrapped in a pretty package. Also, sometimes it is necessary to make a loud noise in order to be heard above the din of the crowd. Just my 2 cents.

Jack

[djd]

I think it would be worth calming down a bit and resolving this by PM if that's what it takes. Shouting loudest does not necessarily equate to telling the truth and misunderstandings over what was said and was was actually meant can happen without intention.

[Michaelson]

Well, it would probably be best to just lock things down for a bit while folks go in their corners and catch their breaths.

Why this old thread from last February suddenly surfaced again is puzzling, but it seems to be opening old wounds, and strong opinions, so let's give it a rest for the time being.

I'll do the deed, since there seems to be a lack of administration or moderators today.....and no, I'm not the one posting 'mod edits' in this thread. Those are actions being taken by the moderators of this section.

Behave yourselves.

Regards! Michaelson