2nd Update: *Pics* New Wested LC in Novapelle

Tremolo · Post by **Tremolo** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 11:51 am

This morning my new Wested LC in Novapelle arrived at my doorstep! Which was a very welcome distraction, because I´m right in the middle of my exams for this semester.
I have to say I really like this leather and people were right that pictures don´t do it justice. I´m curious how it will look after a good rain shower and a bit of Pecards, at the moment it´s appearance is really "dusty", but I knew that.
The other good thing is that almost all of my requests were met and those that were "overlooked" aren´t that important to me.
I´m also very happy with the fit (size 48), the interesting thing is that the fit is almost identical to my 2001 Raiders in 42...
My last LC was a 46 but the arm movement was bit difficult when it was zipped up, so this time I went with a 48 and I don´t regret it! I guess all this is due to the different patterns. The tapered cut is also very nice as I´ve lost quite a bit of weight over the last months.
I´m quite surprised how much the missing hem stitch adds to the overall look of the jacket. The collar looks bigger and better than on my other jacket (both have almost the same dimensions), not perfect but I´m happy with it.
Now I´m also convinced that the perfect storm flap width is 1.75" instead of 2" (like on my other jacket, see the Last Crusade jacket thread) and a little distressing would give it the impression of being wider than it really is.
After wearing it the last hours constantly (it´s quite warm today..) I came to the conclusion that this is the most "Indy-ish" looking jacket I have in my collection, don´t get me wrong, I´m really happy with my other jackets but this one seems to have a certain amount of "it" for me. The longer I wear it the more I think I´ll give it a slight LC-style distressing, it seems to beg me for some LC-marks every time I look at it.

I was surprised how fast I got the jacket, it took only 15 days (not counting the weekends, with weekends 19 days) and the funny thing is Gemma told me the jacket would get shipped today.
Either it was a mistake or DHL is using Star Trek beamers nowadays.

Alright, enough talking here are some pictures.

Laying flat on the ground
Link: Close up of the collar

And here one worn outside with a little Mitch-like pose

(I hope you don´t mind)

whipcracker · Post by **whipcracker** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 11:54 am

That is a very nice jacket, looks good on you too. I can definitely see some "it" in it. As they say "if you're happy, we're happy."

Indyzane · Post by **Indyzane** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 12:28 pm

Very nice jacket my friend! Enjoy it and wear it well! Thanks for sharing!

Ian · Post by **Ian** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 12:31 pm

That looks fantastic dude!!

Very interested in this thread cos I'm waiting for the same (but in a 50), ordered it last week.

What's the leather feel like? I've heard that it's quite soft like it's broken in.

Looks great on you. More photos dude!

Ian

orb · Post by **orb** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 12:52 pm

Best Wested I have seen in a while!

Wear it with proud!

crismans · Post by **crismans** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 1:06 pm

Very nice jacket! Like Orb said that's the best Wested I've seen in a little while. Wested can really make a nice jacket. I'd love for them to do it more consistently.

Holt · Post by **Holt** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 2:49 pm

if they want they can do it. I have been saying that forever. problem is, it seems that they dont want as much..

awesome jacket.

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 3:03 pm

looks very good on you and you wear it well sir. pockets, collar, bottom hem (or lack of)....all look great!

congrats on your purchase and enjoy it.

i am still concerned that you commented about specs that were "overlooked", which tells me that issues still exist. but the bottom line is the customer is pleased enough that they weren't deal killers, so kudos.

Mitch LaRue · Post by **Mitch LaRue** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 3:07 pm

Looks FANTASTIC (and fantastic ON you) Tremolo!

Congratulations!

Tremolo wrote:And here one worn outside with a little Mitch-like pose (I hope you don't mind)

My friend, you flatter me.

kwad · Post by **kwad** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 4:07 pm

Very nice Temelo!

With the exception of the missing hem stitch, It looks just like mine.
I love my Novapelle LC, and I loved it even more after a coat of pecards. (Give it a try, I garuntee you'll love the results.)

D · Post by D » Fri Jun 25, 2010 4:32 pm

Did you ask for mods on the pockets? B/c they look great!

Noah · Post by **Noah** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 9:28 pm

Congratulations on the jacket! Looks great! I always thought Novapelle was very nice. Enjoy it

Texan Scott · Post by **Texan Scott** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 11:20 pm

What type of n/p is this?

Tremolo · Post by **Tremolo** » Sat Jun 26, 2010 4:03 am

Thank you all very much! I can´t say how glad I am that this jacket turned out as good as it did. I was quite nervous when I opened the package

Texan Scott wrote:What type of n/p is this?

To be honest I don´t really know, I read here that Wested has Novapelle back in stock shortly before I ordered and when I wrote them my special requests I only said dark Novapelle. Although I don´t know if they currently stock various shades of it like they used to do (wasn´t it Copper, dark and normal?)

D wrote:Did you ask for mods on the pockets? B/c they look great!

Yep, as the standard pockets look more like CS I really wanted other dimensions. These are 7.5"x7" and the flap goes from 3" to 3.5" in the middle. I think they are quite close.

Indiana G wrote: i am still concerned that you commented about specs that were "overlooked", which tells me that issues still exist. but the bottom line is the customer is pleased enough that they weren't deal killers, so kudos.

I just checked everything and it seems that 2 out of 19 were "overlooked". These two were higher placed straps and a strap-anchoring similar to the Smithsonian jacket. But you´re right, absolutely no deal killers.

Ian wrote: What's the leather feel like? I've heard that it's quite soft like it's broken in.
Looks great on you. More photos dude!
Ian

It feels soft and broken in, but in a different way than my other cowhide jackets which are really broken in. So I guess it will get softer and more broken in, after some time

Really a great leather, although it was a hard decision between Novapelle and their new soft seal brown cowhide like James´ jacket here.

And I´m sure gonna take some more pics

Tundrarider wrote:Awesome jacket, Tremelo! I like Wested cowhide jackets so much more than their lamb.

This one turned out great!!!

Michael

Thanks Michael, I´ve never seen one of their lamb jackets in person but out of 4 Westeds 3 are cowhide and 1 is horse. So I guess I´m partial to cowhide

So the next steps are some Pecards and a bit of LC-distressing.
Again thank you all very much for the nice comments!

cyrano · Post by **cyrano** » Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:27 am

Great Jacket and Great fit Tremolo

How would you rate NP versus others wested cowhides (weight thickness stiffness...) ?

Tremolo · Post by **Tremolo** » Sat Jun 26, 2010 6:04 am

Thanks Cyrano!

When comparing my 3 cowhide jackets, the 2001 dark brown cowhide (don´t know if Peters still has something like that, but the seal brown cowhide looks very close) is the heaviest and stiffest. But stiff only compared to the other two, it is softer than my horse hide.
Regarding the stiffness the Novapelle is right between the 2001 and the soft waxy cowhide (shown here.
So the softest one is the waxy cowhide, but both are similar in thickness and weight. Which matches with what Peter told me when I asked him the same question.
Maybe it´s a tad too early for me to really rate the Novapelle. The waxy cowhide got really wrinkled and used looking in a very short time, for example.

Forrest For the Trees · Sun Jun 27, 2010 1:27 pm

That jacket looks great. The best Wested jackets I have seen (or at least the ones I like the most) are those with custom sized pockets. I wish Peter would just make them standard. Great jacket. Enjoy it!

Tremolo · Post by **Tremolo** » Sun Jun 27, 2010 2:33 pm

Thank you!
You´re right, for me pockets and the collar really define a jacket.

St. Dumas · Post by **St. Dumas** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:30 am

Tremolo, thanks for returning the PMs. Would you mind sending us a photo of the collar detail while you're wearing it? That's a fantastic jacket, based on some well thought-out specs and great research. That should be Wested's LC standard.
SD

Tremolo · Post by **Tremolo** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 6:46 am

Thank you very much SD! It was a pleasure talking with you.
Hopefully I´ll have some time around the weekend to take some good pictures (with a better camera as well) of the collar, the details and the slight LC-distressing I´m planning to do.

CM · Post by CM » Mon Jun 28, 2010 7:06 am

St. Dumas wrote:Tremolo, thanks for returning the PMs. Would you mind sending us a photo of the collar detail while you're wearing it? That's a fantastic jacket, based on some well thought-out specs and great research. That should be Wested's LC standard.
SD

Exactly - great pockets! Why can't Wested just do it that way always!? It's beyond a joke now how wrong most of their jackets look. If their LC looked like this as standard, I would have been a loyal Wested customer for life instead of going over to G&B.

Tremolo · Post by **Tremolo** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 3:08 pm

Alright, this is the first time I ever distressed a jacket. Normally I´m one of the natural-distressing crowd but this one seemed to beg me for a LC distressing.

At first I was a bit afraid to completely ruin the jacket, but after a while I really began to enjoy it. Mostly because it began to look more and more like a real LC jacket (at least to my eyes).
I distressed it twice, the first time before I "pecarded" it and afterwards I worked out some more highlights. That way I got several shades of distressing with the already slight overall distressing of the Novapelle. The coat of Pecard really made the leather look a bit more "livlier" and darker, which looks even better.
In the end I´m really happy with the result and as I said earlier in this thread, this one seems to be the most Indyish jacket of all my Indy jackets, now even more.
What do you think?
Hopefully I can find some time on the weekend to get some better pictures taken of the jacket being worn.

Indoors

Indoors with flash

Outside with normal daylight
Outside 1

Outside 2

Mitch LaRue · Post by **Mitch LaRue** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 3:47 pm

WOW!!!

Again, that looks just GREAT!

Really NICE work, Tremolo!

RCSignals · Post by **RCSignals** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 3:50 pm

nice work Tremolo

Holt · Post by **Holt** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 4:21 pm

looks better then in new condtion.

and I see you have the line on the stormflap.

good job!

RCSignals · Post by **RCSignals** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 4:26 pm

The (proper) distressing is a big part of the LC jacket for sure.

St. Dumas · Post by **St. Dumas** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 4:58 pm

Find the time to take those pics, Tremolo. Find the time. I want to see that collar in action.

SD

crismans · Post by **crismans** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 5:16 pm

Very nice. I really think the LC screams out for that "seam" distressing to really complete the look. It's made this jacket look even better!

Dunross76 · Post by **Dunross76** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 5:20 pm

Wow! Great distressing job!!!!

Tremolo · Post by **Tremolo** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 6:21 pm

Thank you all very much! I also think it looks much better (and more LC) now and am very happy that I distressed it.
Holt, that line is a definitive must

I´ve also tried to replicate the distressing marks on the collar, hopefully these can be seen in the next pictures. At the moment the weekend is packed full with work and learning, but I sure hope to get a few free minutes to get to my girlfriend and let her take some pictures.
The seam distressing was the hardest part, most of the time I worked just on that. I did it very carefully as to not destroy the seams. Fortunately, no seam broke during the distressing!
I´m glad that I only had to do the details, the seams and some accents on the panels and that it all blends wonderfully with the slight distressing of the Novapelle leather. Otherwise it would have taken me a lot longer to finish.

Forrest For the Trees · Thu Jul 01, 2010 6:43 pm

Nice job! Looks really good. The key here, I would think, is knowing when to stop. And again, those pockets look great.

Yojimbo Jones · Post by **Yojimbo Jones** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 9:22 pm

Now THAT is a nice jacket. Congratulaions!

orb · Post by **orb** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 7:51 am

On the newer pics it's clearly visible that there is again some big gap between the collar and the stormflap!
The collar should normally go to the 1/3 or middle of the stormflap.
Very strange pattern they use

Regards

orb

Holt · Post by **Holt** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:02 am

I wonder what the definition of ''big'' is in your country orb? because here were I live big is BIG. On tremolos jacket I dont see ''big''

to me it look like the collar is on the stormflap seam which is exaclty the way the smithsonian jacket is constructed.

Tremolo · Post by **Tremolo** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:14 am

I know the collar going to the middle or 1/3 of the stormflap would probably be better. My other LC has the collar going 1/4 on the stomflap, so I didn´t say anything in my order about it and assumed it was standard. Well...
However I don´t let that fact bother me much as the the tip of the flap is is most of the time bent anyway and one wouldn´t really notice it on the first two pictures. But I must say there is no gap, the collarstand lines up with the the seam of the stormflap, so it isn´t that bad to me

orb · Post by **orb** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:21 am

What does this have to do with my country Holt?

I just saw that gap by the stormflap and it doesn't look very good.
The collar starts much after the stormflap seam. That's a huge (big!) gap for me.

That's how it should be IMO:

orb · Post by **orb** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 8:34 am

Indiana Holt wrote:I wonder what the definition of ''big'' is in your country orb? because here were I live big is BIG. On tremolos jacket I dont see ''big''

to me it look like the collar is on the stormflap seam which is exaclty the way the smithsonian jacket is constructed.

Compare this:

with this closeup of a very odd Wested:

The gap is not that bad on Tremolo's jacket. But it's still noticable.

Regards

orb

Holt · Post by **Holt** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 10:36 am

it has nothing to do with your country. but the definiton of the word 'big' in your language.there that better? I was just pulling your leg. lol.

I see what your sayin but I dont see from these pictures that it is like Knibs old LC collar.

St. Dumas · Post by **St. Dumas** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 11:24 am

Tremolo's collar stand starts lines up with the seam where the stormflap meets the jacket. It just looks like there's some separation because of the sweep of the collar.

SD

Noah · Post by **Noah** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 4:11 pm

Great distressing! Looks even better now

scot2525 · Post by **scot2525** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 6:39 pm

Looks great tremolo, what method did you use to distress the seams?

Tremolo · Post by **Tremolo** » Sat Jul 03, 2010 5:36 am

I´ve used 600 grit sandpaper on the seams, but very carefully. In fact, I left out the actual seams and just sanded the surrounding areas.

St. Dumas wrote:Tremolo's collar stand starts lines up with the seam where the stormflap meets the jacket. It just looks like there's some separation because of the sweep of the collar.

SD

That´s it, the seams line up. But the last picture really makes it look a bit strang, the other pictures I posted represent the jacket quite a bit better.

Tremolo · Post by **Tremolo** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 3:19 pm

Here some new pictures of the jacket being worn. Please excuse the close-enough shirt and pants, I´ve been in quite a hurry

Hopefully I can take some nice pictures in full gear someday.

Holt · Post by **Holt** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 3:34 pm

I think yours and mine are the best one from wested for sure. my jacket is now in second place.

wonder why they cant make it standard. I dont understand why it is so difficult...

ah well....

again, congrats on yours!

Tremolo · Post by **Tremolo** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 3:48 pm

Indiana Holt wrote:I think yours and mine are the best one from wested for sure. my jacket is now in second place.

wonder why they cant make it standard. I dont understand why it is so difficult...

ah well....

again, congrats on yours!

Thank you very much Holt! That comment really made my day!

It would make everything much easier for us and for them, if they changed their LC pattern a bit, instead of having one for LC and CS.. I bet they would sell a lot more jackets, if they did. But, well, I´m glad that they are doing special requests.

Again, thanks Holt!

Forrest For the Trees · Sun Jul 04, 2010 5:41 pm

Indiana Holt wrote:I think yours and mine are the best one from wested for sure. my jacket is now in second place.

wonder why they cant make it standard. I dont understand why it is so difficult...

ah well....

again, congrats on yours!

My sentiments exactly, Holt. Wested could easily make these fan-spec'ed patterns standard. I can't stand the long rectangular shape of the standard pockets that usually come out of Wested.

Oh, that jacket is looking more awesome by the day!

Mitch LaRue · Post by **Mitch LaRue** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 10:35 pm

MAN... THAT's for sure!
That jacket gets better and better looking every time I see it!

Sincere Thanks for adding these latest pictures, Tremolo!

Tremolo · Post by **Tremolo** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 4:16 pm

Thanks Mitch and Forrest for the Trees!
I got caught in a heavy rain storm yesterday and today the jacket looks even better with some sleeve wrinkles!

scot2525 · Post by **scot2525** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 6:46 pm

Looks even better than before Tremolo!

I agree with the the sentiments regarding Wested, if Wested wasn't so stubborn and provided a little better customer service they would have a much better product and reputation.

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 7:24 pm

Excellent jacket Tremelo! Nicely specced, your distressing really brings it to life.

On a side note, and it doesn't relate to your specs... an unfortunate thing about many fan specs is that they so cyclical, one season a particular aspect is is in fashion next season it is another. Everyone sees things differently. Tremelo has decided on the smaller squarer pockets, higher up on the body and you can see that they look fantastic.

BUT.

The next person may want to put their hands in the handwarmers and DISASTER, they don't fit! Cue much consternation.

The third person decides that the jacket MUST be able to hold a grail diary in the pocket.... which I guarantee you will mean a taller pocket.

I am convinced that the close up shot of the diary in the pocket in LC had one of 2 things:

1) A deeper pocket designed for that shot (note you never see the bottom of the pocket with the diary in place).

2) The inside of the pocket has been cut away so the diary can go inside the body of the jacket so it can sit low in the pocket.

Anyway, this has the most often requested features and I think they should be made standard on Wested's LC pattern. Squarer pockets with a deep flap, higher up on the body and no hem stitch on the bottom of the jacket.

This jacket delivers the LC vibe in spades. Well done Wested!