Going for a Wested - Advice please?

[Joeyeah_right]

Hi, I have decided to go for a Wested jacket. This will be my first Indy jacket. I have been doing a lot of reading on this forum and am thinking of the Raiders in Washed Goat, maybe OTR or possibly custom, (I really want that second inside pocket) but I really wanted some advice.
Wested is only an hours drive away and I will be heading up there on Saturday to try some jackets and the various leathers, so any advice i can get before then will be very helpful.
Thanks.

Joe

[Kt Templar]

Have your better half keep hold of your wallet. (Bink may be around!) No, seriously, many have gone to get one jacket and come away with 2 or 3.

Washed goat may not be available anymore for customs. There may be a few ready made jackets in WG.

Look for a union jack inside to show it is made in the UK.

Take time to look for the little things that might bug you later down the line, eg. Does it fit correctly at the back, do the pleats stick out? Have do the arm seams align? What sort of hardware does this jacket have D rings, colour of zip etc. Does the collar lay correctly on me? (sometimes certain cuts just don't suit people).

Oh, and they close at lunchtime on saturday so get there early.

Call before hand to make sure Peter is in too!

[Ian]

Actually going to the shop should be fun. I've never been myself, but I've got 2 custom jackets from Wested. I'll really rant about the Novapelle hide, but that's probably more suited for an LC jacket than Raiders. I also got the pre-distressed cow hide in a Raiders which is good, but defo not for SA.

What is it you had in mind? Hide, SA, durability, etc?

Look at the clearance section before you go.

Oh yeah; The CS/LC jackets don't seem to come with press studs - I think you have to ask for 'em.

Ian

[Joeyeah_right]

Actually going to the shop should be fun. I've never been myself, but I've got 2 custom jackets from Wested. I'll really rant about the Novapelle hide, but that's probably more suited for an LC jacket than Raiders. I also got the pre-distressed cow hide in a Raiders which is good, but defo not for SA.

What is it you had in mind? Hide, SA, durability, etc?

Look at the clearance section before you go.

Ian

I am looking for SA, but also durability and toughness. I have read that Lamb is more SA but not tough and can rip, which is why i am thinking Goat, also I have read lamb is thinner and not as warm, and cow is quite warm, so goat is in between and would cover more temperature ranges so I could wear it if it is cold and warm where Cow would be better in colder weather and lamb in warmer weather, but I can only get one jacket.

I have heard of Novapelle, but I do not really know what it is and how it compares to Cow, Lamb, Goat, Horse...

Joe

[Kt Templar]

You're going to have fun weighing up all those leathers... You'll have washed shrunk lamb to look at too.... maybe others too....

[Ian]

You're going to have fun weighing up all those leathers... You'll have washed shrunk lamb to look at too.... maybe others too....

Oh yeah!! I'd defo leave with more than one jacket...let the bank have the house!!!

Honestly, you'll be like a kid in a sweet shop.

I have heard of Novapelle, but I do not really know what it is and how it compares to Cow, Lamb, Goat, Horse...

I'm no massive expert on all the hides - The dudes for that would be _ & Holt, but the Novapelle I think is the heaviest hide they do. It's a distressed cow hide, very warm, but like I said, probably best suited to LC or CS rather than Raiders. Mine is an LC and I love it! I don't think they have it 'off the shelf' though - Only for custom orders.

Ian

[binkmeisterRick]

I'll agree with Kt, except the part about me stealing your wallet. Better just give it to me now for safekeeping.

I'd also point out that when taking sleeve length into account, keep in mind that the sleeves may ride up an inch shorter after you've worn it a while and it conforms to your body shape. It may be different depending upon the leather, though. I didn't realize this when I bought my first goatskin Wested, and I eventually ended up letting the sleeves out to rectify it. I generally wear a 40 short, so I thought that's what I should order. Over time, it turned into a 40 shorter! If I had gotten a 40 regular, it would've ended up perfect in the long run. Again, your mileage may vary, but it's something more to think about. I do think that you're likely to get the best Wested for you by visiting the shop first hand. Good luck!

[Joeyeah_right]

Thanks Bink - I am really looking forward to seeing the shop and seeing the different leathers and trying on many jackets
I'll make sure to get a jacket that is slightly too long in the sleeves expecting them to ride up a bit over time.

Joe

[binkmeisterRick]

I figure it's always easier to shorten the sleeves than to lengthen them. Funny thing is when I got my Nowak, I had this in mind, but then I never had that issue. A year or so later I ended up sending it back to get the sleeves shortened! DOH! My Nowak is lambskin, though, so I don't know if leather type had anything to do with it. Again, your mileage may vary.

[Kt Templar]

That was one of the shrunken lambskins wasn't it? That leather has a slight rubberiness, if anything it will stretch out a bit. You probably cancelled out the concertina effect with the stretch!

[binkmeisterRick]

Yep, it was a shrunken lamb, and you may be right!

[Holt]

if your going to the shop, go custom. no way around it for me if I had the chance to visit the shop. you'll pay alittle extra cash but it is so worth it in the end. you wont regret it.

I would go for a washed goat a it seems so awesome, I have some samples and I love it. or I would go for the ''oil pull cowhide'' or some call it ''waxy dark cowhide''. Soft drapy goat is a cool hide to for Raiders. that I have. maby you have seen my latest Raiders jacket from them, thats the soft goatskin. but the best skin for a Raiders IMO is of course the lambskin.

get the sleevs at least 0.5'' longer then you normally would have them. they will bunch up and get shorter. maby a whole inch. espcially when going for lambskin or soft goat.

one thing I would ask for and I say this to everyone who is going for a wested. get them to reinforce the jacket on the stress points.

Good luck.

[Texan Scott]

That's true, Holt. From my experience, Novapelle-cow is a really nice skin, and it makes a fine LC/CS jacket. Soft goat is very tough and durable. I have a Raiders dark brown lamb and it is a fine hide as well.

[Arca Perdida]

Washed goat may not be available anymore for customs. There may be a few ready made jackets in WG.

That's a shame. Why not? Seemed like a popular choice. I really dig mine.

[Dr. Evil]

From my own personal experience, I'd say call ahead of time. I went there once and they were just about wiped out in my size. At the time, there were about three to choose from. No kidding. I lived about an hour away, so I wasn't too torn up about it. Besides, I left with a jacket of my choice, in addition to another type of jacket I hadn't planned on buying.

Somebody earlier in the post said to look at all the details. Heed that advice. Try every jacket on, even if it's a size up or down. I did that and ended up discovering I was really better off with a smaller size.

[Joeyeah_right]

Thanks for the advice Holt & Dr. Evil
I will probably go custom, but I'll be hoping that when I get there I'll find the perfect jacket and can buy it and take it home with me. If not I will get a custom one. The only problem is I won't be able to get the jacket for a month as after this Saturday (when I am going to Wested), next weekend I am getting married then the following weekend I am off to Seattle for an Alaskan cruise on my honeymoon with my Wife (she is after a leather jacket too so she is coming with me to Wested and I said I would pay half for her jacket - she doesn't want an Indy jacket, but she likes one of the ladies jackets on the website), so after this weekend I won't be back in the country for three and a half weeks, and I kind of want to take a new jacket away with me for the honeymoon.

Ah well, I'll just wait and see what I can find when I am at Wested. Ideally an unpaid custom in size 44 with slightly longer sleeves, and extra inside pocket and re-inforced stress points in washed goat, Raiders style that fits me perfectly so I can buy it and wear it right away. If not I'll have to go for a custom and wait until I get back from my honeymoon to get it, and I know that wait will be unbearable

Joe

[Ian]

Cool!! Congrats on the wedding!! Have a great H/M!!

I find that, according to Wested's sizing chart, the 'off the shelf' would fit me, but you don't get the same choice of leather, and of course the other tweaks.

I'm not that bothered about SA to the n'th degree,(at the moment) as long as it's SAish. I just got my 2 customs because one was in the clearance and with the other, I wanted Novapelle.

Have fun at Wested!!

Ian