So I bought an off the rack Wested LC jacket, for many reasons actually.
(And not the reasons one or two members think around here..
) One was for the people as I get a lot of pm's, emails, facebook messages about the crusade jacket. So if anybody just wanna drop the whole detail spec collecting shebang and just order, wear or distress and enjoy, then how much **Crusade can you actually get out of a standard off the rack LC jacket? This thread will show you.First impression, I do not know what Peter have done with the pattern from the old off the rack LC's I have ordered in the past, but he must have done something because, like I said, the pattern (not details) the jacket looks much like the originals in cut and fit.
Also, the jacket is constructed very well, I've ordered a few OTR many years ago and the construction on some of them was very poor. This was one of the reasons (besides details ofc) for why I always went custom and kept pestering them about making me bulletproof jackets,.. Anyhoo, My older off the racks just tore apart like tissue paper and on this jacket the construction is better on some of my custom made jackets. Go figure!
Onto details, what do you get with an off the rack LC jacket? Well, you get a decent set of details. Note: Decent! I know what the correct details are and they are not there. However, for the everyday wearer and not the supernut we find between us, they will do just fine
The pockets are the main thing that stands more or less out as CS pockets. I don't mind actually even tho I am the Crusade nut around here, the tallness of the pocket reminds me more or less of the Castle Brunwald jacket pockets when Indy is tied up with his dad, those pockets always seemed so much more taller to me than the Smithsonian and Chicago jacket. It's all good. I am gonna tear this jacket apart anyways.The collar, yeah, pretty good actually! Could be much better of course but not bad. It's very pointy and accurate to CS.
Double stitched shoulders. Again, CS. But it is cool as I always liked the look of it
The storm-flap, Nice and wide. This is probably the most accurate LC detail on the whole jacket.
I do not like the hem stitch but hey, small detail. But still,....
Pretty decent detailing on straps and boxes. Very good constructed tho.
Onto the fit. The fit is very good. It fits me like a custom made jacket. I can not complain at all. Very nice.
And last but not least, the most important thing with the LC jacket to me is the Skin.. This jacket is THICK. I mean, observe. I never had any lambskin jacket do this before. I absolutely love the thick feel. I know every jacket is a different animal. You may get a thick jacket like mine or you may get a thinner jacket. When ordering standards, email them and ask if they can sort out a thick one from the rack. You may be surprised how thick it is.
All in all, you get a very well constructed jacket with a decent set of LC details. It's all good!
Here is what is gonna happen to it.
Super distressed makeover.
Reshaping the collar and the pocket flaps.
As of this moment, the jacket is air drying from giving a few cycles in the machine.
Stay tuned.
. cheers.
