Question about Wested

[simndermot]

Hey everyone! I bought a Raiders goat from them probably 15 years ago and I love it. At the time when I bought it, the general consensus was that they were a great company to buy from. I stepped away from the hobby for a while and now that I am back, it seems they have fallen out of favor somewhat. I've searched through the forums and have seen a lot of general statements about how they aren't what they once were, but it's hard to find specifics about their issues (I've searched various combos of terms like Wested/quality, Wested/issues, etc). Without this turning into a bash Wested thread- can someone sum up the issues with them? Buying my first jacket from them was one of the highlights of my younger years and I'd hate to tarnish that memory.

[marker2037]

I recently bought a Wested in November and am super happy with it. I don't have a bad thing to say about them.

[Indiana Jeff]

The biggest issue with Wested (and this isn't a new issue) is with custom orders. Too many members make custom requests and the jacket does not come in with the measurements ordered. I think their OTR stuff is great if the standard measurements work for for an individual.

The other challenge, and this isn't strictly a Wested issue, is their different jackets are cut differently so the same size may have a different fit. US Wings has the same issue across their Indy jackets.


Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[Sempre Avanti]

Hello Simndermot,

I use to be a member of the old Indy Forum back in the 1990's.

I'm new to this forum.

I have owned 4 Wested Leather jackets, all which I have sold since then.

One of those Jackets (my first wested jacket ) was traded to this forum's Michaelson.

You there Michaelson?!? Hello old buddy!

I never once had an issue of quality control with Wested Leather. They were always great to deal with and their leather and craftsmanship was always 100%.

So much so, I just placed a custom Last Crusade/Crystal Skulls jacket order in Dark Novapelle leather 2 days ago.

The only reason I parted with those jackets was because I physically out grew them!

If I was to give any constructive criticism of Wested Leather at that time had more to do with Screen Accuracy and not quality.

That's why in 2003, I bought two Gibson & Barnes "Expedition" jackets which I believe was my best choice for a screen accurate Raiders Of The Lost Ark jacket (which I still own!). They were produced off the original ROTLA stunt man jackets, I believe.

Fast forward to today, I'm amazed at all the choices Indy Fans have these days. So much has changed for the better. So many more options.

I still chose Wested Leather because of my history with them, recent experiences that were shared with me from current forum members, I always wanted to get a Last Crusade style jacket with a quality leather, I'm no longer concerned with screen accuracy as I was as a kid, and for the price... why not?!

Looking forward to sharing my experience with my new jacket order.

Good luck with yours!

Joe

[marker2037]

Hello Simndermot,

I use to be a member of the old Indy Forum back in the 1990's.

I'm new to this forum.

I have owned 4 Wested Leather jackets, all which I have sold since then.

One of those Jackets (my first wested jacket ) was traded to this forum's Michaelson.

You there Michaelson?!? Hello old buddy!

I never once had an issue of quality control with Wested Leather. They were always great to deal with and their leather and craftsmanship was always 100%.

So much so, I just placed a custom Last Crusade/Crystal Skulls jacket order in Dark Novapelle leather 2 days ago.

The only reason I parted with those jackets was because I physically out grew them!

If I was to give any constructive criticism of Wested Leather at that time had more to do with Screen Accuracy and not quality.

That's why in 2003, I bought two Gibson & Barnes "Expedition" jackets which I believe was my best choice for a screen accurate Raiders Of The Lost Ark jacket (which I still own!). They were produced off the original ROTLA stunt man jackets, I believe.

Fast forward to today, I'm amazed at all the choices Indy Fans have these days. So much has changed for the better. So many more options.

I still chose Wested Leather because of my history with them, recent experiences that were shared with me from current forum members, I always wanted to get a Last Crusade style jacket with a quality leather, I'm no longer concerned with screen accuracy as I was as a kid, and for the price... why not?!

Looking forward to sharing my experience with my new jacket order.

Good luck with yours!

Joe

That dark novapelle Last Crusade jacket is high on my list Joe. Be sure to post pics when you get it!

[Forrest For the Trees]

Wested has sometimes had some quality control issues with occasionally sending out jackets that were the wrong size or custom modifications that were agreed upon but then not honored. I haven't personally experienced these. I have owned two standard fit Wested jackets. They were solid jackets that I enjoyed. Other options at the time were US Wings, Gibson & Barnes and later Todd's Costumes. They were all good options, with different fits for different folks, but none of them were hyper accurate (the Gibson & Barnes was closest, but custom sizing was pricey!), and only Wested allowed real customization, but was very inconsistent with those modifications.

Enter Tony Nowak, Bill Kelso Mfg, Steele and Jones and all the folks who have put a ton of effort into making hyper-screen accurate reproductions of the film jackets. When Tony started producing Raiders jackets, it was clear that he had access to a truly accurate reproduction of the jacket pattern. After Tony passed, Bill Kelso Mfg and Steele and Jones refined the design with the help of some very dedicated fans. Given the quality and accuracy (and extreme attention to detail), jackets like Wested and Wings have lost a bit of their appeal. That said, they still make a great jacket. Gibson & Barnes and Todd's are no longer offering Indy Jackets. Peter at Wested has sadly since passed away, so the new guard of jacket producers is certainly getting more attention.

Hope I summarized that well...

[simndermot]

Thanks, everyone, for taking the time to respond. All great answer which were very helpful.

[Dr. Jones, Jr.]

I'm a little late to the party here but I've had an off-the-rack wested and also one of their bargain jackets that a customer had returned because it didn't fit - no complaints about service or quality. I've never ordered custom from them but as everyone else has said their OTR is all great. Looking forward to seeing what you get!

[Charybdis]

Same here. I've bought two Westeds OTR, one in goat and one in lamb. My goat is actually one of my favorite jackets! I ended up selling the lamb since the sleeves were a bit too long and I didn't want to ruin it and have it altered...but no complaints other than the sleeves issue...

[Indiana Jeff]

I should have added to my post, I own a Wested from 2000 that I still wear regularly and it's every bit as solid as the day I received it.

To Forrest For the Trees comment, it's not the most screen accurate jacket out there, but people call me Indy all the time, so it must close enough to the average person on the street.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[CM]

I'd say Wested are marginally better now than they were 15 years ago. Patterns are much more accurate and the manufacturing is more consistent. Fans did a lot to help Wested improve their products over 20 years.

[The Character]

I've had a bunch of Wested's over the years .. I've had no serious issues and the latest ones in Washed lamb are superb .. i love all my Wested Jackets. I've had off the rack and customs made .. my latest ToD and Raiders were both custom simply because of the leather choices i wanted.

To be fair the only consistent issues ive had with Wested ever are that the front pouch pockets can start to detach from the bottom seam with use and the pocket flaps also tend to come apart ... That said ive always distressed my jackets which deteriorates the stitching in itself.

BUT in some ways thats still authentic as there are images from Raiders where there is something in Harrisons pocket that is poking through the bottom of the pouch pocket ..

[Tibor]

Glove... one of the gloves is poking out.

[Charybdis]

What makes the Indy look? I say it's the fedora.

Wear a leather jacket and you are just another guy in a leather jacket. But wear the hat and you are now Indy. Put both of them on at the same time? You are it!

[The Character]

The Glove!!!! .. i spent ages looking for that picture ... good to know . thanks

[Prodigal Son]

You roll the dice with Wested. You roll the dice.

[CM]

What makes the Indy look? I say it's the fedora.

Wear a leather jacket and you are just another guy in a leather jacket. But wear the hat and you are now Indy. Put both of them on at the same time? You are it!

Wear the hat without the jacket and you are just as likely to have someone say, "There goes Freddy Krueger."

[Charybdis]

Wear the hat without the jacket and you are just as likely to have someone say, "There goes Freddy Krueger."

Man, hopefully I don't look that bad!!!

[The Character]

Gotta say hand on hear i totally disagree with that statement about Wested ..

Everyone has favourite jackets and vendors but lets not dis any of the vendors as they all have strengths and weaknesses .. out of all the jackets I've had the majority are Wested and I've never had an issue with any of them ... ive ruined a couple sure ... but that was me being dumb and stupid ..

Wested's off the rack offering are 'good, very very good' .. their customs are also good .. where ive heard things fall apart is when the customisation gets particularly detailed and complex... you change one thing and the domino effect is something else changes .. the jacket is the jacket and there are ways to alter it but id argue there are limits ...

As i think Michaelson said (and I'm paraphrasing) the Indy jacket is a unique one, with its own little foibles and issues ...

My opinion is .. don't stray too far from the path and there's a very good chance you'll receive an excellent jacket ... just like all the other vendors.

[AttyOzzy]

I literally just spit out my beer in a fit of laughter at the Freddy Kruger comment! Someone owes me a round, or a mop!

That was right up there with the people will call you Indy if
you wear a sombrero with a duster - or it went something like that.

I love the humor here because it is so true! Be well everyone.

[CM]

Gotta say hand on hear i totally disagree with that statement about Wested ..

Everyone has favourite jackets and vendors but lets not dis any of the vendors as they all have strengths and weaknesses .. out of all the jackets I've had the majority are Wested and I've never had an issue with any of them ... ive ruined a couple sure ... but that was me being dumb and stupid ..

Wested's off the rack offering are 'good, very very good' .. their customs are also good .. where ive heard things fall apart is when the customisation gets particularly detailed and complex... you change one thing and the domino effect is something else changes .. the jacket is the jacket and there are ways to alter it but id argue there are limits ...

As i think Michaelson said (and I'm paraphrasing) the Indy jacket is a unique one, with its own little foibles and issues ...

My opinion is .. don't stray too far from the path and there's a very good chance you'll receive an excellent jacket ... just like all the other vendors.

I agree. They do a pretty fine job and it's generally when people go hyper-custom that things can go funny. Wested have fallen from favor a bit but they will probably outlast many of the later contenders that seem to excite right now.

[The Character]

True that ... AND ....They are also awesome value for money when you consider that a custom jacket is around 260 GBP ... that is seriously good value for money by any stretch.

[Prodigal Son]

I received two off-the rack jackets last summer from Wested. Both had quality control issues that shouldn't have made it through the door. Like I said, you roll the dice. This isn't me "dissing" or "knocking" a vendor. When I pay $300 for an off-the-rack jacket, I expect it to not be coming undone at one of the seems when I remove it from the bag. I also expect the upper and lower thread of the lock stitching to intertwine inside the leather, not above the surface. I also expect the stitches to have the proper tension, not be all loose in some areas and just fine in others. When it comes to a defective item, I shouldn't be expected to pay for return shipping. I shouldn't be expected to pay the customs fee. And I shouldn't be expected to take time out of my schedule to return a defective item. People working at a company should inspect an item before sending it out the door. I've owned maybe 7 or 8 Westeds. Some were great. Others were a bit bad. That is why I say that with Wested, you roll the dice.

[Indiana_Nate]

I am also someone who was into collecting years ago that recently got back into the game. I have a Wested LC in authentic lamb that I purchased back during my first foray into gear back in 2002. At the time, the fit was unlike any jacket that I had owned and I never really got used to it. Eventually the leather began to tear around the right hand warmer pocket. All in all, I was just never really satisfied.

Late last year after a random viewing of Raiders on Netflix, I decided to get back in the game. Since then I've purchased 3 jackets: a second hand Wested Raiders OTR in goatskin, a new custom Wested Hero in authentic lamb, and just recently, a second hand Bill Kelso in striated lamb. All 3 jackets essentially being the "same", are all different. Customer service at Wested was fantastic, shipping for a custom was super fast, and I'm very happy with the cut and the quality. Stitching on the OTR Raiders is a bit off in spots, but all in all is a solid jacket that I got for a good price. Bang for your buck wise, Wested is a good way to go. However, I would also do a lot of research and reading to make sure you are getting what you really want. That's my two cents anyway.