Wested's HERO jacket...

[xmasters]

That sounds fine to me.

[Indiana Croft]

This is my Wested Authentic lamb Wested hero.
It's distressing nicely.



But I can't wait to see something current from Wested in the washed lamb
Croft

[marker2037]

This is my Wested Authentic lamb Wested hero.
It's distressing nicely.



But I can't wait to see something current from Wested in the washed lamb
Croft

You look amazing Croft! That authentic lamb is a perfect shade

I'll try to take pics when my washed lamb arrives.

[Indiana Croft]

Thanks, the one thing I did was try to really dull it down, was shiny, but over the years of wearing and I did do some very light sanding with 600 grit wet/dry sand paper. No scratching you get when using a a heavier grit, but I really dulled it down. But trod softly.

And I like my gauntlets from a guy in Poland.
There part of my Star Wars stuff, but they look good in the Indy verse.

Croft

[marker2037]

Here it is, after wearing it in my office for 2 days and a warm shower yesterday. At first the jacket was so soft to the touch, almost too soft. The warm shower really did well to make it feel a bit more rugged as well as helped mold it to my body. This leather has a lot of character, which I love, and the color to me is spot on for an Indy jacket; a rich, deep chocolate brown. I'm very happy I chose this over the shrunken lamb which more often than not, seems too light. Wested's picture they sent me confirms this.

https://imgur.com/yCizH69

https://imgur.com/SAupNib

https://imgur.com/Ulyecqv

https://imgur.com/dsMVtEc

https://imgur.com/HL03rF1

[xmasters]

Looks great. Perfect fit!

[marker2037]

Looks great. Perfect fit!

Thank you! Yes, I'm very pleased with the fit. When I'm wearing it I feel very Ford like.

I can see how this cut wouldn't be for all body types though. Luckily, I have an athletic build.

[Indiana Croft]

Looks perfect, love the texture of the leather.
Some have that real dinosaur look, but yours is more subtle. I like it.
Wear it in good health.

Croft

[LostRaider25]

LostRaider25, is the right sleeve significantly shorter than the left sleeve? Looks that way in all the pictures, or is this a part of the "Hero" design I was unfamiliar with?

More photos

https://m.imgur.com/PYyrHAq" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (Unzipped front)

https://m.imgur.com/qsiRRet" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (Unzipped back)

https://m.imgur.com/Di8PftN" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (Zipped Back)


https://m.imgur.com/P5IEDVZ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (Side view )

hey there! Been a while I've been to the forum. I saw your purchase on the washed lamb and it looks great!

My standard raider measurements are:
chest - 36
sleeve length - 22
shoulder - 6
back length - 21.5

The hero I got was in
Chest Size: 36
Back length: 19.5
Sleeve length: 20.5
shoulder:6
Side Strap length: 6.5


Planning to get another one in predistressed lamb some other time. Might go for a slightly longer back length for my hero version since my last one was a tad bit short. I hope all is well for you there!

[LostRaider25]

Might plan on getting another Raiders Hero.

Torn between pre-distressed lamb and authentic lamb.

I like the pre-distressed lamb because of how it looks, it has that vintage vibe going on. I like its character and it's a tad more more durable than authentic lamb.

The authentic lamb for sure is more screen accurate but how is its durability? and how does it hold up?

[Kt Templar]

Have a look at the shrunken lamb they have, it's very dark and has a bit of a texture to it. This is a ToD but you get the idea.

Might plan on getting another Raiders Hero.

Torn between pre-distressed lamb and authentic lamb.

I like the pre-distressed lamb because of how it looks, it has that vintage vibe going on. I like its character and it's a tad more more durable than authentic lamb.

The authentic lamb for sure is more screen accurate but how is its durability? and how does it hold up?

[Indiana Croft]

Nice lookin jacket my friend, love the look of this leather.

Croft

[Tibor]

KT,

Is that really the “shrunken lamb“, and not the “washed lamb? I’ve never seen the shrunken lamb so nice and dark. Great looking texture.

[Indiana_Nate]

Might plan on getting another Raiders Hero.

Torn between pre-distressed lamb and authentic lamb.

I like the pre-distressed lamb because of how it looks, it has that vintage vibe going on. I like its character and it's a tad more more durable than authentic lamb.

The authentic lamb for sure is more screen accurate but how is its durability? and how does it hold up?

I was in this same position a few months ago. I did a lot of research and reading here on the forum and the internet about which leather was the right blend of screen accurate and durable, and I was able to narrow it down to the authentic lamb and the shrunken lamb. The shrunken lamb definitely seemed to be the choice for those who wanted a screen accurate look that didn't require any distressing. The authentic was preferred by those who either wanted to do it themselves or that wanted specifically what Peter Botwright said he made for the film.

Because of the size and availability limitations for the shrunken (I felt a 48 would be the best size for me and the shrunken stops at 46) I ended up going with the authentic lamb. Overall, I love it. I have noticed that the soft and smooth texture of the lamb makes it more susceptible to wear, but otherwise it's a darn fine jacket. My prior Wested was an authentic lamb LC that began to tear around the hand-warmer pocket, but I feel that may have been the result of the jacket being a size too small for me.

The consensus that I got from reviews of the pre-distressed was that the color was a bit off. For the washed, the grain of the leather could be too prominent. That's just my two cents. They're all great in their own way as long as they appeal to the wearer. Hope this helps!

Cheers!
Nate

[LostRaider25]

Might plan on getting another Raiders Hero.

Torn between pre-distressed lamb and authentic lamb.

I like the pre-distressed lamb because of how it looks, it has that vintage vibe going on. I like its character and it's a tad more more durable than authentic lamb.

The authentic lamb for sure is more screen accurate but how is its durability? and how does it hold up?

I was in this same position a few months ago. I did a lot of research and reading here on the forum and the internet about which leather was the right blend of screen accurate and durable, and I was able to narrow it down to the authentic lamb and the shrunken lamb. The shrunken lamb definitely seemed to be the choice for those who wanted a screen accurate look that didn't require any distressing. The authentic was preferred by those who either wanted to do it themselves or that wanted specifically what Peter Botwright said he made for the film.

Because of the size and availability limitations for the shrunken (I felt a 48 would be the best size for me and the shrunken stops at 46) I ended up going with the authentic lamb. Overall, I love it. I have noticed that the soft and smooth texture of the lamb makes it more susceptible to wear, but otherwise it's a darn fine jacket. My prior Wested was an authentic lamb LC that began to tear around the hand-warmer pocket, but I feel that may have been the result of the jacket being a size too small for me.

The consensus that I got from reviews of the pre-distressed was that the color was a bit off. For the washed, the grain of the leather could be too prominent. That's just my two cents. They're all great in their own way as long as they appeal to the wearer. Hope this helps!

Cheers!
Nate

Thanks for this, very insightful!
I had a shrunken lamb hero before, and indeed the leather has character after a few wears. I found it too light tho, good for the weather here but wasn't so sure if it could take a beating. My handwarmer pockets actually started to tear as well.

I did read around that some were put off by the pre-distressed lamb due to the color, but I'm alright going for something that isn't too screen accurate if ever since I dig its vintage-looking vibe. As you said authentic lamb leans more on the smooth texture which I'm not a fan of, but still considering it. How does it age tho (naturally) and is it more durable than the shrunken lamb?

[Kt Templar]

KT,

Is that really the “shrunken lamb“, and not the “washed lamb? I’ve never seen the shrunken lamb so nice and dark. Great looking texture.

You could be right there! It's a very dark brown, finish is almost the same as regular lamb but with that slight wrinkle effect. I like it a lot.

[xmasters]

Washed lamb is the one to go for at the moment for people who want the best color and don't want a jacket they'd need to distress. I prefer the texture and feel of shrunken lamb, but it's not just dark enough out of the box to satisfy most people. The washed lamb is dark enough and has character to it, but not everyone likes the texture. I also like the authentic lamb. It's dark enough and isn't that hard to put some weatheing into it.

[LostRaider25]

Hmm after reading through the forums again, I think I'm going to pick between authentic, washed, or shrunken. Not planning to distress artificially, closest I'd do is just give it a shower then wear it. I was amused by the washed lamb here in the forums but then I saw the texture could vary. Resembles the raiders jacket a lot but it's different as well since the original is more of a striated lamb while the washed lamb has striations in every direction, some could look like the dino hide as well but I have seen great ones too. There's something about shrunken lamb's texture that's really amusing to the eye, very light weight though. They could also vary in color, gotta inquire with wested to ask if they have a dark batch incase I go for this skin again. Would you say authentic is a happy medium between the other two?

[xmasters]

Not really, it's a smooth skin that looks shiny and brand new. You can see that from the pictures on the wested site. I presume you've had a good look. If not spend some time studying them.

[McFly]

Well, after comparing jackets from a few different vendors, I just ordered a Wested in Shrunken Lamb. I didn't actually go with the Hero cut, but I asked for some changes like no facing, added gussets, silver zipper, etc. to get it a little closer to Hero specs. I was seriously considering a Magnoli White Label (sorry for pestering you, Indy!), but there's something about the drape of a lambskin jacket that just gets me. My first jacket was a Wested Lamb, way back in the early 2000's. After that got too small, I replaced it with a Temple of Doom Washed Goat, and I've never really been happy with the finish or how sturdy it is (it's a little too resistant to natural distressing), so I'm excited to get back into the lamb game!

[McFly]

Heads up for anyone on the fence about getting one of these, (or any jacket from Wested,) I ordered a custom jacket on August 2 and it shipped yesterday! That's 5 days! So it would seem that either my custom jacket is very common, or the wait time right now is incredibly short. I'm sure they didn't have my exact jacket in stock just waiting around... in my size, with no leather facings, a silver zipper, gussets, x-box stitching, and in shrunken lamb?

[Illinois_Jones]

They're usually quicker in summer, business being slower, and this year likely far moreso. They usually pick back up in September and October with Halloween and autumn. My last Wested was a total custom job based on a Bond jacket last summer and they had it shipped in a week.

But I'm with you going with the standard pattern over the Hero. That's been my advice over the years: go one size up to get the bigger shoulders, ask for no facing and the zipper to the bottom, buckles, etc. I've always found Wested's Hero pattern to be almost a caricature of the film jacket.

[Ken]

Have a look at the shrunken lamb they have, it's very dark and has a bit of a texture to it. This is a ToD but you get the idea.

Hey KT

Did you say that jacket is actually a washed lamb? Do you have any more photos of it to give an idea of the colour? Looks mighty nice.

Ken

[xmasters]

Honestly you can see the entire spectrum of the colour of that hide in the picture. It will adapt to the light slightly as well.

[Kt Templar]

Have a look at the shrunken lamb they have, it's very dark and has a bit of a texture to it. This is a ToD but you get the idea.

Hey KT

Did you say that jacket is actually a washed lamb? Do you have any more photos of it to give an idea of the colour? Looks mighty nice.

Ken

Ken, this is the washed lamb, i was getting it confused with the shrunken, it is a solid dark brown.

[McFly]

Have a look at the shrunken lamb they have, it's very dark and has a bit of a texture to it. This is a ToD but you get the idea.

Hey KT

Did you say that jacket is actually a washed lamb? Do you have any more photos of it to give an idea of the colour? Looks mighty nice.

Ken

Ken, this is the washed lamb, i was getting it confused with the shrunken, it is a solid dark brown.

But this was the picture I saw that made me say, “Oh! I’m definitely getting the Shrunken Lamb!”

[Ken]

Does anyone have photos of how the Washed Lamb distresses?

Ken

[The Character]

I do ... I’ll try and put some up here shortly

Al

[Ken]

I do ... I’ll try and put some up here shortly

Al

Amazing, thanks so much!!

[Kt Templar]

But this was the picture I saw that made me say, “Oh! I’m definitely getting the Shrunken Lamb!”

OOPs sorry!



Eco flo is your friend if it's too light coloured!

[Ken]

Heads up for anyone on the fence about getting one of these, (or any jacket from Wested,) I ordered a custom jacket on August 2 and it shipped yesterday! That's 5 days! So it would seem that either my custom jacket is very common, or the wait time right now is incredibly short. I'm sure they didn't have my exact jacket in stock just waiting around... in my size, with no leather facings, a silver zipper, gussets, x-box stitching, and in shrunken lamb?

Can't wait to see it!

[McFly]

Well, it's here and I love it! The color is a really nice rich brown, and I think it's dark enough (for me at least). Compared to my old Washed Goat ToD jacket, it's several shades darker, in fact. Here it is in bright, direct sunlight.

Shrunken Lamb vs Washed Goat

Here's a nice shot of the grain, versus the grainiest part of the old Washed Goat:

Grain Comparison

And here it is on (and in the shade / indoors) – not the best shot, but I think it's decent enough. The collar on this seems massive to me, but I'm hoping once it wears in, it doesn't stick out so much, and picks up a little bit of a contour.

Disclaimer - this isn't a HERO jacket, but I did ask for some Hero Modifications, like the scalloped pockets, no leather facing, silver zipper, gussets, etc. Love it! It's definitely not KT Templar's jacket, but it's exactly what I wanted.

[xmasters]

Yes that looks very good. Very good indeed.

[Ken]

Looks really good on you Shane!

Now, when are you going to distress it?

[McFly]

That's a great question! How do we do that again?

I remember something about showering in it, of course there's old trusty sandpaper, and something about acetone or rubbing alcohol or something?

[Bdgsi11]

My method of distressing is just wearing it as often as possible. It causes me too much pain to do anything deliberate to it.

[Bdgsi11]

Would love to see some more photos of the jacket. The color and grain look great!

[xmasters]

It depends which Raiders look you're going for. Most of the jackets were distressed, but it didn't always show. The shrunken lamb tends to look good out of the box. Wearing a lot will break it in nicely.

[McFly]

It depends which Raiders look you're going for. Most of the jackets were distressed, but it didn't always show. The shrunken lamb tends to look good out of the box. Wearing a lot will break it in nicely.

I'll tell you one thing - it sure smells great out of the box. I should buy leather jackets more often! And you're right, it's definitely not as distressed in Raiders as it is in Temple of Doom (which I love) or Last Crusade (which looks a bit heavy for my tastes).

Would love to see some more photos of the jacket. The color and grain look great!

I'll try to get some more later, once my photographer comes home. It's tough to do a good selfie that shows off more than the collar and part of a sleeve.

I do really like the grain though – my first jacket was an authentic lamb back in like 2005, and that one was much smoother and tighter in terms of grain. This one has a nice visible grain to it.

[Ken]

That's a great question! How do we do that again?

I remember something about showering in it, of course there's old trusty sandpaper, and something about acetone or rubbing alcohol or something?

That's how I remember doing it - shower for the wrinkles, acetone for the general colour and global weathering and then sandpaper on the seams and edges for distressed highlights.

Ken

[McFly]

I've actually never done the shower trick before! I assume you just pop in the shower with it for a second, and then let the jacket dry while wearing it? Do you have to put Pecards on it afterwards?

[Ken]

I've actually never done the shower trick before! I assume you just pop in the shower with it for a second, and then let the jacket dry while wearing it? Do you have to put Pecards on it afterwards?

Waterfalls are equally effective in my experience.

So yeah just let the jacket dry after the shower but be careful about hanging it up as you might find the hanger stretches the leather as it dries - wearing it whilst it dries would prob be a good way though depends how long it takes to dry. I think I just set it out on a table or somewhere to dry.

I am sure there is no harm to adding Pecards but I never used it on a jacket - obviously a lot of people here swear by it and probably can advise better about that.

Ken

[Indiego Jones]

Well, it's here and I love it! The color is a really nice rich brown, and I think it's dark enough (for me at least). Compared to my old Washed Goat ToD jacket, it's several shades darker, in fact. Here it is in bright, direct sunlight.

Comparison.jpg

Here's a nice shot of the grain, versus the grainiest part of the old Washed Goat:

Grain.jpg

And here it is on (and in the shade / indoors) – not the best shot, but I think it's decent enough. The collar on this seems massive to me, but I'm hoping once it wears in, it doesn't stick out so much, and picks up a little bit of a contour.

Selfie.jpg

Disclaimer - this isn't a HERO jacket, but I did ask for some Hero Modifications, like the scalloped pockets, no leather facing, silver zipper, gussets, etc. Love it! It's definitely not KT Templar's jacket, but it's exactly what I wanted.

That's a great looking jacket!
Congratulations!

The color is perfect. Beautiful.

I hope you don't mind, I'd like to advise on distressing.
The water treatment will saturate the skins. It's effective removing shine and popping grain, but this takes away longevity to the jacket.
Avoid acetone. Too aggressive for the upper layer of the leather.
Rubbing alcohol will clear some areas, sandpaper will do the rest.
First, try on a small non visible area.
Remember, less is more.

Or just use it a lot!!!!!!
Enjoy it!!!

Cheers.-

[Ken]

I hope you don't mind, I'd like to advise on distressing.
The water treatment will saturate the skins. It's effective removing shine and popping grain, but this takes away longevity to the jacket.
Avoid acetone. Too aggressive for the upper layer of the leather.
Rubbing alcohol will clear some areas, sandpaper will do the rest.
First, try on a small non visible area.
Remember, less is more.

Or just use it a lot!!!!!!
Enjoy it!!!

Cheers.-

Curious to know is that the distressing technique you use for the truck jacket? Rubbing alcohol + sandpaper? Its an amazing result.

Ken

[McFly]

That's a great looking jacket! Congratulations! The color is perfect. Beautiful.

I hope you don't mind, I'd like to advise on distressing.

I don't mind at all! I appreciate your expertise! I like the wrinkled look of the shower trick, but I don't want to actually hurt the jacket long-term. I'm also interested in how you distress your jackets – just light rubbing alcohol and sandpaper? What grit do you use?

/thread hijack

[Forrest For the Trees]

That looks great! Great color. Best pocket flap shape I've seen on a Wested in a long time. Love to see some other photos.

[Ken]

Also curious:

Does anyone have a side by side comparison of wearing a standard cut Wested jacket and wearing a Hero cut Wested jacket - would love to see what the pattern differences actually look like side by side.

Ken

[Indiego Jones]

That's a great looking jacket! Congratulations! The color is perfect. Beautiful.

I hope you don't mind, I'd like to advise on distressing.

I don't mind at all! I appreciate your expertise! I like the wrinkled look of the shower trick, but I don't want to actually hurt the jacket long-term. I'm also interested in how you distress your jackets – just light rubbing alcohol and sandpaper? What grit do you use?

/thread hijack

Grits are different between sandpaper brands.
Usually I'd recommend something around 150 grit.
But you must try on a hidden small area first. You should work on the pressure you put at distressing.
Alcohol too. And see how easy/difficult removes color and shine.
Carefull with seams.
This is a very slow job. Patience is essential.

Good luck!

[McFly]

I'll try to get some pictures of me wearing it for you guys. I do wish it was cut slimmer – I ordered a 38, and measuring from pit to pit (or at least side seam to side seam), it comes out closer to a 44! I know it's not supposed to be skin tight, so I don't think it's 6" too big by any means, but it might be a TAD roomy. The shoulders and sleeve length I'm happy with, but I wish the sleeves were a little slimmer too.

[McFly]

Too big, or just right? Here it is compared to my ToD jacket, which is a size 34. The ToD jacket is a few years old by now, so I re-measured my chest and got almost 38" exactly, so I figured I should order a 38 since it would be more correct for my body. But now I'm wondering if I should have ordered a 36 instead?