MK VII bag maintenance / WPG Indy shirt

[joeyofarimathea]

Hello again Indy gear fans.....

im new / old here and just have a few questions that i need your expertise in figuring out.....

1-which vendor is making the best Indy Shirt (off the rack) these days?

2-i just got an old but unused Mk VII bag but it has a bit of that old musty/mildew smell? i was wondering what you suggest i should do to clean it or air it out to get ready for daily use? And on a side note has anyone tried lightening the greener Mk VII's to make them a little more khaki or is that a futile endeavor?

3-what has been the general feedback on the WPG Indy shirts? Have they mostly had good reviews?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Regards, Joey

[IJJTM]

For they bag, I’m not sure, but I would probably wash it out with some soap in a sink, dry it with a towel then put it in a well lit room to finish drying, but that might not be the best advice if it is vintage. As for the WPG shirt, I’ve got no complaints about mine other than they are a bit roomy, it works really well for me.

[Indiana Croft]

I second what was said about washing and let it dry out.
Mostly airing out help. But be aware of the dreaded dry rot. The ring area that you use to feed the the strap through have a tendency to rip. Sometimes. May need to find some who can reinforce it. Had this done on mine but someone whose no longer on the board. Been great ever since.

WPG shirts are great, I believe they’ve revised since I bought mine, which was roomy. Need to try one soon.

Azuma is my got to for shirts, just need to watch for a run, but you could reach out to him with your size and see if he has any.

IM are good, I’ve only had experience with his custom, but I;m waiting on his next OTR, which isn’t custom.

Wested has done a newer revised version, I have plans at some point on trying one.

Todds are nice, but you’ll have to keep an eye on the bazaar.

I have a closet full of Indy shirts and I wear them all the time.

Croft

[distantpeople]

You can also try putting (cheap) vodka into a spray bottle and liberally soaking the surface inside and out and then letting it air dry. Worked for some old canvas webbing. May be worth trying before a warm water hand wash.

[Indiana Jeff]

Fresh air and direct sunlight (UV) will work wonders on a musty smelling bag. Set it outside rotating the bag so all surfaces get direct light.

Similar to the vodka suggestion, diluted vinegar sprayed on/inside the bag should help. I recently bought a couple of backpacks for camping that smelled awful when I got them. Sprayed them with vinegar and hung them outside over a few days and they smell fine now, not even the vinegar.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[Howard Weinstein]

Hello again Indy gear fans.....

im new / old here and just have a few questions that i need your expertise in figuring out.....

1-which vendor is making the best Indy Shirt (off the rack) these days?

3-what has been the general feedback on the WPG Indy shirts? Have they mostly had good reviews?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Regards, Joey

Hi, Joey --

I have 2 WPG shirts and 1 Azuma. My first WPG and the Azuma are both mediums, and they fit pretty much the same. Indy shirts as worn in the movies are what would be called "slim" fit.

While my mediums are not overly tight, I generally like my shirts with a bit more room. (I'm 5' 7" and 150 lbs.) So I just got a second WPG shirt in large. Yes, it's baggier than they're "supposed" to look, but I like the extra room, so that's fine with me.

Also, I think both brands shrank a little on first washing (I use a dryer, though some guys hang-dry to minimize any potential shrinking), so factor that in. Nobody wants to pay $50+ for a shirt and have it end up too small to wear after 1 washing!

WPG shirts are the most affordable quality option.

[The Character]

Hey

if you wash the bag it will lose a bunch of the starch that helps give it its shape .. its a minor but once washed they are never the same again ... as to the strap mounting points i apply Barbour wax (or any other clear wax) just to those areas which hold the metal rings. this which to reinvigorate and strengthen the threads and gives them back a good deal of wear. The other option is keep the supplied original webbing strap .. its pretty much the perfect material for replacing those fabric mounts if they do wear out.

Al

[Charybdis]

For shirts, I would say WPG and Magnoli off the rack.

[Indiana Jeff]

Back in the day (mid-90s) when I got my MKVII, I immediately threw it in the washer without a thought. It came out fine and I've been using it ever since. To be fair it spends most of it's time hanging on a hook for decoration and I only carry it for cosplay.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[IJJTM]

I’m not very knowledgeable on the shirts, so what film would you guys say the WPG shirt is based on? I originally thought it was Raiders, but then I noticed the extended pocket flaps.