Bill Kelso's Relic Hunter

[Cimmerian]

I thought I would post a 4-year update on my Relic Hunter. This jacket has been used every season since Fall 2016, and really has aged well. There is no distressing or Pecards treatments, just wearing everyday. And the occasional run in with the very abrasive NYC subway walls. I think it's slowly showing more brown in the faded areas, and I didn't realize how much it's aged until I took these photos. Hope you enjoy the update.

IMG_9612.jpg

IMG_9615.JPG

IMG_9614.jpg

This is fantastic weathering!

[drewgarcia618]

Wanted to post up some more of my Goatskin Relic Hunter! I’ve had it almost two years (since June 2020) and it’s certainly taking on a life of its own.

https://i.imgur.com/7HvIOJ4.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://i.imgur.com/ZVrc4Sv.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://i.imgur.com/Tc9sM2q.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://i.imgur.com/98wEAoi.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://i.imgur.com/W9NxUpO.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://i.imgur.com/Tv8zHvh.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://i.imgur.com/yLQ00mX.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://i.imgur.com/GkWphrB.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://i.imgur.com/vVMULUr.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here’s the album link to the first pictures I took: https://m.imgur.com/a/M5wTNEA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Here’s the album link to the above pictures if they don’t work: https://imgur.com/a/mxabqct" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tibor]

Very nice…excellent wear. The natural weatherproofing of goat makes an excellent travel jacket. Nice to not have to worry about unexpected rain.

[Illinois_Jones]

Yep. Looks like my goat RH. It's such an underrated skin and I never know why. Even Wested's goat. The crinkling with wear gives a lot of character reminiscent of striations. Add in the strength of goat and relative weather resistance and, to me, it's the best all purpose skin widely available for a reasonable price.

[Thunderspy]

Lovely grain, it looks great. I think BK do the best-looking leathers.

Mine is striated lamb- I'm often a bit wary of being caught in the rain in it, should I worry?

[BossThreads]

Finally took the dive, sold my Wested Hero (and a few other things), and bought a Cairo Relic Hunter.
Quick soak and worn to dry over a sweater. Light scrub with a scouring pad and leather lotion treatment.

[Dr. Jones, Jr.]

Finally took the dive, sold my Wested Hero (and a few other things), and bought a Cairo Relic Hunter.
Quick soak and worn to dry over a sweater. Light scrub with a scouring pad and leather lotion treatment.

back2.jpg

REEEEAAAALLY like the drape in this photo.

[Thunderspy]

Which leather did you go for?

[BossThreads]

Which leather did you go for?

The striated lamb

[Thunderspy]

Good choice Lovely isn't it?

[xmasters]

Nice! I wouldn't have thought the striated lamb needed soaking, but it looks great!

[BossThreads]

Nice! I wouldn't have thought the striated lamb needed soaking, but it looks great!

I wouldn't say it "needed" it, but it made the texture pop even more and helped relax the shoulders and mold to my torso.

[Thunderspy]

That’s cool, I’m completely happy with how it looked right out of the box myself, but everyone has their preference

[BossThreads]

Just wanted to show the color difference in daylight. Much warmer South America brown here.

[drewgarcia618]

Wanted to show off my Relic Hunter in goat again. I’ve had it for about 2.5 years now, and mannnnnnn does it look better everyday. This thing hasn’t had any artificial distressing done to it, and the dark brown is holding up quite well in most places. Dye has started to come up in normal wear patterns and the drain has developed more and more. Wrinkles, pebbles, vertical and lateral striations… you name it and this thing has probably got it. Tried my best to capture it in a few photos before leaving the house today (here’s a link in case attachments don’t work https://imgur.com/a/jx1O8RK).

I know Indy uses cow and lamb… but I’d like to think that goat would’ve been his go to if he were real. This stuff is strong yet supple. I’ve dressed it up and down. Probably the best Raiders jacket I could’ve asked for!

[Illinois_Jones]

Is that the standard goatskin? I have one, too, and I love it. I wish they'd bring that hide back, it's so underrated.

[Charybdis]

Beautiful looking jacket! The goat is a great skin. I have one from Wested and it is one of my favorites but that Kelso is sure nice!

[drewgarcia618]

Is that the standard goatskin? I have one, too, and I love it. I wish they'd bring that hide back, it's so underrated.

Yep, just the standard goat! It really is underrated.

Beautiful looking jacket! The goat is a great skin. I have one from Wested and it is one of my favorites but that Kelso is sure nice!

Thank you!

[xmasters]

Wondering if I'll get my April ordered Relic Hunter before Christmas.

[xmasters]

It did arrive and it's an amazing jacket. Awesome. It lives up to the hype.

[Thunderspy]

Brilliant! I'm glad it turned up as a Christmas treat.
You're lucky- you've still got that beautiful new smell!

[giantthugee86]

They have a kotcs jacket now:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CncYkFDtuhp ... M4ZDc5MmU=

[xmasters]

They have done for a few years.

[IJJTM]

Weird that they’re advertising it since they’ve been out of the pre-distressed hide for about a year now.

[Illinois_Jones]

Yeah, they don't have the regular goatskin either; that's what my RH is and I love it but they don't stock at ATM so I can't recommend it to people when they ask. It is interesting they haven't had the CS cowhide in a long time yet still seem to have plenty of the LC lamb -- you'd think they'd sell more LC jackets than CS. I remember Diego saying S&J makes a CS jacket but it's so rarely ordered compared to Raiders and LC and I'd imagine BK is the same. I guess their pre-distressed cowhide supply dried up but their Venice and Calcutta lamb is still being cranked out by the tannery.

[Rhenvar]

Hi all! I'm new to the forum and posting because I was trying to decide which jacket to buy. I was undecided if a Wested legacy/hero or this Kelso Relich Hunter. From what I understand Kelso is one of the best. Right?
I have 3 questions mainly if you can help me:
1- I was almost more inclined to the goat leather (Goatskin Maltese Seal). Or do you think the lambskin striated is better? Because I don't really like streaks and I'm afraid it's too light..
2- I know I will have to take the measurements, but I am 174cm and 68kg what size should I take?
3-Do you have any idea of the delivery time right now?
Thanks a lot in advance for the answers!

[Rhenvar]

Mmm nobody can help me?

[Thunderspy]

I don't know the answers I'm afraid; I have a striated lamb which I really like but I haven't seen the other ones in person. If you're not keen on the striations then I'd say definitely go with the non-striated version. When I bought mine three years ago delivery time was very long but hopefully that will have improved by now.

[Rhenvar]

Ok thanks! so by non-striated version you mean the Goatskin Maltese Seal right?
Years ago how long did you wait to receive the jacket?

[Thunderspy]

I ordered mine just before covid hit and waited 10 months for it, but that was at the height of lockdown etc. and their business had to shut down several times over that period so I would not expect their lead times to be that long now. I think it's still likely to be a couple of months though- it won't be quick.
It is a beautiful jacket however, I'm still very pleased with it.

[marker2037]

Hi all! I'm new to the forum and posting because I was trying to decide which jacket to buy. I was undecided if a Wested legacy/hero or this Kelso Relich Hunter. From what I understand Kelso is one of the best. Right?
I have 3 questions mainly if you can help me:
1- I was almost more inclined to the goat leather (Goatskin Maltese Seal). Or do you think the lambskin striated is better? Because I don't really like streaks and I'm afraid it's too light..
2- I know I will have to take the measurements, but I am 174cm and 68kg what size should I take?
3-Do you have any idea of the delivery time right now?
Thanks a lot in advance for the answers!

Those are tough questions to answer as they are really only known by yourself. I would say 95% of the Relic Hunter jacket owners have the striated lamb. It's awesome, very comfortable, and looks the part. I cannot comment on goat, but goat does not age really, so keep that in mind.

[Rhenvar]

Ok, thanks a lot everyone for the replies! So do you recommend a lambskin leather? Last question: which is the Westerd jacket more similar to this Kelso? I didn't quite understand the difference between the Legacy and Hero versions..

[Thunderspy]

That's a good question! I'm not sure myself. I think the Legacy is their sort of new, ultimate screen-accurate version, is that right?

[Illinois_Jones]

Same pattern, different leather and hardware. As discussed ad nauseam in the Wested threads.

[marker2037]

Ok, thanks a lot everyone for the replies! So do you recommend a lambskin leather? Last question: which is the Westerd jacket more similar to this Kelso? I didn't quite understand the difference between the Legacy and Hero versions..

The Legacy is supposed to be their most accurate Raiders leather they have. It's the same jacket as the Hero, just with the newest leather. The Hero you can get in any other leather besides the Legacy leather. I don't own the Legacy Raiders, but I do own the Legacy LC and it's a great leather and great jacket. I also own the Destiny jacket and actually that leather is the most similar to the Kelso striated lamb that I've seen in texture, however the undertones are much, much lighter and it distresses much, much easier.

To me, the Destiny jacket makes a very good "later in life it now looks like this" version of the Kelso, if you get what I mean.

[Rhenvar]

Thanks! The Destiny might be a right alternative.. although I don't really like the very big collar. I tried to write both to Kelso and S&J but one has 3/4 months to wait and the other 6..and I didn't want to wait that long. The only thing I think I understood is with Wested it is not easy to guess the right size..

[marker2037]

Thanks! The Destiny might be a right alternative.. although I don't really like the very big collar. I tried to write both to Kelso and S&J but one has 3/4 months to wait and the other 6..and I didn't want to wait that long. The only thing I think I understood is with Wested it is not easy to guess the right size..

Well, you never really want to "guess" any size online. You need to figure out first what is your typical jacket/chest size. Do you know that as a start?

[Rhenvar]

Please excuse the delay! After various indecisions I decided to play safe and decided on a S&J Cazadora 36 Trucker... although there will be a long wait..