Club Obi Wan

I've been toying with the idea of purchasing a wested Raiders Hero in the shrunken lamb in an addition to my 2006 Wested custom Raiders and reading through this thread has been very helpful.

My conclusion seems to be, because of the cut of the Hero pattern, you need to remove an inch from both the sleeve and back lengths for the jacket to fit the standard Raiders otherwise it's too long in those areas.

From looking at all the photos posted of the Hero, most seem to have sleeves that are too long due to pattern off the shoulder over hang eg. standard raiders sleeve length is say 25 inches, hero sleeve length would need to be approx 24 inches to have the sleeve sit in the same place on the wrist/hand also same for the back length.

Most of the pocket flaps seem to look more pointed than scalloped, when you look at Wested's blog article it mentions that the standard Raiders has a more pointed pocket flap that the softer hero but I'm not really seeing that in the photos.

As for the shrunken lamb being SA, the jackets I've seen in this hide tend to look too light in shade than you would expect so not sure if it's the luck of the draw when you order as to the colour of the skins wested have in at the time.

Having said that, I'm been very impressed with my custom Raiders which has held up very well for over the 10 years that I have had it so a Hero could well be on the cards.

Here's a quick photo of my 2006 Wested custom Raiders in the dark novapelle.



To me personally, I think these are the best shaped Raiders pocket flaps I've seen on a Wested.

Hi everyone - I've always wondered - the Wested Hero has the larger pointed collars (see my image below of my wested hero) however Bill Kelso's Cairo (aka Hero Jacket) has the rounded collar where his South American Jacket has the pointed collar?

2 different vendors - both selling a hero jacket with 2 different collars, am I missing something here?

Frederick wrote: 2 different vendors - both selling a hero jacket with 2 different collars, am I missing something here?

Well, your actually answering your own question here. 2 different vendors.

Meaning they both offer their own version of the hero pattern.

Frederick wrote:Hi everyone - I've always wondered - the Wested Hero has the larger pointed collars (see my image below of my wested hero) however Bill Kelso's Cairo (aka Hero Jacket) has the rounded collar where his South American Jacket has the pointed collar?

2 different vendors - both selling a hero jacket with 2 different collars, am I missing something here?

Yup. While several jackets have been identified by fans to have been used in Raiders, the two most obvious jackets seen in the film have sometimes been referred to as the "Cairo" jacket and the "South America" jacket. Of course, the Cairo scenes were actually filmed in Tunisia and the South America scenes were filmed in Hawaii. And England. And both jackets actually show up in both settings. So...

Anyway... The Cairo jacket has the rounded corners (although one is actually pointed, I think), and slightly narrower collar, while the South America jacket has the wider collar, more squared off pointed corners.

Bill Kelso Mfg. is catering to the die-hard fans who want a choice of both variations.

Good points raised there from the both of you:
I guess after all the evidence that has come to light in the last 5 plus years in the screen grabs one might think that there might have been more consistencies as to the finer details of the "Hero Jacket" amongst the vendors? However I'm sure 'Hero Jacket' sounds better than "Our favourite version of the many jackets used".
Thanks Holt & FFTT - both wise answers, at the end of the day I suppose it's all about perception from the vender and the preferred taste from the buyer.

Hi guys.

First time post from a newbie. Great forum you have here and an excellent resource for the hobby.

I'm looking to get myself a Hero jacket in the shrunken lambskin and, like so many others it seems, I'm currently agonising and second-guessing on the whole measurements issue. Any help you good people could give me would be much appreciated.

Having had a family member (who used to work in a tailors) measure me, it turns out I have a 41.5 inch chest - which is the easy part. What I'm trying to figure out is what lengths I should order for the sleeves and back. My sleeve measures at 24.5 inches while the back clocks in at an even 24 inches at the top of my back trouser pockets (which I think is about the length for screen accuracy, no?). Oh - and I'm a hair over six feet tall, if that helps.

Sooo... what to order...

I think that, given my height, I'm erring on the side of caution with those measurements because I don't want the jacket to be too long. I'd be ordering a 42 inch chest size and, although the sleeve length for an off-the-rack 42 is an exact match for me at 24.5 inches, the back length on a 42 off-the-rack is 27 inches - three whole inches above my 24 inch measurement. Which has left me a little confused.

I have contacted Wested and asked them for measuring/ordering advice, but they say there's nothing they can really tell me because the Hero pattern was designed very quickly and specifically for Harrison Ford. They also say that they recommend the off-the-rack variants over the Hero because it's a more standard and forgiving fit. I can appreciate all of this, but the fact is that I want a jacket that is as screen-accurate as possible and not an everyday wear jacket - comfort be d@mned as long as it looks the part!

I've taken the time to read through this entire thread and many other discussions/reviews of the Hero (including Wested's own blog), yet I'm still somewhat uncertain about the whole affair. So, if any of you Hero jacket owners could chime in on this and offer some words of wisdom I would be incredibly grateful.

Thanks in advance.

Good question, Bobby. The other problem is that Wested has a bit of a reputation for inconsistent fitting - a 42 can fit like a 42, or a 40, or a 44. I've always been lucky with them. My Hero jacket fits pretty well, but I don't have any unusual measurements.

If you live in the UK (or will be visiting sometime soon), the easy solution would just be to pay a visit to Wested and try on jackets until you get one with the right fit.

Other than that...

You could order the 42 - from what you say, it sounds like it's the best fit - and hope that it works out. If it doesn't, you can send it back, although shipping will be expensive.

Or you could consider other brands. Everything I've been seeing about Steele & Jones suggests that they produce a painstakingly accurate jacket (including the shrunken hide that you like - just ask for "ribby merino skin"), and their jackets are tailored, rather than off the rack. They're also in the same ballpark as Wested, price-wise, and I've never heard of anyone ever having a bad experience with them. If I get another jacket, I'll likely be buying from them.

I'd say those are your best options. It's all down to which one you're most comfortable with.

My two recent hero jackets. Authentic Lamb size 38 left. Goatskin size 40. Right. The Goat was fresh out of the box when I took the picture.

Nice. Which one do you prefer?

I'm not sure if I prefer one over the other. My chest measures 38". So the size 38 is a perfect fit. I can even layer it with a thin pullover, but I feel a slight pinch then. So I decided I wanted the Goat for a tougher jacket to wear in RL adventures or travel an ordered it a size 40, and that still gives a great fit, with more relaxed room for a thicker layer in winter for example. I think the Authentic lamb is a more SA colour match, but the goat still really looks the part as well. It was really a case of wanting both jackets for different situations and use. I mean I would wear the Authentic lamb in plenty of situations that would put wear on it, but I'd be hesitant to abseil off a mountain in it. That's where the Goatskin comes in.

Also, as you can see the Goatskin jacket has slightly more pointed collars. So've I've got myself the South America jacket without asking at no extra cost.

Mulceber wrote:Good question, Bobby. The other problem is that Wested has a bit of a reputation for inconsistent fitting - a 42 can fit like a 42, or a 40, or a 44. I've always been lucky with them. My Hero jacket fits pretty well, but I don't have any unusual measurements.

If you live in the UK (or will be visiting sometime soon), the easy solution would just be to pay a visit to Wested and try on jackets until you get one with the right fit.

Other than that...

You could order the 42 - from what you say, it sounds like it's the best fit - and hope that it works out. If it doesn't, you can send it back, although shipping will be expensive.

Or you could consider other brands. Everything I've been seeing about Steele & Jones suggests that they produce a painstakingly accurate jacket (including the shrunken hide that you like - just ask for "ribby merino skin"), and their jackets are tailored, rather than off the rack. They're also in the same ballpark as Wested, price-wise, and I've never heard of anyone ever having a bad experience with them. If I get another jacket, I'll likely be buying from them.

I'd say those are your best options. It's all down to which one you're most comfortable with.

Thanks very much for the reply, Mulceber.

I'm originally from the UK but currently living in Spain, so a visit to Wested isn't really possible right now and I'm going to have to do the whole thing by mail order.

I've read nothing but great things about Steele & Jones and they seem to both know their stuff and produce a high quality product. The only problem is that they're outside the European Union, so I'm assuming I'll get stung badly on shipping and import tax - especially if I get the jacket and it needs alterations.

I've only recently started putting together an Indy outfit (just have some boots and a Webley so far) and Wested really appealed to me because not only are they the makers of the original Raiders jacket but they're within Europe too. I'd also be getting the main bulk of the other gear from them (shirt, shoulder bag, trousers, etc) and I'm very tempted by their cotton Raiders jacket as well. So, if you'll excuse the pun, Wested seemed like the best "fit."

I guess I'll just have to go over my measurements again and keep my fingers crossed.

Thanks again for your advice.

Well, I imagine that it wouldn't be too costly to ship the jacket back from Spain if you absolutely had to, so the risk isn't that great. For what it's worth, I think you made the right call. Best of luck!

BobbyM wrote:Hi guys.

First time post from a newbie. Great forum you have here and an excellent resource for the hobby.

I'm looking to get myself a Hero jacket in the shrunken lambskin and, like so many others it seems, I'm currently agonising and second-guessing on the whole measurements issue. Any help you good people could give me would be much appreciated.

Having had a family member (who used to work in a tailors) measure me, it turns out I have a 41.5 inch chest - which is the easy part. What I'm trying to figure out is what lengths I should order for the sleeves and back. My sleeve measures at 24.5 inches while the back clocks in at an even 24 inches at the top of my back trouser pockets (which I think is about the length for screen accuracy, no?). Oh - and I'm a hair over six feet tall, if that helps.

Sooo... what to order...

I think that, given my height, I'm erring on the side of caution with those measurements because I don't want the jacket to be too long. I'd be ordering a 42 inch chest size and, although the sleeve length for an off-the-rack 42 is an exact match for me at 24.5 inches, the back length on a 42 off-the-rack is 27 inches - three whole inches above my 24 inch measurement. Which has left me a little confused.

The Off-The-Rack Raiders jacket is a completely different design and pattern to the screen accurate Hero jacket, hence the differences in back length and sleeves.

With the Hero jacket, IMO it's worth considering what Fords measurements were for the jacket you see on film, and compare your build as well and take that into consideration. Ford was about 6.1" His chest size was 40". The back length on the movie jackets was not more than 24", it hangs lower because the collar hangs off the back a bit, and he wore his pants/trousers in the traditional way of about an inch below the belly button. This is a important factor for jacket length. The sleeves on the Hero jacket start about an inch off the shoulder. So if you normally have a 25" sleeve, consider 24" etc.

If you want to order a longer back, I would seriously not go more than 25".

If you fall between a chest size, order a size up, in your case it's only half an inch, so a 42" should be fine.

This is just my advice, my opinions, my experience. but I do have three Hero jackets and they all fit me.

Yeah, definitely go with a custom order if you've decided to go with Wested. It sounds like you want Screen Accurate, so that would be the Hero jacket. It sounds to me like you need a size 42 with 25 inch sleeves and a 25 inch back.

For comparison, I'm 5' 10" and I wear a 38 with with 25 inch sleeves and a 24 inch back for the Hero cut. Also, be sure to ask for shorter side adjustment straps. Wested makes them crazy long on the Hero jacket.

Goatskin Hero is wearing in nicely.

That's a beautiful jacket.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Big thanks to Mulceber, xmasters and Forrest For the Trees for the advice. Very much appreciated.

Does anyone know if Wested have hero jackets in their store, or are they only made to order?

HERO'S ARE MADE TO ORDER UNLESS THEY HAVE ANY RETURNS HANGING AROUND .. THE STANDARD VERSIONS ARE OTR.

(sorry about the caps lock)

I am probably going to purchase a wested hero in shrunken lamb in either a size 44 or 46 reg depending, I will be using my custom raiders size 46 for the sleeve and back length measurements but not the chest measurements as the jacket is too big on me in that area.

My question is, could any wested hero owners in either a 44 or 46 supply their jacket measurements (due to the raiders odd fit) as I don't want to order that jacket and have it too long on the sleeves and the back length which seems to be the common issue with the jacket.

Measurements required -

1) Shoulder length from the side of the collar base to the shoulder/sleeve seam (this will help choose the correct sleeve length so as not too long)

2) Back length from the base of the collar to the bottom of the jacket (so I don't order too long)

3) Pit to Pit measurement across the front of the jacket when zipped (this will help me pick the correct chest size - I know wested won't use this measurement anymore so I thought i'd ask on here for help)

I am around 5' 10/11" with a chest size of 112cm / 44" reg, the reason I ask for this measurement is that from what i have read, wested allow for layering with a jumper in their chest measurements which will probably make the jacket too big as all I would be wearing under the jacket would be either a shirt or t-shirt so would like to size accordingly.

I have already made initial contact with Helen @ Wested for more info but was mainly to obtain a sample of the current batch of shrunken lamb hide for colour/shade purposes.

Thanks chaps for you help.

Hi Marv,

I think most Heroes ordered have a custom back length and sleeve length. My general rule of thumb is to order the Hero back 1.5"-2" shorter than a regular jacket and I take an inch off the sleeve length to account for additional shoulder droop. I wear a 44 also and the Hero 44 fits well. I've tried a 42 before, and even though the measurements are ok, the cut of the jacket makes it pull across my chest, and I've stuck with 44s.

thanks for the advice Tibor, appreciated.

Yes they are different designs. There's less room in a size 40 Hero than a size 40 Raiders (which would probably fit someone who measured 42"). You can still layer a Hero, but the place you feel the restriction is in the sleeves. They are more tapered and closer to the arms. The difference in overall sizing between my size 38 Hero and 40 Hero, is subtle to say the least.

I've taken some measurements off my custom Raiders size 46" reg - as follows.

1) Pit to Pit = 25 inches (too big on me, on my A2s & G1s this measurement is usually 24 inches)
2) Back length from bottom of the collar stand to end of the jacket = 26 inches
3) Front along storm flap = 23 inches
4) Shoulder seam from base of the collar stand = 7.5 inches
5) Shoulder width = 21 inches
6) Sleeve length = 25 inches
7) Bottom of the collar stand to top of the yolk = 6 inches
Bottom of the yolk to the end of the jacket = 20 inches
9) Side straps approx = 6.5 inches

My height is 5' 10/11" with a 112cm/44" reg chest so for my Hero jacket would probably look to take 1 inch off the back length of the jacket to 25" and reduce the sleeve length by 1 inch to 24" and also keep the side straps at 6.5 inches instead of the standard 9 inches or so.

I did think about maybe reducing the back length by either 1.5" or maybe even 2" but may only concern is that the front storm flap length maybe somewhat smallet than 23 inches which is the perfect length on my custom Raiders.

Any advice / input would be greatly appreciated before I place my order with Wested.

thanks chaps.

Tibor wrote:Hi Marv,

I think most Heroes ordered have a custom back length and sleeve length. My general rule of thumb is to order the Hero back 1.5"-2" shorter than a regular jacket and I take an inch off the sleeve length to account for additional shoulder droop. I wear a 44 also and the Hero 44 fits well. I've tried a 42 before, and even though the measurements are ok, the cut of the jacket makes it pull across my chest, and I've stuck with 44s.

Hi Tibor,

As it looks as though we are pretty much the same size, would you be able to provide some measurements from you 44" Hero for comparisson, would that be ok.

1) Pit to Pit across the front of the zipped jacket.
2) Back length from the base of the collar stand to the bottom of the jacket.
3) Front length from the top of the storm flap to the bottom of the jacket.
4) Sleeve length.
5) Shoulder width across the back of the jacket when zipped.

This would greatly help make the correct choice on sizing when placing my order with Wested for the Hero jacket.

I'm pretty good with A2 & G1 measurements these days as I know what fits and what doesn't but this is another kettle of fish entirely so your input would be a massive help (probably bump into you on VLJ at some point as well.)

thanks
Paul

A few photos of me wearing my custom Raiders size 46" reg, I think the body & sleeve length are good but chest size is too big plus I have the waist straps pulled in pretty tight to reduce the looseness of the torso around the waist area.











I will probably send these pics to Wested when I place my order for the Hero jacket (once i have my measurements sorted).

Marv, what does your chest actually measure? Wested adds 4 inches to their jackets, which is usually about right for a proper fitting jacket.

Forrest For the Trees wrote:Marv, what does your chest actually measure? Wested adds 4 inches to their jackets, which is usually about right for a proper fitting jacket.

my chest size is 112cm/44" when i have taken measurements whilst wearing a shirt but with reading that the Hero jacket which I am looking to purchase, is tighter across the chest which concerns me a little bit and has me thinking do i need to go up to a size 46" or just stick with my normal chest size.

Marv wrote:

Forrest For the Trees wrote:Marv, what does your chest actually measure? Wested adds 4 inches to their jackets, which is usually about right for a proper fitting jacket.

my chest size is 112cm/44" when i have taken measurements whilst wearing a shirt but with reading that the Hero jacket which I am looking to purchase, is tighter across the chest which concerns me a little bit and has me thinking do i need to go up to a size 46" or just stick with my normal chest size.

Well, I've placed my order with Wested for a Hero in shrunken lamb with the following measurements.

1) Chest - 44"
2) Sleeve length - 24.5" (was 25" on my custom raiders)
3) Back length - 24.5" (was 26" on my custom raiders)

I'm approx 5' 11" so hopefully these measuremets should work well.

That should work.

Those specs should be ok. Keeping the sleeve length and back the same is always good, that way they can't get them mixed up. My Hero Goatskin was 24/24

Do Wested also take waist measurements into account with custom orders? I bought my current hero goat second hand and while it is a little tight in the chest when fully zipped, it is very loose and baggy around the waist. So I'd want to avoid that with my own order.

No they don't afaik. There's definitely more room around the waist to allow for the gun etc. It's intentional. and it is more tailored under the arms just like the movie jacket. If you want it slimmer around the waist, tighten the straps.

Satipo wrote:Do Wested also take waist measurements into account with custom orders? I bought my current hero goat second hand and while it is a little tight in the chest when fully zipped, it is very loose and baggy around the waist. So I'd want to avoid that with my own order.

No they don't. I went there myself and waist measurement wasn't a factor unless the waist was going to be bigger than the chest. Essentially I tried on jackets in different styles and skins and they took the required measurements to alter the pattern to fit me. Looking forward to getting home to try them on.

Well, I've placed my order with Wested for a Hero in shrunken lamb with the following measurements. (earlier post)

1) Chest - 44"
2) Sleeve length - 24.5" (was 25" on my custom raiders)
3) Back length - 24.5" (was 26" on my custom raiders)

I'm approx 5' 11" so hopefully these measuremets should work well.


My Wested Hero in shrunken lamb size 44" has arrived (yesterday in fact) and I have literally taken it straight out of the packaging, given the jacket a hot water soaking and worn until dry.

The fit is great, so thankfully my requested measurements were good so thanks for all that helped in getting these right (especially Tibor), anyway here are just a couple of quick photos of the jacket.





I'm impressed with the shrunken lamb, very SA I think and the hide is wonderful and lightweight plus showing a lot of promise on the breaking in side of things to.

That looks amazing! When did you placed your order?

I placed my order on Friday 23rd June but it didn't get to the factory until about Tuesday/Wednesday the following week so all in all, it about a week to make and ship.

Excellent service from Wested, and both Helen and Peter were great with advice on the jacket.

That was incredibly fast! I placed my order June 27th I hope to receive an email with shipping information before the week ends

Helen @ Wested did tell at the time I placed my order that they were a little quiet work wise at moment so hopefully you should get you order in about the same sort of time as I did, finger crossed.

Looks great! Yes I agree the service from Wested is good. Ordered a ToD jacket last week on the monday, arrived to my house on Friday.

xmasters wrote:Looks great! Yes I agree the service from Wested is good. Ordered a ToD jacket last week on the monday, arrived to my house on Friday.

Cool. Would love to see pics. Is it the same pattern they got from Noel Howard's jacket?

Yes it is! I'll get some pictures done this week.

xmasters wrote:Looks great! Yes I agree the service from Wested is good. Ordered a ToD jacket last week on the monday, arrived to my house on Friday.

Just heard back from wested my jacket is shipping tomorrow

My photos have been pulled by Photobucket as they have changed the policy on third party photo hosting and now require a subscription to perform this task so no longer free.

Anybody another free alternative to Photobucket.

Marv wrote:My photos have been pulled by Photobucket as they have changed the policy on third party photo hosting and now require a subscription to perform this task so no longer free.

Anybody another free alternative to Photobucket.

I use Postimage. It gives you options for size and you can do thumbnails for forums too.

I would recommend imgur.com Its one of the best image hosting sites. Postimage has too many ad spaces I find.

Marv wrote:My photos have been pulled by Photobucket as they have changed the policy on third party photo hosting and now require a subscription to perform this task so no longer free.

Anybody another free alternative to Photobucket.

Ugh. A moderator should make an announcement about this. Every image I've ever posted is affected. Photobucket wants $40 a month for 3rd party hosting now. This affects every online forum, I would suspect. Going through any older or archived post is going to be pretty miserable now.... Sorry, y'all.

I imagine 90% of threads with pictures are now mostly worthless.

So far it looks like mine is not affected... maybe it's based on how many photos you have stored?

Forrest For the Trees wrote:

Marv wrote:My photos have been pulled by Photobucket as they have changed the policy on third party photo hosting and now require a subscription to perform this task so no longer free.

Anybody another free alternative to Photobucket.

Ugh. A moderator should make an announcement about this. Every image I've ever posted is affected. Photobucket wants $40 a month for 3rd party hosting now. This affects every online forum, I would suspect. Going through any older or archived post is going to be pretty miserable now.... Sorry, y'all.