Ordering a Wested tomorrow! 1/4/05 - Just got it!!!

Crusader556 · Post by **Crusader556** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 3:32 pm

I've been lurking here a while but this is my first post. I've finally decided to get a Wested TOD in dark brown goat leather!

I've been measuring and remeasuring myself using the tips here and on Wested's site. Maybe I'm getting a bit anal but I need to get this right the first time because I don't want to have to send my jacket back to get altered or fixed.

I also found this great jacket measuring diagram below that helped me a lot. I've pretty much followed it to the letter except for the few notes I listed below. Does this look okay to you guys?

JACKET SIZING:

A) CHEST - Measure high under armpits, spanning the widest part of your chest, bring tape around for one 360 degree complete measure. *Note: Went up one size for more room and mobility.

B) BACK LENGTH - Measure from nape of neck (at collar seam) to 1 1/4" below BOTTOM of belt line. This is where a waist-length jacket should fall. If you desire a longer length, please mention how much longer and we can see which of our sizes would be close.

C) SHOULDER SPAN - Measure across back in a straight line, from edge of shoulder to opposite edge of shoulder.

D) ARM - Measure from top edge of shoulder to bottom of wrist bone. *Note: Wested calls this the "Sleeve" measurement, I measured to the first knuckle on my thumb as posted on the Jacket FAQ here.

E) SLEEVE - Measure from nape of neck to shoulder edge, then down arm to bottom of wrist bone. *Note: I didn't take this measurement, is there any reason to?

F) WAIST - Measure 1 1/2" below your navel for a complete 360 degree measurement. *Note: I took the measurement with pant's and belt on but does the Indy jacket even taper? To me it looks like it just straight down and the side straps can cinch it in a bit if needed.

G) HEIGHT - Total height in feet and inches.

Now back to the jacket. I wanted a "Real Use" jacket so I went with goat leather after reading here how it was very durable and good at taking abuse.

I went with dark brown because to me the darker color looked better at least in all the pics I've seen here.

I chose the TOD because it's a bit longer than the others and since I hold a CCW license and will using this jacket while carrying a firearm I wanted the extra length to help keep the gun covered.

I've emailed Wested and discussed the close fit with them and how I wanted a looser "Americanized" fit so I will be having the arm holes lowered, going up a chest size as well as getting the double underarm gussets.

Here are the options I will be getting with my TOD Jacket.

Style - Temple Jacket
Leather - Dark Brown Goatskin
Lining - Cotton body and satin sleeve.
Side Fastener - Anodized black rectangular sliders.

Options

1. Put zipper on American side.
2. Drop Arm holes.
3. Two piece gussets.
4. X-box stiching on side straps.
5. Extra inside pocket.
7. Hidden Elastics
8. Extend Zipper as far down as possible.
9. Back panel length - 26" from base of collar.
10. Hidden snaps at bottom of jacket and neck.
11. Add 1" extra to the front.

I'll probably email my options and verified measurements to Wested and make my payment over the phone tomorrow. Do you guys remember if Wested takes payment via Paypal?

Will it be okay to do this via email and phone or should I go through Wested's website to place the order? I just don't want any of my options missed and since I've read that a few of you have had your jackets delivered missiong some options you specified now I'm getting all paranoid.

Lastly, do I need to worry about Customs fee's for delivery to Ohio? If so how much will it be?

What do you guys think? Is there anything I'm forgetting?

BTW, I wanted to add that this is great site and it has helped me tremendously with getting my jacket order together!

Hemingway Jones · Post by **Hemingway Jones** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 4:35 pm

Hello Crusader556,
And welcome to the forum!
I don't think you missed a thing. Your section on measuring is so comprehensive I think it should be posted somewhere for easy reference. Well done.

As for customs: they seem to catch up with some people and not others. I believe the charge is somewhere around $25 to $30 and it is billed and collected by a third party whose name escapes me. I ordered mine a year ago and then, it was around $24, but a year has elapsed and the dollar being what it is in value currently, I am not sure.

I don't believe Wested takes PayPal, but I don't know for sure. When I ordered mine, I went through the Web site and everything was fine. Now, I would probably prefer speaking to either Peter or Gerry.

Either way, good luck and post pictures when you get it.
Best,
HJ

Crusader556 · Post by **Crusader556** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 6:34 pm

Thanks HJ! Though I can't take full credit for the measuring diagram and discriptions which I found while I doing some Internet searches trying to figure out how to take measurements. I posted them in hopes that it'll help other newbies like me.

Just when I thought I knew the color I wanted, after looking at more pics here now I find myself going back and forth betwen the dark brown and authentic colors!

I really like the dark brown but I've seen quite a few nice looking authentic goat jackets too...

Here's an example of why I'm confused.

Below is Scandanavia Jone's authentic brown jacket. I like this color but look at how the Wested authentic sample looks next to it. The Wested sample just looks too light to me but yet SJ's jacket looks great in that pic!

I've got an Avirex A2, does anyone know how close Wested's dark brown and authentic brown is to the brown Avirex uses? Some times it's hard to really tell the difference of the colors with in jacket pics. In Wested's color samples I like the dark brown better because the authentic looks way to light. I guess I better decide fast because I want to get my order in tomorrow!

I was also wondering if the dark brown goat turn grey as it ages or if it's manually pre-distressed?

ob1al · Post by **ob1al** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 6:58 pm

For what it's worth , I would recommend the authentic brown colour as the best option for anyone wanting their jacket to match what is seen on screen.

It really isn't that light a shade - just a fraction lighter than the dark brown really, but IMO it beats the dark brown colour because you get that nice 'chocolate hue' coming through in sunlight...and it's 'authentic' to the jacket colour worn by Ford in Raiders.

Welcome to COW!

Crusader556 · Post by **Crusader556** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 7:12 pm

ob1al,

I'm starting to agree with you but not being able to see the colors in person makes it confusing.

The funny thing is that I originally wanted authentic brown then I convinced myself I liked the dark brown because the authentic looked too light and now I'm back to likeing the authentic because maybe it's not as light I thought it would be...man I must be going nuts!

Hemingway Jones · Post by **Hemingway Jones** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 7:32 pm

I have an authentic lamb. I'm not sure how it compares to an authentic brown goat, but I can say that I am impressed with the color of mine. Many pictures of mine can be found here:
http://public.fotki.com/HemingwayJones/ ... 002_2.html
Al is right about

nice 'chocolate hue' coming through in sunlight...and it's 'authentic' to the jacket colour worn by Ford in Raiders.

It has a wonderful luster in sunlight and other light. I cannot comment on the dark brown.
If you are impressed with Scandanavia Jones' jacket, I suggest you contact him. I know that he has seen many different jackets when he went to Wested, but then again so has Al.

Personally, I would go for the authentic.

Bufflehead Jones · Post by **Bufflehead Jones** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 7:39 pm

Crusader556,

I like the Authentic brown the best. I was like you and was unsure if I liked it just from looking at the samples online. In person, the authentic color looks great.

Post by **Ken** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 7:51 pm

The authentic brown goatskin WON'T distress - with the lambskin, DB goatskin, cowhide, etc the hide underneath is a lighter color than the surface layer so if you want to (or when nature takes it course) this will show through in places here and there where th surface get scratched or abraded away.

However if you chose the authentic goatskin this wont happen - this is a feature peculiar to the authentic goatskin and something to bear in mind when making a decision.

Also a reason for color differences is lighting - the authentic goat is lighter than the dark brown however not radically so. Color also varies slightly from batch to batch (along with thickness) so you can never get a 100% accurate photo to compare with the jacket you will get.

Ken

Scandinavia Jones · Post by **Scandinavia Jones** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 8:09 pm

Go with the authentic - with utmost confidence.

At the UK Summit, I took a closer look at the dark brown jackets. The Wested dark brown is a nice colour, no doubt about it. However, I do not regret buying authentic lamb for one second.

The authentic lamb changes character with wear.

Picking up my jacket at Wested in May this year. A pristine auth. lamb...

... after a few months' wear, it's beginning to look the part...

... and finally (with a little abrasive/chemical help) I got exactly what I wanted!

You must choose, Crusader556. Choose wisely. That is, go with what you consider to be your ultimate Indy jacket!
... and now, it's the jacket I've always wanted. After all, it's supposed to be an Indy jacket! I did... and I'm happy...

Post by **Ken** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 8:12 pm

The Wested authentic lamb weathers bery nicely - have you done much to it since those pictures Scandy?

Ken

Scandinavia Jones · Post by **Scandinavia Jones** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 8:17 pm

Indiana Ken wrote:have you done much to it since those pictures Scandy?

No, I've actually left it alone for now. Climate doesn't allow any Wested-wearing for many months to come, and I thought I'd let the distressing 'set' a little before doing any more... if that will happen...

Crusader556 · Post by **Crusader556** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 8:34 pm

Indiana Ken wrote:The authentic brown goatskin WON'T distress - with the lambskin, DB goatskin, cowhide, etc the hide underneath is a lighter color than the surface layer so if you want to (or when nature takes it course) this will show through in places here and there where th surface get scratched or abraded away.

However if you chose the authentic goatskin this wont happen - this is a feature peculiar to the authentic goatskin and something to bear in mind when making a decision.

Also a reason for color differences is lighting - the authentic goat is lighter than the dark brown however not radically so. Color also varies slightly from batch to batch (along with thickness) so you can never get a 100% accurate photo to compare with the jacket you will get.

Ken

Ken,

I'm glad you mentioned this. I definitely want my jacket to distress naturally so if the authentic goat won't distress than I guess I'll have to go with the dark brown goat. Now I'm starting to question my decision to go with the goat leather. I definitely want a tough "User" jacket but I don't want it to look brand new for the next 50 years. How tough is cow hide compared to goat?

Also, I've never really thought about the horse hide. How tough is horse and will it distress naturally if I get one in authentic brown? Is horse worth the extra money?

Thanks again for all the help guys!

Post by **Ken** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 9:14 pm

I have a DB goat I got recently, changing from authentic goat at the very last moment for this very reason.

If you want it not to look brand new you will have to put in a bit of effort - sit on it lots, treat it bad, probably rub it with alcohol to take the shinny sheen off and if you want to artificailly distress it then you can do that to.

I think the cowhide is heavier than the goat though others here know these details better than me - I am afraid I have no experience of the Wested horse hide and how it distresses.

In my opinion I think you would be very happy with an authentic goat and I think it satifies your needs rather nicely and certainly leaves you with "distressing" options an authentic goat would deny you.

Ken

Bjones · Post by **Bjones** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 9:53 pm

Crusader556 wrote: Also, I've never really thought about the horse hide. How tough is horse and will it distress naturally if I get one in authentic brown? Is horse worth the extra money?

Thanks again for all the help guys!

Crusader, I was going through the same agonizing process 3.5 weeks ago when I ordered my wested. I decided to go for the horsehide, and I believe its only available in dark brown. All indications are that they don't offer it in auth brown yet. I too wanted a durable option, and from what I have found through a lot of research on the net is that HH is pretty darn tough. Goat was my second option, but after seeing a pic of the HH jacket, my mind was made up. As for color, the darker the better IMO. I'm not sure how it distresses (don't have it yet), but the guys who have theirs, thought it might do so nicely. The HH seems to have a deep russet tone underneath the the dark brown. If you scroll down the thread list you will find my initial post called "My first wested...", and Indiana Jerry helped me out and posted a pic of Rob's HH LC jacket. Its gorgous!

Good luck with your decision!

IndianaGuybrush · Post by **IndianaGuybrush** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 11:52 pm

Indiana Ken wrote:The authentic brown goatskin WON'T distress -
Ken

It won't distress visibly, naturally but you can artificially distress it with pretty good results, just ask IndyBlues.

The goat is tough, and as such any visible distressing you want it to have within, say, 10 years, is pretty much going to have to be done artificially. The advatage to this is it let's you control exactly what kind of distressing and where on the jacket you want it.

Best of luck on your decision, but keep this in mind. While this is your first Wested order, it most likely will not be your last. make your decisions, feel good about them, order the jacket, and then do all in your power to completelly forget the lot of it until your jacket arrives, taking you (if you've followed my advice successfully) nicely by surprise.

Post by **Ken** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:16 am

IndianaGuybrush wrote:
Indiana Ken wrote:The authentic brown goatskin WON'T distress -
Ken
It won't distress visibly, naturally but you can artificially distress it with pretty good results, just ask IndyBlues.

Sorry, IndyBlues's was a darkbrown, as was Rick's - the closest attempt that has in any way worked is distressing a Flightsuits crome goatskin was by Koreana Jones and its not distressing in its conventional form either by the method or by the results:

http://www.indygear.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1152

In my opinion while an acheivement in itself this is what I aim for in distressing as it doesn't give you the kind of control or the finish I want. I guess this is an option.

Also we have no idea if this would work on the DB goatskin from Wested.

But you can get great results with a DB Wested goatskin (not authentic goat!) as shown by Rick - check out this post and the links:

http://www.indygear.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8291

Ken

IndianaGuybrush · Post by **IndianaGuybrush** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:23 am

Thanks Ken, I stand (or sit as the case may be) corrected!

Post by **Ken** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:29 am

IndianaGuybrush wrote:Thanks Ken, I stand (or sit as the case may be) corrected!

Lol no problem! The only reason I know all this is because it was such an instrumental factor in chosing a jacket myself - and your goatskin was the one that got me interest in a goatskin in the first place!

Ken

ShanghaiJack · Post by **ShanghaiJack** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 4:59 am

Ken, I hate to contradict you but in the quest for the perfect jacket I just rubbed the blade of a pocketknife gently over the leather on the bottom of the back panel on the inside on my jacket. The tiny spot that I scraped at is now a different color than the rest of the jacket. It is a much, much lighter shade of brown. I have an authentic goat, so to me it looks like it could be distressed using the acetone and sandpaper method with excellent results. Maybe Peter has switched suppliers on the authentic goat hides which has changed the distressing capabilities on the new authentic goat jackets that are being made. I'd like to help you more and distress the whole jacket to see how good it would turn out, but at this point I'm still in the Michaelson camp on distressing.

FLATHEAD · Post by **FLATHEAD** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 6:52 am

What do you guys think? Is there anything I'm forgetting?

You may want to ask to have the zipper pull put on the "American"
side.

If you don't, when you get your jacket, the zipper pull will be on the
opposite side of the jacket that you are used to.

I had them do this to mine, and I like it much better since I am so used
to the zipper pull on all my other jackets.

Flathead

Crusader556 · Post by **Crusader556** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 8:42 am

Flathead,

Yes, I added the American side zipper to my list of options.

Okay I placed my order and went with the dark brown goat as I originally intended. At the very least this will give me an excuse to get an authentic brown jacket sometime down the road.

I'm currently corresponding with Gerry and he said that the two piece gussets will not be needed since they will be dropping the arm holes. Going with the single piece is fine with me if the dropped arm holes will give the extra room and mobilty I need.

The price of the jacket went up because I went up one chest size as recommeded here but I saved some money by going with the single gusset so overall I'm still very happy with Wested's pricing.

I also plan on giving them a call in about 2 weeks to run through a checklist of my measurements and options before my jacket ships.

Since it's a tradition here I will post pics when I get it!

Post by **Ken** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 9:23 am

ShanghaiJack wrote:Ken, I hate to contradict you but in the quest for the perfect jacket I just rubbed the blade of a pocketknife gently over the leather on the bottom of the back panel on the inside on my jacket. The tiny spot that I scraped at is now a different color than the rest of the jacket. It is a much, much lighter shade of brown. I have an authentic goat, so to me it looks like it could be distressed using the acetone and sandpaper method with excellent results. Maybe Peter has switched suppliers on the authentic goat hides which has changed the distressing capabilities on the new authentic goat jackets that are being made. I'd like to help you more and distress the whole jacket to see how good it would turn out, but at this point I'm still in the Michaelson camp on distressing.

Wow this is new development - if you ever do find your jacket distressing or distress it yourself please try to get a picture so we can see.

Crusader - well congratulations on ordering the jacket. I hope it is everything you want it to be.

Ken

Feraud · Post by **Feraud** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 9:42 am

Thanks for the very detailed measurement chart Crusader556. I will be following it as I take measurements for my jacket.

ob1al · Post by **ob1al** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 1:19 pm

The authentic goat will distress - I've carefully tried the edges of the collar and sleeves on my authentic goatskin. The only difference is the colour underneath is a grey-brown, rather than the nice light brown we see on the authentic lamb.

But it depends what we mean by 'distressing', really.

I like an Indy jacket to have the wrinkled sleeve look and a bit of 'worn in' character to the overall jacket. I'ts not really neccessary to remove any colour or hit the jacket with sandpaper to achieve this particular 'disressed' look, just WEAR the thing and it happens.

Kinda like the opening temple scene in Raiders - I always think the jacket looks rather 'colour intact' in that scene, although wrinkled and worn in - I know the jacket was distressed (with a penknife it seems

) before filming, so it probably did have patches where the colour was removed 'in the flesh', but viewed onscreen it really doesn't show in some shots.

The most extreme distressing (as in colour removal) job was in Last Crusade - it all depends what look you are going for really.

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 3:34 pm

This oughtta be made into a sticky

It was very helpful.

Regards,
Strider

Crusader556 · Post by **Crusader556** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 11:44 am

I just got off the phone with Jerry( I think their's a couple Jerry's and a Gerry) to confirm a few of my measurements and discuss some of the options I chose. He was very helpful, friendly and patient with my endless questions.

He mentioned that there were about 60 jackets ahead of mine but they seemed to be able to keep production within a 28 day turnaround. So if everything goes smoothly then I should be getting my jacket around mid-January. I guess I just need to find something to occupy myself with until then...

ShanghaiJack · Post by **ShanghaiJack** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 11:54 am

Good luck Crusader556! The Wested wait has got to be the toughest part of ordering, especially if it's your first jacket. But don't worry, because it is definitely worth it! As far as advice to pass the time, although it didn't work for me, as Jack Flanders recommended I'd try and keep away from COW for awhile as it just makes it worse. I also believe OB1al had some good advice, the gist of it was to try and completely forget about ordering the jacket. Then when it arrives you will be even more pleased. Best of luck with your jacket!

Crusader556 · Post by **Crusader556** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 3:08 pm

Looks like I'm an official Gearhead now!

My wife just called and told me a package from Wested was just delivered! I can't wait to get home and try it on.

Looks like Wested was on schedule, it took them only 30 days to get it to my door!

I also wanted thank all you guys for helping me decide on the options!

I'll post some pics as soon as I can!