Club Obi Wan

OK....I placed my order on November 11th and my jacket finally showed up on my doorstep today(monday May 9th). 6 months. A long time to wait especially scince its really too warm to wear it now that spring is here in full.

What I ordered:

TOD in Horsehide
-rh pocket w/ zipper
-x box stitching
-press studs on the flap
Cotton body/satin sleeves

I was happy that all my specifications were met/nothing forgotten.

So how is it? Wow is a good word. I was suprised in several different ways.

This is a much different jacket than the other horsehide jackets shown by Rob and Jersey Jones (at least that I can determine through the photos). Their jackets seem to have a much smoother grain and a prominent russet undertone. Mine has bit more prominent grain and more significantly, the color is a uniform medium-dark brown. In some lighting it looks almost like the authentic brown goatskin Wested offers, but less shiny. When I got it out of the bag, I took it outside into the late afternoon sunlight and thought that might actually be goat. But its much too heavy to be goat. I was suprised at how heavy this jacket is....and for me this is not a bad thing at all..I prefer some weight. I have a below the waist cowhide jacket that is pretty heavy, and the horse nearly matches its heft, and it its a good 3" shorter. This is some VERY durable stuff. When you work it with your fingers, it FEELS strong. Again this is my opinion, but my jacket may be from a bit thicker hide than Rob's or Jersey's (hard to tell from just pics). But the key thing is its not stiff. It is quite flexible and feels soft to the touch, but you can feel the thickness, especially where there is double material. Now it definately does not drape like lamb, but after some Pecards Jell and some time, it will drape very nicely I think. Did I mention this is some tough hide?? This jacket just might have survived the drag behind the truck. This will more than hold up to any adventures anyone here may take.

I inspected the jacket very closely and all the panels are matched very well, very minor grain difference over the whole of the jacket. All the stitching looks great with straight seams etc. There were only a couple of minor issues: The lower press stud is difficult to close as it should be a bit farther away from the zipper on the storm flap - the zipper has to fold over itself left over right to close the snap. No big deal. This would require the flap to be wider, and its going through 2 plies of leather here, so there's less flexibility. There was a minor cut on the back panel, its barely noticeable.

The fit is spot on. I am a 46L, and it fits where its supposed to. I was especially nervous about the sleeve length, but its perfect - when I extend my arms out, the sleeve never rides up past my wrist. If I had to change anything, I would have ordered a bit larger on the neck...its a bit tight with the flap snapped at the top.

Ok already where are the pictures??

1st couple are indoors. The darker images were with the flash on, the others I took with slow shutter speed. With the flash on it appears very dark brown.






The next few are outside with late afternoon sunshine...it really looks like the authentic brown here






The color isn't exactly what I was expecting...I really fell in love with that russet tone in the other jackets, but it is dark enough to my tastes, and I am totally happy with all the other aspects of this jacket. Peter was having so much trouble finding good hides, and I chalk up any differences to "the great hide search of 2005". I may try to distress a small spot on one of the facings to see what's under the dark chocolate brown, but I'll definately be following Michaelson's natural school of distressing...

Thanks to Peter and all at Wested..the product truly matches the good word spread here at COW. And thanks to everyone here who helped me answer my questions, especially Indiana Jerry who dug up the horshide pic for me-that got me started down the path. This forum is a wealth of knowledge on these products, and was nice getting know some of you.


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That is one fine jacket. I personally love the color. Hold on to it, Wested wont make horsehide jackets forever.

Wear it in good health

Regards
I J

Beautiful looking jacket! I really like that color for horse. The only small thing I would change is the back panel extending all the way to the sleeve seam. Why can't Wested just get this detail straight? Some come with it standard, some ask for it , some just don't come that way. Why is this such an issue?


Have a nice day.

Okay, now I have hope! I ordered mine in February, so it can't be far behind. The horse is beautiful, and the perfect color, if I say so myself. I can't wait to see mine!

Bjones, it looks as though you are "hiding" that jacket down in the basement . Don't want to Mrs. to find out you bought it, eh? Don't worry, your secret is safe with me.

note to self- save jacket info to blackmail Bjones when needed.


have a nice day.

That looks like one fine jacket, soft and with a very nice grain.
I'd say; Hold on to it buddy!
Now, put it on and shoot some more pics.

Congrats.

Regards,
Swindiana

A very beautiful jacket there, mate.

Welcome to the horsehide club. We're a pretty exclusive bunch

Thanks everyone....either I missed this earlier this morning or it "popped" back up. I thought this post had been lost, so I wrote another one...Oh well

Just checked the feedback section...apparantly I posted this in the gear care section last night.. Well it was midnight...

I received an e-mail from Gemma saying that my jacket was shipped yesterday!

Glad you're happy with your jacket, Bjones. It is very nice indeed!

I just eceived my tracking number from Gemma...

factoring in Canadian customs, I anticipate receiving it in about 3 weeks

regards

wemedge

whipwarrior wrote:I received an e-mail from Gemma saying that my jacket was shipped yesterday!

Congratulations! You should have it soon. Mine was shipped last Wednesday and I got it on Monday. 5 days! It goes quick...just try to keep busy

Wow! Thats a great looking jacket! It looks like I may be ordering a Horsehide Wested this summer. I bet Peter is gonno be swamped with orders for horse hide jackets

Bjones wrote:OK....I placed my order on November 11th and my jacket finally showed up on my doorstep today(monday May 9th). 6 months. A long time to wait especially scince its really too warm to wear it now that spring is here in full.

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No doubt about it. Wested sure knows how to make a jacket. Panel matching like it should be. Fantastic! Good luck with it.

ClintonHammond wrote:
How about my wife? I'll let her go cheep! Great jacket! )

No thanks...one is enough for me...I'm not crazy

That's great looking Jacket, it looks so smooth like the lambskin. But you can tell the deference.

A truly nice jacket. You know, that color looks like my Wested Lamb after I gave it the acetone treatment. Anyone else notice that?

Beautiful! A winner.

ClintonHammond wrote: Yer in Michigan... can't be more than 5 or 6 hours away from me!
Heh

If you're in Windsor, I'm not even that far away...probably an hour at most not including wait time on the Bridge. I'm just south of Dearborn (about 12 miles)

Ok....by popular request..some pics of me wearing the horse. Apologies for the basement lighting yet again, but that's where the tripod happened to be hiding (these were shot with the auto timer). The jacket looks very dark brown here. One of the things I am most happy about is the pleats stay relatively closed and come open when they should during arm and body twist movements.

Texas Raider wrote:The only small thing I would change is the back panel extending all the way to the sleeve seam. Why can't Wested just get this detail straight? Some come with it standard, some ask for it , some just don't come that way. Why is this such an issue?

Can you (or anyone) post a photo of this so I can view the difference?

Thanks!

Wow, it looks black in those pics! I'm still torn between another Wested or a pair of Alden's. Ah...decisions, decisions.

Bjones wrote:So how is it? Wow is a good word.

WOW is indeed a good word - THE JACKET is AWESOME!!!

I think I better order one while horsehide is available.

Enjoy your BEAUTIFUL horsehide jacket!!!

That is indeed a great jacket -- you wear it very well.

How is the horsehide? Is it heavy? I'm considering one at the moment, although I'd like to have another lamb. May as well have one of each, though.

Again, awesome jacket, my friend.

The jacket looks great. I am amazed at how dark it is, though I realize that the lighting was less than ideal. It fits you very well. Enjoy!

Flattery wrote:How is the horsehide? Is it heavy?

Yeah its quite heavy. Feels as heavy as one of my below the waist length cow hide jackets. If you are used to lamb, it will probably feel very different.

tehegemon wrote:I think I better order one while horsehide is available.

I think that someone (Marq, maybe) had emailed Wested yesterday wanting a sample of HH after seeing my pics and Wested said they were already out of hide again, but would get some more in a few weeks. Depending on where you live, the wait may not matter (like for me its warming up). Its only a question of the hide quality from batch to batch.

Oh and with regards to the back panel seam going all the way to the arm: As I understand it, the problem with doing that is that joint has 3 plies of hemmed material coming together. Very difficult to stitch, especially with a heavier leather like horsehide.

Heh, it's good to see the horsehide getting some respect. When I got mine, and WConly got his, there was some good feedback, but people weren't this into it. I'm really pleased to see it getting taken as a credible alternative - especially as the colours aren't yet fixed in place, and the lack of an 'authentic' colour, too.

Rob, I just wan't you to know that I always admired your Wested. I've had my eye on a horsehide Wested since I first saw one.

Bjones wrote:

tehegemon wrote:I think I better order one while horsehide is available.

I think that someone (Marq, maybe) had emailed Wested yesterday wanting a sample of HH after seeing my pics and Wested said they were already out of hide again, but would get some more in a few weeks. Depending on where you live, the wait may not matter (like for me its warming up). Its only a question of the hide quality from batch to batch.

Oh and with regards to the back panel seam going all the way to the arm: As I understand it, the problem with doing that is that joint has 3 plies of hemmed material coming together. Very difficult to stitch, especially with a heavier leather like horsehide.

Yeah, after I saw your striking HH ToD I too emailed Wested requesting a HH sample, although I haven't heard anything back yet.

Thanks for clarifying the back panel seam...I wasn't sure what it looked like but now that you've explained it, I can envision the difficulty in stitching through all those heavy layers of thick leather.

Well, it looks like a Wested HH ToD is clearly worth the wait -- enjoy, you lucky devil!!!

so uh...is it known exactly how the horsehide will end up draping/ageing? will it be similar in drape and aging to lamb?

Hard to say...this is my first horsehide jacket so I really don't know how either of those will turn out. Rob or WConley may be able say how theirs are distressing if at all, but even then our jackets differ in that the hides are probably from different suppliers, so mine may behave totally different.

As for drape, I would say that it may never really drape like lamb. I plan on treating it regularly with some Pecards Jell and then later with regular dressing, so I'm sure it will relax quite a bit. And its just the nature of the leather - HH is heavier and thicker than lamb so it will hang differently.

Speaking of thickness, I measured the thickness from one of the layers of leather making up the side pulls(non hemmed seam), and its nearly 2mm thick.

J_Weaver wrote:Rob, I just wan't you to know that I always admired your Wested. I've had my eye on a horsehide Wested since I first saw one.

Bjones wrote:Hard to say...this is my first horsehide jacket so I really don't know how either of those will turn out. Rob or WConley may be able say how theirs are distressing if at all, but even then our jackets differ in that the hides are probably from different suppliers, so mine may behave totally different.

Yeah, I don't think we're working off the same base here, so it could be misleading to say something here, and the actual jacket someone gets down the line is different.

What I can say about my jacket, and my jacket alone, is that it hasn't really distressed at all, but it's certainly creasing-up very nicely on the arms, and some parts of the body. It looks a little lived in now. But take into account I only wore it for, say, two months before the warm weather arrived. I'm only just getting ready to start wearing it again. I haven't used any of my Pecards products on it yet, either.

I think it's a no-brainer that the lamb will always drap a little better. It's just so much softer.

A review of the Wested Last Crusade horsehide jacket:

This is without a doubt one of the finest jackets I've ever seen, so I'll keep it brief and let the pictures do most of the speaking. Although I have never worn a horsehide jacket in my life, I will say that the leather is thick and heavy, but not stiff or cumbersome like most full-grain cowhide jackets; It's actually quite supple for its weight. The pocket cut and placement are spot-on, while the seam welting is much heavier than that of the standard lambskin. The all cotton silesia lining seems substantially thinner than on all my previous Westeds. I am very pleased with the X-in-the-box stitching, and all of the stitching throughout is likewise flawless. The front pocket snaps are different than the standard Fiocchi snaps (and more difficult to fasten), but that may be due to the nature of the hide used. The top snap will not close at all, even when the jacket is empty. My biggest qualm is that my request for an authentic LC-styled storm flap was overlooked, despite the pictures attached to my e-mail order. But I completely forgive the makers because of how beautiful the finished product is.

Bottom line: I am a very happy customer!

Nice jacket, Whipwarrior.

You and Bjones carry it well, looks good on you both.

You are correct; it is heavy but not stiff. I like the solid feel, but at the same time do not feel restricted in it.

I love mine. I can't take it off. I'm in my boxers now, but still have my horsehide on...

This is my first horsehide jacket too, and I must say it's my first choice of hide for leather jackets from now on. Of course, when I can justify it, a lambskin raiders will be on order


regards
wemedge

Great looking jacket! How close is the color to the authentic brown? It looks pretty close to me.

I agree, both of those jackets look incredible. I remember the older horsehide jackets were very red in color. I liked those too, but these have a very accurate color with the toughness of horsehide.

That jacket is going to look even better as it wears in. Look at the way it currently sits in the image where it's zipped up. I can vouch that it will change a lot from that look once you've worn it a bit.

So, whip, is the top snap location been corrected, or are you going to have to do your magic to make it so, like you did your OTHER LC jacket? Looks good on you. Should be something you'll be able to pass down to the grandkids someday. Regards! Michaelson

No, unfortunately the snap was not made as requested, but I dare not alter this jacket because it is simply too beautiful. Nor will I be working my distressing magic. This Wested will remain in pristine condition, and will be my 'dress' jacket for special occasions.

-Dale

Sorry to hear that on the snap, but good call on the non-distressed decision. That one will wear well in natural conditions! High regards! Michaelson

My snaps are also difficult, but I can get them closed with some work.

On another note, I tried some Pecard's Jell on mine this weekend, with some interesting results. My goal was to soften it up some more. I coated the whole thing friday after dinner, working the jell in with my fingers. Later the next day I checked and the entire jacket was still wet. Not just in a few areas that may not have absorbed or I put too much on, it was like I just finished lathering it up. I was a bit worried at this point, so I spent 45 min buffing it off. Very little of the jell got into the leather; it softened up a bit but it was negligible. I guess that either the hide is "full" of oils/moisture, and could not absorb more, or its so dense that the jell could not penetrate. I may try again this next fall after I have worn it a bit,and try to let it sit longer to see if that does anything.

Bjones,

Generally a new jacket won't need and Pecards.

J_Weaver wrote:Bjones,
Generally a new jacket won't need and Pecards.

Sorry to contradict you there, Old Sport, but a lot of people Pecard (I'll use it as a verb) their new jackets to soften them up and give them a more "lived in" look.

The fact that his jacket absorbed none of the Pecard dressing is a bit surprising to me, but I am going to wait and see if Michaelson weighs in; he who is a "Knower of Things," especially of things of the Pecard nature.

The pores on horsehide are very tight, and it sounds like it's soaked up all it's GOING to soak up until its been worn for a while. My chrome goatskin jacket did the same thing, but it still took in enough to loosen it quite a bit. Just take a clean cotton cloth (tee shirt is best) and wipe off the excess. After doing that, use another clean cloth and buff the jacket. You'll be good to go. Regards. Michaelson

Hemingway Jones wrote:

J_Weaver wrote:Bjones,
Generally a new jacket won't need and Pecards.

Sorry to contradict you there, Old Sport, but a lot of people Pecard (I'll use it as a verb) their new jackets to soften them up and give them a more "lived in" look.

Yea, your right Hemingway. I got in a hurry and didn't really finish my thought. A lot of people do Pecard their jackets to help break them in, but the new leather doesn't really need the treatment like a jacket 1 or 2 years old would.

In that, we are in complete agreement! And I knew Michaelson would show up and set us all straight!

Michaelson wrote:The pores on horsehide are very tight, and it sounds like it's soaked up all it's GOING to soak up until its been worn for a while. My chrome goatskin jacket did the same thing, but it still took in enough to loosen it quite a bit. Just take a clean cotton cloth (tee shirt is best) and wipe off the excess. After doing that, use another clean cloth and buff the jacket. You'll be good to go. Regards. Michaelson

That's exactly what I did. I had to buff quite a bit to get that greasy feel off the surface. I'm more surprised by the horsehide the more I wear it (I've been lucky to be able to wear it the past couple of days -temps no higher than 60 or so and 40's in the morning). This is some very nice hide.

I had a horsehide A-2 that I experienced exactly the same thing you have with your Wested. You won't have to do much to that jacket, let me tell you. Just roll it up when you're not wearing it. Sit on it while you're watching TV. The more you 'abuse' it, the faster it will loosen up. More so than even goatskin. Regards! Michaelson

Hi All,
I have just registered here and new to all these Indy things. Very impress with Bjones horse hide jacket. I am about to order a Indy jacket from Wested but not sure what spec I really want but the horse hide has taken my fancy but I am more interested in the LC style. Gemma has told me that they have ran out of horse hide unless I am prepare to waite, I have recieved a sample of goat and lamb leather but someone wrote down "goat" on the back of the lamb skin sample and "lamb" on the goat skin, the launthenticated lamb feel very soft and soapy. Yes it was a mix up, good job I am familiar with goat skin, I wonder how likely such errors occur because imagine someone believeing their jacket is lamb when it is in fact goat or vice versa.

Welcome to our community taikonaut and hope to see some pics of your jacket when you get it!

Welcome to COW taikonaut.

I think its pretty unlikely that Wested has ever gotten the lamb and goat switched as far as an entire jacket goes.