Club Obi Wan

Does everybody around here order their jackets with custom mods, or is there anybody that just tells Peter "I want a Raider's in authentic lambskin in a size 48 Long."?

I'm about to order a Wested, but I'm almost too confused to do so. I think I may want the "authentic" lambskin that everybody is talking about, but I'm not sure if it's thick enough, as I've read many horror stories about older lambskin jackets tearing easily.

I'm not terribly concerned about having an absolutely "screen accurate" jacket. I want something comfortable, good-looking, and reasonably durable, without weighing a ton.

Can anybody shed some light on my quandry?

Thanks much

zohar wrote:I'm not terribly concerned about having an absolutely "screen accurate" jacket. I want something comfortable, good-looking, and reasonably durable, without weighing a ton.

I'll make it real easy for you. Save a little more money and get a FlightSuits Expedition. You'll get everything you're looking for and more with out requesting a single modification. Trust me. Call Dave Marshall or Martha Eldred at FS and they'll take care of you.

http://www.flightsuits.com/leather_expedition.html

-Kyle

Yowza. $458
That'll mean delaying gratification till probably March, which I CAN do, or not getting a Stenhouse 8ft whip till much later.

Still have some thinking to do.

Thanks very much for the advice, though.

Any other opinions out there?

Listen to Kyle's advice.

junior

I've ordered right off the rack from Peter, with the only request that the sleeves be at least 25 inches in length due to the ride up of the of the leather. I've had fine results to date, so you can indeed order a standard size with no need to request any special mods. The best way to go too is to supply your height and weight with your requested coat size, and Peter can figure out the rest. Regards. Michaelson

I ordered my lambtouch cowhide Wested COMPLETELY online from Peter. It's durable and lightweight. Just print out the online order form, take it to a tailor or a Tuxedo rental place and have them take your measurements. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DO IT YOURSELF! Then either enter the measurements into the website's order form or send in the completed printout through the mail. Take Michaelson's advice as well, and order the sleeves a little long.
PBG

I have the lambtouch Wested, it is quite lightweight, sturdy, and very well made. I've been really happy with it, and would recommend it without hesitation.
Indiana Philip

i measeured myself (except for the chest, had a guy atS&K do that) and was really uncertain, but I ordered it anyway. it fit great, but since i ordered one size up(normally wear 40, ordered 42) i didnt know that peter had recently started cutting them slightly larger than the original snug fit. so i have an excellent, but not cut/tear resistant, jacket.

As far as price and accuracy, I'd go with Wested. But if you're ever in the area, you may want to order it from his shop in store. I plan to get my Wested this Summer when I'm in England, Peter's a real nice guy, he'd be glad to help you out. FS's good, but save that one for last, IMHO of course, it's just my opinion, from what I've heard, seen, and read, it's hard to beat Wested.

Good luck with your purchase, and post some pics of whatever you do decide to buy!

My first Wested was in the new lambskin. It is still in the family, and to date has never been torn although it has seen its share of wear. Course, I have not been dragged behind any trucks lately. As good as Flightsuits seems to be, you will never go wrong buying the "real deal". Years from now, that Peter Botwright Wested jacket will be worth more. I will let you guess as to why. Get a Wested. It will be a heirloom one day. Fedora

My last/current Wested was ordered wit no special requests other than an extra inch in sleeve length. All I asked for was a size 44 goatskin standard Raiders. I used the online order form.

Thanks for all the replies.

I think I'm going to order one in the new authentic lambskin in a couple of weeks.

Zohar, I'm afraid you've asked a question that only one person at Club Obi Wan can answer. That person happens to be you.

If you spend any time reading the hundreds of posts here you will find people absoulutely willing to tell you that, without a doubt, the specific jacket they have is THE JACKET. That may be true for them, but it may not be true for you.

There is a reason why many of the individuals on this site have owned numerous jackets. It's because each one is a little different and has its own strengths and weaknesses.

Is it possible that you will, on your first try, get exactly the jacket you are envisioning? Absoulutely. Is it likely? No.

Trial and error is not a very efficient way to purchase THE JACKET, but, unless you happen to be able to jet from factory to factory to see all these jackets in all their various iterations before you purchase yours then it is likely it's going to fall short of your expectations in some regard.

My first jacket was a Wested Raiders in goatskin with what were considered the new modifications about two years ago. My reaction to the jacket when it arrived was not "Holy @#$% that's it!"

I was dissapointed in the leather (it had a vinyl sheen and gray undertones which have been much discussed here) and the collar was very large. Pocket placement (another much discussed topic) was well back on the jacket as well. That being said, it was still a phenomenal jacket and fit-wise was the best I have owned.

My next jacket was a US Wings Vintage cow. Now I new in advance it was a hybrid jacket and looked most like the ToD version. I was not in the least dissapointed in this one. I bought it to be abused and it has absorbed all the punishment I have given it without complaint.

But still I didn't have The Jacket. I really wanted one that looked like the one onscreen in RotLA. So, finally, I bit the bullet and dropped $450 on a flight suits expedition in lambskin. My reaction when I received it was the one I had been wanting all along: THAT'S IT! THAT'S THE JACKET!

But do you know what? It wasn't. Not quite. It had been sent without the new pocket placement which is standard on all their jackets now. I exchanged it for one with the new pockets and now feel like I have exactly the jacket I have always wanted.

So that's four jackets to get to the one I really wanted. So is the FS Expedition lambskin right for everyone? No. Some don't like the color. Most feel the lambskin isn't durable enough for rugged wear. (In fact, it isn't, but I have my Vintage cow for that). But to me, as I wear it, it looks closest to what I see on screen as far as fit and color.

Many like the new seal goatskin FS offers.

So, as most here will tell you, the perfect jacket is the one that YOU want. If having the person that made the original make yours is important then buy a Wested. It is a phenomenal jacket. The trick here is to give absolutely as many details as possible. That gives you the best chance of getting YOUR jacket the first time.

If you are going to be wearing this jacket in rugged activities then lambskin is not for you. Try the FS goat or any of the wings jackets (again not in lambskin).

Off the rack the FS Expo is going to get you the closest to what you see onscreen. But, as I said, each jacket has it's strengths and weaknesses. It's up to you to decide which is best.

The nice thing is that it's usually very easy to sell these jackets here or on e-bay if you don't get what you want the first time.

If you managed to read all this without skipping on to something else, I'm impressed.

Jaydoc

And I'm impressed with the length and quality of your post.

Thanks a lot for your honesty, and clarity.

While not really making my decision easier, you've made me feel more comfortable about actually making the decision.

Well said JayDoc!!! Your opinion is important since it comes from the experience of owning jackets from the major vendors. I don't see how people can trash other makers jackets without even owning more than one vendor's jackets. To each is own, and remember you are "your own gatekeeper". -S

Yes, very well said jaydoc!. I think you really hit the nail quite precisely upon the head.
Indiana Philip

When I bought my LC lambskin from Wested back in 2000, I was pretty nervous, too. I did it over the phone, and I hadn’t even placed an overseas phone call before. I have to say that the man who took my call (I wish I could recall his name) was incredibly patient and had a great sense of humor.
I won’t deny that when I received my jacket, I was surprised and a little worried about how lightweight it seemed to be. The package was remarkably compact. My mail carrier was curious about what I had received from overseas, and when I told her it was a jacket, she looked at me (6’3”) and gave me a look that said, “Yeah right”. (Actually, I was kind of thinking the same thing when I saw the compact package)
My concerns were entirely unfounded. The lambskin has worn like iron, and mine has even been skidded a couple of times during “unintentional downhill detours”, as I like to call them. (Most people call it, “sliding off the trail when hiking”)
So you must choose...

Beyond what Jaydoc has said (and he pretty much covered everything), I'll say that all the jackets "feel" very different from one another. What's best is a matter of opinion. I've owned a first generation Cooper, a US Wings goat, a Wested lamb, a Wested cow, a FS deerskin, a FS lamb, a FS goat, and the new authentic brown Wested lamb. Unfortunately, you'll never know what's best for you unless you try at least each manufacturer once. Cheers

Rundquist wrote:Unfortunately, you'll never know what's best for you unless you try at least each manufacturer once. Cheers

I've seen this line of thinking stated before and, no offense, I don't think it's true in the slightest. I think that if you can afford it then I'm sure it doesn't hurt. (In Rundquist's case, I believe he has sampled these jackets over the course of several years. I could be mistaken.) However, this is like saying that the only way to find the right car for you is by driving them all.

No, the best thing you can do when buying a piece of gear like the jacket is to research, research, research. This research can't be just reading reviews and descriptions. It has to be based on a pre-determined criteria. What are you looking for in a jacket? How/ where will it be used primarily? What kind of weather will it be worn in most often? How important is accuracy? What's my body type? Etc. Once you have a defined list of attributes specific to your needs then you will be able to filter the reviews with a goal oriented bias.

For most of us it is impractical to resort to the "shot gun" approach when looking for a jacket. I recommend taking your time, being patient (very hard to do!), being realistic and being precise in your wants and needs.

-Kyle

I think it is also very important to try to go the different
summits that are held around the country if one is close
to you, so you can SEE people who have different jackets
from different vendors!

If you can see them first hand, and feel the different
leathers, and see the different colors in person, you can
help to make up your mind.

I know that it really helped me in desiding to buy my U.S.
Wings Old Cow two years ago. I got to see one in person,
compared to a Wested Lamb.

I liked the thicker, tougher Cow leather. I liked the fact
the jacket distresses VERY easily, and the color is a rich
chocolate brown, and not almost black. I like that the Cow
gets tan highlights to it when it distresses.

I had the opportunity to see these two jackets up close,and
I made my choice, just like Kyle said. Research!! And try
to find someone in your area that has one!!

One more reason to go to the summits!!

Flathead

It would be great to only have to buy one jacket. However, how are you supposed to know what you like if you've never seen it? When I first got to this forum I tried taking other peoples' experiences into account when purchasing items. I quickly found out that my own tastes hardly ever jived with what other people thought. I also found that there is a lot of misinformation out there. Also some of the choicest info on each manufacturer and product isn't even open knowledge on the forum. If you can see a jacket before purchase (like at a summit), then by all means that is the best way to make decisions. But many here don't have that opportunity. One of my pet peeves is forum guys that spout off about such and such product being the best without trying the other stuff out. At least if you've tried everything you can give a somewhat more authoritative review and give reasons for your opinions. This post isn't really pointed at Kyle. He and I have the same view on what we like in a jacket, I think. Cheers

Guess I should count myself lucky then, as I HAVE seen and handled just about all the different iterations of jacket, or materials, that have come down the road since the get-go of the jacket. I have to lean more toward the research idea myself, as most are NOT as fortunate as I have been in regards to having had access to all the different jackets. I'm also one of those 'cruds' that will NOT try to suggest one jacket or the other, as what works for me may NOT work for you in opinion of what makes the best jacket for an individual. There's no cut and dry method of nailing down the best, one way or the other. There are those who have deep pockets that can afford to try and buy anything they want, then there are those of us who have one throw of the dice and want as definite an answer as possible before jumping off. THESE are the folks I offer my support to the 'research' process. DO NOT get in a hurry. Lots of good stuff out there to consider before making that final decision. Talk to folks and get all their opinions. Separate the wheat from the chaff regarding the information, then once you have what you think is the best list of YOUR wants, go look at what is available, and buy with confidence. Anything you get, using YOUR research as the final decision making, will be absolutely dead on target for YOU! You're the only one that has to be happy with it. There is a TON of info in the FAQ's and a BUNCH of folks here who LOVE talking shop. Take it ALL with a grain of salt (including ANYTHING I say) and rattle it around in your head. Once you've sorted it all out, act on your final decision. Sure, later you may change your mind due to this or that, but for the time being, you'll be one happy camper for listening to your own head. Just my tilt at it. High regards. Michaelson

One more thing. I didn't mean to imply that you had to keep everything that you bought. "Horse trader" Michaelson would be the first to tell you that. You keep what you like and sell or trade the products that you can do without. Also I only consider myself a real "authority" on what I like. Cheers

I'm not spouting off about one vendor over another here. I'm just saying that there is more than one way to come to a conclusion regarding jacket purchases. I'll reiterate the reiteration...it just isn't possible for most folks to see or buy a jacket purely for review purposes. I know I can't. I had to make as best a decision as possible with the information I could come by and/or afford at the time. I agree, being able to sample all the jackets would be fantastic but most likely it is impractical. I own a nice Wested and a nice FS and they are perfect jackets for me. My lack of a USWings jacket doesn't diminish my enjoyment of either of them.

Come on let's not get into a battle of jackets here. That's not what I meant by my post.

-Kyle

Kyle, I really didn't mean that you were spouting off. My main point here is that trusting your gut and making the best decisions that you can based on research can still lead you astray. The gear that I eventually ended up with, in my mind, is a far cry from some of the gear that I originally purchased based on my best judgement. I'm not saying that you shouldn't research the heck out of whatever it is that you're buying. But still, you may know the ingredients to rocky road ice cream and maybe can guess what it tastes like, but you simply don't know what it tastes like until you put it in your mouth. If there is something that one doesn't like about a product, I'm not saying that he should buy it, "just to try it out". My statements aren't meant to be taken too literally. Cheers

No harm done, Rundquist. You're a good man in my book. I think maybe a mixture of both our POVs might be best. I'll leave it at that.

-Kyle

Well, one thing is for certain. Most of us have strong feelings regarding our gear. I am in Rundquist's camp when it comes to buying and trying hats, but not so much on the jacket side. I guess we can be anal retentive(hate that word, anyone know a better one?) in some areas, and not so much in others. On the jacket side, I guess I would fall into the research camp. A true hybrid, I am. Fedora

Hummm. For some reason, the horse trader character that Strother Martin played in 'True Grit' just came to mind. Hummm. Regards. Michaelson