Club Obi Wan

It's been just over a year since I took possession of my Wested LC Jacket, and already the seams are showing wear. I have threads unraveling and one slip pocket gave way all together - without any help from me. It's coming apart at the seams - literally. Some time ago in this forum someone made the point that Wested was costumer - and did not make clothing for the long haul. They were apparently right.

I think the only way to cure this is to have the jacket professionally re-sewn with more durable thread. Opinions?

It would help to see a few pics of the damage and also an explanation of the use you give your jacket. I also recently read someone state that the Wested jackets are "costume" peices and that is a load of @#$% if you ask me.

I've been wearing my Raiders lambskin daily for 7 years, and it hasn't so much as popped a stitch - and I am rough with it, too! on the other hand, the stitching on my Raiders pre-d has come undone along the patch-pocket near the hand-warmer entry, so I guess I an somewhat relate.

Dunno - luck of the draw, maybe??

The wear is gentle daily use. I put it on, wear it to the office where I take it off and hang it up. Same story going home. Last week I put my hand in my pocket and the seam gives - just by putting my hand in it. Then, today, I notice threads hanging from other seams - making me believe that this is not the best quality thread. The material is cowhide, and otherwise I love the jacket - which is why I'm considering taking it to a tailor and having it disassembled and re-sewn. I know that Peter would correct the damage, but the several weeks and shipping costs to his shop would be not much less than having it reworked.

Was it made in UK or India?

scot2525 wrote:It would help to see a few pics of the damage and also an explanation of the use you give your jacket. I also recently read someone state that the Wested jackets are "costume" peices and that is a load of @#$% if you ask me.

Well, they are a costumer for films, and of all the jackets people buy here, it is generally Wested that has any quality issues, not the other makes. That being said, my Wested LC is doing okay. It's not as well made as my G&B by any measure, but it is still holding together. ;-)

CM wrote:... and of all the jackets people buy here, it is generally Wested that has any quality issues, not the other makes.

Well, I wouldn't harp on Wested with that point of view.

Golden Retrievers actually have the highest rating/history of dog bites, in the entire world. Not because they're a more violent dog than any other... But because there's simply more of them, in more households, than any other dog.

So, statistically, OF COURSE they're gonna' show as having more biting incidents, than say, A Rotweiller or Pit Bull.

Not that Todd's jackets are Rotweillers , but you get the idea.

Peter's jackets are gonna' have more history of showing wear than any other jacket, because almost every Indy fan has one. So, chances are... ;-)

EchoSix wrote:

CM wrote:... and of all the jackets people buy here, it is generally Wested that has any quality issues, not the other makes.

Well, I wouldn't harp on Wested with that point of view.

Golden Retrievers actually have the highest rating/history of dog bites, in the entire world. Not because they're a more violent dog than any other... But because there's simply more of them, in more households, than any other dog.

So, statistically, OF COURSE they're gonna' show as having more biting incidents, than say, A Rotweiller or Pit Bull.

Not that Todd's jackets are Rotweillers :mrgreen:, but you get the idea.

Peter's jackets are gonna' have more history of showing wear than any other jacket, because almost every Indy fan has one. So, chances are... ;-)

I'll pay that one Echo. But to be fully conviced I'd need actual figures rather than speculation around how many are sold. But I do take your point. I also feel that there are an unusual number of workmanship issues that come up for Wested even if it were the only jacket manufacturer in Christendom... I'm thinking of faults in terms of percentages of jackets sold. That said, we don't have the figures to do a proper calculation.

Cheers

EchoSix wrote: Peter's jackets are gonna' have more history of showing wear than any other jacket, because almost every Indy fan has one. So, chances are... ;-)

Have to disagree - it's not a statistics thing. Don't get me wrong, I love my Wested and wear it all the time but it's not put together the same as my USW's.

Not a bad thing, but the Wested is a casual wear jacket while I can do serious work in the Wings, walk through brush, hike, etc. Heck, one of my USW's is a Schott made jacket and I'd be more than happy to put the quality up against any Expo out there.

Not a bash, just being realistic about the overall construction.

And I don't think the outsourced vs. UK made jacket flies either. There's no reason to belive the India made jackets are of lesser quality in any way!

I agree, my Wested from 2000 has significantly less wear than my G&B from 2000. In fact, I put my Wested in the closet, never wore it for 8 years and used the G&B daily. I did sell the G&B to Mark Seven but it looked great, whereas my Wested from maybe 30 days of regular wear is coming apart at the pockets. If I had the confidence that a Wested today would be well built I'd buy one in a heartbeat, but instead I'm biding my time for a TN Indy I.

Well if anecdotal reports count for anything my 4 year old Wested lambskin that was worn near daily for 2 years hasn't dropped a stitch and my 10 year old lamb had been through a hot wash and was completely intact, and my horsehide and Novapelle seem to be built like tanks.

On the flip side 2 US Wings jackets I bought had defects. One had a collar snap and a pocket snap that didn't work and the collar was miss-shapen, and the other was completely miss sized with a big bulge in the leather on the back.

The problem could probably be resolved by taking a few snaps and mailing them to Peter. Of course a year old jacket is outside any warranty but he previously to repaired jackets for free if a big fuss is not made before hand.

..I have countless jackets in my collection, not only Wested, not only Indy, and nothing ever happened with the stitching of the Wested Indy jackets. Au contraire, my 1k€ R.A.F. Irvin replica jacket got a loose belt loop stitching in week 3rd I owned it. That does neither make the jacket a bad one, nor the vendor.

I see this problem/discussion over and over again on the board.

its really simple..


when buying a jacket from out of wested is like playing hit and miss.

some people like myself have been very lucky with the jacket and construction on it.(like my 1 LC HH)

and some other people have had a jacket in 2 months and it started to fall apart.

its really a shame that not all Indy jackets from wested can come with the constrution that says ''bring it on''

imagine if they did.maby they were a little more expencive but people would purchase them no matter what.

I've had zero problems apart from the satin lining wearing through from sheer wear in 1" slits at the bottom of the back flap so I got it replaced. I am not rough on clothes and have jeans that are 25 years old and still going strong.

But I agree that there seem things he could do to (to this lay person who knows nothing about sewing) to improve strength.

The thread he uses seems to be purely cotton and quite thin so increase the gauge and up the nylon content I've seen close up of Aero thread it seem like baling twine in comparison (in a good way). Backing up and down a couple more times at the end of seams would seam to be a good move too. (Although that seems to be already the case on the jackets I have).

Hey codefool,
I have agood tailor here in Illinois,if you need the address just pm me and I'll send it to you. good luck.

What does Gibson and Barnes use? There doesn't seem to be any problem with their thread doing this.

I've had a ton of Wested jackets pass through my closet and hands as well, and have to say I've had only three give me seam problems. One was a pocket flap, another a side strap attachment, and the third a side pocket seam. Easy fixes, but the jackets were less than 3 months old, so it surprised me when they happened. I just took them to my local leather jacket repair lady and all was well.

Regards! Michaelson

I wish wested would use the poly blend.

edit.

Kt Templar wrote: On the flip side 2 US Wings jackets I bought had defects. One had a collar snap and a pocket snap that didn't work and the collar was miss-shapen, and the other was completely miss sized with a big bulge in the leather on the back.

I wasn't refering to how a jacket arrived or defects in detail, I was speaking of robustness. You simply can't compare how heavy and over-built a USW is next to the Wested. But that's not saying anything about which one looks better, or fits better, or is a better "replica".

Holt took down a post of a jacket he recieved that was full of some ugly work. All makers can have one's that go out bad.

A question to ask would be if you had to choose between a Wested or a USW (or a Wested and a G&B) before heading out on a month long bike ride cross-country, which would you choose? (Not that any of these are meant to be bike jackets, by the way.)

Again, I love my Wested's so don't get me wrong. Much of it depends on the wearer, where they live, how much they wear it, and what they actually consider wear. Some folks here are desk jockies and some work outside. Some think adventure is a trip to an Aruban beach, some ride a bicycle across Pakistan.

Wow - glad I could spur a conversation

The jacket was made by Wested in UK. I am in NYC, and for those who have had their jackets repaired - do I look for a leather specialist, a tailor, or what?

codefool wrote:Wow - glad I could spur a conversation

The jacket was made by Wested in UK. I am in NYC, and for those who have had their jackets repaired - do I look for a leather specialist, a tailor, or what?

I'd look for a tailor who is familiar with leather clothing.

I asked Dave Marshall from G&B about what they use and he told me they use something called "Tex-60" on leather. It is a thread that has a cotton outer and a polyester inner. The cotton has the right look, and ages like old thread, and keeps the polyester from cutting through the leather. The inner polyester part of the thread is there for strength. Cheers

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll look for a tailor here in NYC that can resew the jacket with Tex-60, and turn it in once the weather gets warm. I'll let y'all know how it turns out.

Cheers! - glh

Well, my Todd's jacket is only a few months old and I rarely wear it but it's already coming apart in several places....so it's not just a Wested problem. But for $150, you get what you paid for I guess. (should really be just a $50 jacket by the way it's put together).

I've owned 3 Westeds and was never impressed with the quality of the seams. I saw seams come apart on the pockets and straps within 3 months on each jacket.

I'm in no way bashing Wested, I loved the leather and the fit of each one. I always got what I asked for and when some problems arose they were taken care of and I wasn't charged return shipping.

I just think that a $250-$300 jacket, of any make, will not last forever. As has been stated, you get what you pay for.

Cheers

indyrocks wrote:.

I just think that a $250-$300 jacket, of any make, will not last forever. As has been stated, you get what you pay for.

Cheers

Well the problem with that is that the stitching is the easiest part to get right and the cheapest. It's in the cutting and buying the right leather that costs count. In these respects Wested is as good as any of the others. They need to source better thread it seems.

CM wrote:

indyrocks wrote:.

I just think that a $250-$300 jacket, of any make, will not last forever. As has been stated, you get what you pay for.

Cheers

Well the problem with that is that the stitching is the easiest part to get right and the cheapest. It's in the cutting and buying the right leather that costs count. In these respects Wested is as good as any of the others. They need to source better thread it seems.

Yeah I've had that same thought. Although on my dark brown lambskin that I received in Aug the seams looked good day 1, but after 2 months I noticed a lot of thread coming apart. I only wore it to work (I work in an office). I'm not knowledgable enough to say whether this was from the thread itself or the construction. I agree that the cut and leather were both top notch though.

Just tossing in here. I bought a Wilsons Leather Adventure Bound cowhide bomber in 1991 for $250. It has a zip-out Thinsulate lining. I didn't buy it for an IJ jacket, I just thought it looked cool, even though it would pass for an IJ jacket at a costume party... I have worn the b-jesus out of this thing over the last 18 years. The only thing that's worried me within the last year is the collar. It's starting to dry, and crack where it touches my neck. I wish they still made these! I'd buy another one in a second.

bluzharp wrote:Just tossing in here. I bought a Wilsons Leather Adventure Bound cowhide bomber in 1991 for $250. It has a zip-out Thinsulate lining. I didn't buy it for an IJ jacket, I just thought it looked cool, even though it would pass for an IJ jacket at a costume party... I have worn the b-jesus out of this thing over the last 18 years. The only thing that's worried me within the last year is the collar. It's starting to dry, and crack where it touches my neck. I wish they still made these! I'd buy another one in a second.

The collar is the one part on a leather jacket that needs the most attention. It needs to be pecarded more than the rest of the jacket for sure.

Rundquist wrote:

bluzharp wrote:Just tossing in here. I bought a Wilsons Leather Adventure Bound cowhide bomber in 1991 for $250. It has a zip-out Thinsulate lining. I didn't buy it for an IJ jacket, I just thought it looked cool, even though it would pass for an IJ jacket at a costume party... I have worn the b-jesus out of this thing over the last 18 years. The only thing that's worried me within the last year is the collar. It's starting to dry, and crack where it touches my neck. I wish they still made these! I'd buy another one in a second.

The collar is the one part on a leather jacket that needs the most attention. It needs to be pecarded more than the rest of the jacket for sure.

Ditto. And the leather cuffs too, where they get dirty on the inside. Never had a problem with stitching with this piece. It's built like a tank. They're hard to find too. I've seen a few used on e-bay, but they usually have the knit cuffs, not leather like mine. Like I said, I wish Wilsons still made this line...

CM wrote:I'll pay that one Echo. But to be fully conviced I'd need actual figures rather than speculation around how many are sold. But I do take your point. I also feel that there are an unusual number of workmanship issues that come up for Wested even if it were the only jacket manufacturer in Christendom... I'm thinking of faults in terms of percentages of jackets sold. That said, we don't have the figures to do a proper calculation.

Cheers

I spoke with Peter recently on the phone, and he is currently shipping around 100 jackets a week. This will continue until after Christmas.

100 Indy style jackets a week?

That's quite a figure. I guess it includes the imported jackets too, not just custom jackets made by Peter and Co. in the UK.
I wonder how many custom jackets are made there each week?

Kevin Anderson wrote:That's quite a figure. I guess it includes the imported jackets too, not just custom jackets made by Peter and Co. in the UK.
I wonder how many custom jackets are made there each week?

Or if that's 100 Indiana Jones jackets.

True. It could be 95 gold Elvis jackets and 5 I-J jackets

I don't have an exact number, but I was just trying to illustrate that they ship a lot of jackets. Certainly more than I expected...

I beleive (but have no proof) that the majority of those are IJ jackets of some description, but the Bond jacket is also popular... Let's say 75 of them are IJ jackets, and 25 a week are UK made? And say 2 of those are custom spec UK jackets. Does that sound about right?

The point is, they ship a lot of jackets, and mistakes and oversights are bound to occur along the line. They are not a huge company.

Not excusing it either- quality should be paramount, but with many of the members here sending in laundry lists (myself included) and expecting 1-day turn times (I knew better), there is going to be compromises along the way. I am happy to report I have had mine for a couple weeks now, and I'm quite happy with the fit, finish and overall quality of it. I also heard (from both Gemma and Peter himself) that Peter checked it over personally before it went out. If he continues this practice, I think, the customs at least, will show a signifint increase in quality and customer satisfaction.

But honestly, where else on the planet can you get a tailored horse hide jacket so inexpensively!?! The wested is an outstanding bargain. Love them or hate them, you can't deny the bargain they represent.

I've washed my HH twice (once to take off the shine and once because of a Lexol mishap ) and worn almost every day since getting it with no ill effects other than the satin liner coming apart in a small area around the gusset. No problems whatsoever with the leather or seams (of course, I had reinforced stitching as well).

I've not had this jacket that long so I can't really weigh in to much yet, but it's doing quite well so far.

RCSignals wrote:True. It could be 95 gold Elvis jackets and 5 I-J jackets

I was one of those 95 gold Elvis jacket orders.

I add my 2 cents simply in the interest of collecting a bigger sample.

I have a cowhide Wested custom Raiders. It fits perfect, looks great, and after a really hard first season, it still smells like quality leather. It's also soft as butter.

I think the thread is weak on it, however.

I leaned over a cement railing once and the abbrasiveness of the cement tore up the stitching on a pocket. I wasn't crawling around on my belly, I just leaned over the railling to look at a boat. Now that stitching is coming out. In time the whole pocket will be falling apart. Which stitch will go next?

Also Wested forgot to put in the second inside pocket. Bummer.

If I were to buy another, I doubt I'd go Wested.

Codefool, let me know if you find someone to re-stitch your jacket in NYC.