Club Obi Wan

Posted: **Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:32 pm**

After wanting a real leather jacket for so long I finally got it today, a dark brown A-2 2000 (goatskin) from U.S. Wings and it's perfect!

I was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO stressed about so many things with this jacket. I was mostly worried it would feel like really dry, rough basketball leather or asphault or something.. but it's really really smooth and soft, I'm a huge goatskin fan now. God it feels so good.

I was worried about the color but it looks great and isn't too dark.. in the right light it definitely looks brown.

I was also really worried about the fit. In the past I've usually gotten things in XL. I'm a L in most things but XL is usually just comfortable but lately I'm going to just get L stuff especially since I will lose weight. After so many people saying they run really really large I ordered an L. Then I was worried that even that would be too big after what some have said but it isn't.. it's just right. It's snug and in the small range that something can be comfortable and just right it's on the small side.

It's everything I've always wanted in a bomber jacket. There was always this sort of indescribable way I wanted the sleeves to be, like sort of puppy near the hands and it is I was really happy about that.

It feels so much better than the really expensive ones at the mall too.

Just curious about something they put in the flier that came with it

"U.S. Wings's Indiana Jones jacket isn't 'just like' the one worn by Harrison Ford in "Raiders of the Lost Ark--it is the same one. U.S. Wings designed and supplied the original for the movie."

Wasn't it Temple?

Anyway the one I have, the A-2.. doesn't fit Indiana Jones TOO well but that's because I'm obsessed with jackets now and know the differences well... other people wouldn't know the difference. But I'm glad I went with a good jacket for what I want to wear instead of just what I want for Indy... I'll get a Todd's for that.

1/15/09: new pics

http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/ii443/A22000/

Posted: **Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:53 pm**

Congrats! It fits you well, blue. Now wear it a lot and give it some character ;-)

I believe Wings designed a jacket for Raiders, but it didn't pass.

Posted: **Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:53 pm**

looks good, I know how it feels to get something you have been wanting for a long time, have fun and enjoy.

Posted: **Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:51 pm**

Sounds like you got just the one you wanted!

Posted: **Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:58 pm**

Indy jackets aside - US Wings makes some quality stuff. I've had a handful of different jackets from them at one time or another and each jacket was very well made.

The goat A-2 should last you a LONG time.

Posted: **Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:10 pm**

Looks good.

Posted: **Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:14 pm**

are those pics from a hidden spy camera?

Posted: **Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:26 pm**

Posted: **Mon Dec 22, 2008 10:42 pm**

In the side-entry handwarmer pocket, where the nylon meets the leather near the opening, there is a few stitches missing which left a gap and my finger can get caught in it.. and I don't want to accidentally pop out more stitches one day- what should I do about this? Take it to a tailor?

Posted: **Tue Dec 23, 2008 12:18 am**

You might try mending it yourself - make the jacket truly yours.

Glad to see your purchase worked out so well. Although the folks here may not always agree on things, they won't steer you towards a bad piece of gear. Just don't ask for the "best" of anything. Forty-eight people will give sixty-seven different opinions in the first couple of hours and you'll end up chasing the perfect hat, whip, holster, pants, shirt, socks, underwear, tan lines, scars...

LJ

Posted: **Tue Dec 23, 2008 2:51 am**

Unless you can fix it yourself, you should just contact US Wings for a Return Authorization Number and exchange the jacket for another. Unless I am mistaken shipping for the exchange both ways is free.

There really isn't a reason to have to come out of pocket to fix a brand new jacket.

Posted: **Tue Dec 23, 2008 3:22 am**

Aww but I wouldn't want to exchange it

Posted: **Tue Dec 23, 2008 6:11 am**

To anyone who knows about A2s- is one pocket supposed to be longer than the other?

You can see what I mean here

I measured; the one on the left is 6.5" tall and the one on the right is 7" tall.. from the top of the panel to the bottom.

Posted: **Tue Dec 23, 2008 7:03 am**

blueoakleyz wrote:To anyone who knows about A2s- is one pocket supposed to be longer than the other?

You can see what I mean here

I measured; the one on the left is 6.5" tall and the one on the right is 7" tall.. from the top of the panel to the bottom.

No. They are supposed to be the same length.

Either Wings put two different sized pockets on your jacket, or they
sewed the flaps on them wrong.

If you open up each pocket flap, you can see if they are both the same
distance up from the actual pocket.

If they are different distances, then they sewed it wrong. If they are
the same distance, then you have two different sized pockets on your
jacket.

One other thing. If you already took the tags off your Wings jacket, you
may have a hard time sending it back for an exchange or refund.

They put a very clear message on the receipt and their return policy states
if the tags are removed from the jacket, you can NOT send it back, and
its pretty much yours for life.

Also, you may want to reconsider having the missing stitching "fixed"
by someone else.

If you let someone else besides Wings "fix" your jacket, then they will
absolutely NOT take your jacket back for any reason whatsoever, even
if there are more manufacturing defects on it.

Again, this is clear in their return policy. If there is something wrong with
it, such as your defects, then send it back to them, and let them fix it.

I would contact them for a replacement jacket if I was you. Yours seems to have
slipped past their quality control guy.

You paid a good chunk of change for that jacket. It should be correct
right out of the box.

Flathead

Posted: **Tue Dec 23, 2008 7:12 am**

Oh for the love of god the curse has hit me again. I ALWAYS get a defective whatever, whatever it is I buy.

And yes I took the tags off already.. I was in love with the thing I had no intention of returning or exchanging it

"Either Wings put two different sized pockets on your jacket,"

It looks that way.. I specifically measured only the actual outside pocket patch part from top to bottom..

"One other thing. If you already took the tags off your Wings jacket, you
may have a hard time sending it back for an exchange or refund. "

I wonder if this applies here. I mean the tags staying on is so they can put it back on their shelf and sell it to someone else.. but they wouldn't resell something that had different sized pockets would they?

God I am so freakin' bummed... I loved this jacket

Posted: **Tue Dec 23, 2008 7:28 am**

Google "Kimble Tagger"

.

Posted: **Tue Dec 23, 2008 7:41 am**

Tags or no tags...it's a brand new jacket that was received yesterday which US Wings can verify by the UPS tracking. It should not be a problem exchanging it. It was clearly defective from the get go.

However, a refund might be hard to get if the OP wore it all day long and then realized it was defective.

Still I think you can exchange it...can't hurt to try.

Posted: **Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:02 am**

I know I had some trouble in the past with returning defective Wings products when the tags were still attached so it might be a bit of an uphill struggle. I wish you the best of luck though - it certainly seems like there is a mistake with the jacket.

Ken

Posted: **Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:17 am**

I'd contact Sarge directly and tell him your conundrum. Tags or no, I would think you should still be able to get this taken care of if you discuss your problem in a calm and civilized way.

Posted: **Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:54 am**

I mean the tags staying on is so they can put it back on their shelf and sell it to someone else.. but they wouldn't resell something that had different sized pockets would they?

Where do you think the "sale" and "clearance" jackets come from?

The defects on your jacket are not that bad. We notice them because
we are all jacket nuts, who see things like this as eye sores.

The average Joe doesn't care about stuff like this, and to him, the jacket is fine.

Maybe this jacket will be sold as "new" again, or maybe it won't. We will
never know. But you can bet your house that it will be put back on the
pile to be sold again in some way or another to someone else, whether
at full price, or at the "sale" or "clearance" price.

The defects are not big enough to take the jacket apart and fix it. Now,
if one arm was 3 inches longer than the other, or the collar was on backwards,
then maybe it would be taken apart and fixed. But this one does not have
enough things really wrong with it to warrant that.

Flathead

Posted: **Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:56 am**

Kt Templar wrote:Google "Kimble Tagger" .

Now that is just sneaky...

Flathead

Posted: **Tue Dec 23, 2008 9:44 am**

I agree with Bink, call Sarge, I bought an A-2 a few years ago,needed work after 2 weeks of having it, I sent it to him and they fixed it free of charge.I paid for shipping to them but they shipped it back to me good as new. Good luck

Posted: **Tue Dec 23, 2008 9:45 am**

I've returned a jacket to Wings and had my account credited with no problems. Since you've taken off the tags, you probably couldn't get a refund, but I wouldn't think you should have much trouble with an exchange since your problem is clearly something you didn't cause. Just call their service number and calmly explain your problem and ask if you can exchange the jacket.

Posted: **Tue Dec 23, 2008 11:23 am**

I suggest you stop the public discussion and go directly to David, or Laurie at laurie@uswings.com and tell them you're a member here, and what your problem is.

Let them see what they can do. I CAN tell you that public displays of this type before any direct contact and discussion has been made with this company can have the exact opposite effect (as with any vendor) than you want. They're being technically 'tried' before they've even had a chance to respond to anything.

Contact them and allow them the opportunity to make things right.

Regards! Michaelson

Posted: **Tue Dec 23, 2008 2:38 pm**

This feels like such a bad omen for the other things of my life...

Emailed them and sounds like they'll help me out

I'm naive I thought that the pocket thing might just be the way the A-2 specs were...

Posted: **Wed Dec 24, 2008 10:29 am**

draw a line across the tops of the pockets.. the left one looks higher top to bottom

Posted: **Wed Dec 24, 2008 11:07 am**

The jacket looks askew in the photo too, so the only way to know is NOT to use this photo to determine if the pocket is right.

Use a ruler and measure from the bottom of the jacket to the top of the pocket on each side, then from the top of the pocket to the top of the shoulder seam and see if they match. Measure the jacket, not the photo example.

The photo above is NOT one to use. You can see the storm flap is turned to the right, which will pull the left hand pocket down in the photo. The red line used as an example is even bent the same amount in the photo as the pocket is low, so this photos doesn't prove anything of the sort. Measure.

Regard! Michaelson

Posted: **Wed Dec 24, 2008 4:54 pm**

err the photo was only to show you guys what I meant.. I have the jacket here.. the pocket is way bigger.

Posted: **Wed Dec 24, 2008 4:56 pm**

[quote="blueoakleyz"]To anyone who knows about A2s- is one pocket supposed to be longer than the other?

You can see what I mean here

I measured; the one on the left is 6.5" tall and the one on the right is 7" tall.. from the top of the panel to the bottom.[/quote]

Posted: **Wed Dec 24, 2008 5:46 pm**

Understood. I'm sure with a 1/2 inch of measureable difference, you will have no problems with Wings making it right. Stop worrying about it.

;-)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

REgard! Michaelson

Posted: **Wed Dec 24, 2008 5:50 pm**

Michaelson wrote:Understood. I'm sure with a 1/2 inch of measureable difference, you will have no problems with Wings making it right. Stop worrying about it. ;-)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

REgard! Michaelson

Yeah sounds like they are I'm sending it back today

It's only a 1/2" but for some reason when I'm wearing it it looks much bigger. I tried to see if I could live with it because otherwise this jacket somehow is everything I've always wanted in a leather jacket and I hate to send it back.

Posted: **Wed Dec 24, 2008 6:55 pm**

Don't worry. You'll get one back in the same leather. They're pretty consistant with their hide matchups.

Regards! Michaelson

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:01 am**

Just in case anyone cares, I'm finally getting my replacement Wednesday (I hate ups ground it's sooo slow). I'm so excited and I really miss the one I sent in.

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:57 pm**

blueoakleyz wrote:Just in case anyone cares, I'm finally getting my replacement Wednesday (I hate ups ground it's sooo slow). I'm so excited and I really miss the one I sent in.

The Sarge will make things right. Let's all rally around our mutual dislike for ups ground. The US postal service is faster than they are.

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:39 pm**

Rundquist wrote:
blueoakleyz wrote:Just in case anyone cares, I'm finally getting my replacement Wednesday (I hate ups ground it's sooo slow). I'm so excited and I really miss the one I sent in.

The Sarge will make things right. Let's all rally around our mutual dislike for ups ground. The US postal service is faster than they are.

here here........and USPS doesn't seem to enjoy crushing boxes marked 'fragile' either.......go figure?!?!?

UPS is the last service i would choose. if i had to ship a fragile antique item worth thousands of dollars, i would sooner give it to a homeless drug addict that owned a donkey.

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:58 pm**

We'll get your package off the ground in no time!

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2009 4:02 pm**

blueoakleyz wrote:Just in case anyone cares, I'm finally getting my replacement Wednesday (I hate ups ground it's sooo slow). I'm so excited and I really miss the one I sent in.

Did you request that they give the replacement jacket a really good quality control inspection before shipping it to you? I would hate for you to have to go through all of this again.

UPS is actually pretty good when you are being shipped an item from a store or warehouse.

Where UPS fails is when you ship from one residence to another. Not only will they damage the package you sent marked fragile, but they will deny the insurance claim and blame you for the damage.

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2009 4:11 pm**

Worst shipping contender = Amazon. I order big expensive books and they throw them into an oversized box with one tiny inflated bag for padding. From now on I'm going to order from local bookstores and simply pay extra if needed.

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2009 5:26 pm**

I worked at UPS when I was younger, you wouldn't believe what goes on. They work you till you drop, I lasted 3 months. But on the upside if you want to lost weight fast it's the place to go. I went from 185 to 165 that's why I quit, lost too much weight and was getting sick from it. Sorry to get off track back to jacket talk, can't wait to see Blueoaks replacement.

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:19 pm**

Browncoat wrote:
blueoakleyz wrote:Just in case anyone cares, I'm finally getting my replacement Wednesday (I hate ups ground it's sooo slow). I'm so excited and I really miss the one I sent in.
Did you request that they give the replacement jacket a really good quality control inspection before shipping it to you? I would hate for you to have to go through all of this again.

UPS is actually pretty good when you are being shipped an item from a store or warehouse.

Where UPS fails is when you ship from one residence to another. Not only will they damage the package you sent marked fragile, but they will deny the insurance claim and blame you for the damage.

No I didn't want to sound picky or pushy or anything I just hope it was implied that they look at it before sending it. I hope. If this one comes with a pocket 4 inches longer than the other I'm keeping it cuz I can't stand being without it (I know, weird).

Here's the thing about USPS priority mail. I sent it priority mail on a friday from california, the next saturday it was already on the east coast and it arrived at US Wings on Monday. UPS ground takes over a week for the same price

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 12:15 am**

Actually UPS Ground may have cost more for that 10 day service

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 12:29 am**

UPS Ground is equal to the Postal "Parcel Post." The advantage to UPS Ground is if you live within two delivery zones, you can sometimes get stuff faster than by Priority Mail. But for crossing the country, Priority beats anything UPS can do.

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 8:27 am**

That, and the UPS ground has an automatic $100 insurance value per shipment. US mail does not. You have to pay extra.

There are advantages and disadvantages with both services.

Regards! Michaelson

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:07 pm**

Boy I had a bad dream last night.. it came and had bright red blotches/coloring everywhere.. and that it was missing the worn in/wrinkled texture on the sleeves that the last one did. Unfortunately that last part is true.

I got it today and everything seems just fine. It feels very new, stiffer but still nice and smooth.. feels very good. Even pockets.

The only problem is a sort of puffed up loose little patch of leather on the left breast. I can live with it but maybe you all can help me to tone it down a bit? I'm not sure what to do.. blow dry it?

Will post good pics of the whole jacket later

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:14 pm**

Come on, there's nothing wrong with that. Leather is from animals and there are going to be imperfections. Call it character.

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:15 pm**

Raider S wrote:Come on, there's nothing wrong with that. Leather is from animals and there are going to be imperfections. Call it character.

LOL I said I could live with it.. I just want to know if there's a way to unpuff it.

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:18 pm**

It looks like it's just the leather. If it's a bubble of the finish, which I doubt, you'll just have to decide how much it bothers you.
Wear it and break it in, and it will conform to, become, 'you'.

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:25 pm**

Looks like a scar from the animal rather than a finish problem.

I'd say let it go. I see something like that on every jacket I own.

Regards! Michaelson

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:29 pm**

Michaelson wrote:Looks like a scar from the animal rather than a finish problem.

I'd say let it go. I see something like that on every jacket I own.

Regards! Michaelson

Yeah I'm not going to obsess over it or certainly not exchange it.

Although maybe it'll give me the courage/reason to put a patch on the jacket but I don't know a thing about patches or where to get leather patches..

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 6:13 pm**

Oh my, that looks terrible, how could accept a jacket like that...just kidding looks fine,adds character, good luck with your jacket and enjoy.

Club Obi Wan

My U.S. Wings jacket came today!..and it's juuuusst right.

My U.S. Wings jacket came today!..and it's juuuusst right.