Club Obi Wan

Hi everyone:

I just recieved my new Authentic Lambskin Raiders jacket from Peter
today, 7/28/03. I was one of the people who had to wait for Peter to
get the new lambskin hides. And it was worth the wait!!

I sent my original jacket back because it was too short for me in the
front. When worn, the front would "ride up" as M.K. has said before.

Anyway, I asked Peter to add an extra inch and a half to just the front
of the jacket, and keep the back the standard length for a size 44.

Let me tell you, it sits PERFECTLY level when I look in the mirror!
No ride up at all!! Even when zipped, it is still nice and level! You can
not beat that!

Also, I noticed a few other "tweeks" that Peter is doing now, that he
did not do on jackets in the past unless you specified them.

Here they are as per my just recieved jacket:

1. The back panel now comes all the way out to the shoulders. This was
not standard before, but since so many people ask for it, I guess it is now!

2. The Bi-swing pleats seem to fold back into the jacket better than
before. I can see that on my jacket, the pleats are deeper, and they
seem to be made out of slightly stiffer Lambskin than the rest of the
jacket.

3. The pockets are the nice scalloped ones! Really nice, and the perfect
size for the jacket. Not too big, and not the small ones either.

4. The collar is narrower at the front now than before. It really fits
the look of the jacket much better! No more "wings"!

So, those are the few nice changes that I have seen over the jacket I
sent back about a month and half ago for an exchange. I know Peter had
said he was making some changes, and he most certaintly did!

Bravo and Spot on Peter!!

Flathead

It sounds like you ended up with a great jacket. You should post the obligatory photos when posting a review.

You got just in time for summer......unless you are in the arctic.

Or in the Southern Hemisphere.

I actually live in New Jersey. I had originally ordered the jacket
back in March believe it or not! So, yes, it is really to hot to wear
the jacket now, but, I crank up the air in my house, and its not
too bad!

The first one I ordered was a pre-distressed Cow Raiders. It
had the crappy press studs that fell apart right away. I got this
one when Peter was going thru his problems with the press studs
not being up to their usual high standards. Peter said to send it
back he would send another.

The second one I got was too short in the front! I ordered this
one in the Authentic Lambskin. I really liked the color and drape
of the lamb, but it was too short. Again, Peter said send it back,
and he would send me another.

By this time, Peter was doing that movie, and he had a back
order on some of his hides, so I had to wait for the jacket. And
believe me, it was worth the wait!!

I took pictures of the second jacket, while wearing it infront of
the mirror, and you can see how it rode up in the front.

This new one is an inch and a half longer in just the front, and
it sits perfectly straight across the bottom now!

I would like to post pics, but I don't know how. If you guys
could tell me, I could post them for everyone to see.

Thanks!

Flathead

FLATHEAD wrote:I sent my original jacket back because it was too short for me in the
front. When worn, the front would "ride up" as M.K. has said before.

I recall MK posting some photos of this phenomenon with his jacket, which I can't locate now.
Have many other Wested wearers experienced this?

Anyway, I asked Peter to add an extra inch and a half to just the front
of the jacket, and keep the back the standard length for a size 44.

Doesn't adding length to the front alone cause a discrepancy at the side vents where the back panel and front meet? I'm puzzled by this whole thing. Flathead, I hope you're able to post some photos!

I would like to post pics, but I don't know how. If you guys
could tell me, I could post them for everyone to see.

Photos need to be hosted elsewhere online. So what you're really posting here is a link to the photo's URL (though this can be embedded in such a way that the photo actually appears in your post here). Anyway, first step is to find a place to upload your photos. Many Internet access accounts include free personal web space, in which case you're all set: your ISP will have instructions on how to upload. Otherwise, maybe someone here can suggest a free hosting service.

PS - Flathead, just curious why you switched from predistressed cowhide to authentic lambskin when you reordered...?

Congrats on your New Wested!

Boy, Airborne must've been scratching their heads wondering what was up with the influx of Leather goods to the East Coast.

JohnNdy and I both received our Authentic Lambs as well yesterday. I piggy-backed my review to his here.

I too just wish the weather was cooler so I could wear it outside the house. The Washington humidity is a bit much for leather in July.

Mike

Doesn't adding length to the front alone cause a discrepancy at the side vents where the back panel and front meet?
I'm puzzled by this whole thing. Flathead, I hope you're able to post some photos!

No discrepancy. If the jacket is made correctly, by a good
tailor, which Peter obviously has, they will tapper the front to
the back. This means that the extra length is slowly decreased
as it wraps around to the back, making the sides look normal.

If you laid my new jacket down flat on the bed, with the chest facing
down, you would see that the front is longer than the back. A
normally made jacket would have the front and the back line up.

If you laid my new jacket down flat on the bed, with either side facing
up, you would notice that both sides line up, and you would see
a slight tapper from the front to the back. Because the back has
this tapper to it, as well as the side vents, everything looks
perfectly normal.

Some people have this idea that any extra length added to the
front means just that, just to the front. If that were the case, you
would then have the extra length stopping where the front meets
the side seam, and yes, it would look weird. Almost like
a step.

But since the jacket is tappered front to back with the extra length,
it is not noticable at all.

Where you can see this for yourselves is in the mirror. Put your
jacket on, and zip it up. Stand in the front of the mirror sideways,
and stand very straight! Look at the front of the jacket, and the
back. If you don't have the added length to the front, your jacket
should look higher in the front than the back. Thats the way
mine did. By about an inch and a half. Thats why I wanted a new
jacket with an additional 1.5 inches in length added to the front.

So, with the added length, doing the same thing as above, the
jacket sits perfectly parallel with the floor.

Hope this helps!

Flathead

Hope this helps!

Flathead

P.S. I switched to the Authentic Lamb because the pre-distressed
looked like those cheezy jackets back in the 80's. It looked almost
like it was acid washed! The whole jacket was too evenly distressed like
this, and I didn't like it. I know others have added Pecards to
their pre-distressed jackets, and it comes out o.k. But I just
did not like the look of an all-over distressing like that.

Also, the feel of the jacket was like sueade, not leather. Again,
others have added Pecards to it, and it comes out o.k., but again
I did not like it.

Peter was more than happy to make me a new jacket with the
new lamb. He is very accommodating in this matter. I would
recommend Wested Leather to anyone! There are very few places
that have this kind of customer service. And thats why I kept up
my jacket quest thru him instead of going eslewhere.

 
Excellent explanation, Flathead. Thank you for going into such detail. Sounds like Peter did a great job adjusting the pattern to your specs.

BTW for anyone interested, I found MK's pics of this phenomenon here.

What I'm left wondering is whether this is a common occurence or an isolated one? Does this happen to all Wested jackets (or perhaps even all Indy jackets regardless of manufacturer) but wasn't noticeable or of concern to others? Or maybe Flathead and MK have a particular build or posture such that the jacket hangs this way on them but not so much on others?

Anyone else notice this "riding up in front" on their jacket? Just wondering whether I need to request the Flathead Treatment when ordering!

Or maybe Flathead and
MK have a particular build or posture such that the jacket hangs this way on them but not so much on others?

Actually, I am about the exact opposite of M.K. in build.
I am more a beanpole, where M.K. is more of a John Belushi
build. The one thing we do have in common is that we are
both taller than the average person. I am 6 foot, 1 inch tall,
and I know most jackets are not made for tall people.

But either way, I have noticed this "ride up" on just about
all the jackets I have that are straight hem jackets. Meaning,
they are straight across the bottom, with no elastic or ribbed
pieces like on an A-2 Flight jacket.

I have a U.S. Wings Indy that does this, but its not as
noticable because of the extra length of that jacket. Its
more a TOD jacket.

But my Aero B-3 and McCoys B-6 both did this. I sent the
B-3 back to Aero and Ken made me a new one with an
extra inch added to the front like the Wested I just got.
It really makes a difference in the way it looks. Its straight
and level now.

I also just ordered a Californian jacket from Aero. It is
very much Indy like, with side vents and straps, a straight
hem, and regular collar. It does however have the same
type of straps on the wrists as it does on the sides. It
can be adjusted with D-rings just like the sides. I had
them make it out of their heavy grain Buffalo hide, in a
Russet color. I should be getting it any day now.

I had Ken add an extra inch to the front of that as well.
More for the fact that the front measurement was 22.5
inches, and I like my jackets to go about 3 inches past
my waist, so that should do it for me I hope!

Anyway, I have friends that have tried on my jackets, and
the jackets do the same things on them as it does for me,
and my friends are all different builds.

Since noticing this, I have taken to looking at other people
I see during the day (actually this happened when the weather
was colder, but you get the point) and looking at their jackets
and if they are wearing a straight hem jacket, I can notice
this as well.

Also, if you look at the picture section of the Indy Gear
forum, and you check out other peoples pictures, you can
notice this on most of their jackets as well. But I guess
until you look at yourself sideways in the mirror, you will
never see it!

Flathead