Club Obi Wan

PSBIndy wrote:My one big beef with Todd's Standard is the durability.....shortly after I bought mine last summer, the stitching started to come apart in the sleeves and shoulder areas as well as the lining. Sure, you can't expect too much for $150 but still.....I hope this new batch has improved in the durability department.

RCSignals wrote:Did you order one of the new '+' jackets Randy?

Puppetboy wrote:Vaderbreath,

I'm glad you like the jacket. The factory keeps finding better and better leather for me, which makes me very excitied. One major problem was the sizing. I simply sized the jackets incorrectly in the beginning (S, M, L etc) going up in steps that were too small. That's the reason for all the odd sizes now. We have a mix of old and new sizes. However, the old sizes may fit some better, so for a time, you have more options.

As far as Croco-hide, yeah, I've been after that since the beginning. It just wasn't available. I'm very happy with the leather I have now. Very drapey, yet tough-looking.

The pockets are better. I figured a hand-warmer should warm your hands, right? I'm using flannel now inside the handwarmers, and they're making them the original movie way, which I always wanted, but had to compromise with the factory. Now that I have some history with them, they're more willing to go the extra mile for me.

Todd

So Todd if I wanted to order one of the new ones would I pick a regular size or one with a+ next to it?

And do you plan on keeping these improvements all year? I'd like to order an XL since I'm kind of husky but size L t shirts fit fine/loose on me.

Puppetboy wrote:...

The previous batch and this batch (marked +) are virtually identical except for revised sizing. They have the same leather. Of primary importance is that you use the measurement chart on my site to find the best size for you. It's much more important to have the jacket fit great on you than to have flannel in your pockets. (you can quote me on that.) And, yes, these are my standard jackets and all my jackets will be made the same or better.

Satipo wrote:These new Todd's standards look very tempting. Great looking leather - very Raiders to my eyes. I'm just curious about that little extra protruding bit on the non-stormflap side of the collar stand. Was that an intentional feature based on Todd's observations?

DeWayne wrote:

Satipo wrote:These new Todd's standards look very tempting. Great looking leather - very Raiders to my eyes. I'm just curious about that little extra protruding bit on the non-stormflap side of the collar stand. Was that an intentional feature based on Todd's observations?

As much as I love my Todd's jacket, this is the only thing about it that makes me raise an eyebrow. I do notice the customs are set up the same way, so it isn't an accident.

Texan Scott wrote:The trend in jackets, lately, has been to go for a leather with a rougher grain, as some call it, rhino hide. The Raiders Indy jacket was smooth lamb, that had been significantly distressed with a knife, etc. A quote from the main site:

"The Wilson’s jackets had been made from cowhide, while the Leather Concessionaires jacket was lambskin. The pattern was correct, therefore the final test was in how well the jacket aged. Deborah did this personally using Harrison’s Swiss Army knife and a wire brush while sitting by the pool at her hotel on the night before shooting was to begin at the Nazi U-Boat pier in La Rochelle. The aging test was a success and this jacket became the hero jacket."

RCSignals wrote:

Texan Scott wrote:The trend in jackets, lately, has been to go for a leather with a rougher grain, as some call it, rhino hide. The Raiders Indy jacket was smooth lamb, that had been significantly distressed with a knife, etc. A quote from the main site:

"The Wilson’s jackets had been made from cowhide, while the Leather Concessionaires jacket was lambskin. The pattern was correct, therefore the final test was in how well the jacket aged. Deborah did this personally using Harrison’s Swiss Army knife and a wire brush while sitting by the pool at her hotel on the night before shooting was to begin at the Nazi U-Boat pier in La Rochelle. The aging test was a success and this jacket became the hero jacket."

so does that mean if the Wilson's passed this 'aging test' better it would have become the Hero?

Also, I don't read where it says it started as smooth hide.

Texan Scott wrote:

RCSignals wrote:

Texan Scott wrote:The trend in jackets, lately, has been to go for a leather with a rougher grain, as some call it, rhino hide. The Raiders Indy jacket was smooth lamb, that had been significantly distressed with a knife, etc. A quote from the main site:

"The Wilson’s jackets had been made from cowhide, while the Leather Concessionaires jacket was lambskin. The pattern was correct, therefore the final test was in how well the jacket aged. Deborah did this personally using Harrison’s Swiss Army knife and a wire brush while sitting by the pool at her hotel on the night before shooting was to begin at the Nazi U-Boat pier in La Rochelle. The aging test was a success and this jacket became the hero jacket."

so does that mean if the Wilson's passed this 'aging test' better it would have become the Hero?

Also, I don't read where it says it started as smooth hide.

From the main page:

"Test fittings were done at Western Costumes with Tom Selleck and it became clear that there were functional problems with the Wilson’s jackets. Namely, the jacket would hang-up on the gun belt and the whip. Additionally, the leather used for the Wilson’s jackets did not lend itself well to artificial aging as the finish would flake off."

I have lobby cards from Raiders and a screen photo from the press kit, like the cobra scene above, and the leather appears smooth. Yet, you take a jacket and distress it, wet it and let it dry time and again, and after the whole process was completed, it would look like roughed up hide, as that is exactly what they did to the jacket. Take the natural oil out of the leather and this is the appearance you get.