US Wings vs. Wested experience

[morphosis]

just writing to tell you my opinions on US Wings vs. Wested...i first tried US wings and i got an XL because they told me the jackets run small....when i got, the jacket was HUGE!, weighed a ton, and just felt really bulky....so i returned it for a Large....got that one a few days later and again, was just huge on me again, especially the sleeves...could of put my leg through the sleeve....so i decided to return it and try Wested...

i ordered the Raiders Authentic Jacket in a 44R and its PERFECT!!!!!!!! its much more lightweight than the US Wings...US wings i could never wear accept maybe in the winter because it was so heavy. The Wested jacket i can wear this all seasons....I didnt buy the washed version because i want mine to wear naturally...but i know it could take a long long time....but thats fine.

Wested's design is much more accurate to the films than US wings i think...Indy's jacket was much more lightweight....US Wings are just really heavy....but if you want a more heavy jacket, than US Wings will serve you well...

Someday ill get a Nowak Jacket, but for now, the Wested is a beautiful piece and they have really good customer service and Peter & Gemma were really nice. going from UK to USA only took 2 days because i paid $15 more to ship it faster....

The US Wings customer service is really nice as well, the only thing is that they say the jackets run small, but they really don't...im a 44R, and they wanted me to get an XL....but their Large was even too big....i didnt want to try a medium because i decided to go with Wested since they specialize in the Indiana Jacket...

[Restless Dreamer]

nice to hear you had a good experience with wested. Me, I'm having very annoying troubles with them.

now let's see some pictures

[RCSignals]

I can't imagine USWings saying their I-J jackets run small

[Michaelson]

Agreed. That's a first for me too.

I just looked at the Wings website, and they list all their Indy jacket sizing as 'normal'. Their definition of 'normal' is as follows (cut and pasted directly from their site)

Normal: Order your regular size.

Just wondering, what type hide did you order from Wings, and then from Wested? Are we comparing apples to apples, or apples to oranges?

For example, every cowhide Wested jacket I've ever owned was just as heavy in weight as any cowhide Wings jacket I've had. Cow is cow, lamb is lamb, goat is goat...the weights will have very little variance in physical weight, or at least that's been my personal experience to date, and I've owned a bunch of them from just about every vendor out there who makes Indy jackets.

I'll agree, a cowhide Wings jacket is one physically heavy jacket, that's for sure....but so is anyone elses, so what are we comparing here?

Regards! Michaelson

[morphosis]

when i talked to US Wings on the phone before i ordered it, the customer service rep told me the jackets run small, and to order 1 size up from my usual....i told her im a 44 R so she said to get an XL....i ordered the Goatskin Adventure jacket.....but when i got it, it was huge....and then i exchanged it for the Large and it was still too big....again both were the Goatskin jackets.

the Wested i ordered was the Raiders Authentic brown English Lamb (seal)...which i know is a softer leather, and thats what i wanted...i was just surprised how heavy the Goatskin from US Wings was....

but also, the woman from US Wings told me the Collectors Signature Series is even heavier than the Goatskin because its cowhide.....i just didnt want a heavy jacket....i wanted a lighter jacket, and Wested's is perfect...she was telling me the Cowhide jacket is really more for the winter season and that i might find it too heavy for the spring and fall..she even told me her husband only wears it when its really cold out because its just too hot for him to wear during the spring & fall....the Wested jacket i can wear all year because its got a nice lightweight to it....i think its perfect...but everyone has their own tastes of course...

I also thought the collar on the US Wings was very big proportionately to the jacket compared to the original Indy jacket and the Wested jacket....especially the XL they sent, the collar was just huge....maybe if i tried a MEDIUM, i might of liked it better, but when i got the Wested the other day and put it on, it was just perfect....

its not a huge deal, i just wanted to share my experience and thoughts on it...im not knocking US Wings at all...they are beautiful jackets...i wish it did fit better because then i wouldnt of gone through the back n forth....but the Wested Jacket, i just love it!

[Michaelson]

Very good, and thanks for your information.

You are comparing apples to oranges, as lambskin and goatskin are completely different weight jackets. If you had ordered a goatskin Wested, you would have found no difference between it and the Wings jacket in terms of weight. Wings lambskin Indy jackets are also 4 season jackets, just like Wested.

As to what the phone representative told you, that is so totally wrong, it's unreal! I, too, wear a 44R, and found that a large fits me fine with some extra room. Medium is a better fit, but the sleeves are too short for my long arms, so it's a trade off. Better fit, shorter sleeves....looser fit, perfect sleeves.

She did tell you right....cowhide is definitely heavier than goatskin, no matter WHO makes it!

Anyway, glad to hear you got what you wanted in your Wested! The trick in his hobby is getting what makes you happy! Sounds like you found your 'happy place' this round!

Regards! Michaelson

[morphosis]

yah see im not that familiar with kinds of leathers so i was hoping US Wings could atleast guide me to what i wanted, but as nice as she was on the phone, she didnt really help...she didnt tell me to try the lambskin, even after i told her i wanted a lighter jacket, she was trying to get me into the Goat or Cowhide......but no matter, i love the Wested...I had originally wanted the Wested anyway, but i was concerned about getting it shipped to USA because if it didnt fit, then i had to send it back to UK, and just thought it would be a pain.......i just thought staying in the USA would be easier...but it all worked out in the end! and dealing with Wested was great, Peter was really nice and helpful...Next i definitely want a Nowak Jacket...

as far as pics, well im currently working on a replica Grail Diary, so when im done, ill post those...

and im trying to find a S&W and Webley gun, but i want to go the prop route because i dont want to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on an authentic gun...i found Western Stage Props have nice replicas, im trying to find out if anyone bought a prop gun from them before? i posted a note in the Gun section of COW....if anyone has suggestions on guns, let me know...thanks very much!

[morphosis]

Tundrarider, your Nowak jacket is amazing!!! the photos are great!!!

for under $1000 for those jackets is so worth it....someday ill have to get one...

[morphosis]

yah $750 for that jacket is just amazing...someday ill get one. His work on yours is definitely the best i have ever seen. can't believe how authentic it looks....looks like it was taken right off the set of an Indy film.....just awesome!

[djd]

She did tell you right....cowhide is definitely heavier than goatskin, no matter WHO makes it!

I would just say (without wishing to start a major argument ), that I had an early custom jacket from Todd which was cow and just as light as my lamb from Wested. I guess it can be done

[Michaelson]

The original 'cowhide' by Todd's was calfskin, not cowhide. I know too, as I also owned one.

Regards! Michaelson

[djd]

Ok - a small cow then

[Michaelson]

[indy89]

I can't believe USW told you that their jackets run small. My size small vintage cowhide jacket is still too big for me. But yes, Wested is amazing. My goatskin jacket fits like a charm. I don't think I ever posted pics of it on COW

[hoose55]

Am I a fool for asking," Where are the pictures?"
J-

[Holt]

yeah! come on...

this is boring, we need ze photo's