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What a long, strange trip it's been... (& TN CS Question)

Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 11:16 pm
by Swiftfoot
Hello All,

I was a lurker on the boards a long time ago researching for a Raiders jacket and quickly found this was the place to be. But at the time the jacket, or at least the jacket I wanted, was a wish not a reality and I had to stop checking the forums, as it was torture plain and simple to look but not touch. I’ve never been one to window shop unless I can buy as it just hurts too much. :-({|=

Fast-forward 5-6 years…

It was birthday time this past October and my wife; bless her soul, asked “Whatever became of that Raider’s jacket you wanted years ago?” Hmmm… what was that website’s name again… ah yes, Indygear. I immediately registered on the forums and a week later, once I was given a key to asylum, I started looking at jackets again. But this time, ah yes, this time I’d be getting one, but which one? Where did all these jackets come from? I don’t recall all these options last time I was here. This calls for research, research and more research. In my first afternoon browsing in the forums three hours disappeared without notice and I'd barely scratched the surface. This is going to take longer than I thought but that’s OK because not only will this be my first Indy jacket, this will also be my first leather jacket. Ever. This can’t be rushed because this is the quest for, as so many of you who have gone before me have put it, MY perfect Indy jacket.

After a week and many hours reading in the forums and browsing various vendors I think I’m almost ready to order but something inside tells me to wait and just research a little bit more. I dug back through some older posts that talk about the fit of the jackets from the different films. ROTLA will always be my favourite movie but I discover that the 80’s fit is not for me (6'4", 250lbs). Last Crusade seems to be a looser fit but after much reading and viewing of photos the distressing of a LC jacket is probably a bit too much for the everyday use I want out it. Moving along the Crystal Skull jackets seems pretty much the same fit/style of the LC jacket but not as distressed and appears darker. Hmmm… I may be getting somewhere. Seems only one vendor does a CS jacket but the price is a little scary. Lets keep looking and reading and see what else is out there. Three weeks into my search I keep seeing great pictures, reviews and the vendor telling new owners to “Beat the &#@% out of it”.

Sigh… like a fish looking at the worm and knowing how tasty it will be but also knowing there is a painful hook in there too... swim away, come back, bump it, retreat, nibble at it, and pull back, it beckons and seduces. AAAUUUGGGHHHH!!! CHOMP! It hurts but not as much as I thought it would. :D To all the TN jackets owners out there I’d like to say this is all your fault [-X [-X [-X

Another week passes as I continue to check the forum but I’m not looking at other options. In my mind I’ve bought this jacket and now it’s just a matter of obsessing over measurements, inscription, inscription location, leather patch name plate showing through over time, measurements, moving the name patch around, one inner pocket or two, measurements… Who would have thought that picking the jacket was the easy part?

Many of the questions I had have been answered in other posts. Sizing and measuring I'll discuss and trust to Tony once I place my order. My question to the owners of TN CS jacket is how do you find it in the winter? I know I’ll be wearing a sweater or fleece under it but how does it handle snow? I’m hoping this will be a three season jacket for me Fall / Winter / Spring and if I can squeeze a few days out of the summer great. So for all you owners who deal with snow 4 months a year or cold temperatures how does it handle winter?

Thanks in advance for reading my long post and for any comments, thoughts or recommendations you may have.

Cheers,

Swiftfoot

Re: What a long, strange trip it's been... (& TN CS Question)

Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 11:25 pm
by Indyzane
Welcome to the club! Ummmm as for jacket advice be careful one will become two and then three etc.... :shock: You'll choose wisely I am sure of that just have fun! Again welcome to the club.

Re: What a long, strange trip it's been... (& TN CS Question)

Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 11:41 pm
by RCSignals
The TN CS is a very durable jacket and does well in the winter. No problems there.
I would recommend the second inside pocket, it's handy and otherwise not noticeable...it doesn't detract from the jacket at all.
This one is a real world jacket and it sounds like that's what you are looking for.

I would recommend you call Tony and discuss your concerns, pose questions etc.

Re: What a long, strange trip it's been... (& TN CS Question)

Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 2:44 am
by davidd
Sorry, I don't have any useful jacket advice for you; I just wanted to note how much I enjoyed your entertaining post!

"Three hours disappeared without notice." Yeah. I can relate.

Re: What a long, strange trip it's been... (& TN CS Question)

Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 6:29 am
by gwyddion
welcome to the asylum \:D/ Say farewell to your wallet :BD: :P

Regards, Geert

Re: What a long, strange trip it's been... (& TN CS Question)

Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:57 pm
by Raskolnikov
You can wear the CS jacket under the rain and snow without problems. It is a strong jacket and, as Tony Told me once, is made precisely for that. He even encouraged me to do it.

Regards,
Rask

Re: What a long, strange trip it's been... (& TN CS Question)

Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 7:21 pm
by Swiftfoot
Indyzane wrote:Welcome to the club! Ummmm as for jacket advice be careful one will become two and then three etc.... :shock: You'll choose wisely I am sure of that just have fun! Again welcome to the club.
Thanks for the welcome Indyzane. With regards to multi-jackets all I can do is [-o< for strength to hold at one. Now a fedora is another topic, with any luck I"ll hold out til birthday time next year ;)

RCSignals wrote:The TN CS is a very durable jacket and does well in the winter. No problems there.
I would recommend the second inside pocket, it's handy and otherwise not noticeable...it doesn't detract from the jacket at all.
This one is a real world jacket and it sounds like that's what you are looking for.

I would recommend you call Tony and discuss your concerns, pose questions etc.
Thanks RC. I've enjoyed the pics of your jacket(s) and posts. A real world jacket that is an Indy jacket is exactly what I'm looking for and one of the points that pulled me towards the TN CS jacket. Your assurances that it does well in winter makes me very happy indeed as that was really the last possible deal breaker for me. :D

davidd wrote:Sorry, I don't have any useful jacket advice for you; I just wanted to note how much I enjoyed your entertaining post!

"Three hours disappeared without notice." Yeah. I can relate.
Cheers davidd :TOH: for the compliment on the post. Times flies when we're obsessing, doesn't it?

gwyddion wrote:welcome to the asylum \:D/ Say farewell to your wallet :BD: :P

Regards, Geert
Thanks for the welcome Geert. As I mentioned earlier to Indyzane I hope to be strong... but I'm sure that's been heard a few times before on the forums. ;)

Raskolnikov wrote:You can wear the CS jacket under the rain and snow without problems. It is a strong jacket and, as Tony Told me once, is made precisely for that. He even encouraged me to do it.

Regards,
Rask
Cheers Rask! I do want this jacket to be used for as many days of the year as possible. Since it is always easier to make yourself warmer than cooler and based on the hot humid summers we normally get here I know I won't get much wear in the summers so it had to handle winters. Your comments, similar to RCsignals above, were exactly what I was hoping to hear about the CS jacket. :D :D

Thank you all for the repsonses.

Swiftfoot

P.S. Dang these Indy smilies are addictive. (I know its the grail dairy but...) Cheers! :H:

Re: What a long, strange trip it's been... (& TN CS Question)

Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 9:55 pm
by Swiftfoot
Just got off the phone with Tony about 45mins ago.

He truly is a great guy to talk to. He answered all my questions and concerns. He said the weather would be perfect for it and would darken it up nicely over time. He confirmed what RC and Rask assured me of above that it will handle a Canadian winter just fine. Working on final details and taking some pics of myself as he requested. :D

Questions for any Canadians that have ordered from Tony. What added costs did you get hit with? From some quick reading on the net on Canadian customs there shouldn't be any duty as it's made in the States so declaring it a Gift doesn't seem to matter. I realize I'll take a hit on GST and PST. What about brokerage fees with FedEx? Any feed back is appreciated.

The end is in sight.

Cheers All,

Swiftoot