Club Obi Wan

Some of you know of my quest for "historically accurate" Indy-gear. Nothing against Alden's and Indy Jackets at all, but I really like cap-toes and half-belts too! So I have been on the hunt for a Californian/Surrogates style Half-Belt for ages it seems. Most of the repros I see around are in the $1000 range though. Not knocking those jackets at all, but I'm a teacher for Pete's sake!!! I'm on a budget!!! I was really looking for a nice repro in a sturdy cowhide for around 3-500 bucks. Horse would be nice, but that would immediately put it out of my price range. What to do right?

Well, while I was bemoaning my station Rick and Mike over at filmjackets.com came out with a dead-on half-belt in a very vintage looking cowhide for $300 shipped!!!! And not only that, but the body length and sleeve length is customizable at no extra charge!!! Enough jibbering. Here's some pics



Here's some closeups of some of the details on the filmjackets.com website
http://www.filmjackets.com/ecommerce/in ... ucts_id=31
It is the perfect blend of ruggedness and style to me. The stitching and craftsmanship is on par with jackets I've had that cost twice this amount. The hide was a little dry on the onset, but an application of Pecard's leather dressing and it was good to go!!! Rick and company have got a good thing going over there and they have delivered to me what is quickly becoming one of my favorite jackets in my stable.

So when I combine my cap-toes this jacket and my Art Fawcett lid (styled after a hat my Grandfather used to wear). I am well on my way to my historically accurate Indy. All I need now is some flat front officer's pinks, and a web pistol belt, and a Browning 1911 automatic, and a... ooh...another slippery slope. Just what I need!

Looks fantastic. Can't wait to see the 5-year update.

So, when are you sending it to me?

After you send me that tube amp.

Uh... right.

Well, at least we both know where we stand



BTW, Nice jacket T... Wanna primp some more for us?

I kid, seriously though awesome jacket. How thick is the leather?

I think I see my next jacket purchase...

Its a pretty thick cow. It could definitely be a riding jacket.

SO satisfied with this purchase...

May require a new bike purchase to match...

I KNOW RIGHT!?!?!??!?

This hobby will be the financial death of me!

Looks great!

I figured you were one of the first to buy one of these. Thanks for showing it off.

I said it before, but that jacket is a great one...

Really suits you too... Very cool gear..

Rick really does make some quality jackets.....May have to start saving...Again...

Cool jacket!!

I think you have started a revolution with this one Hollowpond. It's such a great looking jacket! The belted back, action pleats, the simple classic design. I have to have one now.

I said it in another thread, but it bears repeating, I am loving these jackets! Rick and Mike knocked it out of the park with these. My order is in so I'm playing the waiting game.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

Thanks guys! This jacket really is AWESOME! And Forrest, you shouldn't be surprised that I was one of the first to order this, YOU started all this!!!!!

T

Does your jacket have a bi-swing back?

It looks like it does in the picture you have showing the back of
the jacket.

That is one FINE jacket!

I have an Aero Leather Californian that I bought about 5 years ago, that is made
out of russet buffalo hide. It looks alot like yours, with the difference being the ends
of the sleeves on mine each have a strap and buckle to tighten them up instead
of the button flaps. But mine does not have a bi-swing back. I wish now that I
had ordered it with that. It really makes a difference when you wear the jacket.

I can tell you that choosing cow for your jacket was a good choice. The buffalo
hide is still stiff enough that my jacket can stand up on its own! I bet the horse
would have been stiff too.

Do you have a link to where you were able to order your jacket? I would really
like to get one. And for that price, and custom lengths, its really a steal!

Wear it in good health!

Flathead

http://www.filmjackets.com/ecommerce/in ... ucts_id=31" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And yes it is a steal!

Nice halfbelt Hollowpond!!...Looks like a perfect fit.

THAT's a GEM!

That is one very fine jacket! It has a slim look to it, which I like.

I will have to check those guys" jackets out over there.

Looks awesome! Both the jacket itself and how it fits you. Is yours straight off the rack, or did you take advantage of the free custom back and sleeve lengths?

Mine is a 26.5" sleeve and a 25.5" back length and it worked PERFECTLY! I have taken to wearing the sleeves buttoned as the unbuttoned was a little aggravating, but the length is spot on. The longer sleeves coupled with the action back equals no sleeve ride up!!!

Hilarious - this forum is becoming filmjackets.com more and more as the days go on !

Not really. It's just another vendor selling jackets that's being talked about here, and one who's been a member here for years....LONG before he started filmjackets.com.

Regards! Michaelson

Yeah, CRB...not sure what you're driving at there. There's no competition here and I'm pretty sure Rick would agree.

This is just a show off thread for an awesome jacket that was around during Indy's prime (heck, the button cuffs look a lot like the ones he had on that Struzan book cover) that was purchased from some awesome vendors who happen to be members here as well...

Outstanding work boss.

Pretty sure that's my next jacket purchase.

Don't be so quick to get so jumpy, what I meant was that recently I've seen a number of threads talking about non-Indy jackets, when I thought that was one of the rules of the boards that's all. I've seen jackets from Surrogates, Captain America, X-Men, War of the Worlds etc.

CRB wrote:Don't be so quick to get so jumpy, what I meant was that recently I've seen a number of threads talking about non-Indy jackets, when I thought that was one of the rules of the boards that's all. I've seen jackets from Surrogates, Captain America, X-Men, War of the Worlds etc.

I think its more of a problem if someone starts a thread about Indy Jackets, and then
the thread gets derailed by people talking about non-Indy jackets.

If the thread was started about a non-Indy jacket, like this thread was, or some of
the others like the Captain America thread, then the topic already started out as
non-Indy, and there is no problem keeping it going, as it is still leather jacket related.

At least that's what I take away from this.

Flathead

Well, we have been a bit more lenient in our judgement on that. Mostly because people just have some awesome jackets. This jacket and the Cap jacket have slid through because of the era they are associated with. Like I said in post uno...this is the jacket I think Indy would have really worn.

NOW, having said that. Lets get this one back on the rails and talk about my AWESOME half-belt or I'll have to clean out my own thread...

So, then.....HP, that is an awesome jacket!!!....Did or does that come with the option of cargo pockets? Not sure if they are period accurate, but I've got the Aero Halfbelt Deluxe that I picked because of it's Indyish appearance and cargo pockets are soooo useful..

Not an option on this one, but Rick is cooking up all sorts of good stuff over there. Like P said, they've even got some prototype Indy jackets!

Looks perfect on you, especially in the shoulders, like custom...I bet your Indy jackets won't see much daylight for a while..

CRB wrote:Don't be so quick to get so jumpy, what I meant was that recently I've seen a number of threads talking about non-Indy jackets, when I thought that was one of the rules of the boards that's all. I've seen jackets from Surrogates, Captain America, X-Men, War of the Worlds etc.

What rule was that?

Actually, it's been a LONG established past practice of allowing discussions of other jackets/films if a direct connection to an Indy jacket vendor/maker can be established. It's just that more of them have been clustered in discussions of late than usual, but it's been allowed for years as long as it wasn't just out of left field and had absolutely NO connection with anyone or anything to the IJ franchise.

Thing is, after all these years, the lines are starting to blur, as just about everyone in the business has had something to do with an item connected to Indiana Jones.

Anyway, as HP said above, a lot more has been allowed than in the past, but that connection still needs to be in place...and so far it has.

Regards! Michaelson

Ian wrote:Looks perfect on you, especially in the shoulders, like custom...I bet your Indy jackets won't see much daylight for a while..

Well, I only have one Indy and its a lighter G&B goat. Perfect for the inbetween climes we get in Eastern NC. So, this jacket and that one will be my go to's...

Yep, but we also connected the dots on some of those going back to Wested........

Regards! Michaelson

Its ALMOST like we have a plan...

Michaelson wrote:Not really. It's just another vendor selling jackets that's being talked about here, and one who's been a member here for years....LONG before he started filmjackets.com.

Hahaha. I have been a member here since Jul Sat 06, 2002 7:09 am according to my profile. I would have sworn it was longer. But after nearly 10 years here, I am considered "just another vendor?" God, what does it take?!? Just kidding, as you know I do not advertise our stuff here. I want to keep business and pleasure separate and a vendor status or attempt to peddle our wares here would ruin that plan.

Hollowpond wrote:Yeah, CRB...not sure what you're driving at there. There's no competition here and I'm pretty sure Rick would agree.

I do not look at Indygear as a competition but as an important resource. I have sent many, many people here who are looking for the ultimate Indy jacket. I can never touch what this place has achieved. More on that below though. I think I know what CRB is saying as I seem to remember a time when seemingly random threads would get canned because they did not properly establish a connection to Indiana Jones. I had at least one removed, but I think I got away with posting a few other jackets here just by throwing a fedora on. Shhh! Don't tell! LOL. Now it is Indy-related! Seriously though, it is the evolution of any site to grow, change and become better and Indygear has always done just that. No need to change that.

_ wrote:Btw: Ricks been working on IJ iterations specifically.

Hey Todd, what's up?! You know this already, but for general knowledge and for what it is worth, we do not try to build screen-accurate versions of any Indiana Jones jackets. I believe in the K.I.S.S. philosophy and there are vendors in our price range that will offer customizations. To me, each customization is an opportunity – but also an opportunity for errors. As a business, we are too young to take this on and we are not trying to take business from those who do this. If you miss one detail on the laundry list, you get on another kind of list - and you know which list I mean. We are only offering our interpretation of the general look for this jacket. Because, as Michaelson pointed out, I was here LONG before FILMJACKETS.COM was started, I know that 100% screen accuracy for this particular jacket (or group of jackets) will never be attainable.

Besides I have other jackets to worry about. You guys have the Indy jackets pretty much covered

Sorry I've come to this thread a little late...

As well as the jacket this quote caught my eye...

Hollowpond wrote:Some of you know of my quest for "historically accurate" Indy-gear.

Do you have any details or a link to another thread on the "rules" behind "historical accuracy" and where you get your source information? (i.e. I wouldn't know an accurate 30's jacket or pair of boots from a hole in the ground)

Cheers,
Alex

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Awesome jacket. Could be the next jacket I get, just so I could tell the wife its not another Indy jacket. She thinks they all look the same. and its comparable in price to the wested hero I was looking at.

rick5150 wrote:[But after nearly 10 years here, I am considered "just another vendor?" God, what does it take?!?

Yep, just another (yawn) vendor.

I was here LONG before FILMJACKETS.COM was started, I know that 100% screen accuracy for this particular jacket (or group of jackets) will never be attainable.

...an one of the few who actually says that right up front.



HIGH regards, and always good to see you Rick!

Michaelson

Michaelson wrote:Yep, just another (yawn) vendor.

Hahaha - Maybe in another 10 years...

_, believe it or not, that Wild One jacket was supposed to be the first jacket we ever released. It was to be symbolic because it was what I considered the first "real" film jacket. We have over 75 jacket listed that are already made, in progress or on the boards. The slowdown for that jacket was the buckle. I have since had two separate runs made - and rejected them both. We made the belt so the buckle just snaps off and you can replace it easily. It may very well happen that we make this jacket and then ship buckles later once we are satisfied. It is becoming the "money pit" of jackets for me.

Some good news.... As you know, I try to do things in an unorthodox manner. Rather than have leather samples sent, I have jackets made in the leathers so I can evaluate them better than a piece of 4" x 4" scrap leather. They are not always film jackets, but other jackets that we can offer as is, without the stigma of inaccuracies. I think we found our WotW leather in one of these jackets, finally. We will eventually get both of these jacket made. I really liked the one I have too but it needs some tweaking to be where it should be. Not much either.

It appears this thread is going off topic though. Hey Hollowpond, that jacket looks fantastic on you. It looks as if it was made especially for you. Oh, wait, it was...

Great looking jacket--love that leather!


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rick5150 wrote:

Michaelson wrote:Yep, just another (yawn) vendor.

Hahaha - Maybe in another 10 years...

We'll see.

that's a great looking jacket and I'm loving how it's very accurate to the time. I've always loved the halfbelt. I ran across an old courdory jacket with suede shoulders that has a half belt at a goodwill once. I bought that thing asap. God knows how old it is.

Seriously thinking on this being my next jacket.......

mirrorspider wrote:Sorry I've come to this thread a little late...

As well as the jacket this quote caught my eye...

Hollowpond wrote:Some of you know of my quest for "historically accurate" Indy-gear.

Do you have any details or a link to another thread on the "rules" behind "historical accuracy" and where you get your source information? (i.e. I wouldn't know an accurate 30's jacket or pair of boots from a hole in the ground)

Cheers,
Alex

GREAT question and one that I don't have a definitive answer for. My "rules" are that they should be period approximate. Not necessarily 1936 or anything. In other words it should have been the 30's and 40's. This jacket is from that era as are cap toe boots. As for source information...this website, and anywhere where that era are celebrated. Heck, just google 30's and 40's clothing and see what pops up.

Oh! By the by, I forgot to mention that in early May these jackets are experiencing a $50 price increase. Which is still a remarkable price considering that includes shipping and includes customizable sleeve and body lengths.

If you're thinking about it, don't drag your feet!!!

For vintage jackets, inclding some 1930's jackets, I highly recommend Rin Tanaka's Motorcycle Jackets: Ultimate Bikers' Fashions and Motorcycle Jackets: A Century of Leather Design. We have exchanged a few e-mails and the man is amazing. Brilliant books and terrific images. If you can look at this book and NOT go on eBay looking for one of the jackets you see, I will eat my Adventurebilt.

Well, thanks for turning me on to this awesome find. I've wanted one of these for a long time myself and the leather looks amazing. It really does. 300 is nothing for this jacket. I especially like the part where you said it's thick. I went to the website and can't see any links that would allow me to enter a sleeve and back length. Has something changed? I even selected custom sized and still didn't get the option to enter any sleeve or back lengths. Anybody have any information that would help me out? Thanks in advance.

T -

You enter your information for back and sleeve length on the second page of the checkout process.

rick5150 wrote:If you can look at this book and NOT go on eBay looking for one of the jackets you see, I will eat my Adventurebilt.

Thanks for the advice, Amazon and eBay here I come!

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