Club Obi Wan

Tough questions demand tough answers, but of all the Raiders jackets and their makers, which one do you think is the BEST representation of the Raiders film jacket, in terms of the "look", feel, drape, movement, skin, etc? Asthetics here.

Understandably, there are price differences, but the truth is, every one of these vendors purposes to make a Raiders jacket.

Of all the offerings, which one put it over the top for you. Maybe it was just a photo.

Past or present.....

.....the words......"apples and oranges" are banned from this discussion.

Think it over, and give it your best vote.

I had to vote for the Magnoli because I own one, and there is something just so right about it. That said, I still wish Todd's standard came in a size that would fit my mutant body, because watching Adam Savage in that thing always makes me feel all... Indygearish!

I almost voted other because (except for having no cargo pockets and having straps on the cuffs) my sheepskin Levi's Vintage Menlo jacket has the feel, drape and movement more than any "real" Raiders jacket. Of the Raiders jackets I do own (and I have neither a Todd's nor a Magnoli) the Relic Hunter is probably closest.

Well, you only let me pick one...!!!

In order:

Kelso - excellent cut, nearly perfect hide, drape, color, excellent
Steele & Jones - verrrrry close second
Todd's - if the sleeves fit you
Nowak - great cut, Tony resurrected the pattern for everyone, but hides were too heavy.
Wested - the ONLY thing that holds them back are the hides, though the new shrunken lamb is pretty great, could be a smidge darker
Magnoli - I have never seen one in person though I like the pics
Gibson and Barnes - great quality, but a bit too good to match the Raiders drape and movement
Wings - c'mon, fix the darn gap between the back panel and the pleat, but solid otherwise

Now all that said, that does NOT take into account durability or price, real world factors that make a difference. But if you're trying to match what you see on screen, that's my list.

Tibor wrote:Well, you only let me pick one...!!!

In order:

Kelso - excellent cut, nearly perfect hide, drape, color, excellent
Steele & Jones - verrrrry close second
Todd's - if the sleeves fit you
Nowak - great cut, Tony resurrected the pattern for everyone, but hides were too heavy.
Wested - the ONLY thing that holds them back are the hides, though the new shrunken lamb is pretty great, could be a smidge darker
Magnoli - I have never seen one in person though I like the pics
Gibson and Barnes - great quality, but a bit too good to match the Raiders drape and movement
Wings - c'mon, fix the darn gap between the back panel and the pleat, but solid otherwise

Now all that said, that does NOT take into account durability or price, real world factors that make a difference. But if you're trying to match what you see on screen, that's my list.

I think that is a PERFECT breakdown of the bunch. I would have to agree with ya.

This seems to come up a lot.

I went for Gibson and Barnes. The jacket I saw was not made of lamb, wasn't striated and was tough as nails. The drape was probably goat and the pockets details were hard to identify but looked like A2 cargo pockets.

The G&B is what I saw Indy wearing. A jacket that wouldn't tear, would be abrasion resistant but wouldn't be too heavy to wear in warmer climes.

I tend to ignore the forensic examination of those costume patterned jackets that we see here, like insects pinned to a board, as that's not what I saw in Raiders. In the movie the jacket remained largely mysterious, like the main character himself.

How is this poll any different from this one from a year ago?

http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=58939" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Wondering,


Indiana Jeff

New year, new members, different opinions and perspectives. Feel free to delete the old one.

I think the only way to truly do this poll justice is to have actually owned or seen each jacket in person. I would love to try that!!!!

There are several different ways of thinking in terms of your choice of these jackets. Like CM said, you can think of it conceptually, as if Indy was a guy who actually lived in the 30's, and given the rough and tumble adventures he faced, what type of jacket could have used, or was best suited to him from that perspective? He would have needed a sturdy jacket that would have held up under many of these extreme conditions, yet was light weight enough to wear most anywhere, easy to carry, packable-mobile, on the go. The way this jacket was made, it was more of a leather covering, for say, chilly nights in the desert, when temps. drop rapidly from the extreme heat of the desert sun; or as protection from the hazards of the jungle, such as razor grass, poisonous plants, mosquitoes, pre-Off days, etc.

Speaking from personal experience I'll go with Todd's standard.

Bdgsi11 wrote:

Tibor wrote:Well, you only let me pick one...!!!

In order:

Kelso - excellent cut, nearly perfect hide, drape, color, excellent
Steele & Jones - verrrrry close second
Todd's - if the sleeves fit you
Nowak - great cut, Tony resurrected the pattern for everyone, but hides were too heavy.
Wested - the ONLY thing that holds them back are the hides, though the new shrunken lamb is pretty great, could be a smidge darker
Magnoli - I have never seen one in person though I like the pics
Gibson and Barnes - great quality, but a bit too good to match the Raiders drape and movement
Wings - c'mon, fix the darn gap between the back panel and the pleat, but solid otherwise

Now all that said, that does NOT take into account durability or price, real world factors that make a difference. But if you're trying to match what you see on screen, that's my list.

I think that is a PERFECT breakdown of the bunch. I would have to agree with ya.

wow! Thank you so much for this referrals.
2nd place and very close.

Kind regards.-

Tuff to choose between GnB and Todd's.

CM wrote:This seems to come up a lot.

I went for Gibson and Barnes. The jacket I saw was not made of lamb, wasn't striated and was tough as nails. The drape was probably goat and the pockets details were hard to identify but looked like A2 cargo pockets.

The G&B is what I saw Indy wearing. A jacket that wouldn't tear, would be abrasion resistant but wouldn't be too heavy to wear in warmer climes.

I tend to ignore the forensic examination of those costume patterned jackets that we see here, like insects pinned to a board, as that's not what I saw in Raiders. In the movie the jacket remained largely mysterious, like the main character himself.

Texan Scott wrote:There are several different ways of thinking in terms of your choice of these jackets. Like CM said, you can think of it conceptually, as if Indy was a guy who actually lived in the 30's, and given the rough and tumble adventures he faced, what type of jacket could have used, or was best suited to him from that perspective? He would have needed a sturdy jacket that would have held up under many of these extreme conditions, yet was light weight enough to wear most anywhere, easy to carry, packable-mobile, on the go. The way this jacket was made, it was more of a leather covering, for say, chilly nights in the desert, when temps. drop rapidly from the extreme heat of the desert sun; or as protection from the hazards of the jungle, such as razor grass, poisonous plants, mosquitoes, pre-Off days, etc.

But there in lies the rub. This thread is not about what Jacket do you think Indy would be wearing as an adventurer in the 1930s. It's not about the practical aspects of it.

This thread is about what current run jacket out there is the most accurate representation of the jacket Indy wears in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

It doesn't matter if it is durable or is lightweight or is accurate to the time period, etc, etc etc.

What jacket available to us today tickles our fancy towards the look of Indy in Raiders. The movie jacket is made for looks, not durability, not functionality, not even historically accurate.

As the original poster stated, " the look, drape and feel" not "real world application"

Who said that?

Any member is entitled to his own opinion and perspective on the matter, but yeah, it is about who currently has captured its own 'lightning in a bottle' or as closely as possible. This question could be closely linked with...if you had only one to choose from...?

Tibor wrote: Now all that said, that does NOT take into account durability or price, real world factors that make a difference. But if you're trying to match what you see on screen, that's my list.

So then shouldn't there be 3 more polls?
1 for durability
1 for cost
1 for which would Indy have chosen considering real world scenarios and adventures

then run them all together to make some kind of overall polling and grading scale??

jus sayin

*goes back to digging*

-j

Try the first post. Which jacket in your opinion, looks the most like the film jacket?

Out of all the jackets I've had, the Relic Hunter in grainy lamb is dead on like the opening scenes of Raiders in the jungle... the Hawaiian jacket.

"Accurate" and price...go Todd. Better fit and variety of leather, go Wested Co "maker original" .With Wested get either your exact size or size smaller if your going after Raiders jacket....Standard Raiders. Then there´s Hero (See the thread,I wont touch that with a 10 foot stick ) I´ve reasoned get custom made one if sleeves and backlength are an issue.They´re patient enough to make alterations; pockets and such, people see details differently. .But the Bottomline is "do your research and then go to the field"

I have actually owned one of each except the Magnoli, which I`ve seen in person, and a Steele &Jones, which I have in the works, so with regards to that, and taking into account what the poll is asking, I have to say....
Bill Kelso Relic Hunter all the way!

Texan Scott wrote:Try the first post. Which jacket in your opinion, looks the most like the film jacket?

Sadly
I have none of them...
So my opinion holds little water presently

that's actually what im trying to figure though...
an opinion
Which one will do me best,

SA, durable, perfect fit, striated lamb that is the right color, good customer service.

opinion sways towards Kelso
I just want to know it will last me forever at $800+ U.S.
As I will have only one jacket.


cool


-j

Well, if longevitiy is a big puchase point for you, I'm wearing my lambskin G&B Expo that dates from 2000-01, and it's still in great shape. I also own a G&B vegetable tanned goatskin from the same time, and it's in the same condition.

The Expo is the one I voted for, as it checks all those boxes for me and HAS the proven track record with years of use.

Regards !Michaelson

The Kelso hasn`t been around long enough to verify its strength but, in my opinion, it does seem to be very well built and built to last. The Flightsuits HAS been around a looooong time and has definitely stood the test and come thru proudly. BUT considering everything else that surrounds the Kelso, I`d say that would be the route to go IF you have the funds. I know you stated that you want just one jacket but......well, any longtime gearhead will tell you, that aint gonna happen!

LOL! Amen to THAT, old friend!!

Regard! Michaelson

backstagejack wrote:

CM wrote:This seems to come up a lot.

I went for Gibson and Barnes. The jacket I saw was not made of lamb, wasn't striated and was tough as nails. The drape was probably goat and the pockets details were hard to identify but looked like A2 cargo pockets.

The G&B is what I saw Indy wearing. A jacket that wouldn't tear, would be abrasion resistant but wouldn't be too heavy to wear in warmer climes.

I tend to ignore the forensic examination of those costume patterned jackets that we see here, like insects pinned to a board, as that's not what I saw in Raiders. In the movie the jacket remained largely mysterious, like the main character himself.

Texan Scott wrote:There are several different ways of thinking in terms of your choice of these jackets. Like CM said, you can think of it conceptually, as if Indy was a guy who actually lived in the 30's, and given the rough and tumble adventures he faced, what type of jacket could have used, or was best suited to him from that perspective? He would have needed a sturdy jacket that would have held up under many of these extreme conditions, yet was light weight enough to wear most anywhere, easy to carry, packable-mobile, on the go. The way this jacket was made, it was more of a leather covering, for say, chilly nights in the desert, when temps. drop rapidly from the extreme heat of the desert sun; or as protection from the hazards of the jungle, such as razor grass, poisonous plants, mosquitoes, pre-Off days, etc.

But there in lies the rub. This thread is not about what Jacket do you think Indy would be wearing as an adventurer in the 1930s. It's not about the practical aspects of it.

This thread is about what current run jacket out there is the most accurate representation of the jacket Indy wears in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

It doesn't matter if it is durable or is lightweight or is accurate to the time period, etc, etc etc.

What jacket available to us today tickles our fancy towards the look of Indy in Raiders. The movie jacket is made for looks, not durability, not functionality, not even historically accurate.

As the original poster stated, " the look, drape and feel" not "real world application"

Huh? What I read in this post is "what did I see on screen and therefore what jacket bests represents this." In the film we didn't really get a good look at the jacket. I got into this in 1981, before computers and screenshots so what I saw was an A2 style jacket that looked very tough and was probably goatskin. Didn't realize there were no knits until I saw the video a couple of years later. I've never seen Indy wearing a costume jacket. To me it was as I wrote above.