Club Obi Wan

Hi everyone, I'm new here and I'm considering ordering a Wested jacket, I just can't decide between goatskin or cowhide. I live in Perth, Australia and it gets pretty hot here but for most of the year it's usually 15 - 20 degrees Celcius. I'm originally from Ireland so am used to the cold and I plan on travelling a bit once I finish with my degree so I want a jacket that can last. I don't want something really lightweight like lambskin but not something ridiculously heavy either. Oh and Raiders jacket vs LC? Which do you guys prefer, whic does Wested have a better reputation with if any? I'm torn because Raiders is the original but LC is my favourite Indy movie. This is the sort of colour/texture I want, can anyone tell what leather it is by looking at it? Also should I get it distressed or not?

Thanks!

http://www.wested.com/testimonials-21-w.asp#swipebox

Whoops the link just brings you to the testimonials page, the specific picture I'm talking about is the fourth down on the right hand side (the one with the guy dressed as Indy with Sallah)

The Wested LC is not very accurate and looks more like a KotCS jacket - unless you go custom with clear specs you may be disapointed. The Raiders jacket along with their ToD are the most accurate. Wested leather isn't all that heavy but I would go goat. In Melbourne it rarely gets cold enough for much heavier hides. Goat is one of the strongest leathers available and fairly light with it. I have about 4 goat jackets including an Indy by Gibson and Barnes. I always say no to drugs and jacket distressing, let time take care of that unless you wish to create a costume jacket.

I just got the Wested Raiders goat and I absolutely love it! It's a bit heavier than the lamb but still not too bad and it is strong...you said you want something that will last...that would be the goat. Although I do not believe that Wested offers a distressed goatskin...

In terms of thickness and light to heavy(er): lamb, goat, cow. People sometimes ascribe warmth to the thickness of leather, but leather and a thin liner are not really effective as insulators. Fleece, polyfill, thinsulate and down are insulators. The two are good products and effective for warmth when combined for use as one jacket. If you were to be traveling to colder climates, and prefer to wear an Indy jacket, it would be best to use a good insulating type of under garment or sweater, such as the zip fleece jackets/vests, etc. that are so popular these days and simply wear the leather jacket over it. The leather by itself is a good wind block but not a good insulator. Fleece and other insulators are fine for warmth, but not good wind blocks. Yet you combine the two and you have quite the jacket.

If I were you, and living in Perth, much more than these other colder climates, I would by a jacket that wears better in Perth, most all year around, and then use an insulating undergarment for warmth when traveling to colder climates.

In short, this frees you up to buy whatever skin you want, light weight or heavy. Here are a few ideas thinking outside the box. Wested's Shrunken Lamb is a fantastic skin, in terms of its feel, texture and warm undertones (not gray). It would wear, distress and break in much easier than goat. WPG's goatskin jacket is wonderful, thin and pliable leather for an Indy, very soft for goatskin. Another great option would be Steele and Jones' either thin cow or regular weight cow. Both are very good choices for an Indy. Unless someone else has a different experience with Wested's goatskin, their goat typically takes quite a while to beak in and distress, unless they have a new batch that is very pliable, like washed goat used to be. It felt like lamb, it was that soft. Wested's cowhide tends to be thicker and heavier than lamb or goat, but breaks in easy. Their lamb touch cowhide is lighter weight, but not as light as S&J's thin cow. Maybe that will give you a few options?

Wested's authentic brown goatskin is strong stuff, but the color always underwhelmed me, particularly with the grayish undertones. I've always been tempted by the their soft seal brown cowhide. Anyone have that leather who can speak up?

As to Raiders or LC, well to be blunt, the Raiders cut, IMO, looks better on a thinner athletic body type, whereas the the LC/CS is a bit more forgiving, with wider arm holes, wider yoke, press studs on the storm flap, and tends to look a bit better in a slightly longer length.

Texan Scott wrote:In terms of thickness and light to heavy(er): lamb, goat, cow. People sometimes ascribe warmth to the thickness of leather, but leather and a thin liner are not really effective as insulators. Fleece, polyfill, thinsulate and down are insulators. The two are good products and effective for warmth when combined for use as one jacket. If you were to be traveling to colder climates, and prefer to wear an Indy jacket, it would be best to use a good insulating type of under garment or sweater, such as the zip fleece jackets/vests, etc. that are so popular these days and simply wear the leather jacket over it. The leather by itself is a good wind block but not a good insulator. Fleece and other insulators are fine for warmth, but not good wind blocks. Yet you combine the two and you have quite the jacket.

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Based on this, does anybody know if there is an Indy jacket with a fleece kind of insulation?
I do not wear mine much in the winter because it is not warm enough, and I just don't want to wear a fleece over my clothes and then the jacket.
I would appreciate any information.

I believe Magnoli does a fur lined 'Adventure Jacket', which is essentially an Indy jacket with a flying jacket style furry collar and sleeves (I think).

Today it was 2°C and snowing. I wore my shrunken lamb with a fleece jumper underneath. Only just warm enough for the short walk to the car and whilst it was warming up!

Certainly not 'toasty'.

I tend to wear my horsehide over a hoodie when it's cold too, and that's usually fine. I guess the extra weight pins the other layers to me for warmth. I certainly notice the difference when I wear my shrunken lamb now.

I wear the Wested HH when it is in the thirties or below with a fleece vest and stay warm on my 2 mile walk to work and back. The Wested goat is good with a vest above 40 degrees and without a vest for me 50 or higher. The Wested HH to me is strictly a Winter jacket.

I have a Wested distressed cowhide as well but feel this jacket is also more of colder weather jacket as it is not really that thin.