Club Obi Wan

1) How many Indy jackets do you currently own (including anything on order)?

2) What are they (maker, model, leather type, any other pertinent details)?

3) What is your desert island jacket, whether it's in your collection or not; and again, maker, model, leather, etc. (if you could only have one)?

All responses are welcome.

I've got a Todd's (lamb) and a thin horsehide Steele & Jones Cazadora '36. With my limited experience (these are the only jackets I've ever owned), I'd go with my S & J if I could only have one.

Thanks!

1) Two on hand

2) One G&B Expo in the grainiest available goat and a Todd's Raiders (lamb)

3) The G&B Expo above

The G&B is my "real world" jacket, and Todd's is generally reserved for costuming.

Currently have three.

Wested Raiders in pre-distressed cowhide from 2000.

G&B Expo in vegetable tanned goat. It's been through at least a half-dozen members here over the years.

USW Legend in kangaroo hide I got second-hand.

The only other Indy jacket I have owned was at USW Legend in Bison I sold to get the G&B.

If I could only keep one it would be the Wested. It was an anniversary gift from my Bride.


Regards,

Indiana Jeff

I own two (four, kind of). As I'm UK, all my jackets come from Wested, it avoids the import charges/postage.

The reason I say 'kind of' is that I own two Wested non-leather jackets, one of the old cotton ones that had faded slightly, so Peter allowed me to have for cheap when I visited the store way back 2008, and one of their denim offerings from later on in that era that I bought for summer wear.

Leather wise I own:

A 2008 custom Raiders horsehide Wested and

A 2015 custom Hero Raiders shrunken lambskin Wested.

Without a doubt, my favourite is the Hero. The horsehide is a nice, heavy jacket, in a traditional Indy style, but it lacks the odd fit and loose nature of the actual Raiders jacket, making it feel more 'generically Indy'. It's also so tough that despite being nearly ten years old, it only shows signs of distressing around the seams, and the rest of it still looks brand new, whereas I like my jackets with a bit of (natural) wear. It's still really nice and I like it, but I only wear it when it's really cold these days.

The Hero, on the other hand, is probably my most prized possession. Mainly because of where it came from; my Mum passed away two years ago and before she went, she wanted to order me a jacket from her so that I'd wear it all the time and have 'part of her' with me (she also bought me my Horsehide for my 21st birthday back then, and we took the trip up to Wested together, and she always said it was one of her favourite memories spending that weekend away together). And I really do wear it all the time. It's either got to be scorching hot or freezing cold for me not to be wearing that jacket, no matter the scenario.

But even removing sentiment, I couldn't be happier with the jacket. I know a lot of people dislike Wested, but for me, my particular Hero fits perfectly like the movie jacket, and the shrunken lamb leather, while maybe not quite screen accurate, is incredibly close, picks up amazing natural wear, and in my opinion looks great. After two years of near constant wear, it only looks better in my opinion. (I actually posted up recent pictures of it in the Scrapbook here: http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=67263" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;).

But because of where it came from, it isn't just my 'desert island jacket', it's my 'desert island possession'. If you took everything from me and told me I could only keep one thing, it would be that jacket.

I own a Wested LC which I think is horsehide (very tough, pretty thick, and I swear it feels like it weighs 20 pounds!) and a thin cowhide jacket by Flesh & Hide. Living where I do, the F&H gets much more use, and it is weathering so well as I continue to wear it. The Wested doesn't show much in the way of distressing, but it already has a dusty appearance due to the leather not having a glossy feel. It is amazingly soft, too!
Since these are the only two I have experience with, it would depend on the island, but I might lean to the Wested to protect me better.

US Wings:
SL Legend
Imported Steerhide Legend
Goat Legend
Bison Legend
Lamb Legend

Gibson & Barnes:
Goat Expedition
Lamb Expedition

S&J:
Ribby Merino Raiders
Chocolate Brown Cow LC

Wested:
HH Hero
HH ToD
HH Raiders
HH LC
Goat Raiders x 2 (different leathers)
Goat LC
Brown Cow Raiders
Pre-distressed Raiders
Authentic Brown Lamb Raiders
Black Cowhide Raiders
Dark Lambskin Raiders
Old Mystery Raiders (Not sure the hide)
Italian ‘Rosetta’ Hide Raiders

Bill Kelso:
SL Raiders
House HH Raiders

Desert Island Jacket would either be the Kelso SL, Wested Thin Dark Lamb or the G&B Lamb.

Other jackets are good but not in a hot climate.

Glenville, I think you have a serious jacket addiction problem. Don't we have counseling available for that kind of thing here at COW?

whipwarrior wrote:Glenville, I think you have a serious jacket addiction problem. Don't we have counseling available for that kind of thing here at COW?

What my wife said.....

Tried selling a few but people want to pay next to nothing for them. Already gave some away and to charity....lol More will follow once I move back to the States this month.

Now I will have people sending me private messages for free jackets......

At this moment, just two:

Bil Kelso SL "Bantu Wind", 40R and

Wested SL Raider hero 42

Glenville86 wrote:Now I will have people sending me private messages for free jackets......

And then you'll see those same jackets put up for sale.


Regards,

Indiana Jeff

1) I have four... sort of (2 are a size too big, but still have their uses).

2) One is a Wested LC, very thin cowhide, with a dull finish, that I got second hand. The other three are all US Wings; a lightweight predistressed cowhide Signature, a black goat hide Signature, and a NZ lambskin Legend. I love US Wings Signature series jackets, but of course those are the ones that are too big (due to me losing weight).

3) Well, I'm tempted to say a US Wings lightweight cowhide of the correct size, but.... as far as I'm concerned, nothing can top a custom Magnoli. If it was a real desert island - as in warm and rainy, it would be undistressed lambskin. But if it was just a matter of picking only one jacket- dull finish or predistressed cowhide, full satiny lining.

Indiana Jeff wrote:

Glenville86 wrote:Now I will have people sending me private messages for free jackets......

And then you'll see those same jackets put up for sale.


Regards,

Indiana Jeff

That is the truth.....lol

I own a grand total of 3 Indy jackets, all Wested:

* 1998 Raiders lamb skin (my first Indy jacket, now archived)
* 2008 CS dark brown novapelle
* 2016 Raiders Hero dark brown novapelle

My favorite of these is the CS novapelle, which was a custom jacket, and absolutely perfect right out of the box. Originally lined in brown cotton, I later sent it back to The Barn for a heavier grade black cotton for nice insulation. I gave it a light distressing with steel wool, and over the years it has attained a nice adventure-worn look through natural use, and it fits me like a glove. In cold weather, this jacket is virtually my second skin. Absolutely my most favorite Indy jacket ever.

I currently have two:

Wested Raiders in Goat
S&J Raiders in Ribby Merino

I would have to say if it's hot, then the S&J. If it's a bit colder, then the Wested goat...

PS - forgot to mention I also have a Wested cotton Indy.

1. Currently, 3 jackets (although, I think I counted 9 total over the years...)

2. 2006 Wested dark brown lambskin Temple jacket (a Raiders with extra length), a 2008 Nowak CS in distressed cowhide, and a 2012 Bill Kelso Relic Hunter South America in striated lambskin.

3. Probably the Kelso, but with smaller slider buckles, shorter less pointed straps, and fewer striations in the leather.

I'm a little embarrassed to say 27 that I can think of without them being nearby, including one on order, which may never come through. Over a third are Westeds. Probably soon to be 28. Anyway, way too many for one man, obviously.

Many are not brown. I grew really tired of all brown jackets. There are 2 suede Westeds, a light tan Wested, a couple waxed cotton from Magnoli, a couple denim/drill Westeds, a black Wings, 2 black Westeds: I needed the variety.

I really like the waxed cotton Magnoli. Perfect on wet spring days. I have a black and a green one.

As for the 'desert island' jacket, it's pretty subjective but I think I'd be partial to the goat hides-A G&B for sure if the sleeves were a little longer. My current pick would be a Wested goat Hero with 26" sleeves, fairly long on a 46.

From the looks of those S&J thin horsehides, if yours fits, you could stop with that one. I don't have a thin horsehide, nor have I handled one, but it seems a great compromise of strength, drape, and weight.

Kelso's probably have the best hides. I wasted a lot of money before they were manufactured! Not so much afterward!

Based on current offerings, the S&J's seem to offer the the most interesting, as well as SA hides.

JMOYMMV, etc., etc.

Cool I am not alone collecting jackets as a hobby.

Thanks for the replies. Love the stories behind some of these, too. Gotta say, I'm envious of some of your collections. Illinois James, people are going to get tired of me talking about my S&J, but I'm in love with the thing all the way around. The only bad thing about summer coming is that I won't be able to wear it as much. I'd like to have a Wested because, well, I'd just like to have one. I've been thinking about a Hero in goat for quite a while. That's what I was going with until Diego made the thin horsehide available. I may still go that route for my next one. I'd love to have an S&J LC. But my current jacket will likely last a LONG time.

I have one of the S&J earlier merinos and it's fantastic. But their LC looks amazing. I'm considering one in a more durable hide.

I own 5.

1) wested custom LC/CS lamb ( lots of specs to make it more LC)
2) wested lamb LC/CS ( no specs )
3) wested pre-distressed cow
4) wested Raiders in goat
5) S&J custom LC in horse

I like them all, but I'm stuck between the wested goat or the S&J horse.

1) Wested Last Crusade jacket in Novapelle, bought in 2009

2) Wested Last Crusade jacket in goat, bought in 2010

3) US Wings New Zealand Lamb, bought in 2011

Obersalzberg, I take it the Wested goat is OTR? I ask because I'm sort of on the fence as far as that vs. a Hero.

One G&B goat bought 2006. Had a Wested goat but sold it. I only need one Indy.

I have 7 Indy jackets. Have given four more away in the past.
.One Wested heavy horsehide Last Crusade (size 40);
.Two Wested Hero jackets both in Shrunken Lamb, both size 38. One is an inch longer in the back than the other and has a silver zip. The other has dulled brass style zip.
.One US Wings goatskin Legend jacket (size Large)
.One US Wings Bison Legend jacket (size Large)
.One US Wings Shrunken Lamb Legend jacket (size Medium)
.One G&B raiders jacket (sine 40)

If I could only have one, it would be the Wested heavy horsehide, for several reasons. It's indestructable, practical, allows me to fit a sweater underneath but still looks good without, has two inside zipped pockets and looks good when doing outdoor work or just out and about. Can take a beating and a rainfall and looks better and better with age. That said, I absolutely love my Hero SL jackets. I wear them both a lot. The creases, folds, drape, colour are just a perfect Raiders vibe.
I like my US Wings jackets but, right now, don't wear them much. I only wear the USW SL jacket to places like restaurants because it looks new and dressier than the rest (hasn't been soaked or worn much). The bison's leather is great but there's something about the cut that bothers me. I wore my USW goat a lot last year but am less into the uniform colour of it at the moment - great jacket, though.
Ones I have given away over the years:
.Todds (large). The leather was just too flimsy for my liking.
.Wested Raiders goatskin (size 42). Was sad to see this go. Was my first Indy jacket in '08 but my brother now owns it and likes it so that's good. I swear that this thing looks as new as it did when it was bought. Incredible.
.Wested SL (size 40). Shoulder seams on this just went too far down my arms. It's odd, I wear a 40-42 suit jacket in prett much everything and you can see from the above that my Indy jacket sizes are all over the place but they all fit me fine in the 40,42, Medium and Large range. What I've found is that with Wested's Hero jacket, the best fit is actually a 38. Looks much better on me than the 40.
.US Wings imported SL - gave that one to my brother in law. Nice jacket with great character in the leather but I didn't need it anymore and had recently got a good deal on the USW US-made SL jacket I now have.

Ones I have parted with:

2 XXL Todds jackets - Bought a few years apart but did not like the fit or leather very much. Chemical smell was heavy.

USW 2XL Imported Steerhide Legend - Already had the dark brown one of the same jacket.

USW 2XL Roo jacket - measurements were shorter than what USW gave me for back length, pit-to-pit and sleeve length. Tried to make it work but was too small everywhere.

Wested size 50 Raiders in Dark Novapelle. Skin was grey with hundreds of black tiny spots. After pecards, turned darker but just did not like the hide.

USW 2XL labeled Legend. This is what I think was one of those Chinese copies from the lottery jacket days. Very thin.

Lottery 2xl Chinese jacket. Very thin and weird leather.

USW 2XL and Bill Kelso SL jacket size 48L I really screwed up by giving them a cold wash. Ruined the jackets but replaced them.

Wested size 50 cowhide that had a uniform leather on the whole jacket but one half of the collar was a dino croc pattern. Looked like 2-completely different leathers on the collar. Just bothered me.

Wested size 50 SL jacket. Just did not like the hide and the sleeves were too long even though all my other size 50 ones were 27 inches. If I had liked the hide, would have had the sleeves shortened to 27 inches.

USW imported 3xl lambskin. Gave it to my Father along with a couple of Indy hats as a gift.

G&B goat 46L. Was my first one from EBay until I realized I needed to go up to a 48L.

Might be a few others I have forgotten. Most of the above were given away to members or to charity.

Kozmo- yes its OTR, i got it in 2008 if i remember correctly, its in washed goat. I don't know if they still have that hide available or if they have changed the pattern/style of the OTR raiders since then so i can't really help you there. from what I've seen though the HERO looks very nice.

1) 5
2) Kelso Relic in striated lamb (original run), Kelso Relic in thin cow, Kelso Relic in Liberty horse (on its way),Tony Nowak Indy IV, Belstaff Indy jacket
3) Belstaff Brad jacket in Antique Black

1) four so far (two 'Indys' (a ToD (sold in the meantime) and a Raiders) and two 'field jackets')
2) the Indys and one of the field jackets are tailored by Wested, the other one's by German 'Noble House'
3) took me sometime, but finally found the perfect field / expedition jacket for me - an own design heavily based on and inspired by period aviator and motorcycle jackets (kindly tailored by the great people at Wested)

My first was a Wested lamb Raiders, probably about a 44 short. I eventually gave it to my son and it fit him like it was made for him. He's taller and thinner than me so the jacket hangs just right on him. The lining pretty much is worn out in it and someday he'll have to send it off for that - the lining always seemed to be kind of 'not finished' to me and it eventually came apart. The only other one I've had is my current USW distressed cowhide 'Adventurer' which had to be a 'small' to fit me which is weird since I was about 198 lbs when I got it, but the jackets in that series had funny tailoring. As you have probably already noted, sizes are literally all over the place on Indy jackets. Now I'm losing weight by diet and exercise and although I have been able to wear the USW all along, when I lose a few more pounds I think it will finally come into its own. I really like the heavier weight and thicker leather, and the cowhide is very soft. The various hides used on this 'entry level' coat don't match well but the distressing is great although inconsistent and the leather is heavily oiled. I've had this one for about 12 years and I've never put any kind of treatment on it because it just doesn't seem to need it. It has a heavy satin liner that allows easy on/off. I actually felt like I had to be careful not to hurt the Wested lamb jacket because the hide was so fragile but still it was the most perfect jacket of them all IMO. The USW cowhide is definitely rough and tumble. It's getting folds and creases as it ages and it really has become a favorite. A casualty of my returning to a sane weight might be my Avirex A2 that is probably going to be way too big, but I have my eye on a distressed brown leather CWU-45P to replace it in that case. Never say never because there's always another leather jacket around the corner!
By the way, USW did a great job repairing the zipper, liner and pockets on my leather 'M65 Field Jacket' which is my favorite cold weather wear. I can recommend their repair shop for anything you need on a leather jacket.

I think it fair to say that none of us would wear a leather jacket on a desert island, as they are generally in warm tropic latitudes. Just the thought of it makes me sweat!

I've retired from collecting (Indy) jackets. However, I currently have in my collection:

1 LC Wested Lamb
1 LC Wested Cow
1 KotCS (based on my own specs, pre-movie release) Wested Cow
1 ToD Wested Distressed Lamb
3 KotCS Tony Nowak Distressed Cowhides
2 RotLA Tony Nowak Lamb
1 Struzen Tony Nowak Cow
1 KotCS (Mutt) Tony Nowak Cow
1 KotCS (Mutt) Tony Nowak Surrogates-Cow

Those are the ones off the top of my head... I might have forgotten one or two jackets, but I still have every jacket, and am in search of more closet space!

Although I've retired from the Indy jacket game, I'm still very much in love with leather jackets. I've just decided that the main Indy-style jackets don't look as good on me as certain other styles...

In the 10 years it took me to come to this conclusion, I've slowly learned that ultimately the jacket you'll wear the most is the one that speaks to you, not Indy. Don't get me wrong, I still love every jacket I bought, I regret nothing, and I treasure every hoarded jacket for the memory they each carry, but in the end, I just prefer a jacket that is 'me' rather than Indy.




...and with that said, if I *were* forced to pick one Indy jacket and give up the rest, it probably would be the first Tony Nowak KotCS jacket I ordered, as it was in many ways the holy grail I was after when I entered in the hobby. Made by the same guy that made the movie, made the same year the movie was released, and it gave me a chance to visit Indy's jacket maker and call him a friend for a very fleeting moment in time. That alone was worth the price of admission.

About all I have in my closet are prototypes that were never made, or no longer in production, so there's no real reason to list any of them. You either can't get them, or they're not available anymore.

I have passed on so many jackets over the past 30+ years, I have totally lost count, so we won't dwell on that.

That said, it would be a toss-up between two if I was forced into a choice....that being either my USW's 'roo Legend pattern, or a Wested hybrid I got a few months ago made from novapelle cowhide and slash front pockets (instead of the standard patch pockets. I just can't keep from grabbing that one every time I walk out the door when a leather jacket is required....but the 'roo jacket is as tough as a pine knot and water resistant to boot!

Regards! Michaelson

1/ Wested TOD oil pulled calf skin - sold on
2/ Wested 'plonge' thin leather - passed on
3/ Wested LC - sold on
4/ Wested TOD Goat - passed on
5/ Wested LC standard lamb - destroyed by overzealous use of washing machine
6/ Wested TOD calf - fave jacket No 2
7/ Wested Hero - - fave jacket No 4
8/ S&J Cazadora 35 in thin calfskin- fave jacket No 1
9/ S&J Cazadora 36 in thin calfskin- fave jacket No 3

There's not much between my top 4 .... the S&J's are great and much cooler for hotter days for sure .. My Temple is the most beat up scratched and distressed jacked and the Hero is just a great looking Raiders Jacket

Frankly .... We all need our heads examined!

No! We're the sane ones. It's everyone else who's crazy.

We're not crazy. We're just passionate...very very very extremely passionate.

1) One Indy jacket

2) Wested custom Raiders in dark brown novapelle from 2006

3)Wested Raiders Hero in shrunken lamb

1) I only own the one.
2) Western Raiders in goat skin.
3) I would certainly make sure I'd have that jacket with me. After a soaking in a heavy rain storm and a rather risky journey in a tumble dryer, it destressed up nicely. I love it.

I have two sitting in the parcel at home waiting for me! Both Raiders, one in brown goat and the other in copper novapelle. Really looking forward to wearing them. Oh both from Wested by the way along with the shirt and trousers.

Hi there Yellowduke. My shirt and trousers are also both Wested and I'm purfectly happy with them. The trousers are exact in the waist though instead of having a little space like High Street fashion. It means they're snug, but not tight. I might struggle if I had to eat a large meal in them though.

Dangerfreak wrote:Hi there Yellowduke. My shirt and trousers are also both Wested and I'm purfectly happy with them. The trousers are exact in the waist though instead of having a little space like High Street fashion. It means they're snug, but not tight. I might struggle if I had to eat a large meal in them though.

I tried the trousers on and found they actually came up rather small and actually measured less than the size. I had to ask them to make a larger size for me! Need more exercise.

Hmmmm . . .

Without looking -

3 Wested jackets in lamb

1 Wested Novapelle

4 US Wings in various hides

2 Nowak ROTLA jackets - 1 in CS cowhide and one in shrunken lamb

1 Nowak CS in cowhide

1 Kelso Relic hunter in striated lamb

Desert island jacket - if leather - a Levi's Vintage Skyfall jacket in sheepskin

Otherwise one of my Barbour Rexton jackets.

1) 2006 Wested custom Raiders in dark novapelle (46)

2) 2017 Wested Raiders Hero in shrunken lamb (44) - i absolutely love this jacket

Desert island jacket would be my mint 1957 LW Foster G1 (46) followed by my Hero jacket.

I have three currently:

1) Wested Lamb in authentic brown - 2005
2) Wested Pre-distressed cow - 2007
3) Tony Nowak Original Crystal Skull hide - 2008?

I want to add a Wested HH eventually.

Wested Raiders Hero in dark brown Novapelle.
My wife has taken to wearing it.

Wested summer raiders jacket

Steele and Jones Raiders in ribby merino

Us wings Legend in Striated Lamb. Perfect fit and built like a tank.


One I don't have yet but want

Kelso in Striated Lamb hero/cairo style


Jim

AT that moment i have 6 Indy jackets.
-2 Bill Kelso Relic Hunter in Cairo and Hawaï style,triated lambskin.

-2 Temple of Doom ,one from Wested (a special custom made with my own batch of brown "waxy mountain "lambskin)and Steele & Jones dark brown calfskin.

-2 Tony Nowak,KOTCS and Crusade.


Mostly worn,BK RELIC Hawaï and desert jacket TN Crusade jacket.

Wow!!

That's quite a selection. I'm really diggin' that Wested TOD and the Nowak CS. How on earth do you decide which jacket to put on?

Nice jackets. Still pondering a Relic Hunter, just not sure which one I'd want, Cairo or South America.

WOW...Love the Kelso's.
Gotta get a Relic Hunter Cairo when they get the darker SL back in.
jim

Are they getting the darker stuff back in? I was under the impression that they’d pretty well settled on the present color.

I have 4:
a ~2004 Wested authentic brown goatskin custom Raiders.
a 2011-2012 Wested Hero jacket in Lambskin
A Nowak CS
A BK Cairo in the current striated lamb. Of the 4, the BK is my desert island jacket. It’s absolutely phenomenal, and I can’t wait for spring to come so I can wear it again. The Nowak is my second favorite, but it isn’t a very close competition.