Club Obi Wan

My current and only Indy jacket is a circa 1990 USWings, so it's pretty dated and not very screen accurate. I've decided it is time to upgrade and have decided on S&J after seeing all the feedback here. Raiders is my favorite, so it has to be the Cazadora '36. I've been emailing back and forth with Diego and I'm stuck on the type of leather to order it in. It's either going to be Ribby Merino or the Thin Horsehide. I'll wear it primarily for cosplay, but would certainly wear at other times as well. For indoors cosplay Use Diego said the Horsehide is cooler and it's the toughest, will last a lifetime. But I like the look and texture of the Ribby Merino and it's the movie jacket material. So how does one decide?

I have one in thin cowhide because of durability and cost, Diego had special clearance on it, I love mine light was perfect for spring and fall. They are pretty good at getting fit correct based on measurements and work is top notch you can't go wrong with them. I know you want screen accuracy and the ribbo gives you that but unless your standing right next to it the thin horsehide if anything like my cowhide will look and drape like in the film, plus if your spending this kind of money I'm not sure if I would trust the ribbo to last as long or hold up as everyday wear. If its just for limited use its probably ok. But I would trust Diego's recommendation he know what he is doing. I plan on ordering a LC style soon for winter use and will get it slightly larger for laying under it and will probably go with his recommendation on hide. I posted pics of my jacket on a thread if you want to look at it hope this helps. This was my first Indy jacket and I did a lot of research before choosing them over Wested, and to quote the knight I choose wisely lol.

I recently ordered an LC in Standard Horsehide.

I chose the LC because I don't want looseness in the chest.

As for the leather, I chose horsehide because Diego said, if he were contacted by the Indy 5 team to make jackets for the film, he would use this hide. He said nothing comes close as to durability and it is also very soft and supple for horsehide. And I want to wear mine everyday, so durability without stifling heat was a must.

You're taking the best route by asking all the right questions. Seems like you have a definite answer on the hide...good luck!

I would order in the correct leather to be honest. You want the jacket to look accurate, and unless you go hiking across mountains in bad weather the leather will be fine. I keep seeing the S&Jones jackets in different leather and they don't quite look right.

I'd ask him to send you samples .. i have a 35 and 36 both in the thin calfskin but i have to say he sent me samples of a couple of other hides including his lambskin offering and id have to say its pretty impressive and a great colour ...

Thanks for all in the input so far, I really appreciate it!

I like the idea of material samples, I'll ask.

Any other thoughts and/or opinions?

I'm in your boat. I ordered a Raiders jacket a few weeks ago and was bouncing back and forth between ribby merino and standard horsehide. I already bought a S&J LC jacket this winter in distressed cowhide, courtesy of the special sale Diego had. I do love the fit and quality of the jacket. But as was mentioned above, the leather choice is paramount. So for me, the leather on my LC isn't exactly what I want, as it's too thin and there is very little grain.

So when ordering the Raiders, I thought hard about these aspects of the leather. I have decided to go with the ribby merino. The grain and color appear to be spot on with the movie jacket. Diego told me the ribby merino is a little thicker than my LC jacket. And recent pics I've seen in this forum of the ribby merino Raiders cinched the deal for me. If I had to order a LC, though, I'd go with the horsehide.

I am in the queue. Hoping to get my jacket by September! Sigh.

I'm not buying a S&J jacket (yet), but my thinking is, if you want screen accuracy, why settle for a non-SA hide? Especially since you're thinking of mostly wearing it for cosplay, ribby Merino seems like the way to go to me. It sounds like it's the one that appeals to you too. Honestly, it sounds like a slam dunk to me.

I wanted a great looking jacket so I went with the ribby merino Raiders from S&J...while it is sort of light weight, it still feels great and will do you well for what you want...

Mulceber wrote:I'm not buying a S&J jacket (yet), but my thinking is, if you want screen accuracy, why settle for a non-SA hide? Especially since you're thinking of mostly wearing it for cosplay, ribby Merino seems like the way to go to me. It sounds like it's the one that appeals to you too. Honestly, it sounds like a slam dunk to me.

I agree with you, but my fear is I'm spending a substantial amount of money on a jacket, go with the Ribby Merino, then it gets damaged (I dunno maybe I snag it on something and it tears?!) and it would have not have if it would have been the Horsehide. Plus the Horsehide is cooler to wear. But if it doesn't look as screen accurate ...

Order a distressed jacket; if it snags on something, claim it's a bullet hole and call it more screen accurate.

What you need to do is look what you typically put your clothing through. The reality is, any leather can be torn if things go wrong. But how much risk will you put it in? If you do wear it for more than cosplay, how do your other clothes fair with such use? If you really need high durability, then horsehide might be called for. If not, prioritize the features that matter most to you.

For example, I want quality, but I don't need to pick the toughest leathers or other materials. I'm the sort who can have a 10-year-old jacket that barely looks worn. On the other hand, I have a friend who can somehow make anything look 10 years old inside of a month... a hard 10 years! For me, as long as a leather jacket is well constructed, any hide is tough enough for my life. If it suffers any real damage, it would be a fluke - just bad luck that could just as well harm anything.

I agree completely, Chewie. I have a Wested Lambskin that I can't imagine is more sturdy than S&J's Ribby Merino, but it's never been a problem. It's really all about how much you abuse your gear.

It doesn't make a lot of sense to me to go to one of the top vendors for accuracy and not order an accurate leather. You may as well save some cash and order a Wested Hero in Horsehide if you want something durable and movie pattern accurate, but that's just me.

OK!

I'm going with the Ribby Merino!

I think ...

Then you have those like me who want function over form. Personally I'd go for the thin horsehide for long term durability....and ones I've seen to date have very nice looking hides.

Like I said, though, that's just me, and as you can see, there are as many opinions as there are members here....so ultimately YOU have to decide what works for YOU.....not what WE want.

Regards! Michaelson

First of all, thanks everyone that has written, I really appreciate it!

I'm going to order a Ribby Merino as I've realized that screen accuracy is of paramount importance to me.

That being said, do I order it distressed or no?

If you're buying that hide based on screen accuracy, may as well let them also do the distressing. They do a fantastic job, from the photos I've seen.

Regard! M

Agreed! May as well go all the way.

Chewbacca Jones wrote:Agreed! May as well go all the way.

It's a done deal!

I'm S&J Order #112
Cazadora '36 Raiders
Ribby Merino
Screen accurate distressed

Now to get my measurements made and sent in.

Great call!

Just got an email from Diego with S&J tonight.

He will start cutting the leather tomorrow and Saturday it goes to the workshop for assembly!

Congrats! I hope it will be in your hands very soon.

You're gonna love it.

I second that!! I got to wear my S&J yesterday since it is finally get a bit chilly in the mornings and I love it! YOu will too!

Mine is #107. I also got a ribby Merino ‘36 with light distressing. It was finished last week, then sent out yesterday to my home in the states. I’ll be checking the status online every few hours until it arrives at my door!

FYI, this is my second S&J (my first was a ‘38, now I’m back for the original). If you’re in the U.S., the jacket will take a few days to clear customs, during which it will seem like the jacket fell into a dark pit of snakes, and you’ll get no updates. In my case, I think it took a full week before its status finally updated. That was a fun wait. But TOTALLY worth it! I wear my jacket pretty much daily.

Thanks everybody, super excited, can’t wait!

Considering this jacket also for Raiders , looks like the quality is there.

Diego from S&J just sent me pics of my finished jacket for approval!

What do people think? Looks like a pretty accurate Raiders?!

My choices for it are:

CAZADORA '36 -Raiders-
Leather "Dark Brown Ribby Merino"
Size: 44 (slightly roomier in chest)
Screen accurate distressed
Screen accurate ribbyness and grain
Lining: Cotton body with satin sleeves

Note: First four pics taken in full sun and flash. Last two taken in full sun only.

That is a great looking jacket!!!

Best wishes,
Dr. Nebraska S.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Fantastic! That's the exact same make/model/skin, etc. that I got last year, except I didn't get the distressing. Looks great!

Wow - it looks like it will be a very comfortable jacket to wear! It might replace your pajamas!
In all seriousness - it is nice to have a jacket you can wear comfortably in the car or on the plane.

I always wear my fairly-lighter skin Indy jacket when I travel. Keeps me warm (and safe from the germs of airplane seats and movie seats) without causing me to overheat.

Great looking jacket, Tinplatejeff. I say that because mine from Diego just arrived on Monday! #107. And it looks virtually the same as yours, but with very little distressing. I’m so pleased with my Cazadora ‘36 - been wearing it as much as possible each day. Fit is spot on, leather is comfortable and of a high quality, and thickness is just what I wanted. You’ll love yours too. Good luck waiting for it to arrive!

Thanks everybody!

Will update when it arrives.

Hi Tinplatejeff, I have a Cazadora '36 in Ribby Merino by S&J and I have to say it is great !! It is a thin hide/leather that you can wear in warmer climates but won't hold up to anything colder than high 40 degree weather. It is a thin leather but I have to tell you it sits well on me, no flying squirrel effect. I wanted to order custom measurements for my jacket and they told me with my body size and requirements to stick with movie/to my size measurements that would be correct and they were right !! Ribby Merino is not meant for cold weather but perfect for the light flexible jacket that we see in the movies, particularly in Raiders. Good luck and enjoy !!

After nearly a month in transit my new S&J jacket arrived this week!

What an awesome jacket! I love my Ribby Merino S&J made for me. Wear it in good health.
jim

Very Nice I wished mine was as long on me as yours. I know its a short style jacket according to Diego but I have never totally gotten used to it. My LC is on the way and had him make it longer hope its long enough and looks like yours.

Yeah, I noticed the length, but I think TinplateJeff is wearing high-waisted trousers, which accounts for the length. Is that correct?

Length is a personal preference, and yes, how high the waist of your pants tends to sit can can change the length's appearance. I prefer the back of the jacket to just cover the top of the back pockets of my pants, while the bottom of the jacket's front to end about an inch and a half past my belt buckle.

Absolutely gorgeous. I have a '36 in thin horsehide that I LOVE. Seeing a few of the SA distressed is making me want one of those, too... Along with an SA LC. Diego, you're gonna take all my money!

Yea, the screen accurate distressing is amazing! And the Ribby Merino leather is just glorious!

As far as the length, I think it's perfect, what you see is a factor of my body shape. Trousers tend to ride up high on me.

My only complaint is the sleeves are just slightly too long. Not too worried about it, can always get them altered, better than too short.

For those curious, here are my order details:

ORDER # 112
CAZADORA '36 -Raiders-
Leather "Dark Brown Ribby Merino"
Size: 44 (slightly roomier in chest)
NOTES
Screen accurate distressed
Screen accurate ribbyness and grain
Lining: Cotton body with satin sleeves
Sleeve length: 66 cm
Armpit-to armpit: 63 cm
Back width: 54 cm
Back length: 66 cm

Note, my height is 5' 10" & chest is 46".

Here's a picture wearing jeans with it. I'll try to get some better pictures outside when the weather improves. It's currently 27F and snowing here

Beautiful jacket, beautiful.

Hey RayROnline, when did Robert Picardo stop by your place for pic op ??? NICE !!! I love my Steele and Jones Cazadora '36.

I'm no expert, but your jacket looks great to me!
I hope you're thrilled with it every time you wear it