Another Work of Art by Steele & Jones: Truck Chase Jacket
Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 1:33 pm
What can I say about the Steele & Jones Truck Chase Jacket that hasn’t already been said by Mark Raats, Croft and others who are much more qualified to appraise such a work of art? I’ll try to add a couple of personal observations from my jacket and my experience with Steele & Jones.
Customer Service
I have to start with S&J’s customer service. I had a wonderful experience from initially reaching out to S&J through Instagram and chatting with Roberto all the way through to follow-up emails from Diego after my jacket arrived. Their customer service is truly world-class. Diego always responded quickly to my emails and answered every question in detail.
My interest in the Truck Chase Jacket is probably different than many members of this forum. My profession requires a fair share of travel and working “in the field.” I wanted the jacket for that purpose only, not gearing up in the full Indy outfit. After speaking with Diego, I chose the buckles without the SA prongs since I didn’t really need them. And I chose the optional cotton lining, which would be tougher. Thank you, Diego, for your guidance.
To navigate the current COVID-19 shipping issues that many countries are experiencing, Diego gave me the option of shipping my jacket via UPS. I chose that route and my jacket safely arrived four days later on June 29.
Superb Craftsmanship
Everything that Croft and Mark Raats shared about the Truck Chase Jacket is true. It is indeed an incredible work of art. The jacket looks like it was taken from Indy himself—perhaps lifted from his suitcase while he was having dinner with a group of dignitaries or taken from his tent in a South American jungle, eventually making its way into the capable hands of Steele & Jones many years later. Folks, it’s the real thing.
I would like to share a note on the color. As you all know, lighting in photos and video can make it difficult to discern the true color of a brown leather jacket, or fedora for that matter. Like most colors, browns can vary tremendously. Some photos of the Truck Chase jacket on this forum make it look more orange, or like it has a reddish or lighter tint. It’s not. That’s just the lighting in the photos. Their SA “Chocolate Ribby Lambskin” is true to its name. It’s a darker, blacker brown than another Indy jacket (from another vendor) that I own. To my eye, and to the eye of my wife who is a long-time professional in the fashion/textile industry, the S&J jacket is the closest match to the color of the jacket you see in Raiders.
This tailored S&J jacket fit perfectly right out of the box. The weight of the leather and the drape matches, wrinkle for wrinkle, the one Ford wore in Raiders. The craftsmanship is superb and the hand distressing by Diego is second to none. All for a reasonable price.
Final Thoughts (From My Wife)
As I mentioned above, my wife has worked for many years in the textile and fashion industries for some of the world’s best-known manufacturers (one put Michael Jordan in their underwear back in the day). She’s not an Indiana Jones fanatic, but she understands on a professional level clothing design, manufacturing and how garments should fit an individual. She was impressed by the quality of the Steele & Jones Truck Chase Jacket, and even more—how well this jacket fits me. She likes the darker, chocolate brown, the way the sleeves fit my arms (just like in Raiders), and that the bottom of the jacket’s back didn’t “stick out” like my previous Indy jacket. Despite not being enthusiastic about me purchasing "another Indy jacket," she gave the Steele & Jones jacket five out of five stars from her professional perspective.
I’ve been a fan of Indiana Jones since I first saw the movies in the theater back in the 1980s. I've followed the Indy Gear website off and on since the early days, but only recently joined this forum. I’ll probably never own the full gear kit or most of the props. But I cannot imagine any serious collector without at least one Steele & Jones Truck Chase Jacket.
My sincerest thanks to Diego. You are a true artist.
Best,
Carolina
Link to full-size image: https://i.imgur.com/cT8pGCU.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Also pictured: Filson 257 Large Briefcase; Professor's Diary by Magnoli; Hemingway Standing Desk and Chair by Thomasville.
Customer Service
I have to start with S&J’s customer service. I had a wonderful experience from initially reaching out to S&J through Instagram and chatting with Roberto all the way through to follow-up emails from Diego after my jacket arrived. Their customer service is truly world-class. Diego always responded quickly to my emails and answered every question in detail.
My interest in the Truck Chase Jacket is probably different than many members of this forum. My profession requires a fair share of travel and working “in the field.” I wanted the jacket for that purpose only, not gearing up in the full Indy outfit. After speaking with Diego, I chose the buckles without the SA prongs since I didn’t really need them. And I chose the optional cotton lining, which would be tougher. Thank you, Diego, for your guidance.
To navigate the current COVID-19 shipping issues that many countries are experiencing, Diego gave me the option of shipping my jacket via UPS. I chose that route and my jacket safely arrived four days later on June 29.
Superb Craftsmanship
Everything that Croft and Mark Raats shared about the Truck Chase Jacket is true. It is indeed an incredible work of art. The jacket looks like it was taken from Indy himself—perhaps lifted from his suitcase while he was having dinner with a group of dignitaries or taken from his tent in a South American jungle, eventually making its way into the capable hands of Steele & Jones many years later. Folks, it’s the real thing.
I would like to share a note on the color. As you all know, lighting in photos and video can make it difficult to discern the true color of a brown leather jacket, or fedora for that matter. Like most colors, browns can vary tremendously. Some photos of the Truck Chase jacket on this forum make it look more orange, or like it has a reddish or lighter tint. It’s not. That’s just the lighting in the photos. Their SA “Chocolate Ribby Lambskin” is true to its name. It’s a darker, blacker brown than another Indy jacket (from another vendor) that I own. To my eye, and to the eye of my wife who is a long-time professional in the fashion/textile industry, the S&J jacket is the closest match to the color of the jacket you see in Raiders.
This tailored S&J jacket fit perfectly right out of the box. The weight of the leather and the drape matches, wrinkle for wrinkle, the one Ford wore in Raiders. The craftsmanship is superb and the hand distressing by Diego is second to none. All for a reasonable price.
Final Thoughts (From My Wife)
As I mentioned above, my wife has worked for many years in the textile and fashion industries for some of the world’s best-known manufacturers (one put Michael Jordan in their underwear back in the day). She’s not an Indiana Jones fanatic, but she understands on a professional level clothing design, manufacturing and how garments should fit an individual. She was impressed by the quality of the Steele & Jones Truck Chase Jacket, and even more—how well this jacket fits me. She likes the darker, chocolate brown, the way the sleeves fit my arms (just like in Raiders), and that the bottom of the jacket’s back didn’t “stick out” like my previous Indy jacket. Despite not being enthusiastic about me purchasing "another Indy jacket," she gave the Steele & Jones jacket five out of five stars from her professional perspective.
I’ve been a fan of Indiana Jones since I first saw the movies in the theater back in the 1980s. I've followed the Indy Gear website off and on since the early days, but only recently joined this forum. I’ll probably never own the full gear kit or most of the props. But I cannot imagine any serious collector without at least one Steele & Jones Truck Chase Jacket.
My sincerest thanks to Diego. You are a true artist.
Best,
Carolina
Link to full-size image: https://i.imgur.com/cT8pGCU.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Also pictured: Filson 257 Large Briefcase; Professor's Diary by Magnoli; Hemingway Standing Desk and Chair by Thomasville.
](./images/smilies/Indy_wall.gif "Brick wall"){kind=small}
Same 
looking forward to getting it though 
One day, I'm going to get a jacket from Steele and Jones (most likely a Temple of Doom). 
Nope just another jacket love.
