Club Obi Wan

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to know what do you think the difference between Wested Custom made jackets vs Steele and Jones?
I have been looking to get a jacket for some time. I am more inclined to get a Custom Made Wested (normal not legacy) in Brown goatskin. but i have seen a lot of post and pics of the S&J Cazadora 36 lately and it looks great! . they have a cowhide option that is thinner and lighter than wested's cowhide and is much cheaper than their lambskin option an closer to Wested price. for people that have tried them or owned them. what is the different in quality? and your experiences with them?

thank you

Many, many threads about the Wested and S&J jackets to read through. Take your time and read all you can.

I don’t own a S&J and my Wested is circa 2000 so I can’t make a direct comparison.

However, in general I would say the main difference is buying an off the rack jacket to a bespoke one. Even the custom Wested jackets are only customizable to a degree and many stories here of the custom requests not being accurate upon receiving the jackets.

S&J makes one jacket just for you. For that service there is the price difference, but you will get exactly what you request.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

I have always found Wested to be like rolling the dice and hoping. They have limited customization and the fan base has worn them out over the years with requests. They offer the basic customizations listed, though the jacket cut (Raiders vs TOD vs LC etc.) will influence your decisions on measurements and it can be very difficult to end up with what you hope and expect. They tend to be reserved responders to email and questions (again, having received so many over the years). I’ve been to the shop and met with Peter back in the day and he was a terrific, gracious, enthusiastic guy. As for ordering, they are very fast. I’ve received custom jackets from them in less than 3 weeks, once less than 2 weeks, and I’m near Chicago.

On to Steele and Jones…an entirely different experience. They are fully customizable to any request you make, they are responsive to your messages, they offer careful, pre-construction distressing (to prevent damage to stitching) to whatever degree you wish -screen accurate, less, more, whatever and they have done extensive research, having in fact inspected, measured and photographed originals. They started as fans primarily and their passion for doing things right and making people happy with their purchase is unmatched. They don’t have the wide variety of hides that Wested offers owing to their more focused scope, but they go out of their way to offer hides that are the closest possible match. They’ll tell you what the hide will look like distressed (brown undertones or whatever), confirm hardware selection, pockets, everything… before production. Now as for timing, they are a small shop that does fully custom work. There is nothing hanging on the rack to ship out. Their lead times vary but I’d say are 6 months+ ish, so patience is needed. During that time, they are always great at returning messages, providing updates, etc.

So, in summary, Wested is fast, somewhat chancy, doesn’t offer distressing, has more hides, limits customization, and is a somewhat reluctant communicator. Steele and Jones offer full customization, great screen accuracy, fantastic customer service with excellent communication, custom distressing, and longer production times.

With Steele and Jones, it’s very likely you’ll get the exact jacket you want. With Wested it’s likely you’ll buy more than one Indy jacket.

Both Jeff and Tibor are SPOT on with their comments here...

Wested are fine. But very hit and miss, and as Jeff said, very similar in that to an "off rack suit" shop. You MIGHT be lucky and fit ideally into what they're selling, but you'll probably have to order more than one jacket to work it out, and it'll still feel a little shy of the mark. Wested's forte is covering the "basics" superbly. Decent skins, decent customization and good construction and shipping time too (and cost), but it won't be exceptional, and won't fit you perfectly off the bat....Their Legacy range especially does show me that they CAN do much better, but they're a little broad and wider than Steele and Jones, and for an Indy jacket, broad and generally "okay" isn't always ideal (absolutely depends on YOU though..)

Steele and Jones on the other hand, cost more, but offer an ordering experience that INVOLVES you, in just the same was as I feel with bespoke suits...(Minus the hand measuring). You can choose the leather or the striation location or the scene or the jacket and they'll NAIL it for you, including sizing up or down and adapting that jacket to fit what YOU look like, height and body shape. Measurements are covered in more depth, and you'll send in a few pics to Diego to let him see and work out what's needed to customise it ideally for you. But what you GET after all that? Will be the only single jacket you ever need (not want, I want more jackets each year, and that's a given....But I only NEEDED one, my S&J Hero "Truck").

Given the choice, I would run with Steele and Jones, if all other variables are covered and the cost isn't an issue. If cost IS an issue, I'd still say save and do it over a few months to get the one single jacket you need....Then, later, if you still feel the itch for more? Think about Wested....

[youtube]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mtjEpTjhn ... VsIHJpc2Vy[/youtube]

If you can i would go with steele and jones, i got mine second hand and emailed them and was treated as if i bought it directly from them. Top notch service

As others members said,take your time and read others posts ,like many fans,i bought from every company(US WINGS,Gibson & Barnes,Wested,Tony Nowak,Steele & Jones and Bill Kelso..more than 50 jackets in years of collection,always trying to find the perfect screen accurate jacket) ,new or used jackets,here are my advice:
-Wested,at late Peter Botwright era,Wested was kind enough to make some Indy jackets with my own leather skins i sended to them from French tannery,it was top notch..my best Wested perfect jacket was a used Temple jacket in distressed oil pull calfskin bough years ago from others members,unfortunately only 2 or 3 jackets was made with this awesome leather and unfortunately the size was a 40 and i need at least a 42,to small for me,but it was the best Temple jacket i had in hands..
-Diego and Roberto from Steele & Jones are truly Indy SA leather jacket perfectionist,and follow all your requests from the beginning to the end,incredible communication,very patient with customers,beautiful and luxurious leather skins,always in my collection 2 jackets,a temple and a Smithsonian crusade made in "chocolate Grueso" lambskin,two beauties !
If Wested could offer the mythic "Oil pull calfskin"dark brown,for sure i will order them a Temple again at my size..
Otherwise Steele & Jones and Bill Kelso(really love the Raiders Relic >Hunter Hawaii) ,for me..

Very important ,you can try to ask to Wested,Bill Kelso and Steele & Jones some leather samples to have a better idea of the skins !!
Just a question,what is the style of movie jacket you want to order..Raiders,Temple,etc..?

I’ve dealt with both and I would definitely recommend S and J. The communication with Diego is top notch.

Steele and Jones, hands down. Have/had multiple from both makers and S&J have made the most beautiful jackets I own.

I bought a second hand S&J. I reached out with a thousand questions and Diego treated me with the courtesy of an original customer. Absolutely top notch customer service.

Empty Set wrote: ↑Tue Jun 11, 2024 7:22 am I bought a second hand S&J. I reached out with a thousand questions and Diego treated me with the courtesy of an original customer. Absolutely top notch customer service.

Same exact thing happened to me Diego is amazing their quality and expertise is second to none.

I had already been talking to them about a new LC jacket. That is now a lock, thanks to my positive experience, when the time comes.