Where To Buy - Indy Jackets

[jnicktem]

I didn't get any pictures of the back side, but it just had the rear adjustable straps on each side. Other than that the back was plain, nothing out of the usual.

[Desert Dweller]

I was in Cabellas in Glendale, AZ and i saw these jackets also. The back has the the same set up as a Indy Jacket with the the waist straps and the flared sides. nice jackets. selling for $230.

[indianaford]

Does anyone know if South Beach Leather is reliable or any good? Both the Indy and Rocketeer jackets are only $170. I don't know if they're trustworthy though, has anyone here had past dealing with these folks?

[New Yorker Jones]

Apr 13, 2009 16:51:57 GMT -5 indianaford said:

Does anyone know if South Beach Leather is reliable or any good? Both the Indy and Rocketeer jackets are only $170. I don't know if they're trustworthy though, has anyone here had past dealing with these folks?

I bought a jacket from them and avoid them at all costs. They were supposed to do a custom and gave me what they I should have. At least I got a refund. Here's my experience:

indylounge.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=jacket&action=display&thread=2516

[junior]

just met a guy at the movies wearing the Cabella jacket and a hat. Got into a conversation. Told him about gearheads and told him about Wested in case he wanted to upgrade. ;D

[jackyll]

Hello, I'm new to this forum. I'd like to see pics of people wearing Todd's 500$ custom-made raiders jacket and would like to know how they feel about it.
Thanks!

[fantomas]

Hi!

Sorry, I am writing to this forum and I'm sorry if my English
poor I am writing from Europe.
But I would need help.
Ebay ordered a ROLA AUTHENTIC lamb Indy jacket by Wested.
The problem is that there are not watched on order.
I thought it may be chosen as the site wested.com.
I like about it wash goatskin jacket.
Gemma replied to my email to ebay only offer AUTHENTIC ROLA lamb jacket.
But I did not like it too bright, shiny and very dark.
I'm totally disappointed now.
Can Somebody's method of how I Could to Jacket
like washed goat skin?
Something is causing loss of light and color will be lighter.
Of course, a method which does not harm the jacket.

[Kt. Templar]

Washed goat seems to be out of stock from the tannery at the moment.

They seem to have a few left of the LC style.

The only other matt leather they sell is novapelle, but it is a heavier leather, as it is a cowhide.

[fantomas]

Thanks for the info.
Novapelle for sure not good for me.
Already last year, I bought the LC style by Wested Of course it is not stone-washed: (
that is, the idea is not bad!
I just think it is too late now ....... may be sent to jacket Friday.

[Indiana Shiloh]

Thanks for all this insight! Buying my Wested!!

[ahigh70]

Hello, I am new to the site but have been following for a while and it really is a great place for us Indy fans/fanatics. Just wondering which is the best place to get the best jacket. I am taller (6'7") and am just wondering where the best place is to get a jacket. I have been looking at the the one at Gibson and Barnes and really like it but I think the reverse zipper would be aggravating. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and I look forward to being a member.

[Biker Jacket Jones]

I've never really bothered to check until now, but based on pictures of vendors' websites, Gibson & Barnes does, indeed, put the zipper pull on the left side of the jacket. Wested does it, too, as does Todd's Costumes. U.S. Wings, being a U.S. oriented company and all, puts the zipper on the right side of most, if not all, of their jackets, and if you fancy something a little "different" and don't mind screen accuracy being thrown out the window, San Diego Leather puts their pulls on the right side, as well. You could also give a look at Magnoli's jacket. I'm not sure if this issue is a selling point for you, or if it's just a minor quibble, so take what I say at your own pace and make an independent judgment.

From all I've heard, if you've got the money, Gibson & Barnes' jacket is the best you can get if you want something you can wear on a regular basis (though some would argue the same about the $1,000 Tony Nowak jacket, and they might be right, but the company is going through some turbulence since Tony Nowak's death). However, G&Bs leathers are limited to goatskin and lambskin, and except for sizing and a second inside pocket which costs $56, there's not a lot of customizing you can do. If you go with Wested, you've got a large abundance of choices and options to make things even harder. They also offer the largest number of different leather hides to choose from.

Not too long ago, I was new to this choosing jacket business (and I still haven't ordered one yet!), and was overwhelmed by all of the different options out there. I knew absolutely nothing about leather jackets and terminology associated with them. You're free to look at all of the threads I've made, as well as others' threads, to learn from others' experiences in trying to find their own definition of their perfect jacket.

I hope you enjoy your stay here and get the information you want. And welcome to the lounge.

[ahigh70]

Thanks babuchanan for welcoming me to the lounge and also the info regarding the jacket. I really appreciate it. I was just looking at the posts regarding the types of hides. well that is something. i really had no idea there were that many choices until i did start shopping for the jackets. i think i am going to go with us wings cowhide. they have longs and also it appears as though the zipper pull is on the right. Thanks for all your help looking forward to more discussions. thanks again.

[Biker Jacket Jones]

You're welcome. U.S. Wings aren't the most screen accurate jackets available, but from what I've heard, they're quite durable and very "wearible" as everyday wear, and not just fashionable costume wear. They're even worse than Gibson & Barnes about not allowing customization, though. U.S. Wings actually offers four Indiana Jones-style jackets in cowhide:

• US Wings-Neil Cooper 30th Anniversary Original Pattern Raiders-style Jacket, which they tried to pattern after the original jacket style from the first film (you can also get it in "calfskin", but I've yet to figure out what separates cowhide from calfskin, and what the difference might be). It doesn't appear to be U.S. made, though. Long sizes start at $415.
  
• Antique Cowhide Indy-style Hero Jacket, which is a $195 (both regular and long sizes) budget jacket not patterned after any particular film. It's made in China.
  
• Collectors Edition Signature Series™ Indy-style Vintage Adventurer Jacket, which they tout as sporting the same leather that Tony Nowak used for the jackets in the fourth film. It also happens to me made in the U.S., if that's a consideration. Long sizes are $417, but they don't seem to have any 3XLs available.
  
• Signature Series™ Indy-style VIP Adventurer Jacket, which like the Collectors Edition jacket, is U.S. made, but the leather is of a more "dressy" non-distressed variety. The prices are the same as the Collectors jacket, as well, with 3XL longs available at $435.
  

EDIT: One thing which you may not like about U.S. Wings is their un-precise "blended" sizing. From what I've heard, their sizes tend to run on the large end--a M is a 40 and not a 38, L is a 44 and not a 42, and so on.

[ahigh70]

again thanks for the info. maybe i will just bite the bullet so to speak and get a custom from magnoli. i have gotten a couple of 007 styled suits from him and liked the quality and the fit. the only thing is if i may trouble you once again is there are several styles, which one would be most authentic and true to the one worn in raiders? thank you again.

[Pennsylvania Jones]

Model A. I know this because before the new Magnoli Website came around, the old Magnoli Website had better comparisons of their jacket styles.

Model A: Raiders
Model B: Temple
Model C: Crusade
Model D: Crystal Skull.

Steven

[Biker Jacket Jones]

Sept 4, 2010 18:17:49 GMT -5 ahigh70 said:

again thanks for the info. maybe i will just bite the bullet so to speak and get a custom from magnoli. i have gotten a couple of 007 styled suits from him and liked the quality and the fit. the only thing is if i may trouble you once again is there are several styles, which one would be most authentic and true to the one worn in raiders? thank you again.

Indy Magnoli has earned a reputation for making high quality leather jackets to one's exact measurements. You've already ordered some 007 suits from him, so I'm sure you're familiar with the way he takes your measurements online and makes the jackets to your exact measure. Be warned, though, that cowhide leather slaps an extra $200 on to the $495 price for the Adventure Jacket.

[ahigh70]

exactly in regards to the cowhide. I am back to looking at the Wested jacket. I need to find out if they have longs though. The size charts shows that and I am wondering if it is just something I have to note upon checkout or if there is more to it. Again thanks for your help.

[Biker Jacket Jones]

When you go to a Wested order form online, like, say, for their Last Crusade Crystal Sculls Jacket, there are drop down menus where you tell them your Jacket Size (36 through 54 in even sizes), Sleeve Length (23" through 28" in increments of .5"), and Back Length (23 through 28 in whole numbers). When you look at the size chart, it's just the altered sleeve and back lengths that make a long size a long size, so you can make it the kind of long size you need to from there. I've always found it funny, though, that they specify lengths that you can't order, like they list a 40L with a sleeve length of 25.25", but you can only actually order from the menu either 25" or 25.5", but can't do it in increments of .25". I'm sure you could tell them in the extra comments that you, say, wanted a plain 40L, that they could oblige and make the lengths accordingly to their own size chart, but then again, I don't know, so I wouldn't bet on it. Still, it's worth trying.

And if it's cowhide you're looking for, they seem to offer three different kinds: Worn Look Hide, Soft Seal Brown Cowhide, and Novapelle ($15.39 surcharge for Novapelle at current pricing). I couldn't tell you the difference between them, so you'd have to ask Kt. Templar or someone like that about what you'd be getting in each hide. But, alas, those left-pull zippers.... They probably wouldn't go as far to alter their patters and put it on the right, but you never know.

You'd probably do better to give them a phone call with the information here, though, before just diving into the online order form. I've heard about some funky things happening if you just yell "bombs away!" and order online, and none of it's anything you'd want to happen to you (mismatched sizes, specifications, options, things like that). The cost to return the item internationally would leave a nasty sting.

Really, though, Wested, Magnoli, and Tony (now Riley) Nowak are the only jacket makers out there I know of that will custom size a cowhide Indiana Jones jacket for you, and Wested will do it for the least amount of money, far and wide.

[Kt. Templar]

I thought that Wested counted 'longs' as custom, with the small upcharge that incurs. You can also request a US sided zipper as part of that custom. It is not screen accurate but some people in the US prefer it in their convention.

Make sure you CLEARLY MARK your custom requests and keep things as simple as possible.

[Biker Jacket Jones]

They count longs as custom because, it seems, ordering custom is the only way to get a long size in the first place.

Nice tidbit about being able to choose the zipper pull side. I didn't know that. I guess I was right to say, "You never know." It makes me wonder if I should go for the authentic left-side zipper, or if I should go with the familiarity and convenience of a right-side zipper. My judgment will probably fall upon whatever dominates my closet, and I know what the answer to that probably is. I do have a question, though: Would I be charged an extra fee for getting the zipper on the right side instead of the left?

[Kt. Templar]

Well there are a few ways of looking at it.

1) It is screen accurate on the left side and it may gnaw at you if you get it on the right.

2) If you are the type that are bothered what people say you might end up being sensitive that it is 'on the girls side'.

3) If you are used to a right hand zip it will feel weird for a little while if not downright awkward. But it doesn't take long to retrain your brain.

4) It's much tidier with the pull under the stormflap, and makes sense to put it there.

Will you be charged to do just the zip? Probably, as the jacket has to be made specially for you.

[Biker Jacket Jones]

Screen accuracy doesn't bother me, so I don't think anything about the screen accuracy issue of a right-side zipper will "gnaw at" me. On the other hand, I don't think I'd be bothered by any comments about the zipper placement of a left-side zipper, and if anything, I'd think most people on the street would be too entranced by the appearance of the famous jacket to notice some relatively minute detail like zipper placement. I'm sure a left-side zipper would be awkward at first, but what I always say about situations like that is that I need the brain exercise, anyway.

It's the last point you made that bothers me about getting it on the right side. Let's take a close up of Wested's Last Crusade jacket.

If I do change the zipper side to the right, will the storm flap not be "mirrored" accordingly, and I'll wind up with a "lop-sided" jacket? I certainly don't want that, never mind screen accuracy.

And the price... you mean that I'll be given a surcharge even above the normal £30 custom sizing fee? If so, how much?

[ahigh70]

Thanks again babuchanan and also thank you kt.templar for your insights. I have also been thinking about the zipper and the whole left side thing. I think I am going to go with the left sided zipper and like you said my brain can always use the exercise to learn something new and the cost and possibility of "screwing" up flaps and just the overall look of the jacket would be a concern. Also you made the point of keeping things simple, I am all for that adn I think the fewer the changes the better. Another question and again I apologize if the answer is already in the posts but what is timeframe/turnaround time for ordering a jacket at wested? Again, thanks.

[Kt. Templar]

Nope, if you change the zipper the stormflap stays in the same place. You can order a female jacket with the stormflap reversed if you wish, some of the lady indy fans have had theirs made that way.

Customs are expected at about 30 days. Often in the past that has extended 2 or even 3 months. Someone recently said they got one in 2 weeks. It seems to be the luck of the draw... and how busy they are at the time. If you are going to order bare in mind that halloween is traditionally a busy time so get your order in soon or be prepared for a wait.