Protocol Indy Jacket - $229/$199

[Ragingblues]

Here's another Indy jacket made by Protocol, and sold through http://www.sportsmansguide.com:

www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=302122



It's listed as antigued brown lambskin and is selling for $229 to non members and $199 for members. From the photo, it actually looks like a nice jacket. Try using the zoom feature on the site, for getting up close views of it. It obviously has the modern day Wested, squared off, LC style pockets.... instead of the screen accurate, smaller, rounded ones. But, for the price..... it could be an interesting find.

Ken

[Deleted]

Ken,

I really like the look of this jacket when you zoom in. Nice find.

Cheers,
G-MANN

[pitfallharry]

Argh......Another Indy jacket!

This one looks really nice but there aren't any shots of the back of the jacket. At least none that I can find.

The club price lists it at $199.00 which isn't bad.

I'm still waiting to see how Todd's version turns out. It's not that I'm looking for a new jacket but I may want to buy another one down the road and try something like the Lambskin. It's always nice to have other options out there.....especially less expensive ones. Thanks for posting this.

[Ragingblues]

Pitfall..... thanks for pointing out the club price correctly. I don't know why I typed $129 instead of $199.... but it's fixed now.

Yeah, I would like to see the back of the jacket myself as well. But, the leather really looks nice doesn't it?

Ken

[pitfallharry]

I thought maybe you were seeing something on the site that I was missing. Still, $199 for a Lambskin jacket isn't bad and like you said from the pics it looks like a really well made jacket.

I'd love to see this in person or have someone who actually bought one of these post some pics.

Maybe it is because of the pockets but I'm getting an LC vibe from this jacket as well.

I'm going to keep an eye on this one but I want to see how Todd's turns out too.

To be honest. If money wasn't an option and I didn't own my Wested I probably would have bought the Flightsuit Indy jacket by now.

[Deleted]

Here is the lowdown on this jacket. This is a U.S. Wings Antique Lambskin shell. I am 100% certain. I have owned one just like it that Stefana purchased from me. I also have seen another one just about 2 months ago that was brand new from U.S. Wings.

I would also imagine that it is the SAME Jacket that U.S. Wings is selling that was made in India. ( $50.00 Less through U.S. Wings )

I bought this on the off chance that it might just be a decent close enough to reccomend to others.

IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE THE PHOTO ABOVE OR ON THEIR SITE

IT LOOKS LIKE THIS



Cheers,
G-MANN

[indianatone]

G-Mann,

Thanks a million for having bought one to test run and letting us know what the deal is on these. You've just saved potential buyers $50 on the same jacket! And it's an honest, direct review.

It's kind of a shame about this one. I was SO liking how it looked in the photograph, too.

[Stefana Jones]

This is a U.S. Wings Antique Lambskin shell. I am 100% certain. I have owned one just like it that Stefana purchased from me...IT LOOKS LIKE THIS

And like this...

[indianatone]

There goes Stefana, showing off his super cool US Wings jacket again.

If that shell is the same, sturdy leather, it really just might be worth picking one up from USWings before they're all sold out.

[GoneSolo]

Could that leather be darkened?

[Ragingblues]

Yeah... with a match! ;D

Only kidding. As you can see, U.S.Wings makes a fine version of the Indy jacket... but the one with that name on it is actually cheaper right now. If you like the look, just save money and order it directly from them. I can't see even Brown Pecard's changing the overall tone of it that much. It's more subtle and would wear off eventually anyway. If the leather had been sanded and the grain was open, it would really drink it up. But, even the Brown Pecards has a very russet tone to it as well.

I was shocked when John told me he had ordered one of the Protocol jackets, just to see what they were like. I'm very sorry to learn that they don't look like the photo on the website, which is... of course, the real problem.

I know John will have no problem returning it, so hopefully we can all benefit from his generous gesture.... and realize what this jacket really is.

Thanks John, for helping everyone out like that!

Ken

[GoneSolo]

You're a hell of a trooper John!

I can't get over the orange vibe of the jacket. Of course that is only the Vintage cowhide. They also have goat available. I am sure that the goat will probably be purple though.

[IndyBlues]

I'm confused. The jacket you bought from Protocol LOOKS like the pic of the USWIngs above, or it IS the same jacket, USWIngs label and all??
'Blues

[Deleted]

IB,

Here it is!

The Leather and all the hardware are US Wings. The Lining I am not sure about.

PROTCOL (Label States "Made In China")



U.S. WINGS



Cheers,
G-MANN

[GoneSolo]

Darn the 3-piece sleeve! What a shame.

[pitfallharry]

Maybe it's the lighting but the Protocol jacket to me looks a little more dark brown than the US Wings.

[pitfallharry]

Ok, scratch that......it looks the same as the one as Stefana is wearing in his pic. I guess Protocol just changed the lining and the label.

[Deleted]

Harry,

Believe me. They ARE the same. The Wings had been worn and the pic was outside. The Protocol is never worn and photographed inside with a flash.


Just to be clear here. The Jacket is well made and a tough as nails piece of gear to boot. If anyone has been considering a US Wings, I say go to thier site and order one for the $150.00 in the close-out section.

Cheers,
G-MANN

[Ragingblues]

I researched them and found out that Protocol is actually an importing/exporting company (hey... like Vandelay Industries! ).

The problem here is false advertising, as the jacket doesn't match the photos they are selling the with. They just had their label sewn into the jacket and called it a day. It makes me think that many of the U.S. Wings jackets are actually made in China as well, not just their clearance line. John has never owned a clearance line jacket from them (well, until now), and they are indentical to the supposed U.S. versions.

I also think it's funny in this day and age, that some people say that the jackets must be inferior is they are made in China or India. What difference does that make at all? Most everything we buy in the U.S. is made in India or Asia and there have never been any complaints before. Why does England or the U.S. suddenly become the only place in the world to buy a quality leather jacket?

Design aside, there is no doubting that these are finely made jackets and are tough as nails. So quality is not the issue, nor is where the piece of clothing was sewn.

Ken

[pitfallharry]

Vandelay Industries! ;D

I crack up everytime I here that name.


I guess I'm a little confused. Is US Wings not going to offer the Indy jackets anymore after the sale is done?

For some reason the jackets just look to heavy to me. They look like fine fall/winter leather jackets though.

[Kt. Templar]

Thank's G-Mann that kinda nails it.

The storyline goes something like this, I think. US Wings commissioned a factory to make their imported jackets (they may or may not have said they were imported initally) they appear to have pulled the contract and decided to sell off the remaining stock at lower than their original selling price.

The production line was all set up, supplies of leather bought, the factory may even have made jackets in advance, they have a product so decided to sell it to the next interested party. In come "Protocol" or "the Sportmans Guide" buy up the remaining stock... or order a MOQ and off you go. Identical jacket from 2 retail outlets just with different lining (perhaps) and different label. But same spec leather and pattern.

There is nothing inherantly wrong with manufacturing in China, India or anywhere else. The issue is quality and specification control. If the factory is not in direct control of the owner, distance alone allows some things to slip. Sometimes.

This is not a myth, it's not racist, factory owners in China especially will send overseas customers perfect samples, once commissioned, SOMETIMES, the product is downspecced in production, (some call it streamlining). Leather might be more economically sourced/used, thread downspecced, cheaper zipper etc. It's "good business practice" these days to be as cost effective as possible, in many ways that is the American way too, just read Bill Bryson's comparison of a 1950s Hershey bar with a 2000 equivalent. Oh, before you say anything it happens a lot in Britain too. However if the factory is local the owner has more clout! In the end the Made in the UK, or Made in the USA is whatever you make of it.

What is sometimes needed is a company that installs someone in the overseas factory to inspect the product at regular intervals to make sure it's up to spec.

I suspect that US Wings decided, (for whatever reason) to stop selling those ones. It may be something as simple as a continued occurence of the extra panel on the sleeves. The build quality may be just as good as ever.

Still at $149, it looks good value, and even at $199.

Pitfall, I believe these are just some clearance stock. US Wings will continue selling Indy jackets, definately the US made ones and probably imported ones too (but perhaps from a different factory).

[IndyBlues]

Thanks for clearing that up, Gmann! It was early, and I hadn't had my coffee yet.
I may have to buy one of their clearance A-2s to use as a work jacket. No worries about messing it up.
BTW, Wings raised the clearance price to $169.
Thought you would like to know.
'Blues

[pitfallharry]

Thanks for the info, Kt.

I was a little concerned. I hate to see anyone offering any type of gear close-up shop.

I know the price right now is really good on these but I've already got my Wested. I like how it looks and how it feels. So in the future I will most likely go for another Wested if I want or need to replace this jacket.

The only "unknown" for me in all of this is Todd's jacket. I may decided if it turns out to be really good to buy one of those instead.

[Deleted]

The best thing here, is that this answered the question of the U.S. Wings clearance jacket and the Protocol jacket in one shot. No one has to Wonder what either is like anymore. So as Harry stated just Todd's jacket is in question now. Hopefully we will know that one is like soon too.

Cheers,
G-MANN

[indianatone]

G-Mann, you've cleared up some mysteries here, definitley. And at the same time, removed the paradox of the quality of the imported USwings vs. the standard. I am seriously looking at one of those G-2 imports. (Something about those G-2s sits better with me than the A-2s) Not to mention, a nice coat for Mrs. Tone for Christmas this year.

Except for the three panel arms (and possible, two panel back on the larger coats) the US Wings have been coming up looking really good - as demonstrated by Stefana, and more recently, Zak. For a coat that can certainly take a beating AND look more than close enough to an Indy, $169 is going to seem like a distant memory of another missed opportunity in a few months or so. (It's times like this when I slap myself for quitting an "okay" job for school.) There's just too much good stuff showing up lately.