ELC: Skipped stitch holes?

[regius]

Interesting observation, this ebay seller is selling the Eastmans Catch22 series jackets. No question on authenticity but am I seeing two blank needle holes on the epaulettes? Intentional?

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[Seb Lucas]

Looks like the thread has failed and even the third hole is looking wonky. This happens.

 

[nick123]

That surely has to be part of the deliberate distressing done for the show?

 

[Dumpster Diver]

Someone was Just having a bad day on the Job man, haven't you ever worked in a sweatshop? sometimes your machinery Just ain't gonna give you an easy time...you think this is a bad thing? Hell, I *WANT* a Jacket that looks like it was made in wartime..you know? like in a real hurry, it's pretty authentic IMO. Examine closer the original Jackets and you'll see all kinds of little details in the stitch lines that can read like tea-leaves on who was making the Jacket, My grandfather was in the artillery and used morse code and said after awhile he could tell which of his buddies was on the other end of the line Just by their individual meter in their morse code signal stream.

Either the needle wasn't lined up perfectly or got a bit dull from abuse (Accidents happen), or it simply ran out of thread..even the needle scratch plate wasn't pulling well in the thicker layers if it had some burs in it from needle damage, Sewing machines are tricky to set up if the person running the machine isn't the one who set it up. That being said I do have a couple original WWII items where there's a few skipped holes or flaws and little mistakes, it adds to the charm and individuality of the thing.

 

[Carlos840]

When i ordered my Californian a few years ago it turned up with a couple spots like that, it also had stains in the lining and a huge very visible knot in the thread just on the lapel.
I complained to Rob about it, saying i was not expecting such a nice jacket to have such obvious defects, even though it was a non returnable Long size they took it back and remade it.
The second one was perfect.

Now i can't tell if your case is also a mistake, or if it is done on purpouse, either way i don't like it and wouldn't buy a jacket with missing stitches.

 

[Dumpster Diver]

Haha, Perfection is pie in the sky..Do you treat your girlfriends the same way if they're not perfect? Bring em' back to the pound, Well think about it..in the long run a girlfriend is more expensive than a Jacket, I'd take what I can get and be happy even at the price. Flaunt the imperfection.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Yeah..I don't like that lack of quality either Carlos especially at full price. Thanks but no thanks...

 

[Carlos840]

Haha, Perfection is pie in the sky..Do you treat your girlfriends the same way if they're not perfect? Bring em' back to the pound, Well think about it..in the long run a girlfriend is more expensive than a Jacket, I'd take what I can get and be happy even at the price. Flaunt the imperfection.

Do you often compare people's loved ones to inanimate objects?
I tend to use different standard for people and for things, i assumed it was normal but i guess we are all different...

If i pay £850 for something i expect to not find obvious defects to it, if you are happy to pay full price for factory seconds good for you...
I guess i am not the kind to spend $100 on something worth $3.

 

[Dumpster Diver]

All I'm saying is there's more than a few ways to look at both sides of the coin, literally and figuratively.

I'm pretty good with a sewing machine, maybe one Day I'll be the guy making the 850 pound Jacket *for* the guy with the massive pickle in his ear.

And let me tell ya about my last girlfriend, who tore a strip out of my butt when I said I was going to buy an Eastman B-3....guess who cleaned out my bank account and bought a brand new Toyota?

I'd have been much happier with the Jacket, Put it that way...Even with a few dropped stitch holes and flaws...beautiful.

Merry Christmas.

PS. the $100 dollar shine thing isn't literal, it's more like you put your own work into something to appreciate it...didn't ever see Stripes with Bill Murray? Or is humour just not your thing.

 

[willyto]

I have a Luftwaffe 3/4 lenght leather coat from ELC that I bought second hand that has a loose thread in the shoulder seam. I’m not sure if I should worry about it but it is something that bugs me because I worry about the structure of the jacket.

Maybe some day I’ll send photos and ask ELC to see if it needs repair.

 

[Dumpster Diver]

If it ain't broke don't fix it...cross your fingers and cross that bridge when you get there, quality work like this is inspected and re-checked. Stitching can drop for many reasons, sometimes it's the "Ease" of the individual working on the goods and they're Just human, it could be the machine, it could be the material, and somehow things can be overlooked, it's not the end of the world.

I have an ELC B-2 Cap with a line under the brim that came un-done so I just re-stitched it by hand...My flight cap doesn't owe me anything, you know?

It's a tricky business sewing, and you have to truly appreciate the work and skill that goes into it. It takes some Serious talent.

It shouldn't be a major problem, for one reason or another you'll get an article of clothing that has a few seems that aren't to spec. I've bleached a few pairs of Levi's Jeans and the Charcoal washes right out except for the stitching and you wouldn't Believe how crooked and cock-eyed and brutal some Jeans have been put together, and you can look and study all the lines and all I see is that someone was having a bad day.


I could walk you through the step-by-step sewing by hand if your Luftwaffe Jacket comes apart... basically just re-trace the stitch holes with a needle and thread and live with it. I've done it on lots of WWII gear with thread that rotted out, if you want it to look like a lock stitch you can double back on your work, or with a sewing machine one stitch at a time going forward by hand and lining up the holes, it would take 2 minutes. If it's quarter inch fleece though you might need a walking foot sewer...

Actually I'm working on a WWII B-3 Redskin right now that the entire gusset is blown from top to bottom all the way up to the shoulder from the waist, and sheepskin was surged together under the Leather Tape that has been top stitched over the surged panels. The Jacket was saved from the trash bin at an estate auction...I'll have to post some pics of my repair work.

 

[HPA Rep]

Well, firstly, this is a used item from a film, but perhaps not used much. Secondly, it was made with heavy TimeWear for the filming, so this could be a byproduct of the heavy TimeWear; normal ELC TimeWear is not anywhere near this heavy and those jackets don't display broken stitching.

Beyond this, I cannot speak for the C-22 jackets, but if we ever receive a new ELC jacket with objective issues such as this, it would be returned for replacement or fixing. Our QC is not perfect, but it does catch some number of goods that pass QC from every brand we offer; we are another step in the sales process. But no maker is ever going to offer perfection, and nothing will ever be 100% all of the time. What counts most is how the manufacturers and their sales agents respond to any error they may be presented with.

 

[Dumpster Diver]

After a few miles and a few years, a few stitch holes ain't but the least of it, a blind man would be happy to see those missing stitches says I...It's a true work of art by a master craftsman.

That being said, a few stitch holes, easy fix..no need to re-make the Jacket.

Here's my current project, I was trying to find out the name of the owner of this Jacket through the estate auction, apparently he lived out west after the war and was a motorcycle rider as a hobby, I think if you've ever been through what a man is put through in the war flying in a bomber, the PTSD is eased by taking a few rides on a motorbike and working on them, I know more than a few guys who flew bombers in the war and ended up on the backs of bikes for the rest of their lives, this Jacket looks like it was loved more than it was worn IMHO:

 

[HoosierDaddy]

...What a strange jacket/girlfriend comparison philosophy evolving into 'the more noticeable errors, the better' or 'no one should foolishly expect or even dare desire for all the threads to be in place on a $1000 jacket'. HUH?...and who has a pickle in his ear? What am I missing...??

 

[Dumpster Diver]

Haw haw, You ain't seen my last girlfriend. Talk about Stitch holes, she's got em in spades, practically busting out at the seams too.. My Jacket kept me warmer at night out in the doghouse, put it that way.

I'd be a happy satisfied customer to see my Jacket was made by a human being...thats just *me * and my own strange lunacy.

 

[Seb Lucas]

...What a strange jacket/girlfriend comparison philosophy evolving into 'the more noticeable errors, the better' or 'no one should foolishly expect or even dare desire for all the threads to be in place on a $1000 jacket'. HUH?...and who has a pickle in his ear? What am I missing...??

I see what you mean. Too much information. The jacket has a flaw. The jacket is not a person.

 

[Dumpster Diver]

I see what you mean. Too much information. The jacket has a flaw. The jacket is not a person.

Yes, I admit, It was a bad analogy, you guys are right about that, I thought we'd have a fun discussion but three dropped stitches on a Jacket is pretty serious business apparently.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Yes, I admit, It was a bad analogy, you guys are right about that, I thought we'd have a fun discussion but three dropped stitches on a Jacket is pretty serious business apparently.

That's a bit of a passive aggressive quip there DD. The thing about three missing stitches is it suggests something else may be missing and why would a premium jacket have a problem like this? Surely you understand this, since it's a very expensive item. But I think everyone knows that jackets are not serious business compared to, say, homelessness or wildfires, which are burning up my country.

Given the jacket is a used one, it all makes sense and as I said earlier this stuff happens.

 

[Carlos840]

Haw haw, You ain't seen my last girlfriend. Talk about Stitch holes, she's got em in spades, practically busting out at the seams too.. My Jacket kept me warmer at night out in the doghouse, put it that way.

I'd be a happy satisfied customer to see my Jacket was made by a human being...thats just *me * and my own strange lunacy.

What satisfies me as a customer is seeing that the human making my jacket was on top of his craft and paid attention to what he was doing...
That doesn't mean i get all passive agressive with people who like something different!

 

[Dumpster Diver]

What satisfies me as a customer is seeing that the human making my jacket was on top of his craft and paid attention to what he was doing...
That doesn't mean i get all passive agressive with people who like something different!

Absolutely. you're right...for the money you're paying factory seconds will not do.

And I was being passive aggressive, I'm easily to blame for taking the flame.

regardless the practical question is still standing:

Was the dropped stitch deliberate as part of the Film itself? or was is an oversight?


And Kindly skip this as It's my own dead horse hide I am flogging

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I'm all about things with "Mojo" and original wartime Jackets have it, same with Fender single coil pickups from the 1950's. I don't know if another analogy like this makes any sense, but eventually Guitar manufacturing and machinery caught up with demands of electric guitar mass production by the late 60's and that's why original stuff is sought after and still being produced today to re-capture that essence for mass market consumption because it doesn't seem to beat originals...Whatever you call it..it's mythical stuff "Mojo". Some of us are searching it out specifically, we don't know why or what it is..but they wouldn't be making These Jackets and things with this painstaking dedication to unbelievable accuracy and originality. So I completely agree, and yet for me It's a little different and I'm ok with a Jacket that isn't completely without it's character flaws.

Guys love those "Relic" guitars same as they make ELC 50-cal. stuff..and even spend a little more for it.

I love a guitar that has been played until the frets are buzzing, same with a classic car needs to be driven, my bomber Jacket is no different, I want one that shows where the Pilot was Jockeying the throttle until the sleeve is blown...I don't know why!

people want the sound of a vintage hand wound pickup with uneven wind and irregular resistance values even if it's 1950's Dog-breath pickup coils that are starting to break up and die off at lower volumes and spend big bucks for these things and it can get arbitrary, though you can buy modern pickups that are perfectly machine wound and better by the numbers for less than the cost of true vintage ones even, but there you go... same as I like a Jacket to show signs of someone who's fatigued from working overtime factory hours day in day in a dusty old corner on some beat up old stitcher...Just burning out to meet up with the wartime demands, that's Just me, and I'm a romantic fool, after a few 70 hours weeks in a factory I can personally say that you don't intend to screw up an expensive Job but it can happen and when I see that in an article of clothing I know what It is and appreciate it as such.