I recently placed an order in bill kelso

[puiyc1203]

hi, i am Marco
this is my first post in the forum, which is supposed to be a review on my leather jacket.
I recently placed an order in bill kelso for the durable one star leather jacket, but things does not go right.
I sent en email to bk my enquiries in late September, and Andy replied soon and told me that if i placed my order they could ship the jacket in October or November. I sent my size and the photos I tried on Freewheelers Mulholland 42, la brea 40, Buco j-100 40, and RRL moto leather jacket to him to confirm my size. In a week, I placed my order in late September for size 42. The email told me that it usually takes 4-8 weeks for production, sometimes 12. I think it's fair enough.
Andy sent me an email told me that they could make a jacket tailored to my size with extra charge. I told him it's all on him. Additional charge or 42 is okay to me. Just start production promptly once he decided the size.

In the last two weeks, I sent Andy email for updates on my jacket. He replied in mid October that they are making some last checks and may inform me. As I asked for updates again, today Andy replied that he would confirm my measurements this week and the production expected to go to production in November. I think what??? It took a month to confirm my size? I sent all my measurements and the photos I tried on other leather jackets to him. And I give him full discretion to decide. Just go for it and do it promptly. And now I was told it haven't even started yet.

Should I ask for a refund? In winter it is nearly impossible to wear a leather jacket in the city I lived in. I have to wait until April to try on it.

I personally do not have any grudge against bill kelso, and I give a try on BK after I read post on this forum. But this attitude does not seem right and I don't feel comfortable with it. And I absolutely can order Japanese horsehide leather jacket in replacement. (As I am in China, many agents and easy access to that). If I want my money back, what can I do, go to paypal to argue?

Please feel free to give me some advice, all are welcome.

 

[Mich486]

I sent en email to bk my enquiries in late September,.... The email told me that it usually takes 4-8 weeks for production, sometimes 12. I think it's fair enough.

.

That’s what you wrote. I don’t understand why you are so aggravated. Not even a month since you first enquired? I think you should stick to off-the-rack jackets mate.




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[puiyc1203]

That’s what you wrote. I don’t understand why you are so aggravated. Not even a month since you first enquired? I think you should stick to off-the-rack jackets mate.




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If everything goes right I am okay with it. I placed my order for Mulholland 42 in June, received in October, placed my order for La brea 42 in May, receive in November in estimate. Tenjin Works usually takes a year. When I traveled to their workshop in Kyoto, there is no jacket in stock. They delivered as promise.
What I want to talk about is, I give out full information a month ago, but the size remained undecided. It deviated from what BK claimed and I don't feel right about this attitude.

 

[Peter Mackin]

Just cancel then and go elsewhere,,easy decision to make if your not happy & clearly your not

 

[Mich486]

If everything goes right I am okay with it. I placed my order for Mulholland 42 in June, received in October, placed my order for La brea 42 in May, receive in November in estimate. Tenjin Works usually takes a year. When I traveled to their workshop in Kyoto, there is no jacket in stock. They delivered as promise.
What I want to talk about is, I give out full information a month ago, but the size remained undecided. It deviated from what BK claimed and I don't feel right about this attitude.

Yes but until the jackets don’t go into production all the details aren’t always finalised or at least subject to change. This is normally what happens with made to measure. It’ll take around 2/3 months for BK to make you a jacket. Either you are happy with it or not but you can’t be concerned after a month of first enquiring about the jacket. Imho the best strategy is just forget about the order and when less you’d expect you’ll get your jacket in the post.


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[puiyc1203]

Yes but until the jackets don’t go into production all the details aren’t always finalised or at least subject to change. This is normally what happens with made to measure. It’ll take around 2/3 months for BK to make you a jacket. Either you are happy with it or not but you can’t be concerned after a month of first enquiring about the jacket. Imho the best strategy is just forget about the order and when less you’d expect you’ll get your jacket in the post.


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I may wait for their reply first. Patience is needed, yes I agree with that. And they should take the initiative to contact me to confirm the size, customized or regular size and start the process, but not the another way around that I contact them for size confirmation, updates, estimate delivery. If they do not take it serious, it's not worth waiting.

 

[Blackadder]

I am puzzled. Freewheelers jackets are off the rack. They have a production schedule which started way before you placed your order from ordering materials to completion for a whole batch of jackets. A schedule that they will adhere to. BK does not. BK probably doesn't even have the leather when you placed your order. I have read that BK has in the past admitted to delays due to being unable to get the leather.
I don't see how you can compare Freewheelers to BK.
I also don't understand why BK asked for your fit pics wearing another maker's jackets. That isn't gonna be much help unless BK has those particular Freewheelers jackets (same size as yours) on hand. The normal process is for the manufacturers to send customers test jackets so customers can take fit pics then send the test jackets back. How can BK compare the Durable to your Freewheelers jackets if BK does not have the pattern of those Freewheelers jacket? BTW those online measurements showing only the chest, length and shoulder etc of a Freewheelers jacket are definitely not enough because there are also the armhole width, the waist which will significantly affect how the jacket fit. Just FYI I have a few Japanese made leather jackets including two Freewheelers and a few Western made leather jackets including one BK jacket. I have a standard size 36 BK A-2 and the armhole and the sleeve is huge compared to my Japanese made jackets.

 

[puiyc1203]

I am puzzled. Freewheelers jackets are off the rack. They have a production schedule which started way before you placed your order from ordering materials to completion for a whole batch of jackets. A schedule that they will adhere to. BK does not. BK probably doesn't even have the leather when you placed your order. I have read that BK has in the past admitted to delays due to being unable to get the leather.
I don't see how you can compare Freewheelers to BK.
I also don't understand why BK asked for your fit pics wearing another maker's jackets. That isn't gonna be much help unless BK has those particular Freewheelers jackets (same size as yours) on hand. The normal process is for the manufacturers to send customers test jackets so customers can take fit pics then send the test jackets back. How can BK compare the Durable to your Freewheelers jackets if BK does not have the pattern of those Freewheelers jacket? BTW those online measurements showing only the chest, length and shoulder etc of a Freewheelers jacket are definitely not enough because there are also the armhole width, the waist which will significantly affect how the jacket fit. Just FYI I have a few Japanese made leather jackets including two Freewheelers and a few Western made leather jackets including one BK jacket. I have a standard size 36 BK A-2 and the armhole and the sleeve is huge compared to my Japanese made jackets.

Have you received the sample jacket from BK for testing? This is my first time to hear about that. It was felt like I chased him for finalizing my size after I placed my order. I work a factory too. It is common to have no inventory in stock, but not possible to be short of ingredients or materials unless there are too few orders or overwhelming orders to follow. As I consult a former agent for BK in Taiwan, they request half amount of the deposit in advance and usually delay for half year. They ended the business. It is the problem between them, but I don't want this 'half-year' duration befalls me if I was told it was 4-8 weeks, sometimes 12.
BTW, how long did you take to receive BK jacket. As I found, your ip is from China too. Probably I could take it as a reference.

 

[El Marro]

It sounds like a communication problem more than anything here. Is this your first custom jacket order? I ask that because I remember how nervous I was about the details, the timeline, and the whole process in general when I ordered my first custom jacket a few years ago. It is unfortunate that they have not been able to definitively answer your question about sizing, since it seems to have led you to worry about their competence and ability to deliver the finished product you desire in the time promised.
I have no personal experience with Bill Kelso but all of the jackets I’ve seen from them have been quite nice and I know there are several members here who have had recent positive experience with this maker.

 

[puiyc1203]

It sounds like a communication problem more than anything here. Is this your first custom jacket order? I ask that because I remember how nervous I was about the details, the timeline, and the whole process in general when I ordered my first custom jacket a few years ago. It is unfortunate that they have not been able to definitively answer your question about sizing, since it seems to have led you to worry about their competence and ability to deliver the finished product you desire in the time promised.
I have no personal experience with Bill Kelso but all of the jackets I’ve seen from them have been quite nice and I know there are several members here who have had recent positive experience with this maker.

It is my first custom jacket. I have read their q&a and remain supportive for weeks. I do feel worried about the timeline and the process. I may wait for their reply first and see if there is anything wrong.

 

[Blackadder]

Have you received the sample jacket from BK for testing? This is my first time to hear about that. It was felt like I chased him for finalizing my size after I placed my order. I work a factory too. It is common to have no inventory in stock, but not possible to be short of ingredients or materials unless there are too few orders or overwhelming orders to follow. As I consult a former agent for BK in Taiwan, they request half amount of the deposit in advance and usually delay for half year. They ended the business. It is the problem between them, but I don't want this 'half-year' duration befalls me if I was told it was 4-8 weeks, sometimes 12.
BTW, how long did you take to receive BK jacket. As I found, your ip is from China too. Probably I could take it as a reference.

I ordered my BK way back when they only made A-2 jackets and only three or four patterns. It was pretty quick back then. I got mine in around 2 months.
No I did not get any test jacket from any of the makers seeing that the postage will be too high.
That is the difference between a factory and a workshop. Factories work with a pre-planned production schedule and materials are pre-ordered and stocked accordingly. With the workshops or custom shops, a lot of them do not stock any materials and they rely solely on their suppliers' stock which workshops have no control over.
Obviously, you have not read about Goodwear when it comes to estimated waiting period. If time is of the essence, stay away from custom jackets. Lots of stories about customer sending back custom jacket to be redone/remake even when the jacket arrives as estimated. Custom order may very possibly turn out to be a long process without a true estimate of time.

 

[puiyc1203]

I ordered my BK way back when they only made A-2 jackets and only three or four patterns. It was pretty quick back then. I got mine in around 2 months.
No I did not get any test jacket from any of the makers seeing that the postage will be too high.
That is the difference between a factory and a workshop. Factories work with a pre-planned production schedule and materials are pre-ordered and stocked accordingly. With the workshops or custom shops, a lot of them do not stock any materials and they rely solely on their suppliers' stock which workshops have no control over.
Obviously, you have not read about Goodwear when it comes to estimated waiting period. If time is of the essence, stay away from custom jackets. Lots of stories about customer sending back custom jacket to be redone/remake even when the jacket arrives as estimated. Custom order may very possibly turn out to be a long process without a true estimate of time.

So its possible to do a remake on the jacket? As I read the q&a in Bill Kelso, they seems resisted to highly customized services and prefer one-off business. I would see how things going first, but thanks for the advice. The uncertainty is much higher than expected.

 

[Blackadder]

So its possible to do a remake on the jacket? As I read the q&a in Bill Kelso, they seems resisted to highly customized services and prefer one-off business. I would see how things going first, but thanks for the advice. The uncertainty is much higher than expected.

I think you should ask BK. I simply ordered the normal size 36 from BK and that was a long time ago.

 

[Superfluous]

BK/Andy did nothing wrong.

Who said that?

Did I say that?

I’m confused?

What just happened here?

 

[Fonzie]

BK/Andy did nothing wrong.

Who said that?

Did I say that?

I’m confused?

What just happened here?

Oh-oh...

 

[Harris HTM]

It is only a month since you placed your order. Take it easy. I have ordered more than 10 custom jackets from different makers in the past (no BK though), and in most of the cases the jacket was sent on the last day of their quote (except for one or two cases where it took longer due to availability of the hides). Relax and forget about it.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

I'm no BK fan, but I don't see a big issue here. Custom jackets take a bit of time. I wouldn't worry about it yet.

 

[Thuggee]

Yeah 1 month chill, now if your on the Good Wear list it’s a 5year plus wait that’s another story


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[puiyc1203]

It is only a month since you placed your order. Take it easy. I have ordered more than 10 custom jackets from different makers in the past (no BK though), and in most of the cases the jacket was sent on the last day of their quote (except for one or two cases where it took longer due to availability of the hides). Relax and forget about it.

Thanks bro

 

[puiyc1203]

Yeah 1 month chill, now if your on the Good Wear list it’s a 5year plus wait that’s another story


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Wow I would go for a gucci leather jacket instead of 5 years