Mr. Scratch
New in Town
- Messages
- 38
- Location
- Eugene, Oregon
I read some mixed reviews of this coat here, but thought I'd order one anyway as the price was right (less than $100 including shipping here: http://www.kakadutrader.com/longcoatindex.html ). I initially wanted the mustard, and as that was the only color option given, I didn't think there would be a problem. Unfortunately they had discontinued the mustard Gunner's Coat the day before I ordered.
The only color available was tobacco. Okay, that would have been a close second choice anyway. [huh]
Shipping was super fast, arriving after only a couple of days. I was immediately pleased with it. It is made of a fairly light cotton canvas, with a nicely worn coloring. Love the big side chest pocket, and I approve of the leather edging of the sleeves. Also, Kakadu has apparently done away with the silly map of Australia liner in favor of a sepia-toned tribute to the Artillery (I guess those are the "gunners" they are refering to - in my infantry experience a "gunner" was the guy who manned the largest machinegun in the squad, and a trenchcoat would have been very appropriate for the job in the early 20th CE), though as mentioned elsewhere here, this coat is clearly patterned on the Brit Despatch Rider's coat. My only complaint is that there was a loose seam in the liner shoulder, which was remedied in 5 minutes w/ needle & thread. I got a chance to wear it out in a fairly heavy rain this weekend, and was the best dressed guy out there getting soaked. lol
I suppose it is a matter of taste, but if you aren't going to be out in oceanside storms with bucketfuls of rain coming down on you, I think this would be a very nice coat for most wet climates, and it looks good too IMO. True, it isn't built of rubberized tent-canvas like the original Despatch Coat, and I wouldn't choose it if I were expected to be aboard a fishing boat in January, but for run-of-the-mill purposes I think this coat does the job and with style.
The only color available was tobacco. Okay, that would have been a close second choice anyway. [huh] Shipping was super fast, arriving after only a couple of days. I was immediately pleased with it. It is made of a fairly light cotton canvas, with a nicely worn coloring. Love the big side chest pocket, and I approve of the leather edging of the sleeves. Also, Kakadu has apparently done away with the silly map of Australia liner in favor of a sepia-toned tribute to the Artillery (I guess those are the "gunners" they are refering to - in my infantry experience a "gunner" was the guy who manned the largest machinegun in the squad, and a trenchcoat would have been very appropriate for the job in the early 20th CE), though as mentioned elsewhere here, this coat is clearly patterned on the Brit Despatch Rider's coat. My only complaint is that there was a loose seam in the liner shoulder, which was remedied in 5 minutes w/ needle & thread. I got a chance to wear it out in a fairly heavy rain this weekend, and was the best dressed guy out there getting soaked. lol
I suppose it is a matter of taste, but if you aren't going to be out in oceanside storms with bucketfuls of rain coming down on you, I think this would be a very nice coat for most wet climates, and it looks good too IMO. True, it isn't built of rubberized tent-canvas like the original Despatch Coat, and I wouldn't choose it if I were expected to be aboard a fishing boat in January, but for run-of-the-mill purposes I think this coat does the job and with style.
