Regius built Windward repro! Black Stallion!

[Mich486]

Looks gooood! Nice halfbelt

Is he going to open up shop soon?

 

[AerGuitar]

^^ I can imagine that quite the waiting list would develop in short order after seeing this gem

 

[Monitor]

Crazy good work, beautiful jacket. And to think Reg just picked up sewing such a short while ago. Amazing in every possible way.

 

[Spiney]

Crazy good work, beautiful jacket. And to think Reg just picked up sewing such a short while ago. Amazing in every possible way.

Some people just have an amazing natural talent. Clearly he does.

 

[JMax]

The jacket zipped and worn is all anyone needs to see. Amazing job @regius. And congrats @ton312 I bet it feels nice to have been in the game so long and still have a jacket make you feel this way.

Someone should give @Marc mndt a shout out for sending the pics!!!! Hooray! Haha.

 

[Monitor]

Some people just have an amazing natural talent. Clearly he does.

What @ton312 said; It's all about understanding what is it that makes a good jacket. Reg gets it. I can't put it into words any more eloquently than this but it's the truth.

Anyone can operate a sewing machine but Reg understood & sought perfection long before he started sewing. I recall him buying several iterations of the exact same jacket, just because neither was what he was after, until finally realizing that picking up the trade is the only way left for him.

 

[TREEMAN]

Totally Mint in every way !!

 

[Fonzie]

Wow. Speechless. Absolutely awesome.

 

[Claybertrand]

Hot Damn!!!!!!!!!!!! I was waiting for this!!!!!!!!!

@regius A Star is Born!!!! This jacket just PISSES EXCELLENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wanted to savor the review as much as the jacket photos!!!! When something like this in life has so much anticipation and build up, so many times the LUSTER is LACKING. NOT this time!!!!!! That jacket is perfection!!!!! I can't believe the quality work and attention to detail by someone who has grown so organically into this craft so recently. Its really spectacular.

The whole process with @ton312 and @Marc mndt teaming up---- I don't know HOW this could NOT have turned out "TO THE NUTS" BITCHEN!!! (If "TO THE NUTS" was NOT already a technical industry term---it sure as hell is now!!). I picture a pensive @Marc mndt checking his mail EVERY DAMN DAY for that Windy to fly in from Chi-Town. All the while, @ton312 has built a living room shrine to the jacket and is making daily offerings of Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh......and Tito's all while uttering to himself, ".......tomorrow.........tomorrow...........I'll send the jacket tomorrow.........maybe the day after.......No....next week!! I can send it out next week!!! ...... or in a couple of weeks......say 4......ok F*ck it......A month then.....it goes out in a Month!!!"

What a process and what a result. Congratulations to all involved. I wouldn't be shocked to see @ton312 listing some jackets soon given THE CHOSEN ONE has finally arrived. I think that jacket deserves a place at the dinner table for the rest of time starting with this coming Thanksgiving.

Thanks for the great report and you guys should all be damn proud. So killer I can't even muster up one green bit of envy.

 

[willyto]

Short comment but:

THIS ONE YOU CAN’T SELL

Looks fantastic! Looks the right proportions of the originals.

 

[Johnny Deadlifts]

The pleats along the top of the belt line really handle the wingspan of the jacket; makes it more uniform instead of the usual, random bunched up mess; looks very mobile and comfortable yet maintains a sleek, intentional look. Well done.

 

[J Leather Investigater]

I’m typing this a day before I post the review. I have my Tito’s and soda and a shit eating grin. I don’t even honestly know where to begin. I’m speechless. That’s a rare phenomenon for a loud mouth Chicagoan. I’ve handled and/ or owned a fair amount of just about everything available, new, old and everywhere in between. That’s not a boast, I certainly don’t have a collection that would indicate as much. I am however, an explorer. The greatest joy for me in this hobby is the unknown frontier. When you catch lightning in a bottle, that’s the cherry on top. Warning: This is a shit ton of words/ stream of consciousness. It has to be said!

I don’t want to get too long winded, pompous sounding or just overly flowery. It’s been a long time since I’ve had the pleasure of writing a genuine review and having this Regius jacket in my stable absolutely demands it.

Our friend @regius is a long time member and contributor to this forum. He is a student of the hobby, having handled an enormous amount of new and vintage jackets himself. I believe the jacket he has built for me is the physical manifestation of the student becoming the master. I have watched his progress. He has the eye. He gets it. I don’t think this is true of every repro maker in the market. I see many repro makers where subtleties are glossed over. Regius misses nothing. He understands what made the vintage stuff so good (unbeatable really). He has digested it. And from that, this is what followed….

The Jacket:

I proxied an absolutely stunning original Windward Halfbelt sports jacket for Marc (maybe a year and a half ago?). I loved it. Everything about it was perfect. A quintessential example of the 40’s 50’s HB. Short, tapered, just perfect. The scarcity of these can’t be understated. I’ve seen 2 in 20 years. Windward jackets are my favorite. I know people are nuts over the OG Herc but my money is on the Windward label. And I’ve not seen a decent repro of this jacket, ever. I believe there was a Japanese co. that did something similar but that jacket struck me as painfully underwhelming. In my view it missed the mark.
I had seen the Regius Leather version on IG. He nailed it. With help from @Marc mndt, who supplied extremely detailed photos for Reg to work off of…the outcome was spot on perfect. I had to have it.
My jacket is black dyed through Shinki, I believe it is chrome tanned. TBH we talked about so many leather options that I have forgotten what I ultimately chose. It’s an oiled leather, Reg described as slippery. I can see where sewing this would be brutal. Seems like it would want to jog. Perfect mid weight hide, 5.5lbs on the TFL required fish scale. Nice body and drape. Stitching is consistently neat, tight and well done.
Main zip is a NOS Coats and Clark/Crown so it sings when operated. Chest pocket is a shiny brass Diamond Talon and the HB hardware feels like jewelry. The body is blanket lined, reminiscent of a storm rider, with a silky feeling red wine drill in the sleeves and side panels. The liner is paneled to mirror the jackets exterior and the pocket bags feel like heavy sail cloth. Everything is just right. Thoughtful, well placed and perfectly executed…excellent.

The Process:

Working with Reg was an absolute delight. We talked measurements, hides, patterns and techniques spanning months in texts and messages. These conversations were fantastic and let me know I was in good hands with this build. Reg also provided a leather mock up as part of the process. Amazing! It really helped us dial in the fit. I told Reg I wanted him to be free with the build. Use his judgement and his gut on the details, the hide, everything. I wanted him to take his time and I as indistant there was no rush. Reg delivered in short order, and in nothing short of spectacular fashion.

The Result:

One of my absolute favorite and best jackets ever. Hopefully those reading know that statement isn’t made in a glib or casual way. If you’ve seen my posts over the last decade or so here you’ll know I’m not a brand elitist. I sample, as much as I can, in as many styles as as possible, across the decades. I have favorite makers, of course, we all do. But this is my best jacket. It hits all my marks and fits to the absolute NUTS.
Watching Regius blossom and achieve this tier of skill in such a remarkably short amount of time has been a treat. Being able to own one his originals is an honor.
Thank you @regius! Many have tried but you are the first to finally succeed in making me my jacket. ‘Nuff said. To the pics!

The original beautiful Windward (Marc’s jacket):
View attachment 466067 View attachment 466068

The Regius Leather repro:
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That shit is NICE. Excellent, excellent work. Beautiful jacket, the pockets an curve cuffs are a kik ass details. Congratulations regius for manufacturing a professional product. Great fit ton. If you think about selling this you should be tfl banned dead ass, you should live in it!!

 

[ton312]

That shit is NICE. Excellent, excellent work. Beautiful jacket, the pockets a curve cuffs are a kik ass details. Congratulations regius for manufacturing a professional product. Great fit ton. If you think about selling this you should be tfl banned dead ass, you should live in it!!

Agreed on all counts!

 

[handymike]

That shit is NICE. Excellent, excellent work. Beautiful jacket, the pockets an curve cuffs are a kik ass details. Congratulations regius for manufacturing a professional product. Great fit ton. If you think about selling this you should be tfl banned dead ass, you should live in it!!

Unfortunately, you’ve sealed it’s fate with this comment.

 

[Mysteryo]

Fantastic work and an d amazing process!
The jacket is spectacular and... i dont have enough vocabulary to describe my admiration!
wow

 

[ton312]

Unfortunately, you’ve sealed it’s fate with this comment.

Selling days have past. I got rid of two Aero, both beautiful jackets, and now the final frontier is a single crosszip. I will post the lot in the collection thread…. After that….

 

[tmitchell59]

Beautiful work. What Is next? I have a few, perhaps an Archieve line?

 

[Claybertrand]

Selling days have past. I got rid of two Aero, both beautiful jackets, and now the final frontier is a single crosszip. I will post the lot in the collection thread…. After that….
View attachment 466537

So @ton312, you just gonna ROAM THE EARTH!!??????? lol Well you got the jacket that says "BAD MOTHERF*CKER" on it!!

 

[Will Zach]

So @ton312, you just gonna ROAM THE EARTH!!??????? lol Well you got the jacket that says "BAD MOTHERF*CKER" on it!!

Ton is the shepherd.

 

[Carlos840]

Really nice jacket, it's mad how much Regius has progressed in so little time, this is pretty much prefectly stitched!