What do you think?

[Mycroft]

Its a coat for a summer in England, what you think? Any other suggestions?


http://www.landsend.com/cd/fp/prod/0,,1_2_1931_4766_120039_98486_5:view=-1,00.html?CM_MERCH=PAGE_62&sid=8025112919970185200

 

[Michaelson]

Nice looking coat. If you're a fan of the Indy films, Wested now makes a cotton version of the Raiders jacket that is a GREAT one for warm weather wear. It's about the only one I grab when a light jacket is required. Regards. Michaelson

 

[Victor]

I don't know the Cotton Wested jackets but as far as the leather ones go I find that they are not as tough as one would hope. I own one and so does my son. Mine tore out a side strap when it snagged on my car door and his pocket tore open when he tried to stuff a CD in it. Could happen to any jacket but the fact that it happened to two Westeds in the course of one month made me think that they could be using stronger stitching. Wested is definitely more of a fashion jacket than true adventure gear although the leather is very soft and high quality.
Sorry, needed to vent since COW is down and Michaelson brought it up.
I do like the looks of the Lands End Jacket. Lots of gear pockets and a good styling.

 

[Michaelson]

Like you say, Victor, the same thing can happen to a Lands End jacket. I've owned more Wested's than I can even remember to date, and have never had that happen to any of them, and I haven't exactly lived a sedentary life. I have no idea what kind of leathers you're talking about, or what you were doing at the time, but there are some things you do NOT do in, say, a lambskin that you can get away with in a goatskin, cowhide, or horsehide jacket. I've never had stitching fail either to date. Different experiences for different folks, I suppose. Sorry to hear you've had such bad experiences.

All he asked was what we thought of that cotton jacket for summer wear, and for other suggestions...NOT adventure wear. No leisure type cotton jacket is really made for adventure wear. Regards. Michaelson

 

[Mycroft]

Is there any cloth jackets for adventure wear? And by the way thanks for the ideas.

 

[Michaelson]

Any unlined canvas jacket immediately comes to mind. Regards. Michaelson

 

[Mycroft]

Is it water-proof or resistant?

 

[Michaelson]

Can be both. Any good hunting/field jacket is a GREAT choice for 'adventure'. They're made to be thorn proof, weather proof, and pack a LOT of gear in the deep pockets. Regards. Michaelson

 

[Mycroft]

What brands of hunting/field jackets do you recomend?

 

[Michaelson]

LL Bean is technically the 'creator' of the original field jacket, and are still the benchmark for that type garment, in my opinion. That would be what I'd recommend. They also last for years and years. Regards. Michaelson

 

[Mycroft]

Ok, thanks for all your help.

 

[Michaelson]

No problem! Regards. Michaelson

 

[Mycroft]

I picked this one out as my favorite...what do you think?

 

[Victor]

That LL Beans Upland coat does look like true "adventure wear" to me but you would have to see the actual jacket to say for sure. As far as teh Westeds that I referred to mine is a Cowhide and my sons is a Goat. there was never any question about the leather itself which is wonderful quality, it was all about the stitching. My son was foolish trying to stuff a CD in his pocket but I was still surprised that the stitching tore. In my case I was hopping out of my Jeep and the strap snagged on the door latch. the stitching tore but the leather was fine. A leather shop fixed it good as new for $5. The design of the Wested jackets was for a movie and so didn't really have to stand up to the wear and tear of years of use. Then after the movie came out everyone wanted the exact jacket and that is their claim to fame. Its a great looking jacket and very nice soft leather. If I were to redesign it though (contrary to the movie autheniticity) I would do something about those sidestraps that tend to catch on things and dangle a bit at the sides. For some reason the smaller side straps on say a Levis denim jacket don't seem to have the same problem so there must be a design flaw there that is now "screen accurate" so it is etched in stone. Just my 2 cents

 

[Michaelson]

Understood. Like I said, I've never experienced that on ANY of mine in the almost 15 years+ of wear and ownership of the different models. My eldest daughter is a working field archaeologist, and has worn her 8 year old Wested lambskin Raiders jacket on digs on a regular basis, and though it's one of the most naturally distressed jackets I've ever seen, no problems with the seams or side straps, so who knows. [huh] Regards. Michaelson

p.s. Mycroft, that's the LLB jacket I was talking about. I've used one for almost 29 years now, and it's still as functional as the day I got it. Great jacket for field wear. Mine is the tan color.

 

[Mycroft]

Thanks for the warning Victor, but also I have been thinking, and I want less of a shoting/shot gun jacket and more of a field jacket. I got a Filson catalog today and I will look through it today and report.

 

[Michaelson]

Now I'm confused, Mycroft. A shooting/shotgun jacket IS a field jacket. What are YOU thinking of? Filson carries the exact same product. Regards. Michaelson

 

[Mycroft]

Yea, what I mean by a shooting jacket is they have the sholder pads, that look like little dimonds.

 

[Michaelson]

Understood. Regards. Michaelson

 

[DBLIII]

I'll toss two pennies worth in here. LL Bean makes good products, so their jacket would definitely be on my list. Anything from Filson made of their Tin Cloth is incredible. Wears like the name and, for a few years, is just about that flexible. I have a Tin Cloth logger's jacket (no bottom pockets) and it has lived a terrible life and is still alive...
I noticed that Filson is making a Safari Jacket, and I'd like to try it, but I don't particularly care for vented back on jackets, so I'd have to have the two back vents sewn closed.
A comment on the diamond shoulder pads, for whatever this is worth (I'm probably over my 2 cents already). Those really don't do much, so I wouldn't put much store in them. Again, just my opinion. I work with people who hunt in Africa, and none of them have anything with the diamond pads, even though my boss - a very pretty little blonde lady - shoots a 450-400 Nitro Express. She likes Filson, too.