New forum member brand (Rugged West)

Tom71 said:

Looks great!

I would take the stiff leather as a benefit in terms of longevity (and the patina-potential going with it).
For manual break-in just roll the whole jacket up repeatedly or bunch it up at will.

As to the buttons: stiff/thick leather and buttons are really a match made in hell. No solution other than just easing up the wholes by usage (you can try to gently stretch by putting a bottleneck in them, but I’d be wary to overdoe it and end up with a disfunctionally large hole).

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TartuWolf said:

-10% sale going on currently:
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Seriously considering that type 1 in thick brown pullup bison.
Or a jacket for my wife as rugged west specialize in female jackets.

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MrProper said:

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discodaft said:

Love the gold hardware on this, and the leather quality looks to punch above its weight. Honestly, a d-pocket design at this price point with the sign off from this community... fantastic combination.

One thing I wanted to mention on the business side related to the amount of custom measurements requested. Being that this is a new business and was likely found by the enthusiast community first, I'm not surprised at all that the majority of customers were requesting custom.
Now, after a few months of IG adverts or more "every person" exposure, I'd expect those requests to taper off (especially if the custom-ability isn't front and center on the product page.)

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MrProper said:

I've just realised that I haven't posted a wearing photo of the roughout here yet. I'll make up for that now.
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MrProper said:

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KBlake said:

View attachment 618838 View attachment 618839 View attachment 618840 View attachment 618841 View attachment 618842 View attachment 618843 My bison type 1 came in yesterday so I’ll post some photos and a quick review here.

The leather is similar to cxl in weight and character. It shows every minor abrasion, which gives it instant character and it will develop an amazing patina over time. The leather is extremely robust but it has the most luxurious hand feel. It’s hard to describe. The color is a lovely mahogany and has amazing depth and richness to it.

The Bison seems to be the premier leather offering at RW but the softer steer is suitable for customers who don’t want a stiff leather that requires breaking in. The suede looks excellent as well.

What really made an impression is the pattern. The sleeve cap height is similar to the pattern of Regius’ jackets. This creates a vintage shape that is very comfortable and allows for a great range of movement. It also creates a broad shouldered appearance that is very flattering. As with my Regius jacket, this creates a bit of extra material for some wearers (I.e., me) at the back of each arm pit. I’ve included a side photo of my Regius so you can compare the angle of the sleeve cap.

I have a sense that the price point of RW jackets will go up so I suggest you place your orders before that happens.

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1. I’ve been working with the tannery to develop both the black and brown bison. The black will come in two finishes - smooth and matte, and grainy with a nice shine. I’d like to focus on making all stock designs/sizes (sans the roughout) out of this hide going forward. Black and two tone Steerhide will still be available for those who prefer a softer leather that’s still nice and weighty but comfortable to wear straight out of the box, however this will have to be requested.
2. During the exhibition, I had a few leather jacket makers/exhibitors approach the stand, briefly examine the jackets, feel the hide, check the price tag and then - in the kindest way possible - suggest that I was completely insane for pricing them so low.
3. I’m going to try to limit custom orders, or at the very least, have some sort of waitlist (8-10 weeks lead time for now). I’m also in the process of arranging for the custom sized jackets to be made in London. It is, of course, more expensive but easier/more efficient for me as I can be totally hands on with the patterns and complete all the finishing touches myself. With all of this taken into consideration, overall prices will likely increase soon (not too drastically). I said from the very beginning that I wanted RW jackets to be a high quality, affordable alternative to high end brands. I stand by that. That won’t change.
4. I’ve had some great conversations with customers who I hope I can now call friends. The general consensus is that “less is more”. So instead of cranking out new designs every month (I get a little trigger happy with my pencil and sketchpad), I’m going to focus on perfecting the models I currently have. There will be some tweaks in the designs but they’re going to look fantastic. Hope you like ‘em.