• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Latest cloth jackets from Good Wear Leather

CBI

Well-Known Member
Yes Ian. John has been thinking about doing these for years now. I have two or three cloth jackets in the cue. No idea on ETA. Whenever he gets to it.
 

stanier

Well-Known Member
I don't mean to be unkind in any sense, but a bit like a restaurant with a menu that's too big, I'd rather Good Wear focused on getting the waiting period down from the, last time I looked, 2 years to something nearer a few weeks, or couple of months or so at most, even if it meant a much reduced choice. A quick count on the Good Wear website home page has I think 24 jackets and I think there's others like B-3, D-1 and now these cloth ones that are not listed.

I stress, please don't misunderstand, I've dealt with John and the lady he works with and they're lovely, lovely people with heaps of knowledge who are never too busy to help, but some of us don't know where we'll be in two years, financially or anything else, and its just too far off. I'd love a couple more or so Good Wear jackets, but with this waiting time, frustratingly, I just couldn't do it.

I know my words might provoke some controversy, which isn't the intent. I'm sure there's some patient and secure souls who relish the artisan qualities and wait like a fine wine maturing, and turnover be damned. But I think more accessibility with a few more trained hands has to be the better way to go, albeit I'm sure not easy and not without its own challenges.

Apologies guys, and in particular John, but just my carefully considered and well intentioned view.

Of course, if my belief on the 2 year wait time is out of date (and it isn't longer!) and the issue has gone away then huge apologies, please delete this post and let me know so I can get an order in!

Cheers

Chris
 

johnwayne

Well-Known Member
Chris, I think you've said very eloquently what many feel! I've only one GW (Doniger) that originally was going to be an A1 'sale' jacket but JC convinced me wouldn't fit, so offered me the A2 at a very fair price and lo and behold turns out to be my favourite and dealing with him was seamless, so yea I'd love another GW as the experience made me feel I don't wish to look elsewhere but 2 years!! Mind you, he knows how to turn out a lovely jacket, both the B10 and B15 are very, very nice.
 

stanier

Well-Known Member
Mind you, he knows how to turn out a lovely jacket, both the B10 and B15 are very, very nice.

They are, without doubt beautiful Johnwayne, and I'd love one of each, plus 2 or 3 A-2's a B-3 and a D-1 to start with. Trouble is with a 2 year wait time they might as well not exist for me. And being sensible I'd have to stagger the purchases so I could be 10 years older just getting my first shopping list. One of the things my parents used to drill into me was "don't wish your life away" as I excitedly wished my way to Christmas and birthdays. It's a good job they didn't know of the Good Wear waiting list!
 

ButteMT61

Well-Known Member
@stanier - I have no opinions on how JC should run GW, but I know of some people waiting on knives in one forum - same kind of one0man show - for six years now! I too won't get in line for anything that long these days - can't afford it and employment is always sketchy with so much of my world going to cheap labor overseas.
Some on TFL have stated waits now over three years, so I don't have a clue what the real wait is, but I no longer consider myself a candidate for even a six-month wait.
I'm sure JC has had a tough time getting back in the routine after his mother passed, and I wish him well with everything.
The jackets no doubt will be superb...if I'm lucky, someday I'll get a flipped piece.
 

stanier

Well-Known Member
Hi ButteMT61, in the nicest way, in no way was my post designed to tell John how to run his business. I’m sure what John does is working for him and that’s what it’s all about ultimately. I have total sympathy for John’s sad loss and I wish him every best wish for the future wholeheartedly and warm heartedly anyone would be understanding of any delay incurred in these circumstances.

My point was that I’d like a path to own more of Good Wear output, but can’t see a realistic path to do so and yet more dream items are appearing like the cloth jackets at the start of this thread.

Honestly though, if I was a customer with ordered product in the pipeline and I had x amount of months, let alone years left to wait, I’d be thinking, please don’t dangle more goodies (and spend time developing them) just deliver what I’ve already ordered.

I don’t see and certainly don’t intend anything harsh or hard hearted in that, or telling anyone what to do, just how I’d feel.

Observationally and knowing how this forum can unfold, it would not surprise me if in the future someone will have one of these cloth jackets, and be raving about how wonderful they are, a fact of which I’m sure will be the truth. Then there’ll be the comaparisons with BR, ELC et al. But if we can’t buy and take delivery for years at any price, what’s the point of the nuances?

Sorry again, I don’t want to dwell on it and can’t say it plainer, that’s how it seems to me.
 

ButteMT61

Well-Known Member
@stanier - my retort wasn't mean to insinuate anything like that (thanks, Internet). I just preface MY post with that as I have no idea what would make things better. I know on TFL, some have floated ideas, but it's not really up to them.

As to the delivery time, like I said, I can't wait that long either. I did once, and it was totally worth it, but I was 50 then, and I'm not now. The sand in the hourglass is moving along quickly...
 

Dr H

Well-Known Member
For my part, I did put down the deposit several years ago with the plan to order a GW Modoc as a regular wearer. In the intervening time, all but one of my jackets my leather jackets have been sold (the .50cal A-1 is a stubborn one!) and my daily wearer for work is now a Journeyman.
I’d still love to have a GW jacket and so the timely appearance of the B-10 is perfect as this is what I plan to buy.
 

Smithy

Well-Known Member
I think you Stanier and Scott have both expressed yourselves very well and summed things up. I think out to a 3 month wait it's OK, once you're over 6 months it really is too much. Over a year, no bloody way. I personally couldn't and wouldn't do the years and years wait thing.
 

Persimmon

Well-Known Member
Had anyone ever decided to withdraw their order from Goodwear and do they get their deposit back ?

Another thought has anyone ever sold on their deposit ( no doubt at a profit of course ) and their advanced place in the queue ?
 

Dr H

Well-Known Member
I did consider the latter at one point, Alan, but didn’t. The slot is significantly more valuable now so I should list it in the Classifieds...
I’ll let it ride now...
 

Smithy

Well-Known Member
If the wait time is extending to years and years then that really suggests simple economics of demand outstripping supply. Which in turn begs the question why, and in this case it sounds as if the number of orders coming in is greatly exceeding the number of orders being completed which is creating a growing backlog. I exchanged a few emails back in early 2008 with John and he is one of the nicest chaps in this jacket "scene" but it sounds as if he either needs to take on an apprentice or apprentices or temporarily stop taking orders until he has his order list and waiting time at a manageable and more realistic level. I feel sorry for John as having a queue that long must be stressful and additionally due (not surprisingly) to the amount of questions he gets from people who are fretting from the wait.
 

EmergencyIan

Active Member
When I ordered my Good Wear A-2, it was February of 2010 and I received it in mid September of 2010. That wasn't bad, at all.

Of course, John couldn't be nicer and he's super to talk with. Great conversations! That's not to mention all of his talent.

I'd love to have some sort of Good Wear half belt, but that will never happen. The wait is just way too long, now. I may be alive another twenty years or may not dead within 6 months. My life is just too iffy, these days, to even consider getting in the queue. Wish it weren't true, but it is.

One issue, that keeps resurfacing, for those who are in the process of waiting, is little to no communication. I'm not sure what's actually going on, but I think some more two-way communication would help a lot of this angst. Just an update every few months that says: I know you're waiting. Maybe that is happening, but it doesn't seem to be.

What I do know is that if you get your jacket, it will be the best one you have. All of the best to all who are waiting!

- Ian
 

ButteMT61

Well-Known Member
I think that most folks now in line would just like to know the status. As we all know too well, no comm's is worse usually than the actual info needed. At that point, people can decide to bail, sell off, or wait. I think that's a good idea, and keeps email queries to a minimum...

Sadly, as an addendum, there's a cat (or two) over on TFL that will take any opportunity to take a dig at GW/DD when possible. It's fairly obvious, so no names need be told. That doesn't help.
Long time supporters and buyers of GW know that the jackets are worth the wait, but as some have said, it's just beyond now what my limits are for such things...
 

stanier

Well-Known Member
Had anyone ever decided to withdraw their order from Goodwear and do they get their deposit back ?

Another thought has anyone ever sold on their deposit ( no doubt at a profit of course ) and their advanced place in the queue ?

Yes, some years ago I had an order and cancelled and it was fine, there’s absolutely no issue with any deposit or anything like that. Good Wear is 1000% honourable business.

I can’t remember if it was that order or my next one but I did raise selling my space in the queue but I either cancelled or a fantastic jacket was made, I just can’t remember which order and the answer was never fully pursued.

The only Good Wear I ever had was made a size 44 and was gorgeous and whilst I loved it I reached a point in my life where I became a size 38. I’ve pretty much settled on size 40 now, but my lovely Good Wear just dangled on me and was sold. I’d love another, but realistically I don’t see it happening unless an as new made one shows up, and they always seem to be a 46 or occasionally 44.

Sadly, I might as well dream of and search for a mint original as a Good Wear.
 

Persimmon

Well-Known Member
Sometimes if you just stop talking orders for an advanced period .. to clear the backlog so to speak at some point you have to reopen it again.
Too soon and it was a waste of time doing it.
Too late and you may find all those potential orders ( and cash ) went elsewhere
 

Smithy

Well-Known Member
Sometimes if you just stop talking orders for an advanced period .. to clear the backlog so to speak at some point you have to reopen it again.
Too soon and it was a waste of time doing it.
Too late and you may find all those potential orders ( and cash ) went elsewhere

Very true and that's why if he wants to keep the business realistic and sustainable in the long run he probably needs to take on some trainees/apprentices. I know some craftsmen get all angsty about taking on apprentices thinking that no one will measure up to their standards but that's utter rot if we're honest. Look at the bespoke shoe and boot makers or bespoke tailors. John Lobb's business didn't go down the pan back in the day when his customer base grew and he had to take on someone to help him and train up in the business.
 

stanier

Well-Known Member
Sometimes if you just stop talking orders for an advanced period .. to clear the backlog so to speak at some point you have to reopen it again.
Too soon and it was a waste of time doing it.
Too late and you may find all those potential orders ( and cash ) went elsewhere

I agree Persimmon and whatever the next step is, it feels like developing a new range of jackets, no matter how lovely (and they are!) is not it, unless they’re being made by someone else who is not a one man band.

If you haven’t got room in your bath / tub for any more water, you don’t get an extra tap fitted.
 
Top