Ryan Gosling 'K' - Blade Runner 2049!

[CountLau]

ok, I managed to find the elusive Otter wax at an acceptable price, I'm thinking of reopening a small part in lining and fur of the collar, and doing so without saturating it too much and by placing some plasticized cardboard between the back of the fabric and the lining/fur.
With the bar to rub it should be easier, but fearing any weak result, I ordered both (bar+fabric dressing), and given the difficulty here in Italy in finding it at honest prices (within max UK in distance) I was falling back on Barbour Thornproof, but in theory Otter is the only one I've read that is expressly declared also for native non-waxed fabrics, so I wanted to follow the least off-label methods possible this time, and I got it.
If the job turns out well, perhaps I'll stop here, I understand that SR is no longer giving in to discounts and this has given me new impetus in recovering mine, and this time I could be satisfied also because in many respects, in addition to spending another considerable sum, there would be no guaranteed improvements by me until I understand what I can do properly with their garment in my hands, but I would certainly like a coat that does not require periodic re-waxing, washable, perhaps less distressed than my current one (which in any case I have remedied greatly for that in the last period), but above all with a collar as big as it needs to be, and on that, mine now closes, but a problem remains.

I admit to being a little annoyed by having to wait for SR with doubts, and sometimes I get confused, I'm calmer now that I will certainly still have a nice wearable coat, but I don't know how to claim more credit or luck (probably both), the fact is that, with a view to a possible further future purchase aimed at trying to fill these three main gaps (washable proper SA coating+proper collar+non-aged freshly new aspect, following which, if everything goes well, I would sell my current one), I have also started to reconsider the other sellers, so I thought:

- on Jameel's works (bep / els) = beautiful and I am already his customer (although now perhaps I would deserve I would say 30-40% of the credit for the final result), but I have not had the necessary reassurances on what I have expressed for any other purchase to have that narrow collar fixed bigger properly (and not even all the other I had them to tweak, except for size fine tuning that I can understand it needs to be done in person)

- SR = perfect fabric for me (color and coating / shine, maybe a little darker than I intend, but ok), I would still miss another (the last for sure) opportunity to have one in the correct duck weave, but ok, for the rest collar (and probably lapels), usual routine (additional magnets, fur etc), but also various minor seams which were correct on bep, need to be redone (pockets, elbows, regarding the shoulder-sleeve junction but I would say it's impossible and to be left as it is, and here too the bottom edge without a longer cut on the front and with a double stitching wider than the rest of the edges while it should be the same)

- WSL = I found some pics online that show how the color is already lighter, brighter and more beautiful than it seems in others (do I think it's a sort of combed canvas?), if you don't darken it too much and it works well, I have to admit that the thing intrigues me and the price even more, but from the recent photos that they have updated on their site, I deduce that the Mechanismo file, although reiterated by various buyers, is basically ignored, they have not made the changes to the collar permanently as they should, and there is still that absurd collar (although shown with new pics) which has the right side with a part not attached to the base... I really don't understand. I never heard back from them, yet I limited myself to three exchanges of short, polite emails, but here there is a clear problem of coherence, understanding and communication, then. After all the requests they received from buyers sending them that file, why turning back to that odd pattern every time?
If anyone has a more effective channel with them to point out what needs to be done with immediate effect and without going back to the old models, please do it, for now anyway, under these conditions, I wouldn't bother, because at least SR has given me precise answers and guarantees on measurements (on the crucial collar argument in particular), fabric and what I have to do.
And no news on any properly coated duck that they seemed to have opened up to a possibility (they said they would have asked their supplier).

- Magnoli = I haven't yet understood if there have been further improvements and I must have missed it if someone had already pointed it out, is their fabric duck or twill? according to the pics, it still seems to me to be of excellent quality, but the price is high and I should be sure of all the details already reiterated

I don't know if I've missed anyone who has ever produced noteworthy k coat replicas, but if he reads and wants to chime in, I listen.

 

[CountLau]

Hi guys,
I'm waiting for my Otter wax order to be received to finish my job, I would have tried acrylic wax first but I chose the safest method this time for my very last coating process on my current k coat, however I'd like to learn how to use it on other projects (and maybe in the future, another uncoated k coat?) but the only vendor who gave me the due feedback about acrylic wax (I also posted here a link to his item little time ago), doesn't ship outside UK from brexit, and since I had some good explanation about how to try it and a confirmation it should be suitable for those projects, if is there anybody here who knows who could sell it to me in EU (so then keeping the cost reasonable by shipping it to Italy), please let me know, thanks.

 

[CountLau]

hope this help to understand how much longer the collar should be, and to see future implementations by other buyer who can possibly come here and post feedback (especially regarding Jameel's work, which potentially could be the best hands down, but I don't see those relevant flaws fixed, regardless of the harder cloth issue that I understood I've been so lucky to find a square and probably only SR could have the better trade-off if you want a washable cloth not limiting to waxing it as I'm gonna end too).

I can also understand as achilles pointed out, that funnel shape is crucial but not that large and here where closed, you can see Gosling's hair are a bit compressed and the mask mode wraps a bit all around the head, stilistically I must say I prefer an even larger fit but without protruding it that much over the left lapel side edge (so just modyfing the model? I guess just making the upper collar length longer and not the base), and as said now I can close (I also replaced another couple magnets with stronger ones), since I must tweak everything else possible better now than not after my final waxing, but it will remain more than a bit tighter than ideal, and here is evident

 

[CountLau]

I found this, don't think anybody posted it here before, and maybe it's not relevant as much as Adam Savage's testament but, it's another one speaking about the coat as waxed. So it sounds like another confirmation that, regardless of our different color interpretation but from the coating aspect, Mechanismo 's move has been really brilliant and potentially, the best replica could have the style that Jameel has been able to make (all details included) but with all the tweaks we argued here about (at least the ones we fully agreed), so better lining, longer collar etc, but maybe just in uncoated duck canvas (to be then waxed properly, of course).
Really keeping my finger crossed for my next final waxing step on my ("so called") twill laminate

 

[CountLau]

I retired a xenomorph last week, and made my bag ...that's a "skinjob" for real

...took an old, messed up Samsonite full of holes, fixed the torn parts a bit, took some old duck canvas pants and an old leather jackets, shaped and stitched several mixed demin-leather patches and painted them in the usual "blade runnery green" used for the coat, created and added a more cyberpunk double shoulder system, added belt at the waist also, hobbyist raw stitching level but people like it so much, think it came out a great post-apocalyptic nomad style bag anyway, I believe it could actually be a bag for a renegade k, if he'd ever survived...always raining from a while, so little time for my outdoor occupation and some more to be spent travelling with imagination with my hobbies...however:

I used acrylic mediums to cover the fabric parts with a lite shiny water repellent finish, and here the coating holds well.
So, acrylic wax, might work fine (especially on duck canvas) too...I can understand that elastic-like consistence of Jameel's laminate makes it hard to grip, but it's weird, because on another duck canvas jacket I tried, it was just another fail, and now it makes me believe about "acrylic wax" though...

again, if anyone in the EU has "acrylic wax" (for fabrics like the one I posted in the past) and wants to sell it to me, I'm listening, willing to try it aiming at who knows, kinda SR-like result

 

[CountLau]

dunno if after curing time the result will change that much, but soon, I must admit how much more brilliant, even than already said, has been Mechanismo to insist for waxing as the right finish for this project.

So, wax on...wax off...

Otter wax is giving a real blade runnery touch to the coat, in fact, way better looking even than original laminated look, I must say.
The laminate reacts well by keeping the temperature low, and working it after, in a very long way (way longer than other waxing I did before), by bare fingers to push it very slowly, little pieces at a time, to be evenly penetrating this particular twill, which seems to need very little wax to be coated giving back a bit of shiny look, probably because of its native-PU coated weave.

I can't actually say if it is the result of all the works I did on this together with this last coating attempt, what is for sure, it's that not all waxes behave the same ("Storm Proof" wax is considered a medium good-quality wax, I tried it before, it was a foretold disaster, stopped immediately, and probably that's because waxes design for non-waxed garments also, as Otter and not as Storm, are denser, but I also exceeded with the temp, since this is not like working on duck canvas).

Standing at this highly encouraging first results, I'm a little scared now thinking about buying SR, spending all that money...risking to end with another coat, high-quality but perhaps, not comparable in rainproof properties, maybe not even in the color, and probably nor in many SA details not to be taken for granted as fixable, instead of limiting to this one, with a tight collar and a bit short, but fully rainproof, super SA coat (even if twill and with some little scars) to put aside...very confused...I'll speak again when I'll finish the job, but I could reconsider, as the "pinnacle coat" standing on what available at today, as a duck canvas uncoated bep, if duly tweaked in all the details we've already largely discussed in last times here, coated with a proper wax, considering wsl out because it seems to be never sure when they would cooperate to fix their pattern flaws.

Probably, at the end of the job, I will have enough wax for other two coating in the future at the current use, maybe I will sacrifice half of the left wax and coat a duck canvas jacket to try with this, and it would be even clearer.

But for now, waiting to complete all the coat...outstanding finish by otter wax, hoping I can confirm it after curing time. It is also keeping almost exactly the same color and brightness I struggled to achieve

 

[CountLau]

I estimate 1 week curing time, definitely no more wax to be added, some brushing when is fixed to remove little wax waste...here we go. Bit shorter, tighter collar and few other minor gaps but...dead nuts to hit the target? maybe not entirely, I believe is difficult to ask much more anyway

 

[CountLau]

Terrific rainproof finish from Otter wax, really pleased...eating back my words a lot, about many criticism I wrote on waxing: for some aspects, perhaps it's unbeatable

 

[CountLau]

curing time week yet not ended, but just the confirmation about another color mistery has come:
once bluish/greenish (for ex.when blu sky and a bit of light outside), once brownish (darker environment, evening, with warmer artificial light and reddish-yellowish background colors), now it's like that on mine too, with the new non-black base color and the consistent wax coating, artifacts make the coat changing the hue

 

[Malibu139]

curing time week yet not ended, but just the confirmation about another color mistery has come:
once bluish/greenish (for ex.when blu sky and a bit of light outside), once brownish (darker environment, evening, with warmer artificial light and reddish-yellowish background colors), now it's like that on mine too, with the new non-black base color and the consistent wax coating, artifacts make the coat changing the hue



View attachment 1819647

I REALLY like the green and how it shines in the light on the far right.

 

[CountLau]

I REALLY like the green and how it shines in the light on the far right.

it's a bit similar to SR effect? at least from what I can understand here about it.
I think I've been lucky to make it happen with all my mixed processes.
Maybe one day I'll get it too and compare to my current one, but honestly, at today, I don't feel the need for it anymore, even if I keep it in mind, since I would think about another one with a wider collar, a bit longer at the bottom, and with a fully washable finish, but also, why not, a duck canvas to be tweaked from the beginning, would be interesting.
It's a lot of money again, anyway, in a way or in another, and don't wanna collect barely identical coats, so for the moment, I just...chill down a bit, waiting for the next cold season to come and fully enjoying a pretty decent k coat for the very first winter in the end

 

[Malibu139]

CountLau that pic looks very much like a soul revolver finish. I thought it was one for a minute there. The hard work and research paid off it sounds like . Congrats!

 

[CountLau]

CountLau that pic looks very much like a soul revolver finish. I thought it was one for a minute there. The hard work and research paid off it sounds like . Congrats!

we are here to share, and I definitely got inspiration from many sources here too, thanks mate

 

[CountLau]

for having finally chosen to wax it properly, I still have to give credit to Mechanismo: without his insistence, and some considerations made after my long-winded analyses, it would not have gone this way, even if I then chose the otter as I didn't want to risk new excesses of leather-like effect ("matt finish" for the basic dressing + retouches with bars and thermic gun), furthermore, I preferred a contact with the skin for the internal parts, completely natural, even if for the rest, perhaps I will give it a further coat with greenland or barbour in the future, but rather than for the strengthening action on the coating, more as a use of paraffin-based wax lite second layer as an antimicrobial

 

[CountLau]

I upload these two vids, I made them quick in the dim light, but they are only to show how the hidden zip closure that I had implemented and already shown in previous posts works (vertical long triangle-shaped black poly shield on chest sternum level underneath the closed lapels). I didn't even bother reopening the buckle in the second part, however it's to give an idea of the practicality of use.
Thus you are truly armored from any accidental opening or unwanted air currents passing between the closed magnets, regardless of what you are doing.
The cold here is now on its last legs, so I haven't had the need to use it, closing just by the magnets was enough the few times I've gone out recently

 

[CountLau]

these instead can give a more dynamic idea of some reflections of the tone, perhaps in the future however I will take better pics/vids, even if being mine as the result of a big mess in fact, it would be easy for anyone who wants to bother rereading the thread to understand from which I've started with the basics, but it's unlikely to replicate them to the letter: if I had to advise, in doubt about being able to give safe tips, I would say wsl or bep directly in duck canvas, manage the color if you are able to do as I did (but immediately first attempts, or you end up making the lining suffer, which in some cases is already delicate), then wax with obsessive slowness and attention (preferably by opening the lining in one point and inserting cardboard under the part to be waxed), otherwise buy SR limiting to less radical tweaks (like the fur change and little minor tailoring interventions) but possibly leave aside the collar that isn't exactly SA like Jameel's (which however it's a little tight to me).
Jameel's laminate is nice, but if I turn back in time, knowing how lucky I've been to succeed in twisting it right, since I found it too dark and overshining, I think I would have chosen the uncoated duck instead. I'm very happy with mine now, but actually, to repeat such processes ending with the same result, I think would be unlikely for anyone (including me, of course)

 

[CountLau]

one thing for sure is that I must advise against any "definitive washable" lamination such as with DIY acrylics/mediums/plasticizers, to any average person, because if SR has it done surely someone knows and can do it, but except for those who really know professionally (who here, however, I think by now it would have already been read then, even just to propose to do it for others interested in paying for it, and instead it seems difficult if not impossible for average amateurs) you only waste money and time, ending up looking to take them away.
I really don't think that having done those procedures first had any influence on my final result (except in a negative way, even increasing the stress on some points a little too much).
I find Odicoat and Cleopatre (therefore vinyl-style plasticizers) to be taken for what they are designed for: creating plasticized aprons, without higher aims pretensions, I tried them in many ways, I'm out of question for this stuff, while certain quality waxes, on the other hand, have nothing to fear about, and it seems to me that in fact it also maintains a certain breathability and naturalness, they simply do exactly what it is supposed to do with that "dressing" waxes.

 

[CountLau]

is anybody having some little troubles with the eyelet area?
I put a triangular patch with no visible stitches to fix a torn piece (recalling a bit the triangular style of the open lapels, just to make it the least discordant note possible) , since by closing the coat, in time it pulls enough to make the fabric suffer, I think it's an expected issue from a closure that certainly places cinematographic effect and style much before practicality and durability, but maybe it's just a problem of my coat .
I also had already strenghten that waist line by putting a long strip of buckram underneath, now I should avoid such damages in the future.
Are your coats (bep and also any other remarkable vendor) still perfectly intact in that part?

 

[RickC137]

Bro you're the only one burning the midnight oil... lol it's about to be Fin' summer already hah,, keep the dream alive though, that's what's up..
I'm about to get around to my 2nd coat of Barbour.. I'm surprised you like the Otter wax.. but mine was the bar wax.. not the tin like yours.. that was likely way easier n effective.. keep it goin..!

I STILL wish you never focked with when you had it aqua blue looking.. it was BETTER than the movie version.. and you just had to mess with it more! Lol.. ; )

 

[CountLau]

Bro you're the only one burning the midnight oil... lol it's about to be Fin' summer already hah,, keep the dream alive though, that's what's up..
I'm about to get around to my 2nd coat of Barbour.. I'm surprised you like the Otter wax.. but mine was the bar wax.. not the tin like yours.. that was likely way easier n effective.. keep it goin..!

I STILL wish you never focked with when you had it aqua blue looking.. it was BETTER than the movie version.. and you just had to mess with it more! Lol.. ; )

Otter probably worked well for me because I had the luck of getting the right wax on the first try for Jameel's laminate, maybe instead on a duck canvas (like the one you have) Barbour wax would be better, but this fabric here doesn't work well... it absorbs very little wax, and the otter quantity I put is well enough, even putting in a little