BrewDawg

I love these forums! Great advice guys!

Thank you for that. It helps a lot.

Awesome! I think I will do the same. I'm sketching up my sewing pattern as we speak. I still need some clarification of the front side of the vest. I see Retrofire's picture and it shows the opening going out to the shoulders. How far down does it go in the front? Does it sit below the breast plate so that it is hidden by it? O does it matter if it shows in between the breast plate and the mandarin collar of the flight suit?

Is your cod sewn to the vest or is it attached by velcro? I like the idea of having it sewn so it keeps the vest down so it doesn't bunch up.

Retrofire, Thanks for the response and the reference pictures. It helps a lot to visualize the end product. How far down does the vest go down to? The bottom of the breast/back plate? Or far enough that when the cummerbund is worn it keeps the vest in tact? I thought that I read somewhere the some people put velcro on the vest for the cod piece and to keep the chest and back piece in place.

Hi Guys! I'm new to the forums and I'm getting ready to start my own biker scout build. While I'm waiting for my hard armor to arrive, I've decided to start working on my soft parts, specifically the flak vest and to get acclimated to sewing. I'm planning on creating one from scratch using a T-Shirt that fits over the flight suit as a template. In the CRL, it states: Vest Made out of black, matt finish, heavy weight cotton fabric. Sleeves are padded and contain ribbing similar to the front of the cummerbund. The sleeves end just slightly longer than the bottom edge of the shoulder armor. Vest has a much wider neck opening than the flight suit. Secured at the back using 50mm (2") black hook and loop fastener. OPTIONAL Level two certification (if applicable): The vest is separate from the flight suit and cummerbund. I want to try and achieve Lancer approval but I have some questions on the vest. I see some conflicting information on the forum and I want to know what's current and accurate. First, is there a general consensus on the width of the ribbing to be used? I know that needs to be similar to the ribbing on the cummerbund but I've seen stated widths anywhere from 3/4" to 1-1/4" in size. Second, is the ribbing ONLY on the sleeves? I've seen some photos that have it both on the sleeves and a few inches into the chest/back area leading underneath the chest/back plates. Which is proper and is considered movie accurate? Third, How long is "The sleeves end just slightly longer than the bottom edge of the shoulder armor"? 1/2", 1", 2"? Fourth, what does "vest has a much wider neck opening than the flight suit" actually mean? Obviously, I understand that the collar would need to be wider, but how much wider? Does the collar need to be wider and lower so that it's hidden underneath the breast and back plate? Or does it not matter that it shows as long as it doesn't ride up against the mandarin collar of the flight suit (like a T-Shirt would)? Sorry for my level of detail. I just want to make sure that when I make the flak vest that it meets the Lancer requirements, so I don't have to re-work it again. Thank you in advance for your feedback. Darin

Welcome Aboard, Buddy.