Kolchak: The Night Stalker - His Gear

[Jintosh]

Awesome! Thanks!

 

[FANATICO]

The Seersucker Jacket Saga

Finding a Seersucker suit to match Kolchak’s TV version was impossible, at least for me. By what a previous member posted…that is to mean the On Screen used jacket…it was, imo, custom tailored (with multiples no doubt) not to be found in other clothing shops or online eBay etc.

So what’s known about the jacket? It was 3 buttons on the front and 2 buttons per sleeve.

The two front pockets were sewn on the outside of the jacket, both with flaps.

A close look reveals the density count of the lapel stripes to be 32 blue and 32 white.

Nothing came close for me, especially in my size. During the fall winter season, when I decided to buy my suit, pickings were slim for seersucker suits… they are much more widely available for the spring summer seasons since its a light suit in material weight.

Not finding a close enough match, I decided to try and get a close stripes match to the Kolchak Vampire Movie version. The stripe density count was about half less (then the TV version), at 15 each for blue and white.

So….I managed to find on eBay, a JCP (J. C. Penny) Seersucker jacket (separately from the pants)….the lapel stripes count matched the Movie version. The front pockets were sewn on the outside and flapped like the TV version. A reasonable compromise imo.

Only thing it didn’t have was 3 front buttons, (it was a 2 button jacket) and the 2 buttons per sleeve (it had 4 buttons per sleeve). The buttons came white. It was also missing the single lapel button hole. Finally, the jacket was one size to small …..which was fine by me, since I don’t ever see Kolchak with his jacket buttoned closed.

First thing was to have the buttons swapped out to be a close match to the TV version…imo…the buttons are not blue as someone mentioned, I believed them to be a shade of gray ….It depended on the lighting. Also, the buttons appear to have a marbleized pattern.

So I bought marbleized dark gray buttons …if I could have found lighter gray, I would have got them.

Once the buttons were changed out, next was to do a 3rd button and button hole. I was fortunate that the lapel and lapel roll over were high up in the design of the cut of the jacket, giving ample room for the 3rd button and hole.

To my horror, no one I contacted i.e. tailor, alterations, cleaners..shops were unable to do a button hole for a jacket! They all said they didn’t have the right machine and or machine attachments to do a keyhole button hole, the type my jacket has. Some said they could do it by hand….but I wasn’t getting the warm and fuzzy from those looking leary to do so in the first place. Hell, not even the Men’s Warehouse tailors would touch it. A friend of mine made an attempt using her machine that surprisingly was bought with several button holes programmed in and having the button hole attachment.

Right about now, your probably yawning, or saying how much longer….etc. perhaps take a break from reading this…get some caffeine.

So, my friend was having trouble with sewing the button hole….like a Kolchak mystery, something was odd about that. She said it went half way making it but it stopped….so not to screw it up, she backed off and threw in the towel. She said she could make the holes on practice material, but not able to do so on the jacket. Hmmmmm

Well sewing the 3rd button on was easy……but that damn 3rd button hole nobody would do, I had to think and get creative.

The question…..are you ever going to actually close the 3rd button? Answer No

Do you then need a real working third button hole? Answer No…. It’s for cosmetic purposes only, you need to “represent” a 3rd button hole.

I created a fake button hole! Essentially a mini button hole “patch” I can tack sew in place of where a real button hole would go. I asked my friend to use some scrap seersucker material I had from having my pants re-lengthened and cuffed., to make some fake button holes, including for the lapel, that I can cut out to sew onto the jacket. Alignment of the jacket stripes and button hole patch stripes was important, to pull off the illusion of having a real button hole.

Before and After ……

In my opinion…..the less densely striped Movie version is much more noticeable, at distance, versus the higher density striped TV version which is harder to notice as stripes until its closer to you.

And so the Seersucker Jacket Saga ends…..

I’m sure you don’t ever want to hear about button holes in life again!

It works……none the wiser

Part 2 the Seersucker Pants Saga …..eventually

Peace

 

[ncchuck]

hi finally won the tripod adapter , and im working on a mego and a larger 18-19 inch tall marionette carl , i didnt really know anything about the show and after i found out and watched it im now obcessed now i need to find the 2 companion books im missing

 

[FANATICO]

hi finally won the tripod adapter , and im working on a mego and a larger 18-19 inch tall marionette carl , i didnt really know anything about the show and after i found out and watched it im now obcessed now i need to find the 2 companion books im missing

Looks like you have a choice of heads….one appears to be resin, the other latex. Nice rendition of a Kolchak Figure….now ya need the paint detail on the gear

Peace

 

[ncchuck]

Looks like you have a choice of heads….one appears to be resin, the other latex. Nice rendition of a Kolchak Figure….now ya need the paint detail on the gear

Peace

both are resin printed the one with the acrylic eyes is my marionette , yea its all a wip im working on changing the size of the camera and i printed them in yellow resin i thought that would look more like a figure that was made in the 80's , just doing stuff to keep myself busy and the depression at bay

 

[FANATICO]

just doing stuff to keep myself busy and the depression at bay

I share your sentiment to some degree……my remedy? doing stuff you can be proud of, and if it brings a smile to your face, then all the better.

Hobbies make great relievers……an occasional Three Stooges episode also helps

Peace Be With You

 

[FANATICO]

The Seersucker Pants

In terms of the TV season (series), Kolchak’s pants had…

3 belt loops in the back in close proximity to each other along the waistband. There were times Kolchak missed/skipped the center loop. As seen below, in two different scenes from the Ripper episode. He also had 2 back pockets, one of them with a button.

Length wise, as mentioned in a previous post…he wore his pants “high watered”, with the edge of the pant leg ending just above the perceived ankle bone.

Lastly… his pants had a standard 1.5” cuff..

My particular pants, since not from the same style Seersucker suit as Kolchak’s TV version, is not 3 looped in the back…just 2 looped with no center 3rd loop. Also, both back pockets each has a button. The pants I bought, originally had it’s hem sewn on the inside, and the inseam was longer than the size I use. I had them resized and given them the 1.5” cuffs and changed the buttons out to the same buttons used on my jacket.

Datz it for the pants.

Note: Black socks (wool?) which don’t appear to have any stylish pattern design…..

Peace

 

[Jintosh]

The Seersucker Pants

My particular pants, since not from the same style Seersucker suit as Kolchak’s TV version, is not 3 looped in the back…just 2 looped with no center 3rd loop. Also, both back pockets each has a button. The pants I bought, originally had it’s hem sewn on the inside, and the inseam was longer than the size I use. I had them resized and given them the 1.5” cuffs and changed the buttons out to the same buttons used on my jacket.

Datz it for the pants.

Peace

Having worn dress pants as part of my uniform for retail, I can tell you that all such dress pants have two buttons. But, if you simply UN-button one of the buttons to allow a wallet to be put in and out of the pocket, the button no longer shows. It is still there, but hid by the pocket cloth.

 

[FANATICO]

And now the Shirt

Not much to it….long sleeve…it’s color is light blue, baby blue, powder blue, etc. with whitish mother of pearl buttons.

It has a button-down collar, center double pleats on the back, single small button on each sleeve placket, two small buttons on each sleeve cuff, tail, high hem gusset, and single left side (as being worn) top pocket.

My shirt, doesn’t have the back center double pleat. Unless this feature is on a hanging shirt at the store to be easily identified, cool…..otherwise, to identify this feature will require busting the shirt out of its packaging from the store shelf. Not recommended by the store employees

Note: As for Kolchak’s underwear? No T-Shirt……..from The Ripper

…..and below the belt? I’ll leave that up to your imagination. Personally, for me? No T-Shirt and Going Commando

Peace

 

[drusselmeyer]

As for the hat

I purchased the Raffia straw hat ($33) at Elis Western Wear….unfortunately, not only do they no longer carry it, their supplier/MFG M&F Western no longer makes it.

This particular hat, had a suede hatband that was rubber glued to the base of the crown.
It was a tedious task to partly cut away and also rub the glue off. I had to be extremely careful not to cut and fray the straw. Time consuming it was….

I managed to find a haberdashery (hat maker) in San Diego that was able to re-block the hat and then also make the hatband. I was told that the hatband material needed had to be made of 100% rayon, as it is the best material to bend with heat to form the curvature needed to conform to the coning shape of the hat crown. Also, some of these types of hats, have a certain type of brim wire going around the entire circumference of the brim just were the brim edge straw is bent over and stitched …..once shaped, they can be unforgiving to bend any other way…it’s like memory wire, it tends to bend back to its original manufactured shape. Hence achieving a brim that is turned up somewhat near the edge of the brim like Kolchak was not totally accomplished….but as we already know, Kolchak wore different hats with different brim shapes.

The overall look of my hat was not reflected in my Kon pictures in my previous post…..below is the Before and After.

View attachment 1562229

Peace

Good find! Several years ago, when I was in LA last, I went to the garment district to search for a good facsimile. I think I found one. It is probably from the same supplier that they got it from all those years ago. I was surprised that it was not a straw hat. They were still cheap at the time...under $10. The hard part seems to be picking one that has the exact vent arrangement on the front. They look like they may all be hand made.

 

[drusselmeyer]

Revisiting the Zombie Needle Book Pocket Sized Prop
Welp, I dove in and took my own suggestion, and DIY’d my own version of the the Kolchak Zombie Needle Book.

As you can see there are similarities. You can get everything pictured below at Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, Walmart (doesn’t have the leather piece nor the brown lace thread).

It turned out I used the needle from the needles kits I bought, so I could do the sewing with it.

For sure, buy the needles at Walmart (cheapest price)

My previous measurements went out the window based on the size of the leather piece that was available 9.5x3.5…
I used the entire piece. It’s ok…it fits comfortably for my hand size.

For the sewing….I pre-drilled the holes for the lace thread to be weaved in and out, the same diameter of the needle I was using…this way I didn’t have to struggle to punch through the felt pages and leather thickness with the needle itself. Doing it that way would surely have me misalign a straight sew line.

I realize the Kolchak version doesn’t have a felt pages stitch line in the leather at the fold, that I can see or notice. I suspect the felt pages were sewn together first and then the fold of the pages together was glued to the leather on the inside.

I can’t do regular sewing…I would have botched that too. Drilling and weaving was easier.

I’m HAPPY with how it turned out! Now all I need is a Zombo The Zombie to try out the needle. Perhaps at WonderCon

View attachment 1559683
View attachment 1559684

Note: In the scene where Kolchak is next to the Zombie’s body and prepping for sewing his mouth shut, he places a threaded curved needle temporarily straddling across the lips of his own mouth while preparing with the salt as well. The size of the curved needle is bigger than the biggest needle in the 4 pack. In fact it looks like for that scene, the needle looked exaggerated in size to the point it looks like a large piece of bare silver wire ….curved to appear as a needle from the needle book in the office scene. imo.

View attachment 1559703

The largest and second largest curved needle in the 4 pack shown above will be big enough to straddle a human mouth. Depending on the size you make the felt pages, and by association the leather cover….you may not be able to store the largest needle onto the felt page..it’s huge. For my sizing, I’m able to use the second largest curved needle, on down through the rest of the needles, and that’s okay for me. It achieves the effect for both the office and Zombie body in the junkyard hearse scenes….

Peace

UPDATE: With some patience and little finesse, I managed to get the largest circular needle onto the felt page with a little rearranging. I’ve also added the white stitching thread/cord/lace, for greater effect…imo.

View attachment 1559742

Don't forget the shaker of salt! It's not just for Margaritaville. . The whole point of the sewing is to contain the salt.

 

[FANATICO]

Good find! Several years ago, when I was in LA last, I went to the garment district to search for a good facsimile. I think I found one. It is probably from the same supplier that they got it from all those years ago. I was surprised that it was not a straw hat. They were still cheap at the time...under $10. The hard part seems to be picking one that has the exact vent arrangement on the front. They look like they may all be hand made.

A member previously posted that there were two rows of vents.

Here’s what I found to back his statement up….. you can make out, distinctly, two rows of vent holes from the inside and outside of his Outside Hat version.

Other vented hole patterns may have existed for other On Screen versions i.e. indoor, raggedy, beat-up, etc.

Peace

 

[FANATICO]

Don't forget the shaker of salt! It's not just for Margaritaville. . The whole point of the sewing is to contain the salt.

Yeah I’m aware of the salt factor…but with no stitch, salt comes out and Zombie continues to unlive nevertheless, I searched for a close enough match to the screen used. The closest I can come to as far as a yellow color and red text salt container/dispenser is Red Cross brand salt.

The On Screen used salt is Plain Salt…..Red Cross only made Table and Iodized Salt…that I know of.

Peace

 

[drusselmeyer]

If there is a black stripe on a label, it usually means that they were using a commercial product that they weren't advertising. This means that the container may be available from some collector if you can manage to identify the brand.

 

[FANATICO]

If there is a black stripe on a label, it usually means that they were using a commercial product that they weren't advertising. This means that the container may be available from some collector if you can manage to identify the brand.

As a Pocket Prop (my focus) it’s to cumbersome and big for a pocket. I’ll take a pass on the salt. The needle kit is fine enough from that Zombie episode for me…..if you’ve seen my Pocket Props .. my pockets are just about full….the only other prop that may be accommodated is the Mojo bag from The Trevi Collection witch episode..then that should be it for me.

Peace

 

[drusselmeyer]

But what about the crossbow?

 

[FANATICO]

But what about the crossbow?

From my second post on this forum….

…..“Having gone to Con’s I can say…..the lighter the costume and accessories, all the better throughout the entire day(s) for comfort.

The KC gear affords me what I would like to carry with me and what I don’t carry with me….externally, for me, I’ll carry the TC-55 and Rollei 16 with the E Flash which I already have.

So my current concentration is on “Pocket Props” that is to say, what can I carry in my pockets.”…..

Just having gone to WonderCon this past weekend…I’m definitely glad I wasn’t lugging around crossbows, wooden stakes, and wooden mallets, etc.

Nope, other than the camera and recorder…what’s in my pockets is all I’ll carry. For me, I was right about my comfort limits factor

 

[ncchuck]

...

 

[FANATICO]

if i can complain a lil, i got in my hat i ordered from esty it was a lil over 150 shipping and tax and all .
it was covered with hot glue its oozing though the holes on the inside its spots on the ribbon on the outside its coming out from the bow on the ribbon all the whitish spots in the pics is glue on the ribbon , i dont think i could recommend it for the price

Hmmmm, as I understand it, if I’m not wrong……the Etsy seller is a member on these thread pages early on. Perhaps you can PM him through this thread, or message his Etsy store and see if he can do some Customer Service for you….at a minimum, a partial refund if not a full exchange. All he could do is say No…..if No, then all you have left, is the Etsy feedback rating system. Don’t know if he would have a Satisfaction Guarantee or your money back policy.

Peace

 

[ncchuck]

,,,