Filson Bag Thread: With Pictures

[Soletrane]

They may be processing the bridle leather differently so it stays dark indefinitely. Perhaps this was considered an advantage as it stays "new" looking. I have a dog leash from Frost River that I bought nearly two years ago and despite having seen more use than luggage bridle leather in typical usage - it still looks dark with no perceptible patina (but no pilling in the rough side either.

 

[patrick_b]

I'll be on the lookout for that then, thanks. I think the MTB moves to 2nd place behind the 266 (did that feature Talon zippers ever?). The only thing I don't like about the MTB is that it can flip itself over (much like my 257 already does). I can't have both bags on my shoulders trying to commit suicide ya know lol.

That's exactly why the 266 Sportsman gets the nod far more than the Med Travel for me as well.

 

[OtterMeanGreen]

That's exactly why the 266 Sportsman gets the nod far more than the Med Travel for me as well.

That's also probably why I just passed on a early 90's beautifully preserved MTB on eBay just now...to hold off for the Sportsman 266

 

[OtterMeanGreen]

They may be processing the bridle leather differently so it stays dark indefinitely. Perhaps this was considered an advantage as it stays "new" looking. I have a dog leash from Frost River that I bought nearly two years ago and despite having seen more use than luggage bridle leather in typical usage - it still looks dark with no perceptible patina (but no pilling in the rough side either.

I'm gonna look into Frost River's Leather & nylon straps for my briefcase. Thanks

 

[Soletrane]

I have the 266 - which is probably my all-time favorite Filson bag. I have to say though that the main compartment is pretty narrow given the overall external dimensions of the bag. A single pair of dress shoes, for example, can take up a lot of the space. In contrast, the MTB seems to punch above its size in terms of capacity. Maybe a 4-5 day bag vs a 2-3 day bag in typical usage. The 266 has the advantage of a secure place to keep everything - no rummaging around the bag to find your earplugs or your penlight.

 

[OtterMeanGreen]

I have the 266 - which is probably my all-time favorite Filson bag. I have to say though that the main compartment is pretty narrow given the overall external dimensions of the bag. A single pair of dress shoes, for example, can take up a lot of the space. In contrast, the MTB seems to punch above its size in terms of capacity. Maybe a 4-5 day bag vs a 2-3 day bag in typical usage. The 266 has the advantage of a secure place to keep everything - no rummaging around the bag to find your earplugs or your penlight.

That's quite alright, I plan on utilizing packing cubes/folders for the 266. I'm buying this bag mainly for vacation/non-work related trips, so if I were to bring extra footwear it would be flip flops (plenty of space for that I reckon). Your posts & adoration for the 266 were actually the driving force behind my decision for the 266. McGrennier's posts & incidentally, his distaste for his MTB was a big reason I didn't go down that road. "A cardboard box with a shoulder strap" lol. Only problem now is sourcing a 266, arguably the most coveted Filson by many. Just hope the one I finally find isn't beat to hell.

 

[OtterMeanGreen]

Here is the introduction to my newly purchased #257 in Otter Green. I say introduction because I haven't used it yet. I'd like to know more about it first & what proper care I should enlist before using it in the elements. Why? Because it's incredibly old & in a highly preserved state.

I was browsing eBay 2 weeks ago looking for the ever-elusive dream Filson, you know what I'm getting at here; Talon Zippers, Paddless Strap, 22 oz Interior Dividers & most importantly Pre-Bedrock Bridle Leather. And there it was, in otter green no less (did I mention I love Otter Green?). Was it $500? No. $400? Nope. Ok it has to be $300? I mean come on, it looked hardly used & at least 18 years old. Guess again. I paid $279, a classic but rare example of a seller not knowing what they had.

The seller had bought it on eBay 5 years ago & was so moved by its beauty, he never used it, it just sat in his closet. So that makes me the 3rd owner (at least). The words in his description read "I will be sorry to see it go, but this is too good of a bag to not be used again".

When I received it on my doorstep it was everything & more of I was hoping for. The Twill was stiff & had a wonderful vintage aroma (like a vintage military trading post). The bridle leather; lightened, soft & supple of the prized quality of many years ago. The interior fabric was 22 oz & unused; how could this be? The leather Paddless shoulder strap was in perfect condition, with zero stress marks. The Talon Zippers, shiny & new, with an accompanied Filson branded lock & keys.

Now for some of the things I noticed that I desperately need your expert advice on. Firstly, there is no interior white build tag so I'm SOL on determining just how old this unicorn is. The seller of the MTB I nearly bought informed me that bags from this alleged era didn't come with build tags. Is he right? The 1st owner (who never really used the bag either) may've torn it off. How old do you reckon it is? Secondly there's many spots on the brass (or plated brass lol) that had these green scoring marks that rub off. What is that? What should I do with the leather? There no telling when it was last cared for, but it's soft to the touch. I'm not one for waxing the canvas (not a fan of the look) but should I scotch guard it? If it's been preserved this long it still may be impregnated with wax. There's also no interior/exterior keyring lanyard clasp, what's up with that?

Finally to the most important question: there's one spot I'm nervous about. It's a slight crease/chip on the top layer of the leather on both sides of the right D-Ring brace for shoulder strap (or w/e it's called). What precautions should I take? It looks very superficial but I'm a avid nitpicker

Thanks, sorry for the wordiness. Pictures to follow next post.

 

[OtterMeanGreen]

Pictures of the #257
Sorry if I got carried away with the amount of pictures. I just wanted to share this preserved piece of Filson history with you. I've been grinning ear to ear since it arrived.

 

[mgrennier]

Pictures of the #257
Sorry if I got carried away with the amount of pictures. I just wanted to share this preserved piece of Filson history with you. I've been grinning ear to ear since it arrived.

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So nice to find a score like that!!!!

I can't provide any historical commentary except to say that the details on that bag (zippers, etc.) show that it truly is one made BEFORE the Bedrock acquisition (on which you've been pretty damn clear on your opinion!)

Nicely done. I'm jumping over to the bay right now to peruse the stuff I don't need.

 

[letsi]

Now for some of the things I noticed that I desperately need your expert advice on. Firstly, there is no interior white build tag so I'm SOL on determining just how old this unicorn is. The seller of the MTB I nearly bought informed me that bags from this alleged era didn't come with build tags. Is he right? The 1st owner (who never really used the bag either) may've torn it off. How old do you reckon it is? Secondly there's many spots on the brass (or plated brass lol) that had these green scoring marks that rub off. What is that? What should I do with the leather? There no telling when it was last cared for, but it's soft to the touch. I'm not one for waxing the canvas (not a fan of the look) but should I scotch guard it? If it's been preserved this long it still may be impregnated with wax. There's also no interior/exterior keyring lanyard clasp, what's up with that?

Finally to the most important question: there's one spot I'm nervous about. It's a slight crease/chip on the top layer of the leather on both sides of the right D-Ring brace for shoulder strap (or w/e it's called). What precautions should I take? It looks very superficial but I'm a avid nitpicker

Thanks, sorry for the wordiness. Pictures to follow next post.

Great find there! I'm assuming this is made pre-2000 since I've not really seen any bags whose factory tag shows up as <00 for manufactured year.

Brass corrodes green so you could probably assume that it's made of solid brass instead of alloy that the newer bags get.

Nothing much to advise on the twill other than to use it haha...

The lanyard with key holder inside the front pocket are non-existent on mine with the YKK zips made in 2003 so I'm not surprised yours didn't come with it.

Lastly, for the chips on the leather holding the D-rings. I'm not going to scare you (if you check my post history in this thread) but check if it the "chips" are superficial or it's cracking below the surface. Apply Obenauf HLDP on it to stiffen the leather around that area and pray that it doesn't get bigger when you put load on it for the first week.
If it survives then it's just comestic issues.

Enjoy your bag!

 

[OtterMeanGreen]

So nice to find a score like that!!!!

I can't provide any historical commentary except to say that the details on that bag (zippers, etc.) show that it truly is one made BEFORE the Bedrock acquisition (on which you've been pretty damn clear on your opinion!)

Nicely done. I'm jumping over to the bay right now to peruse the stuff I don't need.

LOL Thanks @mgrennier. I have been a bit transparent on my harsh feelings towards Bedrock. To each their own though, I hold no gripes towards anyone wanting to buy these newer Filson bags. I mean what other choice to we Filsonados have, other than the second (or third in my case) hand markets.

 

[OtterMeanGreen]

Great find there! I'm assuming this is made pre-2000 since I've not really seen any bags whose factory tag shows up as <00 for manufactured year.

Brass corrodes green so you could probably assume that it's made of solid brass instead of alloy that the newer bags get.

Nothing much to advise on the twill other than to use it haha...

The lanyard with key holder inside the front pocket are non-existent on mine with the YKK zips made in 2003 so I'm not surprised yours didn't come with it.

Lastly, for the chips on the leather holding the D-rings. I'm not going to scare you (if you check my post history in this thread) but check if it the "chips" are superficial or it's cracking below the surface. Apply Obenauf HLDP on it to stiffen the leather around that area and pray that it doesn't get bigger when you put load on it for the first week.
If it survives then it's just comestic issues.

Enjoy your bag!

WOW!!! Thanks @letsi. I appreciate the insights. That makes sense regarding the build tags and that would be awesome if it were a "pre-2000" Filson (I'm honored & privileged either way). I had a feeling that you were gonna say that about the Brass, its nice to be reassured. LOL Oh no worries about that I plan on using it everyday. Having worked for Ferrari, I use to hate seeing these rare cars just sitting collecting dust and not being driven in the matter that they were created for. Good to know the original owner didn't cut the lanyard off (which would boggle my mind as to why).

Thanks for the advice on the leather D-Ring area. I think i was blowing it out of proportion, but I was surprised I didn't notice it until after I received it. I studied the eBay pictures with a magnify glass, and I guess it slipped right by. I saw those very same posts by you pretty recently when i decided to read through all 424 pages in a weeks time (I had questions but wanted to look first if they were asked/answered already). I guess having these "chips" on the top is better than the bottom of the leather, right? I will be buying Obenauf's HDLP next and try your advice. Do you think I should treat the rest of the leather as well with HDLP?

 

[letsi]

WOW!!! Thanks @letsi.
Thanks for the advice on the leather D-Ring area. I think i was blowing it out of proportion, but I was surprised I didn't notice it until after I received it. I studied the eBay pictures with a magnify glass, and I guess it slipped right by. I saw those very same posts by you pretty recently when i decided to read through all 424 pages in a weeks time (I had questions but wanted to look first if they were asked/answered already). I guess having these "chips" on the top is better than the bottom of the leather, right? I will be buying Obenauf's HDLP next and try your advice. Do you think I should treat the rest of the leather as well with HDLP?

You're welcome. I don't profess to be know-all here since some of the older posters probably have "collection" range way broader and deeper than mine, just sharing some of my observations while buying/selling Filson bags. I have a rather contrarian pov in this thread (e.g. buying and re-selling my 266 after the first outing with it, waxing and cutting bags up, wanting patina on the leather parts of my bags & etc) haha...

Personally, I'll not treat the other leather areas with HDLP (probably just Bick or maybe a bit of Sedgwick leather feed) as it pretty much stops the patination of leather based on personal and other folks' anecdotal experience on other leather care discussion threads but if you prefer to have the straps stay how they are now (HDLP will definitely darken them a bit and kinda marsupials any further patination but it might not be a bad thing in your situation since they look pretty seasoned already) then feel free to

I really like the bridle straps on your 257 as it appears that the edge dressing/painting was applied imperfectly on the fuzzy side leather from pictures while the recent bags (I suspect even for mine made in 03) just have the fuzzy side completely painted over with dark brown paint. Such "details" are great really on old bags

 

[thePNW]

Long-time reader. Just received a Filson original briefcase as a gift. I've found that the shoulder strap clips catch on the bag at awkward angles when the clips are turned facing inward (their natural position). I've instead turned the clips so that they are facing outward, which makes their movement more smooth on the D ring but looks a bit strange. Have others had this issue? Thanks.

 

[Soletrane]

That's quite alright, I plan on utilizing packing cubes/folders for the 266. I'm buying this bag mainly for vacation/non-work related trips, so if I were to bring extra footwear it would be flip flops (plenty of space for that I reckon). Your posts & adoration for the 266 were actually the driving force behind my decision for the 266. McGrennier's posts & incidentally, his distaste for his MTB was a big reason I didn't go down that road. "A cardboard box with a shoulder strap" lol. Only problem now is sourcing a 266, arguably the most coveted Filson by many. Just hope the one I finally find isn't beat to hell.

Sounds like the 266 is then perfect. I used it for a week long trip to Hilton Head and it had no trouble holding summer wear and a pair of flip flops. The organization and side pockets also means you don't need to carry a second smaller bag to carry your phone, charger, sunglasses, snacks, book, headphones as it's all easily accessible and secured a zipper. I just keep one pocket relatively unfilled - if I'm going to walk a lot - so it carries better against the body.

As an aside, I just came back from my vacation with a new found appreciation for my large travel bag as a max carryon hauler. Yes, it's heavy (but you get used to it). And yes, if you pack it to the max, it's like a box (but by using packing cubes I was able to pack it so it was much more narrow). A
I personally think the wide zipper opening and 6 pockets makes it a great carry-on bag. It fit all 4 different planes' overheads - - narrow end in like you're supposed to load the overhead - as it's relatively short. Great bag and it's a nearly a crime that they discontinued it and it's little brother.