Filson Bag Thread: With Pictures

[DuckMan_11]

Hey folks! I'm hoping to tap into your collective expertise and general sleuthing capabilities. Below is my dad's old hunting bag. I cannot figure out who may have made this thing, and he has no recollection of where he even got it. It's certainly not Filson. I am unable to find any tags, markings, or insignia of any kind as clues. Best guess is that it is from the 1970s. Could it be military? Maybe just an off brand, unmarked bag through some place like A&N, or possibly military surplus? I thought you amazing bag heads on here might be my only hope.

Another question - what could the two small flaps on the front of the main flap (the two that have small metal rivet holes in them)? The one hanging straight down I could see random things attached two, but second one that is vertical/perpendicular, I really don't get. It seems like it would get ripped off easily from that angle if anything heavy were hung from it.

You'll see the years of gnarly patina embedded into the canvas - it's recently cleaned by the way, none of this coming out, and I love it for that. I used to use it for shells, gloves, etc. and the occasional quail. These days, it's more of a shoulder bag for road trips, farmers markets, etc. Any thoughts or tips appreciated.


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It appears to be some sort of military surplus bag. If you look at the metal clips and buckles, very similar to most Milsurp bags. Beyond that, idk. Also, I could be wrong ?.

 

[TinMan3]

Nice find. Also appears here. So we can speak as a matter of fact that it was officially released in 1991. How it was before that remains to be seen in what particular form or fashion. Would be interested in seeing what it was before Stan Kohls sunk his genius teeth in

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Yes this is very interesting. However, from reading this page, it appears to me that Kohl’s was reintroducing items from a long time before 1981. It reads that he became aware of designs through old catalogs and put them back to work. I’ve never seen a twill bag that I know of that is older than this “reintroduction” period so I would say that it’s possible he found some old designs and put them back to work from many decades before, but I would also say it’s possible it was just written this way because it reads well that Kohl’s success was partially due to the finding of the Dead Sea scrolls of Filson folklore.

 

[FilsonDude]

I recall reading somewhere that the Field bags were the first models produced before the other ones were introduced (duffles, briefcases, totes)

 

[Kevin24]

I am going back to school this coming spring, and I could use a sturdy backpack that's capable of carrying a laptop and some books around town.

Would the more experienced Filson guys in this thread recommend the Ranger Backpack or the Journeyman?

Also, criticize this for what you will but is the Ranger geared more towards use by men or women?

 

[seven20]

I am going back to school this coming spring, and I could use a sturdy backpack that's capable of carrying a laptop and some books around town.

Would the more experienced Filson guys in this thread recommend the Ranger Backpack or the Journeyman?

Also, criticize this for what you will but is the Ranger geared more towards use by men or women?

I haven’t had a journeyman, but had a ranger briefly. It’s an odd shaped bag IMO (back is very wide) and doesn’t have a laptop compartment. I would say the journeyman is a better suited bag for school. The rucksack open style is a bit cumbersome to me vs the zip.

only my opinion though. I just finished grad school and carried my 257 instead of a backpack

 

[OtterMeanGreen]

Yes this is very interesting. However, from reading this page, it appears to me that Kohl’s was reintroducing items from a long time before 1981. It reads that he became aware of designs through old catalogs and put them back to work. I’ve never seen a twill bag that I know of that is older than this “reintroduction” period so I would say that it’s possible he found some old designs and put them back to work from many decades before, but I would also say it’s possible it was just written this way because it reads well that Kohl’s success was partially due to the finding of the Dead Sea scrolls of Filson folklore.

That could be true. Also he might’ve perfected the Rugged Twill Line with his learned background in the industry. We know for a fact that he expanded the Rugged Twill Luggage line

 

[Soletrane]

It's been a while since I have posted so apologies if these items may have been discussed already. Recently, I bought two Filson Workshop items from the summer sale. The leather rectangular catch-all and the leather chain wallet.

The catch-all was a pleasant surprise. The leather was thick with a luster characteristic of good quality leather. The brass corner (copper colored?) pieces are also attractive and contrast nicely with the black leather. There is a little Workshop brand at the base too. The rectangular shape with the rounded bottom (like a little barge) holds a good amount. The only criticism I have is the rounded bottom means it swivels or rocks on a flat surface. It is also not a 'travel tray' as there is no way that I can discern to remove the brass pieces and fold flat. I bought several for gifts for colleagues and friends for the holidays as I thought it was a good deal at the sale price.

The chain wallet was bought for my teenage son who liked the concept (and had lost his rugged suede Filson snap wallet when it fell out of his pocket). The wallet was much thicker than I imagined. Like a little purse. It had a zippered compartment and multiple slots for cash, but still pretty simple (e.g. no card slots or anything). The leather seemed very similar to the Wickett & Craig leather on my second generation Filson field satchel: dark brown, thick, sturdy but very flat (no sheen or gloss) compared to most high end leather products. The chain was an antiqued brass color which I don't like personally as it looks a bit 'faux'. At the full retail, I might have returned it (given what I have seen from other brands like Red Wing and other companies in this category). But given my son's happiness with it and the lower sale price, I think it's a keeper. I look forward to seeing if heavy use may change its look favorably. I hope I don't see elephant knee creases or worse yet, pitting.

 

[FilsonDude]

I am going back to school this coming spring, and I could use a sturdy backpack that's capable of carrying a laptop and some books around town.

Would the more experienced Filson guys in this thread recommend the Ranger Backpack or the Journeyman?

Also, criticize this for what you will but is the Ranger geared more towards use by men or women?

between those two I would say the Journeyman for it’s built in padding and organization.

If you just wanted max carrying capacity and don’t care if the laptop gets banged up or using a sleeve then the Ranger could work

 

[Stratkat]

It's been a while since I have posted so apologies if these items may have been discussed already. Recently, I bought two Filson Workshop items from the summer sale. The leather rectangular catch-all and the leather chain wallet.

The catch-all was a pleasant surprise. The leather was thick with a luster characteristic of good quality leather. The brass corner (copper colored?) pieces are also attractive and contrast nicely with the black leather. There is a little Workshop brand at the base too. The rectangular shape with the rounded bottom (like a little barge) holds a good amount. The only criticism I have is the rounded bottom means it swivels or rocks on a flat surface. It is also not a 'travel tray' as there is no way that I can discern to remove the brass pieces and fold flat. I bought several for gifts for colleagues and friends for the holidays as I thought it was a good deal at the sale price.

The chain wallet was bought for my teenage son who liked the concept (and had lost his rugged suede Filson snap wallet when it fell out of his pocket). The wallet was much thicker than I imagined. Like a little purse. It had a zippered compartment and multiple slots for cash, but still pretty simple (e.g. no card slots or anything). The leather seemed very similar to the Wickett & Craig leather on my second generation Filson field satchel: dark brown, thick, sturdy but very flat (no sheen or gloss) compared to most high end leather products. The chain was an antiqued brass color which I don't like personally as it looks a bit 'faux'. At the full retail, I might have returned it (given what I have seen from other brands like Red Wing and other companies in this category). But given my son's happiness with it and the lower sale price, I think it's a keeper. I look forward to seeing if heavy use may change its look favorably. I hope I don't see elephant knee creases or worse yet, pitting.
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Soletrane, aren’t the clevis pins treaded, removable? You should be able to remove them and flatten the tray I would think.

 

[Mrfuzon]

I have tried to figure out what year she (wife) bought my old 257 and we keep coming up with dates before 1992. She worked in a warehouse fabric design company down in the area where filson was. The area was more industrial then with no baseball stadium and the football stadium was the old kingdome. Anyway she worked there from 1987 to 1989...which is why we think early 1989. Our daughter was born may 1989 so no shopping down there after that.

Regarding black twill...I just like it. I also wear black carhartt jackets so I guess they sort of match! And I also like how black cotton twill wears over time. My old tan 257 looks awesome and quite dark. BTW I have never waxed the twill or put conditioner on the leather....and it never seemed to need either....maybe our wet climate helps..haha.

Post your collection, also how does black cotton twill wear?

 

[Soletrane]

I am going back to school this coming spring, and I could use a sturdy backpack that's capable of carrying a laptop and some books around town.

Would the more experienced Filson guys in this thread recommend the Ranger Backpack or the Journeyman?

Also, criticize this for what you will but is the Ranger geared more towards use by men or women?

i have both. If it’s just books and laptop mostly then I agree with other posts: Journeyman.

The Ranger has a lot more capacity however so if you plan on putting bulky items like clothing in there too, the scales start to tip in favor of the Ranger. I went on a leisure trip to Australia last year and both my son and I carried Rangers on the overseas flights and appreciated their large capacity when full.

 

[Soletrane]

Soletrane, aren’t the clevis pins treaded, removable? You should be able to remove them and flatten the tray I would think.

They are indeed threaded but it appears the corners are bound together. I didn’t want to try at this juncture since a travel tray isn’t that much use when I am not traveling much further than my driveway, anyway.

 

[OtterMeanGreen]

I have double great news to share about a no brainer modification I made to my #257. Calm down, it didn’t involve a seam ripper but it did involve a pair of scissors...I told you, calm down.

While searching for tools when I encountered an issue while building my knife, I saw a makeshift split rolled up in my mountain biking toolkit. I had it applied by the mountain emergency squad after breaking my wrist in 2 places from a collision with an oak tree. I thought about throwing it away but realized it would not only be a cool mod, but have a story to go along with it.

Not that my #257 needs any help standing up on its own, which this offers as a side effect, but I always wanted more padding for my laptop, and the flimsy piece of foam I’ve had at the bottom was looking really awful. Funny thing is I’ve been storing my 257 in a big ziplock to protect it from sand (live in a beach town), and when I opened it up i was knocked down by a huge whiff of delicious vintage must, the smell I was first greeted with when buying it. My nose must’ve just gotten use to it and time away brought it back

As you can see it fits underneath both sections.

Here it is effortlessly tightrope walking on a ledge like Philippe Petit

 

[nevadabob]

I have a ranger and recommend it. There's a small wool pouch that snaps in and out of the bag, and it does indeed have a laptop sleeve, and padding on the side that touches your back. Never played with a journeyman. The bandera backpack has caught my eye - much more of a traditional Jansport style to it. Brings me back to third grade. Anyway, the two photos are the snapped in valuables pouch and the laptop compartment.

 

[nevadabob]

As to the ranger being geared toward men or women, I don't think it was designed with any of the hundreds of genders in mind but it is a large capacity bag so may dwarf (can I say that) a smaller human being.

My bag has leather cinch straps. I think Filson has changed that now to nylon, which I wouldn't personally have purchased.

Ps, pages ago someone mentioned that they were from Oregon and i -think- that same person mentioned they'd seen a place with the original medium duffle for sale. Are the initials of that store POS? I thought that it was my hidden gem, so I am glad someone else has found it!