Filson Bag Thread: With Pictures

[OtterMeanGreen]

... ah yes the 'buttery' leather, and that may very well be true. but i tell ya these are bags that were meant to be taken into the wild. i have 5 of them all new, never held a Talon era bag in my hand and dont need to. my handles are great and do what they are supposed to and im sure will last just as long. have there been failures on the new stuff? were there failures on the Talon stuff? who knows? thing is if they ever fail, send em back, thats what the warranty is for. if collecting and putting them on a shelf is your thing, and gazing at the 'buttery' leather and the patina that some hard working guy put on there, thats fine. but they are bags first and were designed to be used, and i love that about them, and the build quality is excellent!

Time will tell how long this new Bedrock Filson will last and if the build quality is as good as the Talon and YKK era Filsons (overall quality not just zipper wise). What is not in question is the talon era bags, which a simple eBay search will show you is still in tact and not a repair special. @GzStudio can certainly chime in as he as a plethora of talons and most (short of some patina) is still very much in tact. I’ve heard many horror stories of certain Bedrock years of tears & zipper failures. Which @mgrennier can attest to (24HR). Plus as I’ve stated I’ve owned my fair share of non Talons. 2 not mentioned were #70257’s right after being discontinued by Bedrock. The leather quality is noticeably different. It was lighter and very cardboard like; one handle being light and flimsy. I returned both and then bought a talon era 257 (arguably mid 1990’s) and never looked back lol

 

[mgrennier]

"Heck anyone of us here (with the exception of @speedy611 or @Toombs ) is guilty of a little Filson-hipsterness..."

There is one major difference between @speedy611 and myself; I will make it home in my old 4x4..


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You’ve found the perfect accessory for the Filson bags. That Toyota is nice (for a Toyota)....

 

[speedy611]

"Heck anyone of us here (with the exception of @speedy611 or @Toombs ) is guilty of a little Filson-hipsterness..."

There is one major difference between @speedy611 and myself; I will make it home in my old 4x4..


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Well, I appreciate the sentiment but I guess I’m a bit guilty of the hipsterness thing too.

Meanwhile @Toombs my answer to your little jest is written right there on your badge. TOY- ota. .
I did once see a man in a very remote part of the Altiplano in Bolivia start a truck just like yours with a rock and big lump of wood. Sticky starter motor I think.

 

[OtterMeanGreen]

Also an opinion... and an uninformed one at that. You said yourself that you have never held one, so how would you know?

I agree that there are a lot of opinions flying around here and I tend to lean on the "there is very little difference" side of the fence, ask anyone around here. But there is a difference. It may not be substantial, but there is. I will be happy to hear more about your opinions when you have held a Talon Era bag and can be better informed of any differences.

I can certainly attest that you are on “that” side of the fence as me and you have gone back and forth on the topic. Lol I think I even accused you of being Bedrocks mole lol when you first joined. That is so far from the truth now.

 

[Stratkat]

Which I have no issue with. I’ve owned 3 non-talon Filsons but all it took was one Talon to turn it all around for me. Maybe it will for you one day when you open yourself up to the occasion.

Btw: when I say “faux” most of it is me just being comical, nothing to take so serious, if you’ve read the thread twice end to end you might see a trend in my posts, which is half pain ********** particular and half comical.

I’ve read your posts, you are the ex Ferrari detail guy who likes his bourbon....

 

[OtterMeanGreen]

I’ve read your posts, you are the ex Ferrari detail guy who likes his bourbon....

GUILTY AS CHARGED lol

 

[Soletrane]

Enthusiasts and collectors are always into minute details and ‘hard to get’ vintage models.

I saw this with online wristwatch fora for years. Newbies come in with their fresh-from-the-store Rolex or Omega - and slowly start acquiring increasingly esoteric brands or collectible vintage models from the famous brands.

So even if Talon era bags didn’t have different leather, twill, zipper etc, we would have to invent differences just to create something to covet and hunt.

 

[Stratkat]

Enthusiasts and collectors are always into minute details and ‘hard to get’ vintage models.

I saw this with online wristwatch fora for years. Newbies come in with their fresh-from-the-store Rolex or Omega - and slowly start acquiring increasingly esoteric brands or collectible vintage models from the famous brands.

So even if Talon era bags didn’t have different leather, twill, zipper etc, we would have to invent differences just to create something to covet and hunt.

Yep, I’ve seen it all. I remember when the second gen Explorer 1 came out people went over the moon about the hands being out of proportion to the face. You’d have thought it was the end of the world or something. I think Rolex just re revised it recently.

 

[patrick_b]

That was just at 1.8, but a big turbo 1.8t. That thing hauled balls (around 380hp). I had the original r32 for awhile, didn't go too crazy with it. That was a fun awd car. I also had an '05 audi allroad 4.2 which was also fun. I appreciate the land rovers, but where I live, it's pointless.

Love it. One of my first cars was an 83 GTI, purchased when I was in college. I loved it. Bought a 92 GTI (normally aspirated, pre-turbo era) in 95 or so. IIRC a they were 2.0L/ 16V with those beautiful BBS wheels. Never did engine mods, only suspension stuff. Neuspeed sway bars, adjustable shocks/ struts, etc.

I autocrossed it and drove it to work every day. From late 90’s on, I’ve had company cars. More Ford Tauruses, Explorers and Edges than I can count. On a positive note, I haven’t had a car payment, paid for gas or insurance in almost 20 yrs.

Still want a weekend car.

 

[patrick_b]

I have a Talon 257, YKK 256, 266 and Med Travel, both from 2012 w/Filson zips. Picked up the MTB new in 2012 and the Sportsman a few years ago via ebay (just prior to the price craziness that accompanied the 266). They all FUNCTION identically. I like the older ones because I like the older ones. However, they all FUNCTION identically.

Many of my friends and colleagues have bought new Filson bags after seeing mine. All are from the Bedrock era. Not a single complaint or failure to date.

I’m all for the enthusiast discussion. Many of us can understand the passion involved in our interests. I might add that commenting on stranger’s eBay auctions to point out mistakes (intentional or not) or discrepancies is not something I would do unless I was a potential buyer. But more power to @OtterMeanGreen to make this world a better place, one Talon era zipper at a time.

 

[Stratkat]

I have a Talon 257, YKK 256, 266 and Med Travel, both from 2012 w/Filson zips. They all FUNCTION identically. I like the older ones because I like the older ones. However, They all FUNCTION identically.

Many of my friends and colleagues have bought new Filson bags after seeing mine. All are from the Bedrock era. Not a single complaint or failure to date.

I’m all for the enthusiast discussion. Many of us can understand the passion involved in our interests. I might add that commenting on stranger’s eBay auctions to point out mistakes (intentional or not) or discrepancies is not something I would do unless I was a potential buyer. But more power to @OtterMeanGreen to make this world a better place, one Talon era zipper at a time.

Well spoken!

 

[GzStudio]

So even if Talon era bags didn’t have different leather, twill, zipper etc, we would have to invent differences just to create something to covet and hunt.

My talon zipper 256 has 188 teeth per side, the ykk has 190, and current has 192. So talon is superior...

 

[Toombs]

@speedy611 and @mgrennier I am glad that you appreciated the little Landcruiser / Land Rover poke. My old truck could have easily been a Series Land Rover if I had found one reasonably close in the condition I wanted. My Landcruiser is mechanically and electrically perfect; cosmetically it has a patina of use. As an accessory to my Filson bags, it is fun to throw them in the back and head somewhere on a pretty weekend.

Right now, my favorite Land Rover restorations are being done in Lisbon, Portugal. They are really too nice to be used as they were intended, but they capture the beauty of the design. Their photography and video are just enjoyable to peruse.
https://www.coolnvintage.com

Since the Defenders are going away, the most interesting "Land Rover" like vehicle on the horizon is an all electric 4x4 being developed by Bollinger Motors in Hobart, NY. Everything about it appears to be homage to the Series Land Rovers.

They say 90% of all Land Rovers manufactured are still on the road.
The other 10% have reached their destination.

Enjoy your weekend!

 

[patrick_b]

In all seriousness my Talon 257 has a broken zipper. Filson sent me a "Filson Bedrock-era" replacement. If I have the new Filson zipper installed on the old bag, should I expect run of the mill death and destruction or truly world-ending level Armageddon? Will the buttery leather reject the Filson zip w/o appropriate anti-rejection drugs?

Please advise...serious replies only. This is no time for snark.

My talon zipper 256 has 188 teeth per side, the ykk has 190, and current has 192. So talon is superior...

Just read this. I may be in for more trouble than anticipated. Thanks @GzStudio.

 

[TinMan3]

They all FUNCTION identically. I like the older ones because I like the older ones. However, they all FUNCTION identically.

Function is the perfect word. Just like a collectible vintage Rolex vs a new Rolex of the same model. They are functionally the same but hold their value in a different way.