Filson Bag Thread: With Pictures

[mgrennier]

I figure about 60-70% of the reason I buy Filson is the high quality of the materials and workmanship. I look through racks of brand name stuff at most stores and so much of the outerwear looks cheaply made even if the MSRP is relatively high and the brand is considered upmarket. There are a few exceptions like Patagonia which makes some nice workwear style stuff, for example. But overall, it’s pretty dismal for traditional, non-technical garments.

In contrast, you go to a Filson store, and lumbersexual decor aside, almost everything seems extremely well made with thick wool or waxed canvas. Even most of the stuff made overseas like the current mackinaw jac-shirt I will gladly admit are top notch.

But there is another 30-40% part of me that just likes the idea of buying something made in the US at a Filson factory. There’s no real logic to it. Maybe it’s an illusion, as I realize there’s no magic pixie dust that makes Made in America items inherently better (though they often are, in my anecdotal experience, as the flagship or iconic items in the catalog). So I am curious what will happen to their brand if they go nearly fully to overseas manufacturing.

This is such an interesting debate, and one I’ve had both on this forum before, and in my actual off-line life.

I think what I am drawn to with the Filson gear is, much like Soletrane said, the incredible workmanship and heavy-duty materials that make up the Filson products. Does the fact that it’s made in America make it better? Maybe. Or maybe not.

But I think we are all programmed to realize that most of the products that are made overseas end up being more cheaply made, with lesser quality materials, and not necessarily designed to last a lifetime. Will that be the case with Filson in the short term? No. I don’t believe sp as there is a drive to keep the quality high when the products are FIRST off-shored.

However, it is a slippery slope. When you start to realize the real savings that you get from having products made offshore, the natural tendency is to look for more and more ways to reduce costs which will eventually result in lower quality materials or lesser quality workmanship.

To me, it seems like made in the USA products purposefully choose to go against that concept - both in the short- and long terms.

This is what has drawn me to the Filson brand.

 

[Soletrane]

This is such an interesting debate, and one I’ve had both on this forum before, and in my actual off-line life.

I think what I am drawn to with the Filson gear is, much like Soletrane said, the incredible workmanship and heavy-duty materials that make up the Filson products. Does the fact that it’s made in America make it better? Maybe. Or maybe not.

But I think we are all programmed to realize that most of the products that are made overseas end up being more cheaply made, with lesser quality materials, and not necessarily designed to last a lifetime. Will that be the case with Filson in the short term? No. I don’t believe sp as there is a drive to keep the quality high when the products are FIRST off-shored.

However, it is a slippery slope. When you start to realize the real savings that you get from having products made offshore, the natural tendency is to look for more and more ways to reduce costs which will eventually result in lower quality materials or lesser quality workmanship.

To me, it seems like made in the USA products purposefully choose to go against that concept - both in the short- and long terms.

This is what has drawn me to the Filson brand.

There was a Woolrich wool coat on the rack at Sierra Trading Post. It caught my eye at first among all the synthetic jackets. But further inspection revealed that the wool was thin and drab. And the construction just average at best. Label said Made in China.

I looked up Woolrich online and it had a long history of quality products from their mills in Pa. But ownership changed and most of their products shifted to overseas manufacture. There was brief period where it looked like they were going to continue to make at least some products in Pa. But a 2018 WSJ article says they shut down all US manufacturing at the end of 2018. I thought the last few sentences of the article were suggestive of how things may eventually play out with Filson:

“Going forward, Woolrich is opening a new flagship store in Manhattan and will now focus on higher-end clothing—such as $200 flannel shirts and $750 Arctic Parkas under the John Rich & Bros. label—and a new outdoor line in partnership with Goldwin, which specializes in technical wear. None of it is made in America.”

 

[FilsonDude]

I thought the last few sentences of the article were suggestive of how things may eventually play out with Filson:

So what you mean is, we should buy as much of the current or older stock as we can now before it’s too late

 

[FilsonDude]

Been feeling blue lately

 

[speedy611]

There was a Woolrich wool coat on the rack at Sierra Trading Post. It caught my eye at first among all the synthetic jackets. But further inspection revealed that the wool was thin and drab. And the construction just average at best. Label said Made in China.

I looked up Woolrich online and it had a long history of quality products from their mills in Pa. But ownership changed and most of their products shifted to overseas manufacture. There was brief period where it looked like they were going to continue to make at least some products in Pa. But a 2018 WSJ article says they shut down all US manufacturing at the end of 2018. I thought the last few sentences of the article were suggestive of how things may eventually play out with Filson:

“Going forward, Woolrich is opening a new flagship store in Manhattan and will now focus on higher-end clothing—such as $200 flannel shirts and $750 Arctic Parkas under the John Rich & Bros. label—and a new outdoor line in partnership with Goldwin, which specializes in technical wear. None of it is made in America.”

That’s spectacularly depressing isn’t it? The wsj quote reads more like an obituary than an optimistic new start.

As for Filson however - perhaps, just maybe - they’ve travelled past that point. Their private equity buyup with Bedrock is done. Their shared backend with Shinola is in place. And they continue to make a good number of the classic products at a good level of quality. They are also making some new products that are good - ultralight vests, dry bags etc. So perhaps there is hope...

 

[Tom Lebrando]

I’m sorry, I meant the now discontinued (or at least currently unavailable) Tin Cloth Lined Seattle Cruiser... which is why I’m looking on eBay.

Woods-

Doesn't look like there were any takers on your question.

I think you mean the grey jacket that was recently discontinued that had the same silhouette as the standard mack cruisers, no? Anyway I have this jacket and I really like it a lot. I would say that, first off, the tin cloth is 17 oz waxed British Millerain with probably a 3-6 oz. moleskin liner. This tin cloth material is slightly beefier than the typical 15 oz. waxed tin cloth and has a much softer "hand" .... it feels nicer (but oilier) to the touch. The fit is relaxed and not too tight. The overall impression of the jacket is that it feels more weighted and cozy when worn compared to the 15 oz tin cloth jackets including the unlined version (tan/brown) of the Seattle Cruiser with the 15 oz. tin cloth that was sold several years earlier than the 17 oz. grey version. Sorry I don't have pictures to post since mine is in storage because it is still not cold enough to wear in socal yet. You should be able to get this jacket between $150-200. I picked mine up at ~$150 @ STP and feel it was an absolute steal for the usual quality of craftmanship and the much nicer grey tin cloth material.

Hope this helps. I would be happy to answer any specific questions. I'll even pull the jacket outta my garage if you would like any close up photos.

Tom

 

[speedy611]

Anyone got the beartooth Jac shirt and can tell me how it sizes please? I’m guessing it’s quite a loose fit as it’s designed to go over things? I’m generally a medium in Filson shirts but a large in coats. I’ve got a line on a large Jac shirt but wondering if it will be huge...
@woodsjw I think you got one last year?

 

[TinMan3]

Anyone got the beartooth Jac shirt and can tell me how it sizes please? I’m guessing it’s quite a loose fit as it’s designed to go over things? I’m generally a medium in Filson shirts but a large in coats. I’ve got a line on a large Jac shirt but wondering if it will be huge...
@woodsjw I think you got one last year?

I have one, I’m a medium in jackets small in shirts and medium in Bear tooth jack shirt. Awesome Jac shirt, shrinks a little if you plan to wash it especially in arm length. Mine got a LOT of wear last year!

 

[speedy611]

I have one, I’m a medium in jackets small in shirts and medium in Bear tooth jack shirt. Awesome Jac shirt, shrinks a little if you plan to wash it especially in arm length. Mine got a LOT of wear last year! View attachment 1243267

Perfect, thank you. I have pulled the trigger and we will see if it needs the hot wash treatment! At £35 it’s a bit of a bargain

 

[Canuckle]

This is such an interesting debate, and one I’ve had both on this forum before, and in my actual off-line life.

I think what I am drawn to with the Filson gear is, much like Soletrane said, the incredible workmanship and heavy-duty materials that make up the Filson products. Does the fact that it’s made in America make it better? Maybe. Or maybe not.

But I think we are all programmed to realize that most of the products that are made overseas end up being more cheaply made, with lesser quality materials, and not necessarily designed to last a lifetime. Will that be the case with Filson in the short term? No. I don’t believe sp as there is a drive to keep the quality high when the products are FIRST off-shored.

However, it is a slippery slope. When you start to realize the real savings that you get from having products made offshore, the natural tendency is to look for more and more ways to reduce costs which will eventually result in lower quality materials or lesser quality workmanship.

To me, it seems like made in the USA products purposefully choose to go against that concept - both in the short- and long terms.

This is what has drawn me to the Filson brand.

Well said. For me, I will keep it as simple as I can and say... every single time I see my Filson bag I am filled with joy. The feel of the texture of the bag, the sound the zipper makes and the feel of the zipper. It just brings me joy to see a quality made bag and something that I know will last a long time. I do worry about the consistency of Filson though. The first bags I bought (bedrock) had awful zippers that were coarse and not smooth and the leather was of poor quality and uneven and cracking. I sold them and bought YKK versions of the same bags and the difference was night and day. A smooth zipper slide, zero resistance, like it is on rails. And the leather is of perfect thickness and consistancy and quality. I wonder about the person who I sold my bedrock bags to, and can't help but think their opinion of Filson is probably different than mine.

 

[TinMan3]

Well said. For me, I will keep it as simple as I can and say... every single time I see my Filson bag I am filled with joy. The feel of the texture of the bag, the sound the zipper makes and the feel of the zipper. It just brings me joy to see a quality made bag and something that I know will last a long time. I do worry about the consistency of Filson though. The first bags I bought (bedrock) had awful zippers that were coarse and not smooth and the leather was of poor quality and uneven and cracking. I sold them and bought YKK versions of the same bags and the difference was night and day. A smooth zipper slide, zero resistance, like it is on rails. And the leather is of perfect thickness and consistancy and quality. I wonder about the person who I sold my bedrock bags to, and can't help but think their opinion of Filson is probably different than mine.

It’s an interesting debate. I’m squarely in the camp that the leather was generally better in quality on the older bags, the very best being on Talon bags and slight decline moving forward to today. On the zippers, I’ve had ‘chunky’ zippers on bags on all eras and have had super smooth zippers on bags of all eras and I just don’t believe there is a huge difference. I think most zippers will eventually get very smooth with long term use, but I don’t have any research other than my experience to back that up. I’m pretty vocal about the enjoying and owning Filson bags from all eras and will be heartbroken the day that they close the doors to their US manufacturing facilities.

The one note that I will make is that some (positively not all) of their foreign made items are incredibly well made. Their Mackinaw Jac Shirts that they make annually in different colors are made at a Bangladeshi plant that does a phenomenal job. I’ve owned quite a few of the Mack Jac shirts and can find no discrepancies in the quality of the materials or workmanship from their US made counterparts. I still wish they made them in a first world country, but if they need to make a better margin on foreign made goods to keep their stateside plants running, I am 100% on board.

 

[bucky0486]

 

[CCF1897]

There was a Woolrich wool coat on the rack at Sierra Trading Post. It caught my eye at first among all the synthetic jackets. But further inspection revealed that the wool was thin and drab. And the construction just average at best. Label said Made in China.

I looked up Woolrich online and it had a long history of quality products from their mills in Pa. But ownership changed and most of their products shifted to overseas manufacture. There was brief period where it looked like they were going to continue to make at least some products in Pa. But a 2018 WSJ article says they shut down all US manufacturing at the end of 2018. I thought the last few sentences of the article were suggestive of how things may eventually play out with Filson:

“Going forward, Woolrich is opening a new flagship store in Manhattan and will now focus on higher-end clothing—such as $200 flannel shirts and $750 Arctic Parkas under the John Rich & Bros. label—and a new outdoor line in partnership with Goldwin, which specializes in technical wear. None of it is made in America.”

I still love the Pendleton elbowpatch trail shirts. I believe they are made in Mexico now but the quality is excellent. If I am hunting or doing any outdoor activity in the fall/winter/early spring I am reaching for one. Johnson woolen mills and bemidji still produce USA made wool products.

 

[mgrennier]

Well said. For me, I will keep it as simple as I can and say... every single time I see my Filson bag I am filled with joy. The feel of the texture of the bag, the sound the zipper makes and the feel of the zipper. It just brings me joy to see a quality made bag and something that I know will last a long time. I do worry about the consistency of Filson though. The first bags I bought (bedrock) had awful zippers that were coarse and not smooth and the leather was of poor quality and uneven and cracking. I sold them and bought YKK versions of the same bags and the difference was night and day. A smooth zipper slide, zero resistance, like it is on rails. And the leather is of perfect thickness and consistancy and quality. I wonder about the person who I sold my bedrock bags to, and can't help but think their opinion of Filson is probably different than mine.

As an analogy. I’ve owned a TON of vehicles in my life and only two have brought me that same feeling that you describe above.

The 2009 Land Rover LR3 I used to own and my 2018 Jeep Wrangler that I drive today. Although it does sit in the garage all lot with all my travel (writing this from 30,000 feet).

I have the same feeling when I walk into the garage, jump in the seat with the doors off and the top down.

Comparatively, every other vehicle I’ve ever owned has felt like the bag you get for free from a tech conference.

Haha

 

[jbarwick]

Hey everyone - I have decided to pick up a Filson zippered tote and had some questions you experts can likely help with. First is that I cannot tell a difference between the 261 and the 028. They look pretty much the same to me but I might be missing something.

Second, it looks like the colors options on the Filson website are red, tan, OG, natural, cinder, brown, and navy. Were there any older limited edition colors I should look out for or do certain retailers offer their own versions. If so, would someone mind sharing those? Looks like Brooks Brothers sometimes has variations.

Lastly, are the certain sites that are better for looking for vintage bags? Anything I should look out for when shopping vintage? I have went through the last 100 pages...

edit: I am seeing some older LE bags that mixed leather and cloth. Those look cool but don't know how I would find one of those.