A few years ago on a trip to Seattle (before this blog was around) I stopped into the Filson flagship shop in downtown Seattle to look around and pick up something from one of America’s most rugged outfitters. I grew-up obsessing over Filson bags in Ohio via the outfitter’s ubiquitous catalogs. At one point my mother banned me from including Filson bags on my Christmas list because I had amassed an arsenal that made my bedroom look like a Filson flagship store.
If you have ever touched anything from Filson, you know that the stuff is basically indestructible. They call that quality being “over built”, which seems to be something Americans love. A lot of the bags I have had over the years are literally just now coming into their own – what I mean is, they are just now getting to the wear-point of looking partially broken-in. It’s not that Filson stuff stands the test of time, it literally drags time down by aging so slowly.
During my first visit to Seattle I could see the factory from the shop floor, but I never had a chance to step inside and see the place. Honestly, before ACL I had barely ever even seen a clothing factory. When I went back to Seattle some five years later I was pleased to get a chance to finally check the place out. For me as someone who has had an affinity for Filson nearly my whole life, the significance was not lost on me.
The factory is an interesting mix of clothing, leather goods and canvas bags – a combination rarely seen under one roof. There’s definitely a “Filson way” of doing things there, which is an evolution of making such heavy duty stuff. Apparently, it takes a lot of skill from the workers to make the Filson goods because the weight and thickness of the products especially challenging.
While you see a Filson bag in the wild often these days (especially in the city) it still makes me happy to know that these things have stood the test of time literally and figuratively. It goes back to the idea that authenticity doesn’t go out of style. [CC FILSON CO.]
Great post Michael. The fact that Filson does not feel the need to reinvent themselves each year is a testament to their longevity and relevance. Catching a glimpse behind curtain is real treat. Thanks for sharing.
Strangely, it looks just like one of the countless clothing factories in China… If you know what I mean.
I’m about 5 months into my first bag, a small Filson Duffel. I don’t think this tank will ever break in, it feels bulletproof.
@Ty
Wow, hilarious comment you must be a clown school grad!
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Thanks for the post Michael, for those in or around Seattle, there is a Filson outlet up north that sells ‘vintage’ or used bags as well as some older clothing. Definitely worth a drive.
Love this post Michael, not sure if my last comment went through!
I have several bags that have hunted with me around the world for the last 30 years. I want new ones but my old ones are the same and finally “broken-in”. This is great AMERICAN stuff!
Go the Asian workers!
I just pulled the trigger on my first Filson – an Eastlake Waxed Vest. The fit/finish is top notch. I imagine this is going to outlast anything else in my closet.
The purchase lead to a great customer service experience, too. Let me explain:
I caught wind of a 30% discount a couple weeks back, which I attempted to use on the vest. For some reason I could add the discount, but it wasn’t being applied to the final price. Rushing out the door, I purchased the vest, assuming it would be applied retroactively. Much to my chagrin, it wasn’t. Later that night, I shot a quick email to their support team asking if I did something wrong, and lobbed a call into their customer support line to try to straighten it out.
On the call, the support rep picked up on the second ring, and was very obviously stationed right here in the US of A (can you believe it?). I gave him the story, and he apologized for the confusion and applied the 30% discount no questions asked. The exchange took 90 seconds.
I also received a response from my emailed support request, saying the discount would be honored because they weren’t clear that it only applied to select items and that they look forward to having me as a customer.
“Might as well have the best.”
Indeed.
I love Filson. After purchasing a duffel, multiple shirts and pants – the quality and feel is second to none. I’ve had them on a bush plane and in the back woods. Always proved true to my tests in Maine. Great photos from the factory floor!
My mother worked in one of the many sporting wear factories that used to dot the northwest, but have sadly moved on. Very happy to see a brand that places roots and quality over speed and price.
Trolls aside, Seattle is very proud of its Asian heritage and it’s good to see these pictures here. Thanks!
Over the summer, I took a tin cloth jacket that a retired friend (basicly family) had given to me into the store. I wanted to see it they could repair the frayed cuffs, get a few holes patched and what it would cost. This jacket is quite old as my friend bought it years ago when he was working for Seattle City Light.
Anyway a hipster looking salesman (horned rimmed glasses and all) greeted me at the door. I explained to him that the jacket although quite worn had great sentimental value to me because of it’s history and if I could get it repaired.
He said “Sure” and I handed him the jacket. He looked inside and immediatly handed it back to me like it was on fire.
“We will not touch this jacket sir”
“Huh? Why?”
You see, the jacket had a black “X” across the tag inside. This meant that it had been sold at thier outlet as a factory second at a discounted price. I did not know that.
I explained to him that I just wanted it repaired and I would be more than willing to pay for the labor and materials if they do that sort of thing.
“We do, but once we sell these we dont want to have anything to do with them anymore.” was his curt reply, then:
“I can give you the name of a tailor in the international district who might be able to help you.”
Gee thanks. I get it. No problem.
But his attitude sucked. I cant really convey it on the computer. A real rightous condescending muther F’r. He really made me feel like a piece of garbage in the middle of the store because I actually owned a factory second. (GASP!) I havent been back since.
Hey Ted, the exact same thing happened to me with the Black Friday Sale, the code did not work, I submitted my order for full price then emailed them for a refund. I thought i read the website wrong or something, anyway they honored the discount as well.
Is the Harris Tweed briefcase pictured above one that Filson is doing, or is it a piece being done for another shop or brand?
I have owned may Filson products over the years but my favorites have always been the briefcases and my hunting coat. As a lefty long gun shooter I grew up with hunting coats made for right handed shooters (recoil pad on the right shoulder and pocket on the left). Filson always had a custom option where the customer could make changes to an existing design (within reason and the capabilities of the factory) for an additional 10% fee. Because of this I was able to finally have a proper left handed hunting coat. I bought the coat in 1993 and after numerous duck hunting trips I feel like it is finally getting broken in. It was a double layer tin cloth design (model 65 I think with the full game bag) and has kept me warm and dry in some of the worst weather. I plan to do a little re-proofing this winter as this coat should last another 20 years without a problem.
I have actually come to hate the term “pulled the trigger”.
We are so NOT hunting oriented, and many rip on hunting, but to use the phrase, I don’t know, it just seems so fake. No offense to you Ted, none at all please…but the phrase is just so overused now and so lame.
As to Ty’s comment.. REALLY.
I mean Seriously?
So what!
So, Asian folks work, as do MANY folks… Please DO get a life and bring yourself up to the modern world, okay? At least try to, in this century’s context of modern, in this country.
Seattle, MY fair city is very ethnically diverse. Filson is not far in fact from the most ethnically diverse zip code in the entire U.S. of A.
98118….
http://crosscut.com/2010/06/25/culture-ethnicity/19922/Southeast-Seattle-98118-Yes-my-diverse-zip-code-is/
“authenticity doesn’t go out of style”
Yes a thousand times. This is exactly what interests me about certain brands and their products. I was unfamiliar with Filson before reading this post. Thanks for the write up and great photos.
Davis,
The bag pictured will be in the line int he new year. It is a prototype in the navy color. But an otter green and a black version x Harris Tweed are currently available on Filson’s website for sale…
So, over the years ive collected probably 10-12 filson pieces, from my everyday briefcase, to my small sporting bag where i keep ammo and shells. I love it and will never tire of it.
I love going thru the airport and every now and then seeing another person with Filson gear and we both silently acknowledge to each other that we are in fact, in the know. That Filson is our secret and we know its the best.
I grew up in Seattle and feel a great loyalty and affinity for Filson. I was in the flagship store last winter and ended up buying a peacoat. I was on the fence about it (not because of the coat, but because of the cost) but ended up pulling the trigger because Mark, the salesperson helping me out, was so helpful and friendly. A few days later I was doing some googling about the company and found out the same Mark who had helped me with my coat was also the president of the company. It’s rare to find a company like that, and I’m happy to support them.
The fact that the factory is staffed by Asians (some undoubtedly Chinese) is simply irony to what Filson and ACL both stand for- feature and promote quality goods made in the US. That is what those comments were noting. There is nothing in them that passed a judgement on either Filson, ACL, the City of Seattle, or goods made in China- each has it’s place, but to step onto the soapbox and play offended at the notation of it is stupid.
@Jonas — is it a waxed tin cloth jacket? If so, New England Reproofers might be able to help you out. They do repairs and reproofing on many brands of suck coats.
I cannot believe people here are making racist comments about the workers in these photos. That shit is just ridiculous. Fuck you guys. These bags are AMERICAN MADE and top quality. Is it that you don’t like Chinese-made products because the people making them are Chinese? Jesus.
Wow, for all you people seeing Asians in the picture thinking it looks like a Chinese factory…talk about your typical “White America” mentality.
Hey Mike, are you still shooting with the Fuji? How you liking it so far?
Glad to see Made in USA and I hope more Americans work in factories similar to this and not just Asians. I am Chinese and proud of it but to get the US economy going, everyone needs to work and not be picky.
@ACL – It would be cool to see some of those older Filsons mentioned in the introduction.
I thought @Royal was blowing smoke talking about a Filson Outlet. I just looked it up, and it is at the outlets right by the turn off to Anacortes for the San Juans ferry. I had been to the Pendleton outlet there laa few times. Thanks for the tip!!! I will have to pretend I am being cool to my wife by suggesting we stop so she can check out the Lululemon outlet store there and act suprised when I see Filson there.
@Jamie – Exactly how is it ironic? Underlying your defense of the earlier not-so-well-thought-out quips regarding the factory staff at Filson is a racist notion of what Americans should look like. While U.S. citizenship forms request race for census data, I am not aware of any policies that bar certain races from obtaining U.S. citizenship.
Its ironic because of how Filson and ACL (and the Made in America movement) differentiate the quality of goods made here in the US often times disparaging goods made in Asia in the process (ACL or Filson may or may not have done this, but certainly its a theme of the larger movement in general). To see photos of Chinese workers assembling red blooded Americana goods is ironic in this light.
Just to be clear, I like things that are made well and if they happen to be made in USA at a competitive value, I seek them out. I also laugh at every hipster driving a foreign car.
Charge at the racism windmill in another forum. The other commenters were simply pointing out the irony in the fact that photos of an American factory looked like photos of an Asian factory. Those finding this most amusing would be the Asian workers themselves.
Jamie, your post implies (to me) that:
a) All people of Asian decent are somehow “Chinese”
b) No person of Asian decent can be “red blooded American”
I would be ecstatic to be told that I am mis-reading your sentiments and that you don’t actually believe either of these things.
Wow, I didn’t expect my simple observation would generate such an in-depth conversation about race. I was only expecting someone would be so kind as to explain to me why an American factory will only have Asian workers.
As a matter of (surprising?) fact, I’m from China, and I compared this factory to a clothing factory in China simply because it did look like a clothing factory in China (please ask anyone in China!), which puzzled me due to the simple fact that not all (not even a majority of) Americans are Asians.
I was only pointing out an event unlikely to happen statistically, even taking into account the fact that there are more Asians in west coast and big cities.
I want to say thank you for people who have defended my comment because I do think people in America can sometimes be over-sensitive in race issues.
I also want to say thank you for people who called me a racist because you are exactly the kind of people who would not call me “small dick” just for entertainment.
Alright, enough politeness, otherwise someone who’s obsessed with race will think I’m just another soft, apologetic Asian. I want to finish my longest-ever comment by saying that IMO the solution to racism is not turning to another extreme by pretending that you are racial blind. You don’t achieve gender equality by fucking both men and women in the asshole.
The workers in these pictures do look like Chinese workers. If you think this observation is racist, it’s probably because the word “Chinese” has negative connotations in your mind, which ironically will make yourself a fucking racist.
Jamie, you realize that many foreign car companies actually do a large portion of their manufacturing in the US, right? Perhaps you should more rightfully laugh at hipsters driving cars from American companies that were made elsewhere? http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=ami&story=amMade0712&referer=&aff=national
Filson, ACL, and other like-minded parties championing the Made in the USA revival rightfully place an emphasis on the higher quality often found in American-made goods. While this isn’t always the case and there are certainly worthwhile products made in Asia under humane conditions, things like quality control and factory conditions are just easier to monitor and adjust when the production is done domestically.
I do realize that, but the profits go back to Japan or Germany or Korea.
@Ty- that was great.
@jiheison- You are misreading or I wasn’t clear enough- I use both terms (Asian and Chinese), but stuck with Chinese more for the simple fact that goods made in China are most often disparaged by the Made in America movement. I never said other ethnic groups couldn’t be Americans. What I said was there is irony in seeing Asians assembling goods that are widely accepted as one of the keepers of the Americana flame. It’s not a racist comment. Its just not what a few of us expected to see and comments were made.
@Ty – when people *appear* to refer to anyone who is Asian as “Chinese” or dismiss the work of “Chinese” workers simply because they are Asian, I think that their bias is clear and unfounded.
Yeah, “Chinese labor” does have a negative connotation, but it has nothing to do with race. It has to do with the well documented exploitation of workers in China and the shoddy results. Move those working conditions to any corner of the globe and, IMO, the results and ultimately the reputation of work in that area will take on the same connotation. No matter where you go, you get what you pay for.
@ Jamie – I appreciate your taking the time to set me straight. As far as the perception “Americana”, it appears that this debate has been going on since the 19th century: http://www.denimbro.com/hiking-denim-hunting-exploration_topic21_post7715.html#7715
If ACL is posting about Filson about such a generic topic, I have to take it that the heritage “scene” is finally starting to show its age. The scene is getting boring, enough of the young men and women who sit in front of computers all day and try to look like outdoorsmen or loggers, or (insert laborer title here)….Get outside, and don’t take a picture of yourself for fucks sake.
How many posts can one write about a pair of handmade boots or a rocking pair of Japanese Denim that are made to last you forever, or about a jacket that really is the only one you need. Time for the masses to move on, and enjoy the next trendy thing and leave the work gear for those who work. I am sure you all appreciate the quality just like us, but wear it correctly, you look like you raided your 10 year old brother’s closet and he care about quality. Loggers and outdoors men didn’t wear slim fitting women’s sized shirts and tin cloth coats. Our forefother who made Filson, Filson wore their standard size to fit over the wool vests and sweaters to keep them work. They wore pants not rolled up to the shins, but wide enough to actually be able to kneel down and work. remember folks Chorecoats are for chores, like real chores, not checking a blog, and seeing what time the next pop up flea is so you can show your entire wordrobe off and how you managed to put it all on in one massive outfit.
I hope in the New Year The cheap shit rip offs of names like Ralph Lauren and Club Monaco make super awesome city slicker versions of these clothes for the skinny bitch of a man who feels he wants to look like the wimpy bartender in a western movie, and they gobble it up. Leave the big boy cloths for the big boys who work and rely on tin cloth and wool to get a job done and in a comfortable state, not to wait in line and then complain Starbucks got my Latte wrong.
To the death of this fuckin heritage scene.
@Jamie – The profits from those foreign car companies might leave overseas but the wage paid to those American manufacturing workers stays here. I guess how you look at it depends on if you’re more concerned with foreign rich people getting richer or American working class people staying employed.
Also, not every car class has a solid American-made option, much less one made by an American company.
@jiheison – Right on.
Interesting question. “why an American factory (Filson) will only have Asian workers?”
I support the “Buy American” as much as possible, but one of the reason I do it is because I like to think that my money is going back into the economy.
Do you think that the workers in this factory have the same loyalty to buying American made goods, or are they spending the paycheck at walmart?
There is no doubt that the quality of the product is superior. A $350 makinaw cruiser will last for generations, where as a $25 Costco will probably be in the bag going to Goodwill in a year or two.
But look at how each company treats its workers. And check out this NYT article on Costco:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/17/business/yourmoney/17costco
@ Doug Fisher – Well, so much for my damn keyboard! I need to learn to be able to multi-task aka laugh and drink coffee at the same time whilst keeping it in my mouth.
You hit the nail on the head with that one, sir.
Now I must go explain to IT that I need a new keyboard.
@ Doug Fisher — I’m posting Filson because it is worth showing. If it is a trend, why haven’t I moved on? The fact is that I would like to get every brand I love on ACL in this way. I want to celebrate the things I love. If that is boring to you, then move on. And I question what you actually do for a living —reading sites like this and leaving comments like that. The blue collar hardworking “big boys” that I know (that I grew up with) don’t give a shit about what websites are saying about clothes. They are too busy doing other shit like drinking beers and talking about football. So I call bullshit on your whole program.
@Michael You can really call all you want brother. I completely agree Filson is worth showing. It probably is the best of the best. We can share that admiration. I do not believe it is not a tread, but it is a trendy item for Hipsters and such. Am I wrong, are the Hipsters of New York and Japan using the tin cloth to prevent those rare city thorns and burs from catching on their clothing, or to fend off northern winds, just the warm winds coming from subway grates.
Just a quick google search , check out Jake here, he can barely do up his filson coat.
http://www.denimology.com/2011/04/FP_7074713_Gyllenhaal_Jake_AAR_033011-thumb-466×672-64813.jpg
Now look at this gent, wearing it with room to spare.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4z8xibndO1qj8evso1_500.jpg.
This is nothing about you man, The scene is dying, and its a good thing. As HHH said ” all the good themes have been made into theme parks”, There just is not anything new people can do for this scene anymore, Do we need another wallet, or Tote. For fuck sakes NO! Do we need another Loafer, or Apron..Were the ones that came out last month not good enough, or has there been such a progression is vintage clothes that we need a new company doing the same shit as everyone else. I am not questioning you moving on or not, I question how much further can this heritage movement go?!?
You can question me being here, what ever, that is fine, you do not know me, or what I do. Even if I mention what I do you would not believe me. So lets just leave it that I wear Filson and depend greatly on its abrasion resistance on a daily basis, and yea I Appreciate ACL for showcasing american brands, But every Paul, Dick and Harry is “craftsman” with their own clothing or accessory brand. Lets get building other shit,not just Totes and wallets……Oh please put me down for a belt…There might be a couple people who make those!
Also Mike, I don’t drink beer, or watch football. Stop being so stereo typical…Jeez. Now your just getting hurtful.
@ Doug Fisher- Truer words are rarely spoken in the comments section of a menswear blog.
I wonder if Filson, etc. have the same derisive attitude towards urbanites who buy their gear, wear it “wrong” and do all the “wrong” things while wearing it.
Granted, some folks are a little too precious about their possessions, and I sometimes ponder the irony of people who seem to constantly buy things with the justification that each will never need to be replaced. Then I remind myself that sales are sales, and that money is going towards keeping great companies in business.
FWIW, I work behind a keyboard and I play in the wilderness.
I love how polarized people’s views can be. There’s the current fashion factor, but isn’t it the case that quality never goes out of style? Isn’t it worth noting that some folks are interested in the products because of their timeless look and durable quality? You don’t have to be a lumberjack to appreciate a good pair of boots. You don’t have to be a hunter to appreciate a jacket that’s keeps you warm and dry.
Seems to me that the perfect marriage of form, function and quality craftsmanship creates a superior product. I understand why it would annoy some people that a hipster would buy a coat for it’s current fashion sense over it’s function or intended purpose, but… like… who the hell cares? He’ll dump that thing in ten minutes when it’s not cool anymore, and someone else will pick it up cheap and wear it forever. Do people stay up at night getting pissed off about what hipsters are wearing? I don’t know about a lot of you, I have a family, a job, you know – other shit to do. Read what you like. Skip what you don’t. Same goes for what you buy.
I want to buy good stuff, use and keep it until it is worn. out. I’m not a lumberjack, or a hunter, or a lineman. I work in an office. That doesn’t mean I’m a douche if I walk into Red Wing and pick up a pair of boots. I appreciate products that if taken care of, will take care of me. I appreciate ACL for highlighting these products & brands.
@James While I completely understand your points You mention:
“You don’t have to be a lumberjack to appreciate a good pair of boots”
But if you have to understand logging boots have “logging” function built into them, they have a purpose, just like Mephisto shoes are great in the city, While yes you could wear them in the “city” they were not designed for that. The heels etc are designed for logging, linesmen boots are designed for linesmen. Certain Characteristics make that boot better for that job then the other.You don’t wear Curling shoes out do you? Again I understand, this could be taken in many ways and there is a hundred rebuttals, Its just that 90% of these people whom I have met in this “scene” Don’t spend time in the wilderness, they way they post etc, they spend all their time in front of the computer. Whether its Tumblr, posting thousands of pictures of the outdoors. or my favorite their legs and shoes!?!?! What the Fuck!!!
You also say “but… like… who the hell cares? He’ll dump that thing in ten minutes when it’s not cool anymore, and someone else will pick it up cheap and wear it forever.”
I don’t care, I just hate having the knobs look like me but with ill fitting tiny clothing. It just annoying. Also about the “Hipsters” dumping it…my point exactly, I am happy as I am slowly seeing a downward spin on this style. Like I said about the belts and totes…it has nowhere else to go but down.
“that doesn’t mean I’m a douche if I walk into Red Wing and pick up a pair of boots.”
Nope , they make great walking boots! The Kristy sole is great on concrete.
I appreciate ACL, But when I see the posts on Club Monaco or some other “fashionista” type shit, or again some ill fitted model who looks like he would shit his pants it he ever got some dirt on his pre-distressed jeans it makes me hate the stuff, and I cannot wait for it to pass, and I don”t have to be compared to the beard wearing, empty pipe smoking nim-rods.
Oh dear, first Barbour and now Harris Tweed, don’t dress like British country folk if you aren’t British country folk. You’ve spunked all over your own ‘heritage’ , don’t do it all over ours, Fucking urban game keepers. Leave Harris Tweed alone. Spin your yarns of indigo dyed liquid silk over something else and bugger off you bunch of pop up twats. Perpetrate elsewhere.
What is the “logging” function of a pair of Whites Boots? I own a pair of Smokejumpers and fought wildfires in Washington State this summer, and my favorite part of the day was when I got to take those sons of bitches off. I wish I still had my Marine Corps desert boots. Those were nice.
@Jonas Smith The function is in the heels, they elevate the stress in the calves of walking up hills all day, or working on a slope. Or it might have heavy Lugs for dealing with mud and dirt, Oh don’t get me wrong they are bitches on the feet, but they do work for what they are intended. do you think all the smoke jumpers and logger wear them by chance, or its a healthy coincidence? I think not. Did you by them because you “had” to, or did you think they would serve you better on the job. There is plenty of “fire resistant” boots on the market now a days, Some to even look like running shoes…Should have gotten those then, But you didn’t. Must have something in what the Whites were designed for.
@Doug Honestly I don’t disagree with a lot of the points you made earlier, and I know that a brands like Red Wing make a variety of products from casual shoes/boots to logger boots which meet a specific purpose. I own a pair of 877s and they’re perfect. Classic good looks, durability, comfortable as can be. I wear them to work just as I wear them off in the park and the woods with the dog. I guess I’ve never seen anyone on the street wearing logger boots, but then again, I live in the ‘burbs.
My point is that the world will never be short on poseurs, so it’s not worth a second thought. jiheison makes a strong point in that these brands capitalizing on trends is good for folks who appreciate their products over time and not just while it’s cool.
Lots of stuff covered on ACL and similar sites/blogs doesn’t suit me. I’m definitely not a Club Monaco guy. I never have been and very likely never will be, but I can appreciate it’s style and form.
@Doug, Well dont know about healthy coincidence, but I’ve been a professional in the fire service going on 16 years, and I can tell you for a fact that “TRADITION” goes a long way, and “CHANGE” does not.
I got a pair of whites when I started wildland because that’s what everyone else was wearing including the “old salts” in line before me.
Oh, if you guys want to see Filson at work in the big city… here is our own (Seattle Fire Dept) Arron Fields sporting a Tincloth logger. He wears Filson instead of our regular gear when teaching his class because it’s lighter, it sheds water, and has good abrasion resistance.
@ Jonas…So we agree
Me:
“Do you think all the smoke jumpers and logger wear them by chance, or its a healthy coincidence? I think not.”
You:
“Well dont know about healthy coincidence, but I’ve been a professional in the fire service going on 16 years, and I can tell you for a fact that “TRADITION†goes a long way, and “CHANGE†does not.”
Why do you thing the “old salts” wear them etc etc….
Quite a referendum on the root of what “made in the USA” means as well as who has or has not earned the right to wear “heritage” clothing. In regard to the former I wonder what is it that makes a product ” made in the USA” is it the ethnicity of the worker, the processes and techniques specific to the brand/ factory, or simply the effort and skill employed by the worker…which likely has very low correlation to race, some correlation to compensation, and high correlation to skill and or experience with the methods and processes advocated by the particular factory/ brand that at some juncture differentiated that brand from others.
It seems like the other argument was a really complicated way of saying ” I don’t appreciate poseurs, but the world is full of them”. if it makes you feel any better reference the colloquialism ” imitation is the highest form of flattery”
Love the filson coats and hats, but as a northern Midwesterner I usually look to Duluth pack for bags.
wow.
Filson is amazing. Amazing history, amazing factory, genuine human beings, indestructible construction, and moving in the right direction.
No need to have ‘political/social/racial/career/function/usage’ debates.
The 49er’s game is on, watch that shit, drink, and if you all had beef you should have knocked someone out at pop up flea instead of acting like idiots on the internet.
I guess you’ll still have your chance at Inspiration.
What’s up Williams, sorry about the Browns. Next season. Josh Gordon completely screwed me today.
I hope you realize I do you a favor here, everytime I post the thread goes dead.
Peace.FTW
Went back to Filson today to pick out my Christmas gift to myself. Wedged the old Chevy in between a Porsche Cayman S and a Mercedes G wagen. Sorry.
They have a new throwback jacket on display. 1897 forestry cruiser. Beautiful piece. I was surprised at how lightweight it is. More like a cotton than a wool.
I got a standard Mackinaw cruiser.
I am proud to buy Filson products made in America by proud Chinese-Americans. Like me.
Notice to loggers, worksman, boilermakers and other craftspeople: I had better not catch you in Brooks Brothers trying on sweaters three sizes too large nor wearing my Harvard ties with your short-sleeve dress shirts. We accountants are a traditional bunch and do not appreciate those who blog about our fashionable sensibilities, wear our attire only a funerals to “look your best” and pretend to work in a plushly carpted offices for which penny loafers were designed with a functional purpose.
-Todd Vanderbilt, Direct of Accounts Payable
@jonas, was the Forestry cruiser like this post from Archival Clothing?……I remember being interested in the fabric weight when I saw it.
http://www.archivalclothing.com/2011/11/guest-report-vintage-filson-cruiser.html
Doug, yes that looks like it, but I think it is much lighter than the traditional wool cruiser, and lighter than the whipcord.
@todd Done!~ With pleasure.
Seems to me that when it comes to figuring out Filson’s motive, you guys are all on point.
Hire more Asian workers to increase sales to lumberjacks in Asia!
Next move, hire a 3rd generation Chinese American (or of any Asian decent for that matter) who has never been to Asia and only speaks English as the next CEO. This will fool the idiots who haven’t paid any attention to the demographic shifts in the US into thinking that Filson has become a Chinese company.
Garment industry workers in America have always been immigrants. “Made in America” meant clothes made by Irish, Italians, and Eastern European Jews. That is your “heritage style”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garment_District,_New_York_City
Writing in 1917, Abraham Cahan credited these immigrants with the creation of American style:
Foreigners ourselves, and mostly unable to speak English, we had Americanized the system of providing clothes for the American woman of moderate or humble means. The average American woman is the best-dressed woman in the world, and the Russian Jew has had a good deal to do with making her one.
Speaking as someone who used to work at Filson (for eight years), it’s great to see them getting props. Weirdly enough, I’m the guy who wrote “BAD WHEEL” on that cart full of luggage. I got sick of loading it with 200 pounds of zipper chain and then discovering I couldn’t roll the @E$#@$ thing, except in a circle. Then we fixed it, and I crossed out my warning. There’s your Filson trivia for the day.
FYI – the operators are unionized, they’re mostly of Chinese and Vietnamese decent, and yes it does take a long time to learn to sew Filson products. The wools are mostly very heavy, the waxed fabric can be a real pain to sew, and just try cutting and stitching cattle hide all day. In other words, these are not disposable employees. In Saint Louis, sewing factories seem to have a lot of Russians and Poles, in Seattle they’re Asian. It’s history and geography. Guess what, most Chinese factories are full of migrant laborers with little connection to the city they’re working in. Filson operators, white or not, are Seattle locals.
@Doug Fisher: I’m happy that I found this story about Filson for two reasons… 1) I’ve liked Filson clothing for years and yet only own a few pieces that I can afford. 2) To read your comments.
FWIW: I’m a scruffy guy that smokes a pipe with real ‘baccy in it and works both inside behind the keyboard and outside on heavy highway and construction sites. I appreciate Filson stuff, always try to buy American Made, and wear the shit out of it.
I have one piece of Filson Tin Cloth and I’ve never needed to “reproof” it. It’s covered in oil and dirt. Love it.
trying to locate a Filson Heavyweight Vest Liner # 10226 in either X large (preferred) or large size this is their camo vest. Tried everywhere and have not had much luck. Any help is greatly appreciated !!
Thank you!!!
found one in X Large, has been shipped !! Cannot wait to wear it !!