Tagged: Filson Patina
Vintage Filson 239 Part III
In the final part of this series, we will be enjoying pictures of Mark’s beautiful waxed Filson 239 XL Outfitter Bag. I personally own the Large Outfitter and it is one of my favorite bags. I was so surprised to see that it was discontinued in late-2012. It is truly the perfect bag for hunters, fisherman, skiers, snowboarders, etc., basically anyone that needs to be able to separate wet clothing from dry.
The bag feels more substantial than most of the other Filson pieces in my collection and with the interior and exterior pockets is a true display of classic craftsmanship. At the end of the day, I think the bag was discontinued because it became too expensive and labor-intensive to build without raising the retail price to a level that the market would not support. It will certainly be missed…
As always, I will let Mark’s words tell the story of this great looking Filson 239 Outfitter…
“This bag was a labor of love or a lot of labor anyway. I bought it 4 or 5 years ago from a guy in Ohio for a very good price. It had a terrible musty smell upon arrival-like it had been stored for years. But it has wonderful character that looks better in person. I aired it out and filled it with cedar for weeks, sprayed it with Frebreeze all to no avail.
Then I soaked it in a bucket four or five times for an hour or so, scrubbed it, dried it in the sun, aired it out more–and all that helped a lot. Let me tell you, it is hard to soak that canvas! Unfortunately the leather took a beating, which my concern from the start, but I knew I wouldn’t use the bag unless I got it clean. The leather became very stiff so I slathered it in Obenauf’s Leather Oil and LP for days resting it in the sun to help it soak in. The leather looks new but is very stiff and cracks in places. It will take a long time to soften, but I think it will.”
“This bag is HUGE and HEAVY and I really love it. I only use it for car trips. I can’t imagine lugging it through an airport. I’m not that tough.
I think its fairly old, as it has no inside pockets like you mentioned in your review and like my 2005 catalog states. I spent hours waxing it, but it’s a little harder to tell than on my rucksack, which gets more use and is thrown around more. You can see how the wax flattens out the canvas nap or grain and it has a low luster.“
Vintage Filson 262 Part II
This week, I am featuring images of Mark’s beautiful Filson 262 Rucksack, which has been waxed and aged to perfection. Notice that the back of the bag has not been treated to prevent the wax from rubbing off on the wearer’s clothing, which is a great tip. The leather on this bag looks fantastic and has aged naturally over time. As usual, I will let the owner’s comments tell the story…enjoy and thanks again, Mark!
“The 262 Rucksack was my second Filson purchase and I have used this bag quite a bit. I purchased the older version, which has the strap buckle sewn to the side seam. In the newer version, a triangular canvas piece has been added to attach the strap buckle, which makes it fit a little better.
I waxed mine and it darkens the canvas and kind of mats it. I really like the unevenness it gives the bag. I need to wax it again soon; I’m sure it’ll add more character. I did not wax the back since it sits against my clothing. The wax does tend to rub off on stuff. Also note, I haven’t treated the leather…it has lightened on its own.”
Vintage Filson 257 Part I
I get a lot of questions from readers about waxing Filson bags to protect them or to hasten the process of developing a patina. I have never personally waxed any of the bags in my collection (because I work in an urban environment); however, for those who use their bags in the field or want to give their bags a vintage look, waxing may be a good idea.
A friend of the blog recently sent me some great pictures of his bags that he has applied this process to and they look absolutely amazing. I will be featuring one of his bags per week on the site. First up, is his incredible looking Filson 257 Computer Briefcase. I will allow the pictures and his comments to tell the story. Enjoy and thanks Mark!
“This is my pride and joy. I hate to admit it, but I can just sit and stare at this bag. I looked for about 5 years for a bag in this condition and had all but given up hope. It’s been waxed several times and has a perfect patina.
I work in San Francisco and used to get a lot of odd looks with this armored bag, but now that all the high tech hipsters have latched on to the brand, I get jaw dropping stares of envy. I’m so cool. But not their kind of cool, Filson cool.”
The Filson Report 