THE FILSON LEGACY: A FAMILY TRADITION
Blackbird stock guy Mike Jolley is a Filson enthusiast with a number of great pieces in his well-worn arsenal. Recently he shared the story of his Filson Tin Cloth Packer Coat with us, and we were blown away by this beautifully broken-in coat's family history.
Having inherited it from his dad who had inherited it from his own father, Mike remembers finding decades-old horsehair stuck in the snaps and dried alfalfa in the pockets the first few times he wore it, and he says it still reminds him of his childhood every time he pulls it on. Scroll down to see the photos and read the story as Mike retells it.
It lived above the rubber boots on the mud porch and always smelled like a campfire. I remember my father's Filson packer coat being constantly glued to his back through the rainy Seattle winters of my childhood as he trained dogs, restored his old GMC truck, and took us horseback riding in the Cascade Mountains. It had been given to him by his father and he would wear the snap-in wool liner as a vest even when he wasn't wearing the waxed tin-cloth shell. It seemed to watch over him that way.
Last year Dad gave me the old tin cloth packer for my birthday, and it takes me back to my long lost childhood every time I swing it over my shoulders. I imagine that as he handed it over to me, he must’ve been proud knowing his legacy would watch over me, as his father’s did for him.
The coat has now been worn by three generations of men in my family and will definitely be around for the fourth- a true testament to the durability and longevity of not only an amazing product but also a living tradition in my family.
-Mike Jolley
Having inherited it from his dad who had inherited it from his own father, Mike remembers finding decades-old horsehair stuck in the snaps and dried alfalfa in the pockets the first few times he wore it, and he says it still reminds him of his childhood every time he pulls it on. Scroll down to see the photos and read the story as Mike retells it.
It lived above the rubber boots on the mud porch and always smelled like a campfire. I remember my father's Filson packer coat being constantly glued to his back through the rainy Seattle winters of my childhood as he trained dogs, restored his old GMC truck, and took us horseback riding in the Cascade Mountains. It had been given to him by his father and he would wear the snap-in wool liner as a vest even when he wasn't wearing the waxed tin-cloth shell. It seemed to watch over him that way.Last year Dad gave me the old tin cloth packer for my birthday, and it takes me back to my long lost childhood every time I swing it over my shoulders. I imagine that as he handed it over to me, he must’ve been proud knowing his legacy would watch over me, as his father’s did for him.
The coat has now been worn by three generations of men in my family and will definitely be around for the fourth- a true testament to the durability and longevity of not only an amazing product but also a living tradition in my family.
-Mike Jolley
Check out the Filson section at The Field House in Ballard or on BlackbirdBallard.com and grab something that will last.
