Hi,

I would like to acquire whipcord wool pants that look good enough for the city and are thicker than dress pants with a tight twill weave to help shed the snow and block some wind.

I have two candidates: Filson whipcord wool pants (expensive) and Cabela's Superwash whipcord wool pants.

Do you know what this SW100 finish actually is and if there are any downsides to it?

Would you recommend the Filson instead?

Thanks
Frankie

I have the whipcord wool shirt (made from the same material as the pants) from Cabela's, and I like it so much, I'm probably going to order the pants and another shirt. From what I understand, the SW100 finish is more like a coating which covers the fibers and allow them to slide against each other and prevent them from interlocking with each other. It is this interlocking of fibers that gives wool it's reputation for shrinking. So far I don't see any downside to it. I suppose it could wear off, but after reading the long term reviews on the Cabelas site, it doesn't sound like it would

I don't have any experience with the Filsons, if there was a place around here that sells them, I probably would have bought one.

I have two pair or Filson whipcord pants and highly recommend them. They cannot be washed of course, but they wear well, are not itchy and have maintained their fit. I have worn mine quite a bit and they are going on their 4th year of use. I generally only dry clean mine once a year.

I have a load of Filson clothes and in every case they have exceeded my expectations for comfort, durability and functionality. I generally have found Filson's to be bargains....only expensive at purchase time, since they give years of service are much less expensive in the long run.

The whipcord pants look good for work wear and have the right sort of fit for field wear. They are not too thick and hot for work wear either. They are not totally windproof and snow will stick to them to some degree, but they are not any different in those respects than any other wool pants.

I have no experience with the Cabelas pants.