Schwert:

Are you sure it is the quality that makes them swoon and not the odor? <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Well, I have to admit I'm curious and sort of tempted. It's obviously pretty drastic overkill for my needs, but I'm hard on jackets, and while I've managed to keep some of the better ones from destructing (Pagagonia seems to last forever), it would be a novel experience to have one that I just didn't have to worry about at all.

However, the deal for the waterfowl coat at $150 seems to be gone now...

The Cover Cloth jacket is getting noticably more wearable (less damp-feeling, dryer, warmer) every day I wear it. Seems like they break in in different ways, but break-in, in general, seems to be a big factor with Filson stuff.

I was thinking about the odor I detected that one time that seemed related to the direct sunlight. Probably it was just because it was brand new... and I sort of figure, since the factory is in Seattle, they've probably never experienced it. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Then there's the serious babe factor, of course. Hey, if waxing your Ferrari helps, why not waxing your coat? They won't stand a chance...

Man... good thing you guys don't work in Filson's marketing department. What I have gotten from this thread so far is that these coats are stiff, uncomfortable, and stinky but for some reason you guys still love them. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

>>What I have gotten from this thread so far is that these coats are stiff, uncomfortable, and stinky but for some reason you guys still love them.<<

I think you've got it. Any questions? <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I haven't decided whether I "love them" yet or not, I'm still new to this.. but the impression I'm getting about this deal is that they aren't stiff forever, they aren't uncomfortable forever, and they aren't stinky forever, but they do last forever... so when you see one that's really "broken in", you know the owner's "downside" is over, for a long, long time.

I ran into a fellow at the Filson store a few months back. He had flown into town from London for the express purpose of shopping at Filson. He bought 3 coats and a pile of other things.

A Filson wearer is an exceptional person, not beholding to marketing weenies who mostly have no idea what makes a servicable garment. While many folks are buying new hot color coats, in some new miracle plastic fiber, at huge prices for imported garments which are designed as non-durable goods, we are still walking around in clothes our Grandfathers gave us.....and the babes swoon....

also remember that our Grandfathers coat has never been washed....so the initial wax odor is a distant memory...and the swooning....hum. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Sooo.. Highland Sports in PA has some of the jackets on sale right now.. not a lot off, but they're much closer to me than the West Coast outlets, they ship for free and seem to have a good policy.

Since you seem to own them all, what are your thoughts about the Waterfowl vs the Packer? I tend to favor shorter jackets for the commute (since it involves driving and the subway as well as walking, I'm afraid I'd be fighting with the length of a tin Packer), and the Packer looks like it would be pretty conspicuous around here (maybe not in, say, Wyoming...).

On the other hand, the Waterfowl looks to be pretty short in a real rain... the coverage would be welcome at times, but do you find yourself fighting the Packer when not in the open?

I wish SOMEONE had pictures of these things actually being worn. It's hard to judge much about fit and coverage just looking at the jacket itself.

Waterfowl vs Packer is like apples and oranges.

Packer has longer sleeves and is double in the cape and arms. It is a light coat without a wool liner. It is long enough to cover your butt, hanging at about fingertip length. The Duster is a super long Packer.

Waterfowl is a waist length plus jacket. It has super arrangement of pockets with wool lined handwarmers on the chest, and a front entry game pocket with inserts to hold small stuff.

Both are great coats, but the Packer is designed for horse riding originally, the Waterfowl for shooting ducks. They really are not comparable.

For rainy warm days I wear the packer. Good walking coat. For colder days with wind I wear the waterfowl coat. It has wrist knitted wind blockers, and the whole concept of it is a snugger warmer jacket. The pockets are superior to the Packer too IMO.

Each Filson coat generally has a design intent. Hunting coats, fishing coats, horse packing coats, etc. You just have to see how the body configuration, pocket layout, and fabrics answer your particular needs.

If I could only have one Filson coat it would be the #66 Original Hunters. Second choice would be the Waterfowl or 110 Cruiser. But these answer my daily uses and probably will not yours. Also even though I have several Filson coats, there are many I have never even seen let alone tried to figure out how they would fit into my days.

Once I get my article done I will have some photos of various Filson coats, but that is a ways away.

Thanks, most of that more or less reinforces my thinking.

I went ahead and ordered the Waterfowl from Highland Sports in PA, which, like I said, seemed to have a good price, is much closer than that other coast, and seemed to have good policies. I put an order in through their web page on Sunday and tried to add an item with an e-mail on Monday morning.

That may have been a mistake. The first lady I talked to told me that the site was down, and seemed shocked that I'd put an order in. Seems that they have lost their domain (www.highland-sports.com), and the only way I got in was linking in from elsewhere. She knew nothing about the order. Later I talked to another gentleman that was more than a little dismissive, and, among other things, told me that it would be back ordered to Filson and take at least a week... that despite this:

"We'll make every effort to get products to our customers in a timely manner. But in some instances an item might not be in stock. In that case we'll overnight the product from the manufacturer, and ship it out to you the next day "

from their "info" page.

Now it seems that all of my e-mails to them are coming back with "delayed" messages, so they haven't gotten any of them.

Not a warm fuzzy.

There a phone number on their info page? If so, phone them up and cancel. Seems like they don't want to be bothered with customers.

I've talked to them three times now.

I'm somewhat reassured... this last time, the guy (whoever it was) apologized, said the hassles with the domain name (registrar wouldn't let them renew- probably cybersquatters) came up while he's deathly ill from the flu. He said he ordered it second-day delivery from Filson, which isn't what the site says, but is somewhat better than a week...

We'll see. ..

In the meantime I'm shopping for a hydraulic jack to get the elbows flexing at first...