Dave,

I am not sure of the repair process for mail customers. I just walk over and hand the garment to the folks.

I would definately call them as the first step.

They did a bang up job on my vest. I had worn fairly large holes in the wool against my knife, flashlight and matchcase. They took the pocket down and totally relined it front and back then replaced the worn fabric so the faded color would match. Pure function. I took some fine wool and wove the holes back together to make it look a bit better. They also added some wool along the worn seams and thin pockets.

All for free too.

Great service and customer care.

Given (rather huge) allowances for ambient temperature, the tin cloth jacket continues to get a little more comfortable each time I wear it. To my surprise, so does the cover cloth, but it was so (comparatively) limp from the start that the changes are much more subtle. The cover cloth has lost all of the "damp" feeling, it's dry to the touch and warmer to wear, but it still sheds rain very well. The tin cloth, well, maybe 50 percent. Feels dry when warm, but still about half as clammy as it started out when cold. It's only been a few weeks. Both have a remarkably wide comfort range.

So, next question, how do you know when (2-5 years from now) a Filson tin cloth garment is fully broken in? I know it has quite a ways to go, but just wondering what to expect.

The coat will have large areas of dark coloring (character AKA dirt), the coat will be a cast of your body shape not a flat garment, the arms will be tubular and have a bend, the tin will have sort of a slick feel to it...mostly around the cuffs and pocket areas.

When you hang it up it will look like a headless you hanging in the closet. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

You will find yourself tossing the coat around you and it just sort of slips on...no fighting the stiffness, but the stiffness working for you.

Since I have no tin older than 5 years, that is the best I can do. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Enjoy.

Soo... by perfectly logical extrapolation, we can predict that at about 10 years, it will be a nice uniform black, nothing will stick to it, and it will come when you whistle and jump on your back by itself....

... well, maybe. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I will let you know sometime in 2009 <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Just to follow up on this one - I got a call last night from Filson. The guy on the line said they'd received my coat (a cover cloth "Foul Weather Jacket") and evaluated it, and decided it wasn't worth attempting to repair. So, he said, would you rather we sent you a new one, or use the credit of that model toward another new jacket? They also suggested I try shelter (heavier) cloth.
After looking more in depth, I decided on the cover cloth "Field Jacket" - a trifle longer, separate handwarmer pockets, a rear game pocket, and it fits the vest liner and hood I'd already purchased for my Foul Weather jacket. In fact, they introduced the Field Jacket about 2 months after I got my Foul Weather Jacket, and I was bummed that they hadn't offered it when I was picking out my first coat.
So, I paid them $21 to cover the difference in the value of the coats, and they're sending it my way.
I'm VERY pleased with the no-nonsense customer service, and I'm looking forward to the new coat.

FWIW, the CC Field Jacket was my first Filson, and I still wear it a couple of times a week, even though I'm trying to wear the Tin Waterfowl jacket more to break it in. I think you'll be pleased. It's a very functional design.

Filson is a stand up company. Glad you have another coat to replace the other.

Cover cloth is something I have yet to give much trial. I have rainpants and bib rainpants in it, but the bibs are brand new and the rainpants have very few miles on them. Shelter and tin have served me well in coats and shirts (shelter).

Enjoy