Recommend old-school companies.

September 12, 2005 12:00 AM

What other brands would appeal to a Filson man?

Pendleton shirts, Timberland boots, et cetera. Feel free to derail into Waterman pens and Breitling watches, but I'm specifically interested in the Foxfire angle: What sleeping bag would be recommended for an Arctic team? What brand of life preserver would be favored aboard a trans-Atlantic sailboat? Think Shackleton. Think Patton. What companies would they endorse?

Old school preferred. Gold stars for companies that have existed for more than a century.

posted by cribcage to Shopping (12 answers total)

When I was growing up, my grandparents had a cabin in remote northern Wisconsin with a bunch of cool antique furniture in there, including a couple of chairs by Stickley that I absolutely loved.

There was also a chest of Hudson Bay Blankets that had a really great weight to them during a cold winter night.

It was one of the saddest days in my life when the place burned down in an accident about 15 years ago.
posted by freshgroundpepper at 12:30 AM on September 12, 2005

Woolrich is as old as the hills, and has outfitted outdoorsmen forever, including all the men on my paternal side for, well...forever. Our family cabin is about 30 miles from Woolrich, PA, where the whole shebang started.

I'm looking forward to the cooler months when I'll be donning my grandfather's Woolrich hunting coat from the 40's...still in perfect condition. I'd recommend investing in their vintage stuff (eBay link), as purists will appreciate these things much more than their newer, shoddier goods.

Forget the Timberland and head towards L. L. Bean and just get the damned Maine Hunting Boots.

Also...don't EVER go to Cabela's; all mid-range crap with little or no desirability.

Looking forward to other replies. What a sick, twisted fetish...heh.
posted by red cell at 1:08 AM on September 12, 2005

Barbour (since 1894 and by appointment to the Royal Family) and Hardy (since 1879.)
posted by fire&wings at 1:55 AM on September 12, 2005

Orvis.
posted by anathema at 3:32 AM on September 12, 2005

Duluth Pack.
posted by fixedgear at 6:23 AM on September 12, 2005

For a camera, it'd have to be Gandolfi; the wooden models are much the same as they were in 1885. But if you were really going for the Foxfire angle, wouldn't you make everything yourself?
posted by scruss at 6:28 AM on September 12, 2005

Perhaps too use-specific (motorcycling), but you might want to look at Belstaff.


Also...don't EVER go to Cabela's; all mid-range crap with little or no desirability.

Yeah, but they sell jackalopes!
posted by scratch at 6:30 AM on September 12, 2005

MeTa callout.
posted by fixedgear at 8:05 AM on September 12, 2005

Frost River.
posted by fixedgear at 8:53 AM on September 12, 2005

For writing in with your Waterman pen, Moleskine notebooks. They're the "little black dress" of journals. I adore their new Reporter (near the bottom of the page) notebook!
posted by dbmcd at 9:15 AM on September 12, 2005

Well, for clothing, don’t miss David Morgan, a Filson dealer who also carries a lot of other similar, if less extensive, lines.

Kevin’s also has a lot of good old outdoor stuff.

If you like shearling coats and heavy sweaters, there’s French Creek.


Steger footwear would be on my feet if I were heading north.

Let’s have a moment of silence, please, for the many lost and gone makers of good stuff, like Willis&Geiger, the real Abercrombie&Fitch, Gokey’s, Lewis Creek, etc. If you want to see more of what you’ve missed, and no doubt zero in on some last remaining holdouts, grab a copy of the long OOP Good Garb.

If $$ is no object, check with Holland and Holland or Hermes in Paris.

Either Le Chameau or Aigle might be considered the French version of Barbour.

Any reason to exclude Patagonia from your list?

May your journals be as exciting as your catalogs.
posted by dpcoffin at 9:55 AM on September 12, 2005

If you're looking for historical accuracy w/r/t/ the early 20th century, then remember that, in the days before widespread national and international distribution, people relied upon (long-departed) local makers for suits, luggage, etc. The eBay vintage section is a great place to dig up some of those names.

If you're looking for modern outdoor and 'explorer' brands with pedigree, then there's always Oshkosh, E. Goyard trunks (Louis Vuitton's main rival back in the day), Hartmann, Smythson's featherweight diaries and journals, etc. None of those would have looked out of place on a steamer crossing the Atlantic.
posted by holgate at 11:10 AM on September 12, 2005