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Member Joined: 14 Feb 2007 Posts: 110

It has become very difficult to find hunting clothes domestically made. Bean, Cabelas, Orvis and now Filson products are all coming from overseas. Even Woolrich's Pennsylvania Tuxedo is now just an oxymoron.

I wanted to suggest a few of the remaining makers.

Pointer Brand makes jeans, coats, hunting pants.

http://www.pointerbrand.com/DynamicProductCatalog.asp?Category=Hunting&SubCategory=Adult

For old fashioned wool coats I recommend Bemidji and Johnson:

http://www.upnorthgeneralstore.com/clothing.html

http://www.foxridgeoutfitters.com/subsubsection.cfm?section=10&subsection=17,29

Member Joined: 27 Nov 2005 Posts: 258 Location: Nordern MN

Are "ALL" Filson clothes being made oversees ?!?

I thought just their "Lodge" collection was made in China.

NR

Member Joined: 14 Feb 2007 Posts: 110

No.

But all those sellers are selling products from overseas. The original Filson stuff is still USA; I hope they keep at least that.

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

Carharts are the other choice and come in camo

I've been looking around for a canvas field coat for some time now. Not a nylon coat. Not a fleece coat. Not a waxed canvas coat. Just an old fashioned, washable, 100% cotton, canvas field coat with a game pocket. One that I could throw in the washer now and again. And I wanted it to be made in the US.

I couldn't find one. Bear in mind now, I live 30 minutes from LLBean's. After searching the internet with no success, I finally succumbed to the fact that I might as well buy the (made in Thailand) field coat from them since it seemed to meet the rest of the criteria and it was in their online catalog.

I loaded up the kids and wife and went to the Bean's hunting store down the way in Freeport. Fleece, nylon, waxed cotton coats, but no traditional canvas field coat. They sent me over to the main store. Barn coats, but not even in my size. I went home.

I called the 800 number and ordered the coat via mail. They didn't charge shipping when I mentioned their store didn't have it in stock, but they didn't seem very happy about it.

Anyway got the coat. It's a canvas field coat in the old style....but I just don't like the idea of hitting the coverts with a coat stamped "made in Thailand". It's like an assult on one of the last bastions of rural America..

Member Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 602 Location: western pa

Welcome to the Global Economy.I understand your frustration. Dig this. I work for a major American producer of stainless steel. Couple of months ago I picked up my 10 yr. service award. Stainless table sevice for 12. Made in frickin' CHINA. Then last month the CEO of the company sends out a newsletter telling us we should buy American and support U.S. steel makers. Took some BIG stones to tell me that after that service award.How do we beat it? I don't know.But I do buy Filson almost exclusively and Russell mocassins and Northerner rubber boots. The choices seem less every year.The best we can do when we find a suitable item is buy 2 or 3 of them before the Chinese get a grip on them. Mad

There is a village in the Phillipines that was renamed America. Why do you think that was? A town in Thailand was renamwd USA. Even when we buy something made in America, or USA, where does it come from?

Look at your Ford, G.M. or Chrysler. They may have been assembled here, but where did the parts come from? And, I know even they have assembly plants outside of here. American as apple Pie... with foreign apples, and imported crust, baked by ...

I'll admit to the fact that I haven't looked at labels for some time now, except to take note of the increasing sizes.

I recently purchased the Mother technical vest. Does anyone know where it's made? There were no tags on mine.

Member Joined: 14 Feb 2007 Posts: 110

Seb...

I bought the same coat. An LLBean. But on Ebay - great shape, probably 30 years old and made in USA. Check every week or so you'll find one.

Bean will honor their guarantee and refund if your not " completely satisfied" - no questions asked.

Member Joined: 24 Jan 2007 Posts: 467 Location: SC PA

Henry,

Thanks for pointing out not all Filson products are made in the US anymore Crying or Very sad

. I really like their products. Dug out all my Filson clothes last night and checked each one. All made in the states, including the strap fishing vest that mysteriously showed up on my front step yesterday Wink

. Sad that we can no longer assume that a product from an established iconic American company is actually made on our shores.

PGG- Mother Tech Vest is made in Vietnam. Look on the left hand side panel of the game bag- should be a label there.

Cheers
Marcus

I talked about (re bitched) my concern to the Bean's sales rep when I was in the store. He said they get a lot of complaints on the matter..to the point that they actually investigated finding a US mill to do their work.

Problem was they couldn't find enough of the "old timers" to come back in and the "kids don't want to work in a mill anymore". Summary per the sales guy: they tried, and nobody [feasable] in the US wanted to do it.

My mother, when she was alive, used to do quite a bit of sewing, mainly as a hobby, but enough that she had acquired a heavy duty sewing machine. I inherited that machine and I'm giving considerable thought to buying some canvas....... Hey, I work in wood, leather and paper...why not fabric?!?! Cool

Joined: 06 Apr 2007 Posts: 50

Ya know I really wouldn't care so much 'where' the clothes were made if I could just find what I wanted.

Surely everyone out there doesn't feel they need to go hunting in camoflage or hunter-orange.

When I was a little shaver we lived next door to my mom's uncle. My great uncle. He was a WWI vet, a little crusty, bootlegged in the 20's and ran nets, raise fox and mink and hunted in the river bottoms during the depression. There are 3 things I remember about him when he would come back from hunting. He wore a gray slouch hat, a tan ( more blood stained and weather beaten than tan) hunting coat with cardoroy cuffs and collar and if it was really hot and he didn't wear the coat he would use a WWI ammo belt to carry his shotgun shells and dress in an old shirt and work pants.

I still have that coat by the way.........a little more frayed around the edges and not the prettiest thing you ever saw but still usable. Do you think I can find anyting like it today? Not a chance. I have looked!

I don't hunt in camo, period! I got my first deer sitting on the ground, next to a scrape, smoking, at 11:30 in the morning. My clothes weren't camo and my gun was a Browning sweet 16, which I also still have. It was unadored with any camo.

I guess I'm 'camo'd' out ? Maybe I kind'a got off topic here? The essence of 'MY' problem is unadorned, functional, well made hunting apparel or the lack thereof, from any source.

Member Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 446 Location: Wisconsin

This reference will give the Filson story http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2005/11/01/8360961/index.htm
I use Filson quite a bit and noticed the expansion of the product line about 20 years ago. Two years ago with the sale of the company and the introduction of the 'Lodge Line', the handwriting was on the wall.
I have emailed the President and he personally answered but if you look at the clothes line, traditional filson shirts are now being made off shore. i am sure more will follow. The reference in the article to Eddie Bauer is telling. 30+ year ago Bauer made some really tough down garments, now its all yuppie stuff. I expect filson to go this way. -Dick

Guest

I agree with the "buy it now while you still can" idea. I hope it never happens, but don't be surprised if Filson is soon vending neon rainbow spandex hunting tights.

Actually, I don't think they'd go neon rainbow. They would stick with a neon blaze orange spandex hunting tight. And lets face it... that color didn't even look good on the orange.

My favorite upland hunting coat is one I recieved as a birthday presnt, a canvas coat made in the seventies. It's just like new yet. Can you believe the name"Bullseye Bill". For waterfowl I have all Filson and all made in the USA.I have Wrangler hunting pants made in the USA. For work I wore all Carharts. All my old Wrangler shirts were made in the USA. Now they are made in Honduras.Then there is Pendletons, I hopr they are still made in the USA.