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The Filson Journal
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filson life

black and white historic photo of hockey players colliding mid ice, one falling behind the other
Field Notes

The Evolution of Hockey Gear

When a modern NHL team takes to the ice, players are protected from head to toe, the focal point of which is their large colorful sweater. The need and developments we see today are the result of decades of tinkering and improvements based on poor experiences that defined the need for such gear.

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2 Min
black and white image of a man looking off into the distance sitting in the saddle of a white horse
Profiles

THE PASSION: RANGE RIDER DANIEL CURRY

As a range rider, Daniel Curry patrols the rugged wilderness of Colville National Forest in eastern Washington through all seasons and weather. He will spend weeks working tirelessly day and night with his dogs to protect both the grey wolf population and cattle that graze on public lands.

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4 Min
black and white of an older white man wearing a flannel shirt, holding his eye and ear protection standing in front of his wood carving of a bear in progress
Profiles

The Carver King: A Conversation with chainsaw artist Bob King

Bob King spends his life surrounded by sawdust. It crunches underfoot, coats his clothing, and swirls about him. Each day he dons layers of protective gear and enters his workshop. His focus is upon the image he is releasing. It will be the latest in a long line of art pieces he has created as one of the most successful chainsaw artists on the planet.

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3 Min
a middle aged bearded white man wearing a yellow flannel shirt, dark jeans and a green hat holding a block of wood and a chainsaw looking up at a tree to assess it
Profiles

Zach LaPerrière: The Sage

Living in a small cabin immersed in the virgin old-growth with his family for the last twenty-five years, LaPerrière is a part of the wilderness. There is no television or road into it. Visitors park off the nearby road and walk in. As a result, they spend as much time outdoors as indoors. He spends long hours in his woodshop under the cabin, and he will spend months working on the creations that come from a single tree, turning it on his lathe, peeling back layers, and discovering the story in the wood.

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4 Min
man holding oars while standing in boat
Profiles

Lael Johnson – Olympic Peninsula Fly Guide

Lael Johnson is a fly fisherman and guide on the Olympic Peninsula. His passion for the anadromous fish of Washington’s coastal rivers is contagious. He loves these fish, these rivers, and the people he is lucky enough to experience them with. Filson Contributor Ben Matthews spent a few days on the river with Lael to ask a few questions about guiding, steelhead, and life in general. If you’re interested in heading out on the river with Lael yourself, check out his website and book a trip. You won’t regret it.

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5 Min
collection of rogue canned and bottled beers of different sizes in front of a line of
Field Notes

Rogue’s Brewmaster Joel Shields – What are you drinking?

“As we enter our third week of social isolation nostalgia for simple things like lunch out with coworkers or an afterwork drink at our neighborhood bar is setting in. Times might be a bit crazy right now, but I know that we can get through this together. And luckily for us, there are still delicious beers (and spirits) that you can enjoy right at home.” – Joel Shields

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4 Min

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man driving atv splashing through puddle on dirt road in a mossy forest
How-To's

A Guide to Overlanding the North Cascades

The North Cascade Mountains of Washington attract all types of recreationists during the spring and summer months, from locals to tourists, from hikers and climbers to high mountain anglers and bird watchers. But one type of recreationist gets overlooked and even sometimes gets a bad rap: the overlanders.

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4 Min
team of vets and forestry service personnel inspect an animal on a towel on top of a table with a breathing apparatus attached to its face
Profiles

Conservation Northwest: Keeping the Northwest Wild

For the 7.5 million residents of Washington state, most, if not all, have used or will use I-90 at some point. This interstate connects the two largest cities in the state: Seattle to the west and Spokane to the east. It also runs right through the southern end of the North Cascade mountains, home to great populations of blacktail deer, Roosevelt elk, coyotes, and black bears, among other species. As you drive east from Seattle, you might notice a bridge with no roads connected to it that spans the interstate just before you get to the city of Easton. This bridge is a wildlife crossing that will help keep these animals safe from vehicles. The bridge is there thanks to a Seattle-based organization, Conservation Northwest, and is just one of many projects this organization has helped fund, design and implement in this region.

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2 Min
conifer forest rising away on a steep mountainside
Field Notes

How to Filson’s Guide to Conifers of the Cascades

Washington’s forests are home to more than 25 unique species of trees. We’ve put together a comprehensive guide on how to quickly identify the 5 key varieties in the North Cascades.

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4 Min
black and white image of hands holding a sketchbook with sketches of people, boats, and camping equipment
Profiles

Rick Myers: Profile of an Illustrator

In Rick Myers’s garage sits a hand-built dingy—shiny with newness, waiting patiently for water. Adjacent, the oars that will propel it lie unfinished across two sawhorses. The illustrator holds a bench plane. With both hands, he runs the razor’s edge of the tool across the oar blade, and curly ribbons of red and yellow cedar fall in a fragrant pile around his feet.

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3 Min
image of eclectic decor of the backbar at the salty dog saloon, human skull, old pinup portraits, and money hung everywhere
Profiles

The Salty Dawg Saloon

In the Middle East and Europe you can visit places built over 2,000 years ago. In Alaska you are unlikely to see anything older than 50. That’s what makes the Salty Dawg Saloon in Homer such a rarity. It possesses a history that goes back to 1897, when the first building was built, and it holds onto it.

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2 Min
Large green and red ferry vessel in open water with mountains in background
Profiles

Bay Weld Boats

The shop is loud. Metal screams on metal. Chop saws, band saws, air saws, table saws, skilsaws, drills, grinders, and welders all sculpt, slice, and meld aluminum plate and extrusion into boats for Alaska’s most discerning captains.

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4 Min
black and white image of people in antiquated clothes and hats standing behind a large stack of bound wooden boxes reading
Field Notes

You Take What You Can Get: Or Suffer the Consequences

The stampede for gold into the Klondike of the Yukon territory reached a peak in 1898. In that same year, 1,200 other miners set out for other regions of the far north, including to the Koyukuk and Chandalar river drainages in the remote Alaska Territory interior, in a desperate search for similar riches. This region is situated in the northwestern part of Alaska, with the Koyukuk River flowing through it from the borders of the Arctic Ocean to where it enters the Yukon at Nulato.

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3 Min
a straight on view of the work in progress build of the ballard bridge as an old car drives towards the cameraman
Field Notes

The History of Ballard: The First 100 Years

Today, the neighborhood of Ballard is well known for its restaurants and atmosphere. However, the history of this Seattle hamlet is a story of industry, community, and entrepeneurship.

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6 Min
an archival black and white image from behind the sewer working on sewing two pieces of fabric together on an old sewing machine with the original Filson logo already sewn on the bottom right corner.
Profiles

The Filson Restoration Department & Workshop

We’ve taken pride in the quality of our craftsmanship for over a century, and in keeping with that tradition, the Filson Restoration Department and Filson Workshop were formed. We caught up with Jeremy Bennett, Jon Duce, and Marissa Barnard from the workshop team to find out what goes into restoring a Filson original and creating a one-of-a-kind piece from salvaged resources.

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5 Min
a blonde ski patroller wearing her red and black jacket with a white medical cross on the shoulder, black snow pants, black boots and holding the leash of her black, brown and white dog wearing his red and black rescue vest as they walk away from the chalet
How-To's

How to Become a Ski Patroller

Ski patrollers are responsible for maintaining and promoting skier safety, providing first-aid assistance to accident victims on the hill, and transporting injured skiers. They play a huge part in what makes any ski area run. Working as a ski patroller can be physically demanding, but it also might be the most rewarding job you’ve ever had.

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5 Min
a man wearing plaid red and black wool coat, snow pants and a orange hard hat, walking towards the camera in a snowy wooded area
Profiles

Will To Live: The Gary Edinger Story

On a fateful February day in 2007, in the remote Northern Wisconsin woods, a solo independent logger named Gary Edinger severed his left leg off while felling a tree. Twenty miles from help and in forty below temperatures, Gary summoned the remarkable willpower to crawl to his pickup, and attempted to drive to safety.

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19 Min
comic: filson adventure, the end
Field Notes

Filson Adventure Comic

Filson Adventures, an original comic series based in Alaska circa 1933.

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28 Min
American Bison standing in rolling hills
Field Notes

The Need for Wild Places

Founded in 2004, BHA is a nonpartisan group of sportsmen and -women who “seek to ensure North America’s outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf of wild public lands and waters.”

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4 Min
national_forests
Field Notes

Plant a Tree, Grow a Forest

Greg Peters is the Communications Director for the National Forest Foundation. This year they have launched an initiative to replant 50 million trees in areas that have been burned or affected by insect infestations, disease or other natural causes. Here, he shares a story of a recent trip into the hills and a first-hand encounter

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chelsea grinding metal at workshop grinding station
Profiles

PNW Workers: Force/Collide

Located in Seattle WA, Force/Collide is driven by owner Chelsea Gaddy’s distinct style that blends geometry, minimalism, and the raw characteristics of metals into high-end furniture and architecture. “The creative process behind fabrication is the most meaningful part of my work – it’s what forms the personality of the piece. And metal is my favorite

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portrait of laura in white hat with blue plaid shirt
Profiles

PNW Workers: Laura Burkhart

Laura Burkhart drew inspiration from the Pacific Northwest’s mountains, lakes, and trees – and used it to develop a refreshing, unique style of artwork. “Woodwork is such a physically demanding medium, forcing me to fully immerse myself in the process. This particular style came to fruition a few years ago when I was asked to

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hammering steel
Profiles

PNW Workers: Meridian Forge

It’s not an easy process. “You have to beat it into submission…you have to tell it what to do,” he says, speaking of the metal being shaped by his hands. He grimaces and sweats as he brings the hammer down again and again on the hot steel against the anvil. Both the process and the end result are his art. Darryl’s signature pieces are animal heads: a bald eagle with piercing eyes and razor-sharp beak, a ram leaping forward in challenge. His skill in forging these creations is made possible through tools that are all handmade, including the hammer wielded with purpose to shape hundreds of animals. Such was the case when he hand-forged a tomahawk that sports the head of a wolf.

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3 Min
fisherman holding large fish kneeling in river wearing red and white flannel and green trucker hat
Field Notes

Brown Trout of New Zealand

Jack Kos is a self-described Kiwi trout bum. What began as a passion for fishing soon developed into a desire to know more about the fish he sought. That pursuit led Jack to dive deep into the rivers and the history books as he wrote his dissertation and earned a PhD in history on the

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Garrett sitting on the fence ready to ride a bull
Profiles

Come by It Honestly: Born into Bull Riding

Rodeo culture is often synonymous with small-town America: Everyone knows everyone, a strong work ethic is the norm, and more often than not, children pursue the same profession as their parents. The more time spent around the bucking chutes, the more apparent it becomes that bull riding is as vital to a family’s lineage as

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man in a canoe on the Yukon river, a large mountain in the distance
Profiles

Wilderness, a River, and My Old Man

Peter Hall and his father set out on a Yukon Moose hunt, by way of canoe, into the remote reaches of the Alaskan wilderness. The time they shared on the river reminded them both that the glory of adventure is found far beyond the kill. At one in the morning the aurora fills the sky. 

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portrait of Larry Ford, owner of Blue Heron Lodge
Profiles

Blue Heron Lodge: Forks, WA

“I love teaching folks how to appreciate the water; the ruggedness and beauty of the river are something special. I like to share with people a means by which they can experience these places. A drift boat and a fly rod are just my preferred means. Passing on some of my knowledge to my clients,

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two men are loading elk antlers into a truck
Profiles

A Fool’s Errand

At times, shed hunting can seem a fool’s errand. It can make you wonder why in the hell you’d ever thought it was a reasonable idea. Other times it is quite the opposite; miles hiked and time spent behind glass equate handsomely to fresh brown elk antlers. This trip would lean harshly to the fool’s-errand

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man in woods looks through binoculars wearing backpack and red flannel
How-To's

Shed Hunting: Tips and Tactics

Last week we shared a beginner’s perspective on springtime shed hunting and what you might encounter when heading into the hills for your first time in search of antlers. This week, we hear from Sam Averett, a seasoned western hunter, who shares a few more detailed tips and tactics on the search for spring sheds.

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andrew miller steelhead man in river with rocky riverbed
Field Notes

Solitude and Steelhead

Many a man has felt the pace and stress of life wash from his soul while standing mid-river, fly rod in hand. Solitude is perhaps the thing most often sought by the seasoned fly-fishermen; the thrill of landing a fish is a welcome addition to an already fine experience. Read along as we follow once

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C.C. Filson Co. Manufacturers. 1741 First Ave S. Seattle, Wash. Complete outfitter for miners, prospectors, lumbermen
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