Filson Labels: History and How to Date Them
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C.C. Filson was founded in Seattle in 1897 to outfit prospectors heading for the Klondike gold rush, and later made gear for hunting, fishing and logging. Address-style and "FIL-CLO" labels mark its early decades, which carry the premium.
Company history
Wikipedia records that Clinton C. Filson founded C.C. Filson's Pioneer Alaska Clothing and Blanket Manufacturers in Seattle in 1897. After the gold rush ended around 1899, the company turned to gear for outdoor work and sport. Filson died in 1919 and the family kept control until 1970. Stan Kohls bought the company in 1981 and expanded the range from 35 to 250 items, many drawn from the archive. Later private-equity owners took over from 2005, and Wikipedia reports that the share of products made in the US fell from 90 percent in 2015 to 35 percent in 2025.
Label timeline
| Label or clue | Approximate dates | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Address-style labels, "FIL-CLO" | Early decades | The collectible era |
| Family-owned company | 1897 to 1970 | Original ownership |
| Expanded range under Stan Kohls | From 1981 | Many reissued archive designs |
| Increasing offshore production | 2015 to 2025 | Modern; check country of origin |
The label clue comes from our vintage workwear values guide, citing California Vintage Buyers.
What it helps date
- Union and RN labels help date workwear: union labels, RN and WPL numbers.
- US Forest Service markings add a premium, per the workwear guide.
Values
Our vintage workwear values guide gives a used Mackinaw Cruiser $275 to $450, Double Mackinaw coats with top comps around $385, broken-in Tin Cloth cruisers around $265 and 1930s to 1940s tin cloth around $650 (California Vintage Buyers), with most used Filson between $120 and $400 (Cluzy). Prices are estimates as of 2026.
check sold prices for filson vintage mackinaw cruiser on eBay
Sources
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Guides that mention Filson
- Vintage Workwear Values: Carhartt, Filson, Stifel and More2026 sold-price ranges for vintage Carhartt, Filson, Stifel, Sweet-Orr, Big Mac, Pendleton, Woolrich and WWII Navy denim, and what moves each.
Related
- RN and WPL Numbers: What They Tell You About Vintage ClothingWhat RN and WPL numbers on clothing labels mean, the earliest dates they prove, how to look one up, and why RN-to-year charts are unreliable.
- Dating Vintage Clothing by ILGWU and Other Union LabelsHow to date American garments by their ILGWU, ACWA, NRA and Consumers' Protection labels, with a period-by-period chart and where the dates disagree.
- Vintage Workwear Values: Carhartt, Filson, Stifel and More2026 sold-price ranges for vintage Carhartt, Filson, Stifel, Sweet-Orr, Big Mac, Pendleton, Woolrich and WWII Navy denim, and what moves each.
- ACWA Union Labels: History and How to Date ThemDate men's suits, coats and shirts by the ACWA union label: the first label of 1916, the 1949 design with and without the registered mark, and ACTWU.