Rain jackets are hardly rugged. Sure, shell jackets are often waterproof (or, at least water-resistant), but they're often best saved for activities like hiking, camping or walking to get coffee, not real work, like timbering, ranching or retooling trucks or motorcycles. Made from polyester and other synthetics, they just don't stand a chance there, where waxed jackets, like Filson's Tin Cloth Short Lined Cruiser Jacket, fare far better.
Why, you ask? Well, beyond being a star on TV — it's worn by fixer (and maybe-nice-guy) Rip Wheeler on Yellowstone — it's a hard-wearing, water-resistant, trucker-style jacket made from one of Filson's most famous fabrics, tin cloth. Tin cloth, which is essentially just waxed cotton, was introduced to American companies like Filson by British Millerain, a storied mill in Lancashire that claims to be the original manufacturer of waxed cotton worldwide.
As such, Filson didn't invent the fabric it's now so well-known for, but it perfected its potential applications in the 1920s with its trademark "waterproof khaki" shirts and jackets, which were made for "timber cruisers" — loggers located in the Pacific Northwest. There, rain and snow made an already dangerous job even more so, considering how distracted one can get by being both cold and wet, but Filson's hyper-functional attire made the region's unpredictable weather patterns more manageable.
But is there a place for a rugged jacket like this in today's landscape, where men are more inclined to wear lightweight shell jackets and swishy pants than they are waxed gear? We found out.
Filson Tin Cloth Short Lined Cruiser Jacket Review
Jacket Specs
- Material(s): 14 oz. oil finish Tin Cloth, 6 oz. dry finish Cover Cloth, polyester
- Pockets: 4
- Sizes: XS - 2X Long
- Colors: 2
- Fit: Slim, size up for layering
- Made in: Bangladesh
Tester Specs
- Height: 6'2"
- Weight: 195 lbs
- Usual Size: Large / 42R
What's Good About the Filson Tin Cloth Short Lined Cruiser Jacket
It's rugged yet wearable.
When I first took this jacket out of its box, I jokingly suggested, based on how waxed it felt, that it could probably stand on its own — and it did. Its weight was supported by its oil finish alone. Sure, that might make this jacket sound stiff and unwearable, but it softens over time, turning into outerwear that's uniquely yours.
You see, the oiled exterior helps the jacket resist water and potential abrasions, but a byproduct of that is its ability to crease and form to your shape but also your daily activities. If your arms are bent in a riding or grip position, creases will form in the folds of your arm. If you're seated most of the day, the jacket will naturally break in around the waist, where excess fabric bunches up.
Every subtle move — and sudden rain storm — helps break this thing in a little more. Sure, some prefer their jacket be malleable the moment it's pulled from its packaging, but others like earning it — and Filson's Tin Cloth Short Lined Cruiser must be earned.
It fits like a trucker jacket, not something bulkier.
The full-length version of Filson's Tin Cloth Cruiser hits past the hips, like the Mackinaw Wool Cruiser, which is longer as well. The short version — seen here — is well, shorter, yes, but more versatile, too. Because of its length, the jacket doesn't inhibit your hips, block your tool belt or prevent access to your pant pockets.
For context, it fits more like a classic Levi's denim jacket than it does a peacoat, and that's a plus for anyone who prefers that fit over outerwear that's more enveloping.
It's built to last, even if it's now made in Bangladesh, not the US.
If you scroll through the reviews on Filson's website, every third or fourth comment calls out the fact that these jackets are now made in Bangladesh, not the US. For steadfast stateside shoppers, that's a bummer, but everyday shoppers — those buying a Filson jacket for the first time, or the first time in a while — won't notice a difference.
It's fair to express the opinion that pillar Filson products should still be made in US, ideally in Seattle, but it is wrong to unfairly fling a one- or two-star review at a product wholly deserving of at least a four out of five, if not a perfect score.
One reviewer, who goes by Jim C., gave the jacket three stars, citing the fact that it's not US made in his first breath. But he has a point: "Every tin cloth item should be made in Seattle," he writes. "These are the heritage of Filson. Import socks, pants, etc., if necessary. Keep the original items (e.g., tin cloth, wool cruisers, shirt-jacs, etc.) made in the USA."
To write something off because it's imported is simply wrong, but it's okay to ask better of a beloved, deeply American brand.
What's Not So Good About the Filson Tin Cloth Short Lined Cruiser Jacket
It feels damp inside, even when it's not.
You'd be smart to wear long-sleeves underneath your Tin Cloth Short Lined Cruiser, because the inside — both the polyester sleeve linings and the dry tin cloth body — feel damp to exposed skin. And even though they may not be wet, per se, it'll feel so, so it's best to be layered up underneath.
Finding the right size requires a little trial and error.
That being said, if you layer often, Filson suggests sizing up to accommodate the extra clothing. Most reviewers say the jacket runs almost true to size or slightly small, which is great for folks that'll wear a thin shirt underneath but bad for those who wish to wear this jacket year-round. The liner as is doesn't offer much in terms of warmth, but it does help you stay dry, which means other layers (i.e. a sweater, thermal or sweatshirt) can do the job of retaining heat if you've sized up to make them fit.
The sleeves pose a problem — so, too, do the buttons.
When I lift my arms above my head, either to reach something on a higher shelf, unload something from my roof rack, or, if I was out in the woods, swing an axe, the sleeves ride halfway up my arm. When broken in, the jacket falls back into place when you put them back down, but the stiff-at-the-start version sticks, meaning you have to pull them back down or shake your arms until they fall.
As for the buttons, they're hard to do and undo, especially with the waxed finish — and even more so if you're wearing gloves. It'd be easier if this jacket had snaps.
Bye, bye, free tin of wax.
Filson Cruiser jackets allegedly used to come with a free tin of wax for when the jacket needs re-waxed. Filson has seemingly dropped this perk and put standalone tins in its online store for $10. While not a real issue, some wax would be nice, reviewers say.
Filson Tin Cloth Short Lined Cruiser Jacket: Verdict
It's unfair to distill Filson's Tin Cloth Short Lined Cruiser Jacket down to just a rain jacket, but that's kind of what it is — albeit a rugged one. It's built from a famously tough fabric with hefty hardware and practical pockets and hip adjusters. Plus, the "trucker" shape is more versatile, turning what was once just logging gear into something more universal.
Everyone will appreciate how it feels at first, and how it feels to slowly break it in, one rain shower (or rough brush bush) at a time, but there's no comparing this jacket and an Arc'teryx shell, for example. Both are built to deter wet weather, the former's far more work-focused, while the latter is lighter, leaner and made for walks and wet events, not clearing a tightly-packed field (or hauling a cage onto a fishing boat).
For an all-weather jacket that'll last ages, you can still trust Filson and its Tin Cloth Short Lined Cruiser Jacket, no matter what the American-made advocates say.
