Freemasonry & Filson
The importance of authenticity and delivery
Over the past weeks, I’ve had occasion to talk in some detail with two ‘authorized retailers’ of Filson products. While one can find Filson for sale lots of places around here, there aren’t too many of these ‘authorized retailers’ in the United States or around the world.
That’s understandable. Filson was specifically created to serve the needs of people who worked outdoors in the cold and wet of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Most people have no need for the overbuilt quality of Filson products.
My own Filson adventure started many years ago when my wife bought me a Filson briefcase. That was followed by Filson bags, and small goods, including some small goods from the Filson custom shop. And of course, hats, my first Filson hat also purchased by Melinda.
I’ve never purchased any of Fison’s modern designs, nor any of their collaborations, just the real Filson stuff, made for those who live and work outdoors. The stuff that has stood the test of time.
And all of it was the Made in America stuff. The stuff made right in Seattle.
Because of my love of the brand, I was greatly saddened when Filson moved production overseas. When they began producing hats in Sri Lanka instead of Seattle.
I’m not the only one who feels that way. Reviews of offshore Filson products are generally poor now. Not the glowing and gushing reviews about quality that one used to see when Filson was made right here in Seattle.
The interesting thing is, this perception of lower quality just isn’t true.
In recent weeks I have quite carefully studied Filson Tin Cloth Packer Hat after Filson Tin Cloth Packer Hat. One after the other. I’ve held them, tried them on, and very carefully looked at every centimeter of them. Lots of them.
At first, I had to admit that my assumptions were wrong. That the overseas production is just as good as the Seattle production.
But, that was wrong too. If I’m completely honest, and set aside my bias, I have to admit that the hats from Sri Lanka are actually better made than those in Seattle. Not that there was anything wrong at all with the Seattle made hats, nothing that would impact quality or longevity anyway, but it is clear that attention to detail is greater now, with the current overseas production.
These changes came about because Filson was acquired by some other big company. They’ve done some stuff not in keeping with the heritage of the brand.
As mentioned above, I’ve recently had the opportunity to speak with two ‘authorized retailers’ of Filson products. Big ones.
The first confirmed by belief about quality. He agrees that there has been no decline in quality since production was moved overseas. He still believes that the core Filson line is the best of its type available anywhere in the world.
But he is badly disappointed that production has been moved outside of the United States. That the authenticity of the brand has been largely trashed by its new ownership.
The second was a bit more extreme in his opinion. He says that he’s been thinking about ‘ripping the Filson sign off the side of his building.’ Not because of any decline in quality, but because he is unable to get timely delivery of new stock. He says that he places orders, but never knows when or if the orders will actually be fulfilled.
The anger he expressed to me is that he can’t rely upon Filson to delver new stock to keep his shelves filled. It’s solely a delivery problem, one that I presume must be the result of the new, much longer, supply lines. It’s one thing to consistently deliver product made in Seattle, quite another to consistently deliver product made in Sri Lanka.
In all of this, there are, of course, lessons for us to learn as Freemasons.
Authenticity, and Delivery.
When it became evident, decades ago, that Masonic membership levels were in a tailspin, standards were lowered in misguided attempts to stem the losses.
Some of these lowering of standards were conscious and intentional. Lodges, and Grand Lodges lowered standards for becoming a Mason, and lowered Proficiency expectations.
Others were unintentional. It seemed that many Lodges would approve any Petition presented by a man with a heartbeat.
Through this lowering of standards, Freemasonry lost much of its authenticity. Just as Filson lost much of its authenticity by moving production overseas.
Did Filson trade profits for authenticity? I can’t know for certain, but I imagine that they did. That the company's profits moved higher when production costs were reduced.
But, that boost may well be short term. If the company is no longer perceived as manufacturing the very best of the best, will not future sales, and profits suffer?
Likewise, did not Freemasonry trade membership for authenticity? Surely the lowering of standards brought more men into the Craft than would have joined had standards remained high.
But that too was a short term gain. A chimera. A self deception. Because a single unsuitable man in a Lodge will drive multiples of good men away. And because an organization without meaningful standards is ultimately attractive to no one.
Luckily, more recently, we have collectively seemed to realize this. Standards, particularly at the Lodge level are growing more stringent. Many, perhaps most, Lodges are taking time to get to know a potential candidate before giving him a Petition. Investigations are growing more serious. Black cubes are seen more often. Full Posting Lectures, Catechisms, are being demanded for Proficiency.
We seem to be working, collectively, towards regaining and restoring our authenticity. These efforts need to continue.
We also have to deliver.
Freemasonry promises true Brotherhood. A Brotherhood in which a man (and his family) may be supported throughout life. A Brotherhood in which a man may explore morality and philosophy, through which he can learn to live a meaningful and good life.
The second ‘authorized retailer’ of Filson products I spoke with is angry because Filson can’t deliver. It can’t keep his shelves stocked, and because of that he has to turn potential sales away.
Filson exists in order to make money, and the only way it can make money is through sales of its products. One must therefore assume that this retailer can’t count on Filson filling orders in a timely manner not because anyone at Filson wants it to be that way. Filson clearly wants to sell him stuff. But seems unable to sell him enough stuff to fill his shelves.
Not because Filson doesn’t want to, surely they do. The only explanation as to why they can’t meet his orders in a timely way is because it is hard. Difficult for them to do.
Freemasonry, on the whole, has a very similar delivery problem.
We talk a great story about a Craft so important that men like Washington, Franklin, and Roosevelt were proud to put on their Aprons. We talk about a Craft that pushed the Western Enlightenment forward, with its ideas of liberty and democracy.
But far too often all a new Mason finds is one dull and ultimately meaningless business meeting after another.
In far too many cases, we are failing to deliver on the promise of Freemasonry.
Luckily, this too seems to be changing. Changing slowly, but changing nevertheless. More and more Lodges are working to provide meaningful Freemasonry, not only the business of Freemasonry.
More and more Lodges are managing to deliver on the promise.
Those efforts as well must continue if we are going to shepherd our Craft to a bright and vibrant future.
I’ll still carry my Filson bags and wear my Filson hats with pride, because I know that despite the changes, they remain the very best for what they are designed to do. And I’ll still wear my Masonic shirts and rings with pride, because I know that despite the mistakes of the past, our Craft helps to create a better world each and every day.
But we must keep striving for improvement. We must endeavor to leave a better Freemasonry to those who come after us than the Freemasonry that we ourselves found. That requires work, and commitment, and thought.
Let’s do this!
As I type this, here in Washington, King, Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatcom counties are experiencing devastating flooding.
I’m someone who has lived almost his entire life on or near a Western Washington river, so I know firsthand just how much damage a flood like this can do. When I was a kid, my grandparents lost their house in a flood when it was swept off its foundation. Not all that many years ago I was standing in my office, looking out the window at the rising flood waters when they ripped the deck off the building and I didn’t know if it would survive or not.
Today our farm is flooding, but I spoke with my Brother and learned that all of the equipment and animals were successfully moved to high ground on the hill. Unfortunately many farms in Western Washington don’t have that option, because they are entirely composed of flat ground. My great-grandfather bought the hill above our farm a very long time ago and built there, but many, probably most aren’t so lucky.
Please join me in keeping our Brothers, indeed all those, who are suffering on this night in our thoughts and prayers.