Filson vs Flint and Tinder vs Thursday | Whose Waxed Jacket Is Best?

If you check out the dedicated waxed canvas jackets page on this site, you can see that we talk about them a ton and have reviewed dozens of brands, from upstarts like Bespoke Post to century-old stalwarts like Barbour.

Today, I’m comparing the three most talked-about waxed canvas jackets in the United States: Flint and Tinder, Filson, and Thursday Boot Company.

To help you find the best one for you, I’m breaking down why waxed canvas is a great material, where these brands make jackets, the type and thickness of the canvas and lining, the fits, price, and the pros and cons. You’re in good (sticky-from-wax) hands.

Pros & Cons: Filson vs. Flint and Tinder vs. Thursday Waxed Jackets

Got a lot to do? Here’s what I like and don’t like about these hardwearing waxed jackets.

Filson: What I like

• Thickest canvas (14 oz) — best suited for actual work.
• Available in tall sizes.
• Carries a strong heritage/workwear aesthetic.
• Lifetime warranty; they’ll repair it any time without proof of purchase.

Filson: Downsides but not dealbreakers

• Most expensive of the three.
• No longer made in the USA.
• The heavy canvas takes time to break in and drape well on the body.
• Short and boxy fit is very “vintage workwear,” might not be for everyone.

Flint and Tinder (Huckberry): What I like

• Good balance of weight, comfort, and style.
• Made in the USA from American canvas.
• Available in tall sizes.
• Wide variety of colors.
• Full flannel lining makes it more comfy than Filson’s.

Flint and Tinder: Downsides but not dealbreakers

• Lining is polyester, which some dislike.
• Decent warranty, though it’s at the brand’s discretion.

Thursday Boot Company: What I like

• Thicker canvas than Huckberry, but not as heavy as Filson, nice middle ground.
• Lowest priced option.
• The warmest jacket of the three.
• Cotton-lined body, polyester lined sleeves.
• Better Cotton Initiative certified cotton for sustainability.
• Longer, more modern fit.

Thursday: Downsides but not dealbreakers

• No waist cinches to customize fit.
• You might prefer no polyester for the sleeve lining.
• Made in Portugal, which only might be a con for you.
• Stickier finish than the other brands’ drier wax.

Benefits of Waxed Jackets

• Canvas is very densely woven cotton; tear and abrasion-resistant.
• Unlike leather, it doesn’t require conditioning after it gets wet.
• The wax coating makes it naturally waterproof.
• Classic, rugged aesthetic for a jacket — and it’s cheaper than leather.

There are arguments to be made that waxed canvas jackets are superior even to leather jackets. They’re cheaper, they have a similar tough-and-timeless vibe, and canvas is really longlasting: I once sliced open a leather jacket on a nail, which wouldn’t have happened in canvas.

They’re also water resistant: the wax layer on the surface is hydrophobic them waterproof, so water just beads off and dries on its own. You do need to reapply the wax once it wears away, but to be honest, I prefer the way it breathes better when it’s unwaxed — you get to choose your jacket.

They’re vegan, too — if that’s something you care about. That might sound silly, but I often get asked about the best vegan leather jackets, and I always reply: don’t get a vegan leather jacket, get a waxed canvas jacket. It’ll last longer than vegan leather, and it looks better as it ages.

Waxed jackets just have that old-world, rugged, outdoorsy, masculine vibe that guys often want from leather jackets.

In short, a waxed canvas jacket is a fantastic piece to have in your wardrobe.

The Brands: Flint & Tinder, Thursday, and Filson

The contenders, in descending order of pedigree, are:

Filson

First, there’s Filson — world-famous for its outdoor wear since it was founded in 1897 to outfit gold miners heading to the Klondike Gold Rush. Their waxed jacket ranks right alongside the Wool Mackinaw coat and Rugged Twill Briefcase, which are some of their most iconic pieces.

Over the years, this jacket has undergone a few controversial changes, most notably the fact that it’s no longer made in America. It’s now made in Bangladesh, but the canvas is still made by British Millerain like the original.

Flint and Tinder (Huckberry)

Next up is Huckberry’s waxed jacket, made by their in-house brand Flint and Tinder. It’s cheaper than Filson’s and made in the United States, with canvas from New Jersey to boot.

Combine that with Huckberry’s massive marketing machine — and the fact that Pedro Pascal wore it in The Last of Us (which I did a very fawning video on, above) — and you can see why it’s become the go-to waxed jacket.

I’ve personally worn mine so much that most of the wax has worn off. It basically looks like a regular canvas jacket now, which I kind of prefer anyway since unwaxed canvas breathes better.

Thursday Boot Company

Lastly, there’s the newcomer: Thursday Boot Company. They’re better known for their boots, but a few years ago, they expanded into leather jackets and then started selling denim jackets.

Guys love Thursday because they make some of least expensive, high quality menswear on the market. They also combine heritage Americana style with more modern designs that work well for guys who want casual and durable apparel without looking like a 19th century miner — hence the slightly slimmer, longer, and cleaner look of their jacket.

The Cost

• Filson: $350
• Flint & Tinder: $298
• Thursday: $280

The price is an easy one.

Filson’s Tin Cloth Lined Short Cruiser Jacket is $350.

Flint and Tinders’s Flannel Lined Waxed Trucker Jacket, after a little price bump in 2022, is $298.

And Thursday’s Waxed Canvas Field Jacket is $280 bucks, the cheapest of the three, with thicker canvas than Flint and Tinder, but it’s not made in the US. That’s pretty much the summary of this whole comparison!

Where They’re Made

Filson’s jackets were once made in the United States, but in 2022, the company — like many others — faced rising inflation and had to make a choice: either significantly raise their already famously high prices, or move production overseas for some flagship products.

One of those is the Tin Cloth Lined Cruiser, which is now manufactured in Bangladesh.

Thursday Boot Company offers a kind of middle ground. Their jackets are made in Europe, which many guys see as a more acceptable alternative to Asian production. (Especially to Bangladesh, which has a well-documented, troubled history in garment manufacturing.)

Thursday’s waxed jackets and some of their sneakers are made in Portugal, a major hub for high-quality clothing manufacturing in Western Europe.

Flint and Tinder’s jackets are made in the United States, in California.

The Canvas: Origin & Thickness

• Flint and Tinder
  • Martexin from New Jersey
  • 8 oz per square yard
• Thursday:
  • Halley Stevensons from Scotland
  • 10 oz per square yard
• Filson:
  • British Millerain from Rochdale, England.
  • 14 oz per square yard

It’s important to note that while these jackets are assembled in different countries, the materials don’t always come from the same country.

Flint and Tinder’s is the exception here: its jackets are sewn together in Los Angeles using a canvas that’s actually made in New Jersey. That gives it a really nice all-American appeal.

Both Thursday and Filson, on the other hand, source their canvas from the United Kingdom. Both are highly respected, longstanding textile mills: Thursday’s canvas comes from Scotland’s Halley Stevensons, while Filson’s comes from British Millerain in Rochdale, England. These are legendary names in the fabric world, each with over a century of experience.

Thickness

All three jackets use canvas from highly regarded mills, but the thickness of the canvas differs, and that matters.

Thicker canvas, of course, is more durable — but it’s also less comfortable, doesn’t drape as well, and takes longer to break in. Lighter canvas is more comfy and it’s cheaper.

If you’re doing actual work in it — say, chopping wood or hiking through brush — Filson’s thicker canvas is ideal.

Their workwear legacy holds up. I recently visited my buddy Tim Steiner (above) in rural Massachusetts, where he does a lot of outdoor work, and his Filson cruiser is absolutely beat to hell — but it’s holding strong.

But maybe ask yourself: do I need the thickest canvas? Because the lighter weight ones are definitely tough enough for day-to-day wear, plus they’re more comfy and they cost less. There’s no shame in admitting they’re a better buy for you!

The Lining

• Filson: Cotton body, polyester sleeves
• Flint & Tinder: 100% polyester flannel
• Thursday: Cotton body, polyester sleeves

Since we’re talking about materials, let’s get into the lining. Generally speaking, you don’t want an unlined wax jacket. Waxed cotton tends to feel a little damp or clammy against bare skin.

Filson’s Lining

Filson’s jacket has a cotton body lining with polyester sleeves. The polyester in the sleeves is the kind that’s very smooth, not furry and flannel-y, and it helps you slip the jacket on and off easily without it catching on your shirt sleeves.

Flint & Tinder’s Lining

Flint and Tinder’s jacket is lined with 100% polyester flannel. So it’s polyester, but it feels cozier against the skin.

It’s worth noting the brand sells multiple variations of this jacket as well, including one that’s lined with wool.

I own the wool-lined version, but honestly, the warmth difference isn’t huge — probably because the lining is only 50% wool, with the rest synthetics.

But both versions are warmer than Filson’s.

Thursday’s Lining

Thursday’s jacket also has a cotton body and polyester sleeves. That sounds similar to Filson, but Thursday’s lining is more like a soft, blanketed flannel that’s warmer than Filson’s.

Keeping the body (at least) lined with cotton is especially impressive, considering it’s the cheapest jacket of the three.

With the combination of thicker cotton flannel and heavier canvas, Thursday’s jacket is the warmest of the three overall. If warmth is your priority, Thursday might be your pick. If you prefer versatility, the lighter options from Filson or Huckberry give you more flexibility — you can always throw on a sweater underneath.

Fit and sizing

• Filson: Runs large; very boxy and short, a classic workwear cut
• Flint and Tinder: Fits more like a trucker jacket than a work jacket; a little tighter to the body
• Thursday: Longer and more form fitting; I’d call this the most fashionable fit

I usually wear a Large, or size 42, in jackets. I’m 6 feet tall and 190 pounds.

Jackets like these typically have more classic fits: straight up and down, designed to accommodate movement and a wider range of body types.

Many also include waist cinches, which let you bring in the waist a bit if you have a more athletic build, like I do.

Filson Fit & Sizing

• Size: Medium; I sized down for the more trim look in the photos above
• Pit to pit: 21.5″
• Shoulders: almost 19″
• Back length: 25.5″
• Sleeve length (shoulder seam to cuff): 25″

Filson famously runs large across most of their gear. I wear a medium even though I normally wear a large. This is because they design their clothes with workwear in mind: you want extra room to swing an axe around or layer underneath.

That said, I mostly wear mine in New York City and I prefer a more modern, tailored fit, so I size down accordingly. Even with their big wool coats, I go Medium.

One bonus with Filson is they offer tall sizes, which I would have considered since I have a long torso. But I also have short arms and legs (I’ve been told I’m built like a corgi), so the extra sleeve length in the tall version wouldn’t really work for me.

If you need more length overall, Filson does make a Tin Cloth Cruiser that’s cut longer and should cover your butt. Also worth noting that Filson’s jacket has waist cinches to give you a little more control over the fit.

Flint and Tinder (Huckberry) Fit & Sizing

• Size: Large
• Pit to pit: 21.5″
• Back length: 25.5″
• Shoulders: 18″
• Sleeves: 26″

Flint and Tinder’s jacket is a size large, like my usual, and the measurements are pretty close to Filson’s medium.

It also has waist cinches and comes in tall sizes. The shoulders are a bit slimmer, which gives it a slightly more tailored feel, and the sleeves are a touch longer.

Remember that, ostensibly, Filson’s is a work jacket and Huckberry’s is a trucker jacket. The former need room to manoeuver, the latter need a jacket that doesn’t take up too much space in their seat.

Thursday Fit & Sizing

• Size: Large
• Pit to pit: 23″
• Shoulders: 19″
• Back length: 27.5″
• Sleeves: 25.5″

Thursday’s jacket, in a size large, is a good two inches longer than the other two.

Personally, I like the extra length: it’s more modern and urban, plus I’ve got a long torso. A shorter cut is usually seen as more classic, but modern fits tend to be longer and leaner, so depending on your style, you might prefer the updated silhouette.

The sleeves are about the same length as Filson’s and slightly shorter than Huckberry’s. I measure from the top of the shoulder seam to the wrist cuff, not the inside seam, which would give different numbers.

One downside with Thursday — at least for me — is the lack of waist cinches. When you button the cinches on the other two jackets, their waists come in to about 20.5″ across. Thursday’s sits at 22.5″ without any way to tighten it. With the cinches undone, the other two jackets measure around 21.5″, so Thursday is still wider overall.

If any one of these jackets needed waist cinches, it’s Thursday, but it’s a minor gripe, and the button-free waist gives it a cleaner, more minimalist look.

These are all very, very good jackets, each with its own strengths, depending on your build and what kind of fit you’re after.

Wrapping Up

Filson, Flint and Tinder, and Thursday Boot Co. each offer a similar take on the classic waxed canvas jacket, but I think the differences are significant enough to consider if you’re looking pull the trigger on a new jacket. Personally, I really like Thursday’s extra length; it fits my frame better and feels more modern. If I could change one thing, I’d add waist cinches, but it’s not a dealbreaker.

Filson brings classic workwear credibility with heavyweight canvas and tall sizes — but it’s pricey, no longer made in the U.S., and truthfully, you don’t need something this thick and outdoorsy if you aren’t working in it.

Huckberry’s Flint and Tinder is the best all-rounder: American-made, warm, thick enough to be durable, not so thick that it’s uncomfortable or needs breaking in.