seattle | The Filson Journal

Seattle Seawolves Rugby Captain: Riekert Hattingh

“For as long as I can remember, I have had a rugby ball in my hand; it’s an extension of my body. While I love the physical side of it, I live for the game’s competitiveness. It teaches you that you will only get better if you work hard and embrace both the good and the badter. Rugby is a lot like life in that manner.”

3 Min

Female Trailblazers

Danielle Leavell: Master Distiller

A true trailblazer in her field, Danielle Leavell is one of 10 female Master Distillers in the US, has been inducted into the prestigious Gin Guild, and is the owner of Astraea Gin in Seattle, WA.

3 Min

Female Trailblazers

Renee Erickson: Award Winning Chef

A true trailblazer in her field, Renee Erickson is an award-winning chef, author, and co-owner of Sea Creatures restaurants in Seattle, Washington.

3 Min

painting of people waiting in line for a soup kitchen

Field Notes

Yesler Way: the history & origin of “skid row”

3 Min

map of alaska with judicial division marked off in red

Field Notes

Map Maker of the Pacific Northwest

The Kroll Map Company, Inc., has been a fixture of the downtown business community in Seattle for over a century. Three generations of the Loacker family have continued the work started by founder Carl Kroll, an Austrian immigrant who first arrived in Seattle in 1903. Kroll worked as a cartographer for the Anderson Map Company, until he started his own map company in 1911.

3 Min

exterior view of large shipyard building with sign reading

Profiles

Pacific Fishermen Shipyard: The Origins of Ballard’s Oldest Working Shipyard

Pacific Fishermen Inc., or “PacFish,” as it is known to the many boat builders, ship crews, employees, family members and stakeholders in the Ballard community, can be traced directly back to the year 1871. It was in this year that a 47-year-old Norwegian immigrant, ship carpenter, and operator named Thomas William Lake settled on the north side of the Salmon Bay waterfront in unincorporated Seattle and opened his own shipyard.

3 Min

Profiles

Deep Sea Fishermen’s Union

Back at the turn of the last century, a hardy group of men roamed the wooden docks of Seattle. Grizzled and gruff, they would spend days out on the unpredictable and often dangerous waters of the Salish Sea and nearby Pacific Ocean.

3 Min

Profiles

WSDOT Ferries

Twenty thousand years ago, a glacier tall as six Space Needles whittled the valley between the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, leaving a complex inland seascape. The First Nations people who followed the melting ice observed the freshly carved Puget Sound and concluded a canoe would be mighty handy.

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.

6 Min

Food & Recipes

Filson Food: Wood Shop BBQ – Seattle’s Source for Craft BBQ

Good BBQ in Seattle is not an oxymoron and the guys at Wood Shop are here to prove it. We sat down with owners James Barrington (Seattle native) and Matt Davis (Kansas roots) to swap stories and inspiration.

Field Notes

A Day of Celebration: History of the Chittenden Locks

Started on September 1, 1911 and completed in 1916, the Hiram Chittenden Locks, alternatively called Seattle’s “Big Ditch,” or “Ballard Locks,” as they are commonly referred to today, helped make possible a new era in maritime commerce and shipping business for Salmon Bay, Lake Washington and all points in between.

5 Min

Profiles

PNW Workers: Western Neon

If you’ve walked Seattle’s streets after sundown, you’ve laid eyes on Western Neon’s craftsmanship. Since 1985 they’ve put their radiant stamp on our booming town. Along with the logo and working clock atop Filson Headquarters, they’ve created Seattle landmarks such as Rainier Brewery’s “R” and the iconic pink elephant outside Elephant Car Wash. Glass bender

John Roderick holds filson briefcase in industrial workspace

Profiles

30 Years in Filson: A Musician’s Story

John Roderick is an American musician, writer, and podcaster. Born in Seattle, Washington, he grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, where as a young man he worked as a sluice box mucker for a gold mining operation in the area. He is currently the lead singer and guitarist in the band The Long Winters and an

Man in black vest and german shepherd stand on driftwood on beach looking at the water

Profiles

In Your Words: Matthew Graham’s Mackinaw Cruiser

‘In Your Words’ explores the incredible stories we’ve received from Filson fans across the globe. Send us your own experiences with our clothing or product here for a chance to be featured on the Filson Life blog. Matthew Graham remembers his family story with the help of a Filson Mackinaw Cruiser. “What kind of jacket should

hand holds axe with leather axe blade cover

Profiles

Trade Stories: Andy Gregory of NW Axe Co.

The history of the axe in America is ubiquitous. Trees as tall as Bunyan were felled with these sharpened glints of steel. Cities and towns across the nation were born of them. Great men and women were made by them. Now, men like Andy Gregory of NW Axe Co. are taking this time-honored tradition in

Seattle Seawolves Rugby Captain: Riekert Hattingh

Danielle Leavell: Master Distiller

Renee Erickson: Award Winning Chef

Yesler Way: the history & origin of “skid row”

Map Maker of the Pacific Northwest

Pacific Fishermen Shipyard: The Origins of Ballard’s Oldest Working Shipyard

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Deep Sea Fishermen’s Union

WSDOT Ferries

The History of Ballard: The First 100 Years

Filson Food: Wood Shop BBQ – Seattle’s Source for Craft BBQ

A Day of Celebration: History of the Chittenden Locks

PNW Workers: Western Neon

30 Years in Filson: A Musician’s Story

In Your Words: Matthew Graham’s Mackinaw Cruiser

Trade Stories: Andy Gregory of NW Axe Co.