Comfort. Style. Performance. Value. This might be the most versatile jacket we own.
You may have heard the hype already: It’s Huckberry’s best selling jacket of all time. It has almost 2,000 five star reviews. It’s a favorite of just about everybody in the men’s clothing and outdoor gear communities.
But does the Flint and Tinder Flannel Lined Waxed Canvas Trucker Jacket really live up to its reputation? Simply put: Yes. Yes, it very much does.
We partnered with our friends at Huckberry to test and review one of these iconic jackets, and were blown away by its quality, performance, and style. In this review, we’ll share our insights in greater depth—so that anyone on the fence about buying one of these jackets can have as much information as possible to help them decide.
Let’s get into it.
The Jacket, Piece By Piece
First, let’s break down each element of the jacket in greater detail.
Waxed Canvas
Long before the days of Gore-Tex and DWR treatments, sailors found a clever way of protecting themselves from the elements: By using the same sort of waxed canvas for their jackets as they did for their sails.
Thanks to its excellent blend of durability and performance, waxed canvas has been around in one form or another since the early 1920s. But it wasn’t until after World War II that the material found its way into everyday use for clothing, starting with heavy duty rain gear.
Today, Flint and Tinder is putting this heritage material to fantastic use in their Waxed Trucker Jacket. But rather than use it for the heavy duty—and just plain heavy—clothing style of yesteryear, this jacket feels like an old friend as soon as you put it on. That’s thanks to a finely tuned seven ounce Martexin sailcloth construction.
It’s broken in just enough, but gets better with each movement you make; and it’s heavy enough to lay smoothly, but not so heavy as to be stifling. On a crisp fall evening or cool spring morning, it’s perfect layered over a t-shirt. And as winter approaches, it’ll still keep the wind and snow from biting into you; just layer a hoodie or wool base layer underneath.
Flannel Lined
Waxed canvas is great for so many things, but it’s far from being a comfortable close-to-the-skin material.
To address that, this jacket comes with a soft polyester flannel lining (complete with blanket stripes for good looks). That makes it comfortable right out of the box, and easily layered over just a t-shirt any time of year. And thanks to this little bit of insulation, the Flint and Tinder Trucker Jacket is a better companion for year-round wear.
Trucker Jacket
We have the denim legends over at Levi’s to thank for the trucker jacket’s iconic style—one that has been the image of general badassery since the 1960s.
Flint and Tinder doesn’t stray far from the classic trucker jacket style here, either. It’s closely modeled after the original Type I trucker jacket from Levi’s, thus the single chest pocket. But it sports a less boxy fit that’s more reminiscent of the taper on the Type III jacket. So overall, a great blend of the entire range of trucker jacket styles.
Quality and Value
Perhaps the biggest draw for Flint and Tinder’s Trucker Jacket is its impeccable balance of quality and affordability.
Simply put, you really can’t find a waxed canvas jacket like this one at a better price. It’s made in the USA from all-round premium materials, yet still comes in at around $250.
Compare that to waxed canvas jackets in a similar price range, and you’ll always be sacrificing something—either having the jacket made in china, using a lower quality cloth, or missing out on the detailing and refined cut and fit that make Flint and Tinder’s jacket so great.
Is it a cheap jacket? Absolutely not. But for the price, it has an uncompromising attention to detail that puts it a leg above the competition.
Style and Fit
Wherever your wardrobe’s color palette lies, there’s a Flint and Tinder Jacket to match it. That’s part of the strength of this jacket: It’s available in eight colors, each of which will break in and patina in its own unique way.
In addition to that, Flint and Tinder just started offering this jacket in a relaxed fit version. If you’re a bigger guy, that will make for a much more flattering fit than the standard cut.
For reference, the author stands about 6’2” and weighs 200 pounds—and a size large in the standard fit is pretty much perfect. But to ensure that you get the exact right fit, you’ll want to reference Huckberry’s sizing chart before ordering.
Final Verdict
At the end of the day, I’m just one reviewer—albeit one who is blown away by how finely tuned this jacket is. But after asking around to the managers at Huckberry and GearMoose, it seems we’re all in agreement: This is one of those jackets that you’ll want to wear forever. It fits like a glove right out of the box, and only gets better with age and more wear.
In other words: This is an investment that’s great right now, and only continues to get better with time. We really do think that every guy should have one of these in their closet, ready to break out as soon as the first leaves start to change.
Price: $268
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