Review: Flint & Tinder Flannel-Lined Waxed Trucker Jacket

When HBO’s The Last of Us caught the world by storm earlier this year and every single men’s lifestyle website on the internet insisted on telling you they’d identified the very handsome and utilitarian jacket Joel wears throughout much of the action, we felt weirdly, suddenly…inclined to gate-keep.

We have, like most men’s lifestyle websites, to be fair, been singing the praises of the Flint & Tinder Flannel-Lined Waxed Trucker for years now. At one point, there was half-serious discussion among some InsideHook employees about getting matching IH-themed tattoos, and the obvious choice was a rendering of a nicely worn-in version of the jacket. It never quite happened, but if it had, I wouldn’t have regretted it for a second.

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The Flint & Tinder Flannel-Lined Waxed Trucker features an iconic silhouette, like that of a classic denim jacket, and, true to its name, a waxed-cotton exterior and a very nice-looking striped flannel lining, along with aged metal buttons, standard hand-warmer pockets and one internal pocket. One of the jacket’s primary selling points is that it’s fully made in the U.S. — “cut, sewn and finished in Los Angeles,” according to the website, using sailcloth from New Jersey.

It is, like so many other things we love around here, the kind of product that gets better with age. I’ve had one for roughly four years, and I’ve worn it consistently throughout each spring and fall. It is a vastly different jacket than another one I’ve had for roughly the same amount of time but have worn considerably less. It’s softer and more flexible, most notably, but it also fits better despite being the same size as the other. This is owed to the fact that as you wear it, the cotton creases according to your moments and ultimately forms to your body.

Here are some other things worth mentioning about the jacket.

Sizing

I’m 6’1″ and weight 195 pounds, and a size large fits me perfectly. It’s a bit on the short side, by design, and while the sleeves can feel a little long at first, they eventually, effectively, shrink as they pick up wrinkles and sorta bunch up. It’s a very cool effect that Huckberry warns about on their website, and it was definitely quite pronounced for me. The jacket also comes in a Tall option, but it’s worth noting that that’ll get you not only added length, but a little extra room throughout, as well.

Materials

The jacket’s exterior is made of 7 oz. sailcloth cotton that is then treated with Martexin Original Wax for water-resistance. The interior (body and sleeves) is an extremely soft “blanket lining” — aesthetically, it’s reminiscent of one of these must-have numbers from Pendleton.

Durability and Performance

As I mentioned, I’ve been wearing mine for four years, and it’s looking perfectly worn in, but not at all worn out. No tears, no fraying, nothing like that — just increased softness and flexibility, which makes it an absolute joy to put on. Comparing it to my less-frequently worn version, I do think the wax has started to wear off a bit, which is by no means a flaw — all waxed products are meant to be re-waxed every couple years, at least. I don’t wear mine in the rain very often, so it’s never been a big concern.

Looks

Again, it’s a pretty standard interpretation of an iconic silhouette, and it’s done to perfection. The one I wear most often is dark green, a shade they call Moss. Other color options lean similarly earthy — lots of variations of brown and gray, as expected. You’re not gonna find any patterns or bright colors here. As a not-particularly-adventurous dresser, I wear mine almost exclusively with jeans, t-shirts, OCBDs and sneakers or boots. I think it’s at its best when paired with Red Wing Iron Rangers.

Value

The Flannel-Lined Waxed Trucker will set you back $298, so it’s not cheap, but it’s also not outrageous — especially considering how long you’ll have it. The most direct comparison would be Filson’s Ton Cloth Lined Cruiser Jacket, which comes in at $350 with comparable features and quality.