Pointer Brand Chore Coats

When it comes to rugged fashion, there are few things that get a beadsman’s blood pumping quite like denim, canvas, and leather. If you’re looking to add to your collection, check out these three chore coats from Pointer Brand.

Pointer Brand is the flagship brand from L.C. King Manufacturing based in Bristol, Tennessee (they manufacture for other brands too). Landon Clayton King started the business in 1913 to fulfill a need for tough, durable workwear clothes that could withstand the rigors of a day in the woods, farm, or afield.

King raised champion bird dogs in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and approached the production of his garments with the same exacting standards he held for training his dogs. In fact, the name Pointer Brand was inspired by his dogs’ ruggedness, character, and style. You’ll see the iconic pointer dog logo on a patch on every garment.

L.C. King is the oldest family-owned cut-and-sew garment facility in the United States and is now owned by Jack King, the great-grandson of Landon Clayton King. The company has been passed down from father to son for four generations.

Loyalty. Pedigree. Family.

At one time L.C. King was a bustling factory with 130 workers creating workwear for blue-collar workers while supplying overalls, chore coats, pants, and jeans to large companies like Sears. Today, 10% of their workforce has been with them for over 30 years.

While Pointer Brand’s designs are clearly rooted in their American Heritage, they are more relevant than ever as people are gravitating to items that are built to last and represent an American work-ethic and spirit.

Pointer Brand’s chore coats are as good as it gets. The four pocket design is downright historic, while the cut and fit are surprisingly modern. The button down fronts are classic and tough. Workwear as fashion? Absolutely.

All of the denim is small batch handmade, with no exception. It all comes from Cone Mills at their White Oak Facility in Greensboro, North Carolina. Cone is regarded as one of the oldest and best denim producers in the United States. They’ve been at it since 1905 and their quality is second-to-none.

The Indigo Denim Raw Chore Coat I picked up met all expectations. The dark raw denim offset by the white stitching has a sharp and classic look. The polished nickel buttons all have the Pointer Brand logo on them, and I loved the top loading pockets, one of which snaps. It pairs great with more denim, or chinos. It is unwashed, unprocessed, and unaffected. Pure unadulterated raw denim beauty.

The Brown Duck Chore Coat is an American Classic too. It’s a lightweight unlined duck canvas work coat that worked great with jeans. The brass buttons have the Pointer Logo in subtle green paint for a unique touch. I went with the traditional collar (versus the banded collar) and was thrilled with the look. While these are designed as a traditional overcoat, they recommend considering it as a base for layering as well.

The third jacket I tried was the Washed Indigo Chore Coat, and it was probably my favorite. Unlike the raw version, it is pre-washed and pre-shrunk 1/4 to 1/2 size. When I took it out of the box it looked like I had owned it all my life, and it fit as much. It felt broken-in and imperfect, in a good way. This one definitely could be used as a base layer, as it’s unlined and the most fitted. It’s clear that every detail is painstakingly poured over at Pointer Brand. There was not a single flaw in any aspect of these three coats. Every hand-sewed stitch and seam was flawless.

In addition to those shown, they are available in woodland camo, navy wool, navy duck, fisher stripe, hickory stripe, and white drill. They come with a standard collar, shawl collar, or banded collar. They run a bit big, so you’ll want to size down one if you want a fitted look. If you’re looking to wear multiple layers under it you may want to go with your traditional size. If you’re close to Bristol, stop by their factory store and check out their operation. Pointer Brand and L.C. King are the definition of heritage and authenticity; born out of a time when ones word was as strong as oak, there weren’t any shortcuts to a job well done, and people cared what others thought about their work.