The Jacket That Started It All: The Tensaw

Jemison Thorsby

Nine years of the Tensaw Jacket elicits a bit of nostalgia around Tom Beckbe HQ. We’re many jackets beyond Tensaw No. 1, but the core DNA of the product hasn’t changed. We started with the simple goal to make a better waxed canvas jacket right here in the USA. Better to us was simple in concept but hard in execution: the jacket needed to perform in the field. It couldn’t be a pretender. And it needed to be sharp enough for everyday wear to the office and on the town.

Over the years, we’ve heard from so many of you that we hit the mark. While the company and our assortment has grown a lot, we’ll always have a soft spot for product number one. Here are a few highlights of the Tensaw we found taking a jaunt down memory lane.

Brown waxed canvas jacket with button closures and a high collar, laid on a dark wooden surface.

2015:

First hunting trip with Tensaw Jacket No. 1. Jackets from this limited production run, labeled Lot X for “experimental,” went to friends, family, and a select group of early adopters.

A brown and olive green jacket is laid flat on a beige background, showing its front side and slightly turned-up collar.

2016:

Garden & Gun selects the Tensaw Jacket as “Editor’s Choice” for best new field gear. Dinner conversation turns to big dreams.

Person holding a whiskey glass next to a bottle on a table, with jackets and a pair of gloves nearby.

2017:

The coveted 'Pappy Van Winkle' Tensaw becomes a hot item on the secondary market.

Two hunters with rifles and a dog stand in a grassy field, dressed in outdoor gear, under a misty sky.

2018:

A morning quail hunt with Rev. Gates Shaw, as seen through the lens of William Hereford, captures the fullest expression of the sporting lifestyle that we celebrate as a company.

Man in a hat kneeling and petting a black dog in a grassy outdoor setting.

2019:

Our first collaboration with the legendary Wildrose Kennels, a series of intro level video courses with Mike Stewart and the great Deke.

Person in camouflage and hat, holding a shotgun, arranges duck decoys in a swampy area with leafless trees in the background.

2020:

The Tensaw gets a new paint job with the introduction of our Classic Camo and the elusive Fox Red.

Clothing store display featuring rows of jackets and jeans on wooden shelves, a table with folded shirts and bags in the foreground.

2021:

Finally a place to call home: the opening of our flagship store in Birmingham, Alabama created a space where customers could try every possible permutation of Tensaw in one place.

Person wearing a helmet and jacket, riding a horse outdoors with a clear sky in the background.

2022:

The introduction of our new women’s Blakeley Jacket gave the Tensaw a suitable companion.

Person in camouflage jacket and cap, wearing earbuds, stands outdoors near tall dry grass, looking to the side and smiling.

2023 & Beyond:

The evolution of the Tensaw continues with new colors and limited edition collaborations on the horizon.

Cheers to many more years.

Shop The Tensaw Jacket

Tobacco
Hardwood
Rye Brown
Tom Beckbes beige Tensaw Jacket features a high collar, button closure, and two large front pockets on a white backdrop.

Tensaw Jacket

$495.00
$495.00
Color: Tobacco
Size: Small Size Guides
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