Stetson Open Raod Brim Sizes

[Uncle Vern]

I just had an old Stetson Open Road worked over (boy, did they work it over--they used enough stiffener to turn it into an army helmet,) and I've been meaning to ask some of the experts here why the brim sizes of Open Roads seem to differ. This reworked hat that I'm wearing as I post, actually a Stetson 25, has a 2.5 inch brim. My later Open Road has a 2.75-inch brim. Those vintage Open Road adds often show the hat I'm wearing now, with an obvious 2.5-inch crown. And I've noticed that many of the Open Roads on eBay show both brim widths. Has anyone noticed these brim width differences? Are the wider brimmed Open Roads newer? Also, the older versions, like mine, seem to have, with a cattlemen's block, a 4.5 inch crown, shorter than my newer hat. Do these differences indicate different models? Should I have my doctor increase my medication?

 

[fedoralover]

Stetson has been making the Open Road for probably at least 50 years so it's only natural that they would vary it over the years. Different people have different tastes and head sizes, so making it with varying colors, brim widths etc. will mean selling more hats. The newer ones are cowboy stiff, the older ones were soft and pliable.

regards fedoralover

 

[Uncle Vern]

Thanks for the information. Most of the new Open Roads I've seen look cheesy, and a few of them had obvious discoloration on the brims. I have a 30-year-old model that's soft and comfortable.
Miller makes a model called "The Westside." It's an Open Road copy with a nice wide ribbon. The folks at Miller say it's much softer than an Open Road. I'd guess it's rabbit, and maybe made by Biltmore. I like the chioce of colors offered. http://www.millerhats.com/dresshats_index/fullsizecrown.html