Stetson Open Road

[Matt Deckard]

One of my favourites. A western style fedora... sort of a cross hat.

The style worn by Harry Truman and LBJ. They wore it a different way, I like it without the side pinches they put in.
The Open Road was originally marketed as a fedora. Later The hat came blocked like a western style; I think this happend from all the polular notice it recieved when the Presidents wore the hat in a western fashion.

 

[Canadave]

Cool! Those pics would look great in B&W, methinks.

David

 

[fedoralover]

Looks good Matt, I've had 4 of them, traded one to fedora. I have a Stetson Imperial Open Road and the felt is really nice. In comparing them to the 5 Stratoliners I've had, the only difference I can see is in the way they flanged the brim. On the Stratoliner there always seems to be more curl on the back of the brim.

regards fedoralover

 

[Matt Deckard]

Oh yeah, Fedoralover... if I never said it before, Thank you for the Borsalino tie.

 

[jamespowers]

The older Open Roads with the liner that you pictured were very nice hats. I had Art make mine into a regular Fedora with a C crown and a wider ribbon because the dang thing was dirty and floppy as all get out. LOL It looks much better now. I wear it often enough.
The later Open Roads were much stiffer than the older ones. I think the date range one would be looking for was somewhere between 1948 and 1961. After that they were more western hat than Fedora.

Regards to all,

J

P.S. What year Plymouth is that? I am guessing about 1947.

 

[Matt Deckard]

The car is Wild Root's
He graciously allowed me to use it for poses.

It is a 1946 Plymouth and you can read all about the car in the Golden Era section.

 

[jamespowers]

Darn, off by one year. I didn't realize it was the same car. I tlooks different in color.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Engr-Chas]

Greetings,
The Open Road that I have is a Stetson 25 with the wind trolley. It is the same color at Matt's lid. I am going to take out the western bashes and put the normal fed pinches in it.

Chas

 

[K.D. Lightner]

Thanks for posting the photos, Matt. I also just got an older Open Road hat, but it is a Dobbs 15 styled as the Stetson Open Road. It dates from the 50's.

It looks like a neat hat, but when I realized the Open Road style was also the hat LBJ wore, I thought, oh, no, I hated that hat.

Now that I realize it can be bashed and styled into a cool looking fedora, I am glad to get it. Mine is in silverbelly. What color is the one in the photo? It looks cream white in one photo, and a light gray or silverbelly in the other.

Well, we will see what I have when I get it.

karol

 

[jamespowers]

Hmmm... A Stetson twenty five. Very nice. Is the felt floppy or stiff.
I am sure you will probably like the regular fedora look better. I even took the side bashes out of my cowboy hat.

Regards,

J

 

[jamespowers]

Originally posted by K.D. Lightner
Thanks for posting the photos, Matt. I also just got an older Open Road hat, but it is a Dobbs 15 styled as the Stetson Open Road. It dates from the 50's.

It looks like a neat hat, but when I realized the Open Road style was also the hat LBJ wore, I thought, oh, no, I hated that hat.

Don't worry about the block if you do not like it. The Dobbs Fifteen is a nice hat and can be reblocked however you like. You might even change the ribbon if you do not like them that thin. I have a gray Dobbs Fifteen that I really like.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Engr-Chas]

James,
The Stetson 25 Open Road is soft and very lightweight. In the movie "Seabiscuit" Charles Howard wears a blue-grey Stratoliner and an Open Road that looks exactly like mine.

Matt,
I like the way that your Open Road looks with the new pinches. You wear it well!

Chas

 

[jamespowers]

I didn't see the Movie Seabiscuit but I did see a few hats used in the movie. Is Charles Howard portrayed by Bridges? If so then that hat isn't what you think it is.

Regards to all,

j

 

[Matt Deckard]

Thanks, actually they are the old pinches. The original owner wore it with a front pinch.

That hat used to be sold open crown before the westernization caught on, and I'm sure alot of people just wore it with a front pinch and brim down in the 40's. I think Stetson started selling them with the cowboy style side dents to take advantage of the popularity Truman and Johnson gave the hat by wearing it that way.

The blue grey hat that looks just like an Open Road which Jeff Bridges wears was actually a Penny's Marathon provided for the movie by our very own Art Faucett.

I thoght it was a dead ringer for the Open Road too 'til I was set straight by the man who owns the hat.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Peep this thread!

http://fedoralounge.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=485&highlight=marathon

 

[jamespowers]

And you are a winner! I was lucky enough to even try it on (thanks Art!). It seems he and I are nearly the same size. It looks better on me though. LOL LOL
The color looks completely different on film though from the stills I have seen of the movie. Note to self--must find a Marathon in my size. Marathons were made by Lee at the time (if my sources are correct) so maybe one of them would be fine too. :cool2:

Regards to all,

J

 

[Matt Deckard]

I believe Sergei found one and now owns a twin of the hat.

 

[jamespowers]

Man that was lucky! I have seen some but either not in my size or the color is wrong. :cry:

Regards to all,

J

 

[K.D. Lightner]

Thanks, James --

I figured one of you would own or know something about the Dobbs 15. Sounds like I got a decent hat. I am also glad to know I can change the crown if I don't like it.

I don't want or need any more cowboy hats; those "cattleman" styles and/or western Open Roads are so boring to me.

I will have a photo taken of the hat when I get it. It is my size, a 7 1/8, and has a 3" snap down brim.

Thanks for the info.

karol

 

[fedoralover]

All of my Open Roads had the cowboy bash. With a little steam out of a teapot I quickly changed them to the fedora look. I got a Stetson 25 Open Road at a Goodwill for 12.50. It looked like it was never worn. It has a small pewter cowboy attached to the ribbon. I was going to take it off but then realized that I'd have to cut the ribbon, so he goes along for the ride everytime I wear it.

regards fedoralover