Modern Stetson Open Road

kaiser · Jul 10, 2009

Hello Everyone,

I see that Stetson still offers an Open Road that has a Cattleman's crease. I do not like this type of a crease and would like to re-bash the Hat to a Fedora style of crease. Is this possible ? Has anyone out there done this before ? Where the results good ?

tonyb · Jul 10, 2009

You're going over some familiar territory, kaiser.

That stamped-in-at-the-factory crown shape might be hard to alter without the right block. The modern Open Roads I've seen are plenty stiff, so attempting to erase all evidence of that factory crease could turn into a lot of work for less than satisfactory results.

If, however, you have the right equipment, or know someone who does ...

But if you don't, I'd bet you'd be better off shopping around for a clean vintage Open Road. The down economy has deflated prices on such items -- quite dramatically, in some cases -- so it's a good time to buy.

Ande1964 · Jul 10, 2009

Tony's right

Yeah... after holding a modern OR last year, I decided it would be silly to try to make it more of a long oval or re-shape it. They are too damn stiff.

Anj

kaiser · Jul 10, 2009

Thanks Guys this was my thinking as well I just wanted to get some confirmation from the experts out there.

gtdean48 · Jul 10, 2009

Kiaser,
Take a look at this
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showpost.php?p=767987&postcount=188

According to HATCO it has a lot less stiffener added to it than a new OR.
I had a fairly modern OR, that I took the cattleman crease out of. It was a major chore & never looked right. I have since gone after vintage OR's that are fairly easy to find even in my Large & Long Oval size. HTH

epic610 · Jul 11, 2009

as it comes delivered...

the brand new stetson open road has a cattleman's crease that is so stiff that it would take a considerable amount of work to re-bash. and i doubt a first time effort will work.

try it as it is; you may come to like it. wear it with the front brim snapped down.

cookie · Jul 11, 2009

Just buy a Campdraft from hatsdirect.com

Justdog · Jul 11, 2009

Vintage OR

kaiser said:
Hello Everyone,

I see that Stetson still offers an Open Road that has a Cattleman's crease. I do not like this type of a crease and would like to re-bash the Hat to a Fedora style of crease. Is this possible ? Has anyone out there done this before ? Where the results good ?

Completely agree with Tony B. You can get yourself a fantastic vintage OR.
What is your size?

tonyb · Jul 11, 2009

cookie said:
Just buy a Campdraft from hatsdirect.com

Now there's the plan.

I have never once handled a Campdraft, but I understand from the Akubra partisans here that they are all but identical to the Open Road (stylistically, anyway), but they still come with an open crown, as the Open Road once did. Woo hoo! Just the thing for a person who would rather spare himself the potential pitfalls of buying a vintage hat online.

Of course, to say something is styled identically to an Open Road is to open another can of worms because, as we all know, Open Roads have been produced with such a variety of subtle and not so subtle differences that coming to agreement on the model's "standard" characteristics (crown height and shape, brim width, bow style, etc., etc., etc.) is darn nigh impossible.

Chuck Bobuck · Jul 11, 2009

I don't own a vintage Stetson, so I can't compare it to the Campdraft, but the CD is a great hat. Didn't Akubra make the Open Road for Stetson in the 60's? Nice tall crown on the Campdraft.

kaiser · Jul 11, 2009

Thanks again Guys for all of the good comments.

When it comes to size I am looking for a 7 1/8. Anyone out there got one they would like to part with ?

deanzat · Jul 11, 2009

I'm wearing a new OR with the cattleman's crease and front snapped way low. I like all my hats, but this seems to be my most interesting hat. People notice that it's not quite a cowboy hat, and it's not quite a fedora. So what is it? It's MY hat... ;-)

Here's a picture with it's western cousin...

gtdean48 · Jul 11, 2009

I have many vintage Stetson ORs of Royal, Royal Deluxe, 3X, & a Stetson 25 that looks just like the ORs but does not say Open Road anywhere. I also own 3 new Campdrafts, all purchased since January of this year = Silver Belly, Glen Grey & Mid-Brown colors. I'd say the Imperial Quality Campdraft is comparable to the Royal Stetson level OR. It is hard to compare since the vintage hats have age to them. The Royal Deluxe, 3X & 25 are by far better felt than the CD. For the money, the Campdraft is a quality hat that is spot on for the OR style IMHO. At 10 paces, side by side, my Silver Belly Stetson 3x OR with 3" brim & Silver Belly Campdraft look like twins. It is not until you get closer & feel the hand of the hats that you start to see the differences. HTH

danofarlington · Apr 1, 2010

more on Open Road

The Open Road was my first hat bought at a flea market five years ago. It is the flexible style but was unshaped. I had it re-blocked locally into a fedora style, and it worked great. It seemed to draw a lot of positive attention, largely from women, as in "that's a good-looking hat and it's gutsy to wear one these days." No one else seems to have the nerve to wear fedora hats. Around here all I see are green wool outback hats worn by men in trenchcoats. There's a style for ya.

The Open Road launched my purchases of a number of other fedora style hats subsequently. But my Open Road is sort of old and I wanted to buy another one, newer; so I just bought one on EBay, but it's a stiff cattleman's hat, hasn't arrived yet. I intend to have it re-blocked and de-stiffened to the extent possible. So I paid $100 all in for the hat, probably another $40 to reblock it, all in the name of the experiment of "can a cattleman's hat be successfully re-shaped into a fedora?" Ain't no way I'm wearing any cattleman's hat here in Washington.

I will report on the result.

Michaelshane · Apr 1, 2010

I seem to remember a president who wore one in Washington.....

gtdean48 · Apr 1, 2010

danofarlington said:
... So I paid $100 all in for the hat, probably another $40 to reblock it, all in the name of the experiment of "can a cattleman's hat be successfully re-shaped into a fedora?"

For that coin, you could've gotten an Akubra Campdraft which is closer to the older Open Roads = less stiffener & open crown. JMHO
I have a 1980's Open Road & getting that factory pressed cattleman crease out is quite a chore.

St.Ignatz · Apr 1, 2010

danofarlington said:
I intend to have it re-blocked and de-stiffened to the extent possible. So I paid $100 all in for the hat, probably another $40 to reblock it, all in the name of the experiment of "can a cattleman's hat be successfully re-shaped into a fedora?" Ain't no way I'm wearing any cattleman's hat here in Washington.

I will report on the result.

I purchased an e-bay OR w/ cattleman's crease and took a spray bottle and distilled water to it. Got it real wet and it reshaped like clay. The finish got softer too. Good luck with it.
Tom D.

jwalls · Apr 1, 2010

OR clone

I made myself an OR clone and used my "Strato" flange to shape the brim. The cattleman's crease is not my favorite, but the look is not bad after all.

cybergentleman · Apr 1, 2010

tonyb said:
Now there's the plan.

I have never once handled a Campdraft, but I understand from the Akubra partisans here that they are all but identical to the Open Road (stylistically, anyway)

~on this note, not to get sidetracked, but can someone accurately portray or describe the akubra [campdraft] silver belly? it looks much more tan , dare i say "pink" than the stetson silverbelly. yet in photos taken in bright light it washes out to a similar hue. what is reality here?

the modern day open roads i think have a lower crown- i tried them on before and was not too thrilled, the cattlemans' crease is not my style, but i like the stetson silverbelly color...gotta petition them to go old school like the nostalgia model.

gtdean48 · Apr 1, 2010

Silver Belly Rub....

Here are 3 silver bellies that I have.
Going left to right as you look at them is a 1980s Open Road, well worn with lots of sun exposure, an Akubra Campdraft purchased in early 2009, & a vintage Stetson 25 of unknown age.

The OR & the CD

The CD & the 25

The 25 is what I consider the most true silver belly
I do have a Resistol in silver belly that is grayer than any of these 3. The Campdraft is more to the tan side of the bunch

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