Open Road Style Hats

[Alive'n'Amplified]

Were most OR styled [non custom] hats blocked with a low height and tapered crown?

 

[hatophile]

Depends on the vintage of the hat, AnA. I find the older versions 40's-60's of ORs tend to have higher, non-tapered crowns. After the 60's like most other hats, they tended to get smaller and more tapered. I had an OR I bought in the early 80's with a lower crown and a bit tapered, but the taper was modified some by the cattleman's crease.

 

[Joshbru3]

It depends what you mean by, "low." The most common open crown height for a 40's/50's Open Road was 5 1/2. It looked a bit taller because of the thin ribbon that was used. It was low compared to a 6 inch crown, but not low when compared to the hats of the late 50's/60's. It also depends what you mean by, "tapered." When the hat was turned so the side is facing you, there is a little front/back taper but that was VERY common with 40's/50's hats. Its not as straight as many 1920's/1930's hats, but its still a relatively full crown. The most popular crease during that time period was the C-crown/Diamond crown and the open crown block was purposefully tapered for a c-crown. Hat Corp of America used a "51" style block profile for many of their 40's/early 50's hats with "full" crown. Stetson also used a very similar block for their "full" crowned hats during that time period.

 

[Alive'n'Amplified]

5 1/2" seems like a normal height. The OR styles always seem like they're just shorter, like 5 1/4 or even 5". With a crease, it seems like a small fedora with a wide brim. Am I just looking at poor quality photo angles? I always assumed the thinner ribbon would make the crown look taller by default.

 

[Joshbru3]

5 1/2" seems like a normal height. The OR styles always seem like they're just shorter, like 5 1/4 or even 5". With a crease, it seems like a small fedora with a wide brim. Am I just looking at poor quality photo angles? I always assumed the thinner ribbon would make the crown look taller by default.

The wider a brim is, the shorter a crown looks and vice versa. People may crease the crown down to 4 3/4 inches at the front pinch and that may be whats giving the illusion of a shorter crown when coupled with a 2 3/4 inch brim. The stock crown height for a vintage open road was minimum 5 1/2.

 

[alanfgag]

Cell phone camera photos are like a fun house mirror. I can portray the same hat as a 4" crown and a 6" crown depending on if the photo angle is from below or above the brim.

 

[DJH]

Agree with Alan, it is hard to really tell with all the cellphone camera distortion and a ton of the photos here are products of these devices. I think the cattleman's crease in some ORs makes them look somewhat tapered too.

Here's my 7XCB OR taken with a longer focal length (85mm lens so very little distortion) - not too much taper I'd say. The hat had never been creased when I acquired it, so this is the original blocking.

 

[Alive'n'Amplified]

Thanks everyone! Your input has been insightful. Cheers! :thumb:

 

[Christopher Lange]

Agree with Alan, it is hard to really tell with all the cellphone camera distortion and a ton of the photos here are products of these devices. I think the cattleman's crease in some ORs makes them look somewhat tapered too.

Here's my 7XCB OR taken with a longer focal length (85mm lens so very little distortion) - not too much taper I'd say. The hat had never been creased when I acquired it, so this is the original blocking.

That's an incredible hat. is it an Akubra Campdraft?

 

[BobHufford]

That's an incredible hat. is it an Akubra Campdraft?

Welcome to the FL.

David indicated in the post that it is a Stetson 7X (Clear Beaver). The Campdraft will have a similar look (as Akubra was contracted by Stetson to make Open Roads at one point), but the felt won't be as nice as the 7X.

 

[RJR]

Welcome to the FL.

David indicated in the post that it is a Stetson 7X (Clear Beaver). The Campdraft will have a similar look (as Akubra was contracted by Stetson to make Open Roads at one point), but the felt won't be as nice as the 7X.

Agreed.

 

[Christopher Lange]

Thanks for the info