The Open Road Guild

[Pilgrim]

Sign me up!

I'd like to be a charter member.

I love the feel and look of an Open Road, and will contribute this photo of my tan and new slate grey Open Roads, both of which will soon have the cattleman's bash. I am increasingly tempted to pick up another Open Road to wear as a pinch-front!

Rats! I keep trying to insert the image using the icon in the comment building box, but although it attaches the UAL, it's in brackets that don't provide the full code. All the Insert Image icon does is insert a link. I'm going to check my code, then come back and fix this.

I spent amost of an hour trying to fix this - different file sizes, using View Source to pull the code out of other picture insertions, etc. Nothing worked! I'm definitely doing something wrong.

 

[EdinLA44]

Where are you all finding these hats? I scour eBay daily and never seem to find one.

 

[LEUII]

I'd love to be a charter member. I had some pictures taken today to post, but I don't have a hosting site. Any suggestions?

I wear my OR, and now my 'new' OR, almost all day as a work hat, every work day. I even keep a rain cover handy for our Gulf Coast downpours. I love the feel, the look, and . . . shucks, I just like it.

 

[RBH]

I'd love to be a charter member. I had some pictures taken today to post, but I don't have a hosting site. Any suggestions?

Here is the site I use. Its easy just follow the instructions.
http://www.imageshack.us/

 

[maintcoder]

Picture hosting site

I use PhotoBucket - http://www.photobucket.com - to host my pictures for this and other forums I belong to. It is free and easy to use, I suggest you give it a try!

 

[shamus]

*****
Shamus, you're a Guild member with that one. How did you shape the crown?

I just stood by the tea kettle. I used a drinking glass and a small metal flask to help hold the shape as it would burn the finger tips too much. Took about 45 minutes of shaping, trying on, re-shaping till I had it about right. It's not as smooth as if I had a block, but I like it.

 

[jeboat]

OPen Road bashes

My experience with Open Road Stetsons is a mixed bag. The older ones are usually easy to rebash while the newer hats have a lot of stiffener and are hard to do much with. Even if you clean and reblock them the creases are still visible...still worth doing but I advise sticking with the older models.

jeboat:cool2: :cool2: :cool2:

 

[RBH]

Straw Open Road

Here is my straw OR. This straw is not the best to try and rebash but I think it turned out OK. It will be a good knock around straw for this summer.

<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/9148/strawor1sj.jpg" border="0" width="320" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

 

[tonyb]

Where are you all finding these hats? I scour eBay daily and never seem to find one.

I just did a quick eBay search and found more than a dozen of 'em. Now, finding one in your size could be a bit more challenging. And if you want one in a color other than some variation on grey or tan, it becomes more challenging yet. But in my experience, Open Roads are more plentiful than any other single style of hat. I came across a real nice one just recently at a vintage shop.
One warning, though: Stay away from the newer ones. It might be that there is some variation in quality on the more modern versions, but as a rule, the older the hat, the likelier you'll be happy with it. As I posted earlier, my newest OR is clearly inferior to my old ones.
The most obvious problem with buying online is that you don't know for certain what you've bought until it arrives. It could be that you'd end up with an OR like Riccardo's--a hat grabbed by the crown so many times over the years that the felt is wearing thin.

 

[John in Covina]

In Search of Open Roads.

Where are you all finding these hats? I scour eBay daily and never seem to find one.

****
If your use the Ebay search, type in "open road" then on the side click the 'clothing shoes, etc.' section. Some should come up in between the M/C jackets and tee shirts. Also try "Stetson Open Road" to zero in. Plus "Dobbs Westward" or "Mallory Dallas" for good alternates. They usually show with the Cattleman's Bash type crown, not as many come up with the fedora style crown and pinch.

 

[jamespowers]

I must have as many Open Roads as Fedoralover but I would have to look. None of them have their original cowboy block. I can't stand the original block.
I know I just reshaped a Lee in the Open Road block for my wife this afternoon. She used it as a rain hat but it looks a lot better now. I just got tired of looking at it in that block. It screamed out for help so I fixed it. :cool2:

Regards to all,

J

 

[Pilgrim]

There are plenty of them around - just set up a search for "Stetson Open Road" on Ebay and tell it to send you a daily notice notifying you of new auctions with that subject. It works even better if you tell it to search both the title and the body of the auction.

I have a size 7 Open Road for sale on Ebay right now. Drop me an email/PM if you want my seller ID.

 

[EdinLA44]

Thanks for the search suggestions. I'll give it a try. I must have been looking in the wrong area or something.

 

[EdinLA44]

I have a size 7 Open Road for sale on Ebay right now. Drop me an email/PM if you want my seller ID.

Thanks for the offer Pilgrim, however I wear a 7 1/2.

 

[tonyb]

Thanks for the offer Pilgrim, however I wear a 7 1/2.

Could be that you're in luck. We moderns (those of us under age 80 or so) tend toward having larger heads than men who were adults during the Golden Era (we're generally taller and heavier, too), so finding vintage hats in "modern" sizes can be a challenge. But even today, a 7 1/2 is outside the realm of average. So hats in that size attract less interest than 7 1/8s and 7 1/4s and 7 3/8s.
But maybe I'm just being wishful. I'd jump on a 7 1/2 at a good price, even if it would likely be a touch on the large side. I'd just fold some emergency cabfare lengthwise and tuck it under the sweatband.
Have you considered a custom? They ain't cheap, but I've yet to hear of a guy who regretted buying one from either Art or Fedora Steve. I'm seriously considering having a blue, 100-percent beaver felt Open Road-style hat made for me.
And don't forget all those hats of nearly the same style, such as the Dobbs Westward and the Borsalino Alessandria and the Mallory Dallas and the Stetson Stratoliner. There's a coupla-three more, but I've had three beers and they've put my memory on hold. Point is, though, your hat is out there.

 

[John in Covina]

Here is the Dobbs Westward I got!

I am still trying to find my tape measure to confirm any dimensions.
It is almost a white hat slightly off-white, not quite winter white, an ivory (new not old) or just hinting of a cream white.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c109/john91722/DobbsWestward001.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c109/john91722/DobbsWestward004.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c109/john91722/DobbsWestward003.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c109/john91722/DobbsWestward002.jpg

or check here
EBAy (bidding has ended) 8386124290

Hoping to work up a fedora pinch and crown.

 

[John in Covina]

Features

One thing I noticed was behind the sweatband is a brown colored thin plastic layer that seems to be made to keep any sweat from going thru to the felt.

 

[Bud-n-Texas]

For those who are unfamiliar, here is Resistols San Antonio. I reblocked mine with a pinch, originally it was a cattleman?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s crease. The hat is 7X Beaver, color is platinum, brim is 2 5/8ths, crown is 5 1/4.

 

[Bud-n-Texas]

This is the before shot

 

[John in Covina]

San Antonio!

Another fine version of the "Open Road" and pretty darn sharp!