The Open Road Guild

[rclark]

Very nice Royal DeLuxe Open Roads, Roger and Tommy!

 

[g.durand]

OK, now I want to try one! I will wear it with a fedora crease of some sort, not the cattleman's. I'll look for vintage on ebay. But I have a question on sizing as I've never tried on a Stetson before. My head measurement is 22.25". Depending on the maker, it puts me at 7 1/8 or 7 1/4. 57 more often than 58. Which size should I look for an Open Road from around the 1960s? --Greg

Greg--careful, thin ribbons can become an addiction! But you're here on the Lounge, so you're among fellow enablers. As far as sizing goes, I would suggest going with the size of most of your best-fitting hats, then keeping your fingers crossed. Hat sizing can be imprecise. If you find a vintage OR, the chances of it fitting perfectly are probably about 50%. But that's part of the fun.

 

[tommyK]

I've been very lucky buying vintage Stetsons in my 7 1/2 long oval size. They don't all fit the same but they've all been close. My RDOR is a perfect fit.

 

[Guardian Enzo]

So if one were to buy a vintage (say early to mid 50's) Open Road with a cattleman's crease, how easy would it be to reshape it into a fedora crease of some sort? I understand the current production models are so stiff it would be very difficult to do, but with one that old that's presumably much more pliable, would it be a pretty easy thing to do on one's own?

 

[Rogera]

Great looking hat Tommy!

Guardian, you should be able to reshape the hat fairly easily. The only thing that might be a problem is if the previous creases had been pinched into the felt and / or the Felt is really dirty or dingy where the old creases were and the lines will remain visible without a good cleaning.

 

[Guardian Enzo]

Great looking hat Tommy!

Guardian, you should be able to reshape the hat fairly easily. The only thing that might be a problem is if the previous creases had been pinched into the felt and / or the Felt is really dirty or dingy where the old creases were and the lines will remain visible without a good cleaning.

OK, thanks for that - good info!

 

[DougC]

Guardian--the reshape is REALLY easy! I have a 1950's OR that came with a cattleman's crease and it is now a C crown. I cheated though and had the had cleaned and blocked...it needed a new sweat and I figured, "while it's there..."

 

[Guardian Enzo]

Thanks. I've never reshaped a hat before and the main question was how feasible it would be to do on my own...

 

[tommyK]

Get a tea kettle and use the steam to make the hat really claylike and moldable, my Open Road was a little stiffer than some fedoras. If you're really crazy you can get a hat block and use that to get it back to open crown, then you've got a blank slate to start over



But you don't have to go that far with it, just a little steam will help you lock in the shape you want. If you don't get it right the first time you can do it again. These old felts can generally take it.

 

[randooch]

Just keep the steam away from the sweatband.

 

[tommyK]

So if one were to buy a vintage (say early to mid 50's) Open Road with a cattleman's crease, how easy would it be to reshape it into a fedora crease of some sort? I understand the current production models are so stiff it would be very difficult to do, but with one that old that's presumably much more pliable, would it be a pretty easy thing to do on one's own?

I think there is 2 problems with modern Stetsons; Perhaps there is too much stiffener but also I think the felt itself is too thick. I think this is why it's hard to get a sharp crease like you can in these old hats.

 

[Guardian Enzo]

Get a tea kettle and use the steam to make the hat really claylike and moldable, my Open Road was a little stiffer than some fedoras. If you're really crazy you can get a hat block and use that to get it back to open crown, then you've got a blank slate to start over
View attachment 17957
View attachment 17958

But you don't have to go that far with it, just a little steam will help you lock in the shape you want. If you don't get it right the first time you can do it again. These old felts can generally take it.

Well - gotta find one in my size and price range first. But the shaping does sound doable...

 

[RJR]

Lots of steam+trial&error,you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[jkingrph]

I currently have at least six Open Roads. The nicest is a 20x from Paris Hatters, then a couple of the real Panama straw from Myer the Hatter. Next is a Shantung straw, then one of the newer Stetsons, 6x I think, and finally an older one I got off eBay that is really nice and soft. I did have to clean it, using a tub filled with naphtha.

Due to an eye problem I wear all of the with the brim snapped down.

 

[Lefty]

the elusive wide ribbon

 

[tommyK]

Lefty, that is so cool! any guess as to the date?

 

[alanfgag]

Late 1930s.

 

[buler]

Aug 1937 ad:

 

[hatophile]

Cool hat. Someone got a nice one.

 

[RJR]

Beautiful.