The Open Road Guild

[RickP]

I concur!

 

[M Hatman]

Here is another addition, not vintage but: The 160 Open Crown OR. EVERYTHING JLee said here https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-open-road-guild.7047/post-3205047 is what I would say. NOT at ALL as stiff as the 6X and in fact the hat had NO quality designation what ever. I would equate it with the modern Royal Deluxe and the quality reminds me of HatCo's OC offerings 10 years ago (Stetsonian, Whippet, Stratoliner) if you remember those, and was a pleasant surprise as a result. Interestingly mine has a 6" open crown slightly tapered at the top like a 52 block. It also has a 2 7/8" brim. It is fairly heavy and thick felt (a bit too thick I think). Did I say it is heavy???? In all I am pleased....(though I missed out on the Labor Day sale...). LOVE the "Fawn" color!

As everyone knows I am not fond of any sort of Alpine/Banker/Cattleman on most any of my hats so did a simple deep center crease. I did neaten up the ribbon ends and add a wind cord as per the originals. They make the ribbon ends WAY too long on the new ones.......

I AM a little concerned over the back of the sweat....it is suede like and black...I wonder what will happen if I start sweating!!!!! It feels thicker than normal and not at all like the roan they used to use. We shall see......

PS: I STILL wish they would make a long oval.........

 

[M Hatman]

The open crown 6x has arrived. Definitely stiffer than a dress felt, but not as stiff as the usual 6x, the brim will snap down, for example. Overall finish of the hat is good. If I am being picky, it's not the most defined brim break I've ever seen. The ribbon is maybe a teeny tiny bit high over the brim break, but it honestly doesn't look bad. It's certainly not any worse than any other modern Stetson I've seen. The binding is joined cleanly, but not centered with the sweatband joining. The pounce is even and has a bit of a softer hand than I was expecting. The fawn color is nice, not too yellow or too brown. I put a simple center dent for now, because I did actually like that pic above...but I also ran out of distilled water, so that's where we're at. I don't know what they photographed for the official site because this (thankfully) looks like a different block all together. 5 1/2" open crown height.

Definitely needs steam to shape, but I certainly wasn't expecting a vintage feel. Overall, I'm satisfied with the purchase, though the labor day coupon really sealed the deal. A specially branded 6x was kind of a coin flip as to whether I really wanted it. But when the value proposition became 'would I like a specially branded 6x at $55 off the regular price?', sure, that's easier to swallow. I've actually wanted one of the Natural RD ones for a while to have as a knockaround kinda hat, I think this suits the bill. It of course has the clear poly thread. The liner tip is embroidered, and the side seam is a nice touch. The box has also been redesigned and I dig the darker aesthetic. It's not a hat I would unequivocally recommend, like say, the Fortune and Glory (if you find the 100% beaver one, buy it!). But as far as modern Stetsons go, it's a neat addition to have around.

NICE GET!!! I am largely pleased with mine as I described in a separate post. Agree wholeheartedly with your assessment. Mine did have a taller crown, and is perhaps as you stated, to keep the hat proportional for the size. They have in the past added crown height and brim width to some of my bigger sized melon hats than typically advertised. (Happened to both of my "Grand Centrals" if you remember those....taller crown AND wider brim, and I think my "Nostalgia".)

PS: What did you think of the somewhat strange sweat?

 

[blewnote]

Most newbies want to be spoon fed. You asked for recommendations so let me ask you some questions in order to make a recommendation personal: What is your budget? That determines if I’m going to recommend a 7XCB or a second-hand modern 6X. How do you plan to wear the OR? Cattleman crown or diamond? Mild flange turned up or brim snapped down in front, rolled up in back? Ever worn a hat with a 2.75” brim? Some people think anything over 2.25” is “too Cowboy” for them. Do you envision being a vintage collector or are you just wanting to match your favorite shirt?

And after reading even more (perhaps all...) those questions may have been answered as you will no longer be a novice.

The OR has been done so many ways, you need to be the one who decides which one is for you. Buying a hat based on what others define as classic is an exercise in futility

While I agree with you both, I have to say as someone who has both spent hours perusing these forums and browsing eBay looking for hats, it's still pretty confusing and with many of the pictures missing, or links to other threads that purport to offer more information taking you to the login for some other system... it's hard to parse.

When I first came here, I was hoping for suggestions on what current brands would be worth buying, as I wanted to support my local hat store, Meyer the Hatter, and didn't want to spend more money than they were asking for a new hat for a vintage hat on eBay that I wasn't sure if I would like or would fit. I feel disappointed in my experience at Meyer's, both in that they mis-sized me, and that I overpaid for a hat that I never wear now because the crown is too short and it sits on the top of my head. I call it school dues, but I get what the older folks here were telling me now that I've handled hats with exceptional felt and blocking.

However, the amazing deals of the past are far and few between on the Bay now. There are tons of hats that are listed as being from the 40s that are from the 60s/70s or later. There are hats that are in horrible condition that are listed for many multiples what one should pay for them. Even after buying something like 15-20 hats, and spending many hours pouring over the threads here to glean what to look for in a sweatband, how the blocking looks in a picture, what to look for in a reorder tag, etc. I still am not always certain about what exactly is going to show up on my doorstep until it arrives and I open the box and have it in hand.

For under $100 that doesn't bother me terribly if it's not what I was hoping it would be, I think it's better than blowing it on booze or gambling. But for the $250 plus many of these sellers are asking for I haven't felt like it's worth the gamble yet. I might feel differently if I was buying from someone here and I knew that what they're selling is worth what they're asking for it. And for someone who's never bought a vintage hat before, or handled a variety of them to see and feel the differences? It's crazy to suggest that they spend that kind of money on a vintage lid (again, unless it is from a very reputable seller) on the very real chance they may be ripped off or taken advantage of.

Anyway, y'all came around and gave some great advice, I just wanted to chime in with my $0.02 worth, because although I love perusing these threads, there is a lot of extraneous discussion and missing pictures and it's a bit overwhelming for someone who's just looking for some advice from someone more knowledgeable about hats.

 

[HatsBySam]

I wasn’t sure if it’s as simple as a silverbelly Stetson open road, or if there is a particular version or era that would be more classic? I’ve seen several comments on differences in overall size and shapes through the years. Or maybe there is a maker other than Stetson that people prefer more these days?

While I agree with you both, I have to say as someone who has both spent hours perusing these forums and browsing eBay looking for hats, it's still pretty confusing and with many of the pictures missing, or links to other threads that purport to offer more information taking you to the login for some other system... it's hard to parse.

When I first came here, I was hoping for suggestions on what current brands would be worth buying, as I wanted to support my local hat store, Meyer the Hatter, and didn't want to spend more money than they were asking for a new hat for a vintage hat on eBay that I wasn't sure if I would like or would fit. I feel disappointed in my experience at Meyer's, both in that they mis-sized me, and that I overpaid for a hat that I never wear now because the crown is too short and it sits on the top of my head. I call it school dues, but I get what the older folks here were telling me now that I've handled hats with exceptional felt and blocking.

However, the amazing deals of the past are far and few between on the Bay now. There are tons of hats that are listed as being from the 40s that are from the 60s/70s or later. There are hats that are in horrible condition that are listed for many multiples what one should pay for them. Even after buying something like 15-20 hats, and spending many hours pouring over the threads here to glean what to look for in a sweatband, how the blocking looks in a picture, what to look for in a reorder tag, etc. I still am not always certain about what exactly is going to show up on my doorstep until it arrives and I open the box and have it in hand.

For under $100 that doesn't bother me terribly if it's not what I was hoping it would be, I think it's better than blowing it on booze or gambling. But for the $250 plus many of these sellers are asking for I haven't felt like it's worth the gamble yet. I might feel differently if I was buying from someone here and I knew that what they're selling is worth what they're asking for it. And for someone who's never bought a vintage hat before, or handled a variety of them to see and feel the differences? It's crazy to suggest that they spend that kind of money on a vintage lid (again, unless it is from a very reputable seller) on the very real chance they may be ripped off or taken advantage of.

Anyway, y'all came around and gave some great advice, I just wanted to chime in with my $0.02 worth, because although I love perusing these threads, there is a lot of extraneous discussion and missing pictures and it's a bit overwhelming for someone who's just looking for some advice from someone more knowledgeable about hats.

With some steam and a quart sized lidded mason jar, you can easily flatten the center dent or a cattleman crease to increase your inside crown height by half an inch or more. I do this to a lot of my hats to give me more head room. I hate having the crown sitting on top of my head, lol.

 

[blewnote]

And speaking of Open Roads, I recently picked up what I hoped was a late 60s/early 70s iteration, based on my attempt at parsing the info in this here thread and trying to find pictures of hats other folks had procured and the discussion around them. Upon receiving it, I think it's more likely it is an 80s/90s hat, but it was below my hat gambling money threshold so I'm not terribly upset about it. It can't be any younger than 2005 because that's when the store that sold it folded.

I brushed it and soaked the crown with distilled water and used my hat stretcher and a mason jar to try and straighten out the taper a bit to make it look more like the early ones, and rebashed it from the wonky cattleman bash it came with into a diamond/teardrop crown (I can never quite tell which is which) and ironed the brim to straighten it out a little and I think it came out pretty good. In my verve to reshape the crown I misplaced the pin (just plain ol Stetson as the pin) that came attached to the bow, and part of the bow detached. I plan to reattach the piece of the bow, and maybe the pin will resurface at some point in the future.

Ideally, I'd like to procure a Silverbelly OR or Stratoliner from the 40s/50s to fill this particular itch/niche in my collection, as I'd like a fedora that I feel like I can wear a little more casually than most of my others, but for now this will suffice.

Curious to think if folks agree with my assessment of the age.

 

[blewnote]

With some steam and a quart sized lidded mason jar, you can easily flatten the center dent or a cattleman crease to increase your inside crown height by half an inch or more. I do this to a lot of my hats to give me more head room. I hate having the crown sitting on top of my head, lol.

If that suggestion was in reference to my disappointment in my hat from Meyer's, I would do it on a hat that I wanted to wear, but the sweat on that is the ****py modern leather that feels icky and the felt is meh and the blocking isn't great. It's a steel grey Selentino and I learned my lesson, even though folks here tried to dissuade me from getting/keeping it.

I almost got a Stetson at the time and I wish I had simply because it might have been easier to resell. I suppose I could try to do what I just did to the Open Road I posted above, but I just don't see reaching for it over any of the other grey hats I have in my quiver. I really should just list it on the Bay and see if someone else can make use of it.

 

[fthompson]

First off always buy the best vintage hat that you can & if you decide to sell it down the road you will usually get your money back or it will cost you very little to have worn a good hat. Don’t cut the brim down. Don’t buy something that has been rode hard just because it’s cheap. Harder to resell in the long run.

You didn’t state your size or head shape but you need to determine if you can wear a Cattleman crown that is 4.5 - 4.75” tall without it touching the top of your head. If it touches then you’re going to need to be on the lookout for a 5.5 - 5.75” tall crown which means you’re looking for an older hat. If you don’t have a retail shop nearby measure over the top, ear top to ear top? Maybe consider a Camp draft. Their crown tolerances seem to run loose, anywhere from 5.5 - 6” in the past. A Cattleman crease works in a CD pretty well.

Since you plan to wear it as a Cattleman crease a 3X as recent as an early 1970’s model can serve you well. You don’t need a softer felt like an RD or an older OR as long as you get the blocking height. Brims can be ironed to your liking.

As you look around study the blocking of the OR’s of the various eras. And be aware some have brims in 2.5 & 2.625” even though they are bound edge & no one has cut them down. More of a City OR & they seem to be most common in the Twenty-five. Maybe that would be your preference over 2.75”.

If you’re just wanting to “try something new” after wearing caps then maybe the thing to do is order a new OR so that it could be returned for a refund or exchange if you don’t like the style or the fit is not right. Just be aware new Stetson’s tend to run a bit large in circumference, I hear.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question and providing a lot of helpful info. It’s appreciated! Like most of us I have a lot of vintage things I collect and that I am obsessed over, so I was trying hard not to go too far down the rabbit hole on hats and clothing and add another thing to the killer of free time and financial stability list. As I continue to work my way through this thread I realize maybe it’s too late on that front.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question and providing a lot of helpful info. It’s appreciated! Like most of us I have a lot of vintage things I collect and that I am obsessed over, so I was trying hard not to go too far down the rabbit hole on hats and clothing and add another thing to the killer of free time and financial stability list. As I continue to work my way through this thread I realize maybe it’s too late on that front.

The best way to learn & retain that knowledge is to spend as much time as you can reading these threads. Only you can decide how deep you go with collecting. Welcome to Fedora Lounge!

 

[Rmccamey]

Jack is a wealth of knowledge and I always pick up a nugget when I read his posts.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question and providing a lot of helpful info. It’s appreciated! Like most of us I have a lot of vintage things I collect and that I am obsessed over, so I was trying hard not to go too far down the rabbit hole on hats and clothing and add another thing to the killer of free time and financial stability list. As I continue to work my way through this thread I realize maybe it’s too late on that front.

The best way to learn & retain that knowledge is to spend as much time as you can reading these threads. Only you can decide how deep you go with collecting. Welcome to Fedora Lounge!

A really bad picture of my 3X OR. This one has the production tag which gives a lot of extra information about the hat.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Jack is a wealth of knowledge and I always pick up a nugget when I read his posts.





A really bad picture of my 3X OR. This one has the production tag which gives a lot of extra information about the hat.

View attachment 731581 View attachment 731582

Thank you, Randy. I’m sure that’s frequently not the case with my posts, but it’s nice to hear. My admiration for you & others is mutual.

i love seeing that 3X & seeing the info on the tag. Beautiful pic & the color is fantastic!

 

[Howard Stricklin]

Stetson promo open road that I got on eBay last year. It's one of those super stiff jobs I don't think it's a 6X since it's a promo. I never liked the Cattlemen's crease and was told by many you couldn't reshape one of these stiff open roads. A lot of steam and patience and I got it looking pretty good.

 

[jkingrph]

Cattleman's Bash....

with brim snapped down like a fedora? Any thoughts?

I have an eye problem. I had what they called detached viterous humur , that is the sac that holds the gel in the eye tore loose, in both eyes causing thousands or floaters. As a result bright light bothers me especially bright overhead lights or skies. Because of this I wear all my hats, including the open roads with the brim snapped down.

 

[EinarsM]

No size 8/64. 500lb gorillas need hats too.

Happy to craft one for you in size 64.

 

[M Hatman]

Here is a sort of collage I put together. Truman's preferred hat was a 7XB OR, also shown are my early to mid-1950's: 3XB OR, Stetson 100 with OR appointments (never have seen a 100 marked as an OR, this version of the 100 was marketed as "the Governor Dan Thorton" model) , 7XB OR and finally a 2012 4X OR I of course re-creased.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Stetson 100 with OR appointments (never have seen a 100 marked as an OR,

I’ve never seen one either but they were available & it stands to reason they would be marked.

 

[M Hatman]

I’ve never seen one either but they were available & it stands to reason they would be marked.

View attachment 746193

Yep, I would think so too.....especially as popular as the Open Road was. Here is the ad I was referring too....

There is also one marketed as "the Century" of which there is an ad around here (probably in the 100 thread). It also had OR like appointments. They made so many hats so similar/identical to the OR but called them different things. My 100 has slightly different (larger) proportions which I think are mentioned in another ad for the "Dan Thorton" hat.

Sure would love to see a 100 marked as a OR, just to see if there are any marked differences.....

 

[jlee562]

Closest I've got is the reorder tag.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

My 100 has slightly different (larger) proportions which I think are mentioned in another ad for the "Dan Thorton" hat.

Sure would love to see a 100 marked as a OR, just to see if there are any marked differences.....

There may be a difference, one being the Dan Thornton & the other the Governor Dan Thornton? Glad to learn that your’s is marked. That has to be an extremely rare hat.

I would like to have a nice marked OR 100 myself.

 

[jlee562]

Stetson Japan got the better open crown hat. They're still on the 3ply, unbound version which appears in catalogs, but we've never seen one, unless they were not branded as ORs. Undyed beaver felt.