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Alexander Sommerset

One of the Regulars
Messages
118
Location
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Can someone help me with these Borso labels? I think I am going with the 1930s. But....
Borsolino_30s_05.jpg
Borsolino_30s_06.jpg
Borsolino_30s_05.jpg
 

moontheloon

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,592
Location
NJ
a discussion in the "new hat" thread got me thinking

... when did the "Open Road" first go into production ... I feel like it was mid to late 40s maybe ?
 
Messages
15,083
Location
Buffalo, NY
The 1937 ad showing an early wide ribbon hat referred to as the Open Road can be seen in a few places on the Lounge and a couple of examples of this hat have turned up.

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Messages
15,083
Location
Buffalo, NY
so the OR as we know it today with the thin ribbon and bound edge came about in the 40s correct ?

I can't answer definitively... I've only owned a handful of Open Roads, all c.1950 or later. There were countless modestly endowed western hats (3" brims) that were early precursors and the Stratoliner which is close to identical to the OR begins in 1941 and Vita-Felt hats with a thin ribbon and bound brims under 3" seem to have been plentiful during the war years.

I usually ring up Carouselvic for tough Stetson questions like these... ;^)
 

Xylophile

One of the Regulars
Messages
132
Location
Shenandoah Valley of Virginia
String woven through a leather sweatband was originally for adjusting the size of the hat a size or two. But later it morphed into just a decoration. So, it depends on what sort of string you are talking about.
I was asking about the working size changing string. Funny it never occurred to me it would be ornamental, and thinking about it I wonder what the working string would be configured and what it would look like. I imagine its an ancient way to make hats fit.
 

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