Difference between the Stetson Stratoliner and The Open Road

[MississippiLong]

i love this thread, i've been asking myself the same questions...:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Mossyrock]

Thanks Gene. VERY informative! :eusa_clap

 

[kaosharper1]

Were vintage Stratoliners made by Akubra too?

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Were vintage Stratoliners made by Akubra too?

Uhhh, no.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Since it came up, what are the benefits, if any, of reeded vs. unreeded sweats? Does a reeded sweat simply make installing the sweat easier - or easier to correct in case of a mistake?

The practice of reeding the sweatband is considered an advancement. Prior, sweatband threads (or in some cases the leather or the hat felt) would break before they gave in the process of being stretched around in the life of a hat. The separate layer of material - with an actual reed, or wire or monofilament sleeved inside it - provides some extra degree of flex for the attached leather.

I think the primary way this works is that the reed design "bells" the shape of the sweatband (larger circumference where it connects to hat than the raw edge further inside the hat) without putting lots of stress on everything. This way the felt can expand and contract with moisture, etc. and the sweatband can comfortably accept a head shape - each slightly independent of one another.

I'm having that feeling that (A) I really know what I'm talking about but am making little sense, or (B) I don't know what I'm talking about and not letting that stop me from going on and on...
lol lol lol

 

[Mossyrock]

I'm having that feeling that (A) I really know what I'm talking about but am making little sense, or (B) I don't know what I'm talking about and not letting that stop me from going on and on...

You say that like it's a bad thing..... lol

 

[Lefty]

Very good. I'm always learning here.
Now, while I'm asking off-topic questions, what is that accordion cushioning in the front of my old borsos called? (Since it's like the moon hitting my eye like a big pizza pie, I call it Amore.)

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

My Royal De Luxe Strat has that same bow.

That's a beaut, GWD!

There's a certain 'complexity' to the felt on these that's hard to describe. In the way that wood is not just one solid brown or that a brunette's hair picks up different colors throughout when in the sun. And see that sheen I was talking about? Nice. You've got the brim on that just right too!

 

[Lefty]

Mossyrock, if you wanted to know if you should bid on the Johnnyphi Strat, as you've now done, you could have just asked. I think everyone that isn't a size 7 would have immediatley just told you to go for it. Like the one GWD picked up, it's a really great example of a hard to find hat.

Good luck with the auction!

 

[Mossyrock]

Mossyrock, if you wanted to know if you should bid on the Johnnyphi Strat, as you've now done, you could have just asked. I think everyone that isn't a size 7 would have immediatley just told you to go for it. Like the one GWD picked up, it's a really great example of a hard to find hat.

Good luck with the auction!

That wasn't the only one I was looking at. I had my eye on one on Ebay as well, but the price got too silly, too fast!

 

[Lefty]

Gotcha. Like I said in my PM, there are a handful of ORs that are worth chasing into the really high prices. As a size 7, you'll be able to find plenty of great hats at prices that make the bigger melons, myself included, absolutely green.

 

[tonyb]

Yeah, what is that corrugated stuff at the front of old Borsalino sweatbands called? It's apparently there to give the moisture a chance to evaporate some, so it has a lessened opportunity to penetrate the felt and ribbon. It kinda reminds me of some woodstove heat shields I've seen --- corrugated sheet steel, with a gap between the bottom of the heat shield and the floor, to allow for enough cool air to get drawn in.

 

[tonyb]

That wasn't the only one I was looking at. I had my eye on one on Ebay as well, but the price got too silly, too fast!

Mossyrock, I'm pleased to see you recognize silliness when you see it. As a size 7, you're the envy of us larger-headed old-hat aficionados. I can't count the number of times I've been in a secondhand/antique/vintage shop and plopped on a fine old lid that was three or four sizes too small. And on eBay, those smaller sizes routinely sell for a small fraction of what comparable lids in larger sizes fetch. So, should the prices even approach the silly territory, I say let 'em go and wait for the next ones to came along, as they almost assuredly will.

 

[RBH]

Thanks Tony!!!
Nuff' said!

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Yeah, I saw Johnny's offering and the recent grey one on EB that sold for around $130ish. I'm a 7 as well and I got my Strat' for I think it was around $60. I don't fight much anymore for hats since I've got a lot already and am enjoying really getting to know some of them. I do like watching the sport of it all though and discussing particulars.

 

[GWD]

That's a beaut, GWD!

There's a certain 'complexity' to the felt on these that's hard to describe. In the way that wood is not just one solid brown or that a brunette's hair picks up different colors throughout when in the sun. And see that sheen I was talking about? Nice. You've got the brim on that just right too!

Thanks for you kind words Gene, I see what you mean about the "sheen" it's almost a satin finish on the Stratoliners. The green premier I bought from Johnny, has almost a suede feel to it.

I'm also with you, I'm slowing down on purchasing hats, I've become very picky now, so unless a hat has something very unique or has historical value I'm passing them up. Also I find I'm only interested in Stetson hats lately, although if I find an old Knox they're hard to pass up.

 

[jimmy the lid]

What is the difference between the Stratoliner and the Open Road?

I'm going to take a slightly different approach to answering this question. Just an opinion, so please take it for what it's worth...

I think that the Stratoliner/Open Road distinction is a case study in Stetson marketing. In essence, it is the same hat, with certain stylistic tweaks that furthered Stetson's effort to target particular markets. Here's what I mean...

The Open Road was essentially targeted toward the Western market, and featured a wide brim and full crown. Stetson's national advertising for the Open Road featured the "cattleman's crease," and generally marketed the OR as an upscale lid -- a kind of bridge between rural and urban settings, between the ranch and the town. Here's a 1951 ad:

Interestingly, this 1950 ad references the OR's Western roots, and attempts to appeal to the Eastern urban market (while still retaining the cattleman's crease):

The Stratoliner, on the other hand, targeted the Eastern urban market and was pitched as a streamlined, lightweight hat that was a more relaxed alternative to the more formal hats worn by businessmen -- perfect for travel or a day at the races. In keeping with this streamlined approach, the Strat generally featured a less substantial crown than the OR, a narrower brim, and a fedora crease. From 1944:

From 1948:

So, in a variation on the old adage "form follows function," I think that, when it came to the Strat/OR distinction, form followed marketing. While, as the posts in this thread already demonstrate, it is virtually impossible to establish any hard and fast rules, I do believe that it is fair to say that, as a general matter, Strats differed from OR's in three different respects: (1) slightly narrower brim (closer to 2 1/2" for a Strat, versus 2 3/4" for an OR); (2) slightly smaller crown (for that "streamlined" look); and (3) a lighter weight felt ("light as a cloud" and suitable for travel). This lightweight aspect of the Stratoliner seemes to be borne out by Loungers who have been able to compare several of these lids, and this certainly seems to be consistent with the fact that Strats were marketed as being light in weight.

Now, all of that being said, as already illustrated in a number of previous posts, it really is impossible to apply hard and fast rules to any particular Open Road or Strat. A couple of illustrations...

As noted by Harp Player Gene, there were occasionally OR's that had smaller crowns and brims and therefore seemed more like Strats in appearance. I have two such OR's -- they both have smaller crowns, and have brims that are 2 5/8" versus 2 3/4" (which is a far more common brim width on OR's). Here's a photo to demonstrate -- a smaller fawn-colored OR next to its slightly bigger brother:

And here is the other smaller OR (from a previously posted photo):

In a line-up of Strats, I think these ORs would fit right in.

Conversely, I just recently scored my first Stratoliner, and you would be hard-pressed to pick it out of a line-up of OR's. It has a large crown and a 2 3/4" brim. It's not back from its cleaning at Optimo yet, but here's an auction photo:

And, finally, while Strats were apparently lighter in weight than OR's, I have a late 40's OR that has lightweight felt identical to my "Zephyr Weight" Stetson Week-Ender -- very reminiscent of a lightweight Borsalino Allesandria:

OK, that was a mouthful. I'll come up for air now...

Cheers,
JtL

 

[Mossyrock]

Wow. That was impressive! :eusa_clap

 

[carter]

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap
Jimmy, That was extremely well done and informative! Thanks!
:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[RBH]

I too add my thanks!!!