Difference between the Stetson Stratoliner and The Open Road

[TheDane]

My two Strats are Royal Stetsons, and they weigh the same as an OR - about 4 ounces. As far as I know, the lightweight Strats were Royal De Luxe's - but I'm not 100% sure.

A brim binding is sewn on after the brim has been flanged - and then the flanging is repeated. The edge of a flat brim is a little longer than the same edge after a well-rolled flanging. Therefore the binding will help to keep the shape of the brim to a certain degree.

So making a new hat, it should be flanged before binding. That said, it is possible to flange an OR to a deeper roll like that of the Strat. It may not hold the shape for 40 years - but then you just have it flanged again.

The last couple of days two 7 1/4 Strats were sold on the Bay. A gray went for $99 and a light brown for $117. When shipped CONUS and with no VAT or custom - in my mind that's quite cheap. With the extra sensory perception of local customs people I have to pay +30%, but compared to most off-the-rack hats, I still find it cheap. Cheap or not ... I too have to fold all too often

PS: I do know, you're a 7 1/8 LO, but it was just an example. 7 1/4 is my own size, I don't look for 7 1/8 hats - but they should be possible to find

 

[Macbeth]

Differences in Stetson Open Road and Stratoliner

I recently bought a modern Stetson Open Road with standard Cattleman factory crease and a Vintage beater Royal Deluxe Open in a Fedora bash. I like both.

I'd like to know of the members who have both the Open Road and the Stratoliner what you think of both hats and how they differ for you in looks, style, and any other comparisons

Which finds more head time and why.

I'm interested in a Stratoliner but don't know if it's significantly different from a regular Open Road with a teardrop or fedora bash.

 

[job]

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...sBziNGk9g5GkIcg&bvm=bv.68911936,d.cWc&cad=rjt

Sent from my Surface with Windows RT using Tapatalk

 

[Macbeth]

Thanks Job!!
Lots of reading there. What I gleaned is that they are pretty close so I won't be buying a Strat tho I DID see a price of $174 for a newer one. Not bad but only in Caribou which I don't have.

Coincidentally, I just happen to have a new Campdraft in Bluegrass that I got a couple of months ago
So I would be a bit redundant by getting one.

And.....I really need to get a new recliner. My old one from 1990 broke yesterday and dumped me on the floor!

I hate when I have to be practical.

 

[fedoracentric]

Thanks Job!!
...I won't be buying a Strat tho I DID see a price of $174 for a newer one. Not bad but only in Caribou which I don't have.

Isn't that the lower quality Strat, too? it seems to me that the Premier Stratoliner (the higher grade) is over $200.

 

[Macbeth]

I saw one at Delmonicos for $225. Another place for $192 and the third place for $174. I think they were all the same hat.
But maybe they weren't the Premier.

 

[ingineer]

MacBeth;
Modern vs Modern
Akubra CD in Glen Grey on the left, Strat in Caribou both lower line
different taper, flange crown,brim
The Strat is now my car hat
Hope that helps



Richard

 

[Macbeth]

Thanks Richard! It DOES help!

I'm gonna get a lot of wear out of the Campdraft. And my Stratoliner itch is gone!!
In fact I may get another Campdraft in a different color later.

 

[T Jones]

I saw one at Delmonicos for $225. Another place for $192 and the third place for $174. I think they were all the same hat.
But maybe they weren't the Premier.

The one you saw at Delmonicos was the better quality Open Crown Premier Strat. More like the earlier Strats. The other ones you saw were the lower quality Strats. There's definitely a difference between the two. The Campdraft is currently selling for $163 USD with a shipping cost of $40 from hatsdirect. The Premiere Strat is selling for $225 with free shipping from Delmonicos until June 30. I think for the small price difference I'd go for the Premiere Strat over the Campdraft....and you probably don't have to wait as long to get it as you would ordering from Australia.

http://www.delmonicohatter.com/product/TFPSTRB12241973.htm

 

[fedoracentric]

The one you saw at Delmonicos was the better quality Open Crown Premier Strat. More like the earlier Strats. The other ones you saw were the lower quality Strats. There's definitely a difference between the two. The Campdraft is currently selling for $163 USD with a shipping cost of $40 from hatsdirect. The Premiere Strat is selling for $225 with free shipping from Delmonicos until June 30. I think for the small price difference I'd go for the Premiere Strat over the Campdraft....and you probably don't have to wait as long to get it as you would ordering from Australia.

http://www.delmonicohatter.com/product/TFPSTRB12241973.htm

This all makes perfect sense to me.

 

[gtdean48]

The HatCo modern Stetson Stratoliner & the current Open Road are both low crown models, about 5 1/4 if you take them to open crown state.
The new Premiere Stratoliner is more like the vintage Strats in crown height. Seen hints there maybe an open crown Open Road is coming out...
From ribbon treatment & bound edges, they are basically the same with key difference being how the brim is flanged. The Stratoliner should have a more cupped brim flange over the more western, flatter OR brim.
I have a Road Master which is same config as the Open Road, just natural color felt over silverbelly.
I'd buy the Premiere Stratoliner over the Campdraft mainly due to the narrower brim width & Campdraft over the Open Road due to the crown height....JMHO

 

[Macbeth]

T Jones and Gt Dean,
Great information and good points. I DO like the wider brim on the Campdraft but am intrigued by the Premier Strat. I didn't realize Delmonicos sold the Premier.
Don't have a Caribou hat ! Hmmm?

 

[Gromulus]

I would also be interested in anyone's firsthand experience with the "Premier Stratoliner". Is the hat of higher quality than most modern Stetsons as of late? Are the dimensions similar to the vintage Strats?

 

[fedoracentric]

Actually, we've gotten quite a lot of positive reviews on the Premier Strat. Here on the forum. Some were a bit annoyed that some of the fine work wasn't perfect, but the crown height, felt weight, colors, and general appearance has been highly marked.


Check in the last half dozen pages or so of this thread.....


http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?72165-Open-Crown-Stetsons-A-Call-(Plea)-to-Retailers!!



As to other Strats, I just got hold of a Strat in the Milan weave "straw." I was surprised how HEAVY this hat is!! It weighs a ton!

 

[Gromulus]

Actually, we've gotten quite a lot of positive reviews on the Premier Strat. Here on the forum. Some were a bit annoyed that some of the fine work wasn't perfect, but the crown height, felt weight, colors, and general appearance has been highly marked.


Check in the last half dozen pages or so of this thread.....


http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?72165-Open-Crown-Stetsons-A-Call-(Plea)-to-Retailers!!

Thanks.
Guess I have been spending too much time in the "Outerwear" forum as of late.

As with most modern Stetsons, not exactly a lot of glowing reviews. Many owners mention apparent differences depending on felt color??? Oh well, I won't take a chance for $225. Maybe one of these days Akubra will offer a similar style!

 

[John Galt]

Late to this conversation, but I have both OR & Strats. I agree with most of what I've read (although I did not read every post). I will add a couple of things, maybe already mentioned. First, Strats varied. I have an early one (1940's, I believe) with a wide brim like an OR (2 3/4), and a couple of 1960's ones with a little narrower brim, and even had a relatively stingy brimmed one at just over 2" once.

The other is that all of the Strats I own are a little lighter weight felt than the OR's I own or have owned, even with the same brim width. The OR's, to be sure, are light weight for "cowboy hats," but they are still heavier felt than the Stratoliner, which is a western _looking_ fedora, but is light weight felt.

I know all this has been said in other threads, and probably here too, but I did not see it in my quick review.

 

[T Jones]

Thanks.
Guess I have been spending too much time in the "Outerwear" forum as of late.

As with most modern Stetsons, not exactly a lot of glowing reviews. Many owners mention apparent differences depending on felt color??? Oh well, I won't take a chance for $225. Maybe one of these days Akubra will offer a similar style!

Akubras are decent if you're comparing them to other modern fur felts. But they don't even come close in comparrison to the quality and workmanship that was found in vintage hats. I have an Akubra Squatter. The felt feels scratchy, almost like wool to the touch, (although I have heard where some guys who have Akubras pounced the felt to make it more smooth to the touch). The sweat bands are pretty decent though, but like most other modern hats these days the cheap liners are glued in, and I mean glued! When I took the liner out of my Squatter it was really stuck in there with gobs of glue! The very same complaints about the ribbon work on the new Premiere Strat are the same ones you're going to find with Akubras. My solution was to change out the cheap ribbon for a nice vintage one. I ran into a few other issues with my Akubra I didn't care much for either. From all that I've heard about the new Premiere Strat from those who have them, is that the felt feels a lot like vintage. In any event these complaints are minor, and if you're handy enough, easily changed. If I were to make a choice between the cheaper Strat and an Akubra, I'd buy the Akubra. But if I were given the choice between the Akubra and the new Premiere Strat, hands down, I'd buy the new Premiere Strat.

 

[T Jones]

Late to this conversation, but I have both OR & Strats. I agree with most of what I've read (although I did not read every post). I will add a couple of things, maybe already mentioned. First, Strats varied. I have an early one (1940's, I believe) with a wide brim like an OR (2 3/4), and a couple of 1960's ones with a little narrower brim, and even had a relatively stingy brimmed one at just over 2" once.

The other is that all of the Strats I own are a little lighter weight felt than the OR's I own or have owned, even with the same brim width. The OR's, to be sure, are light weight for "cowboy hats," but they are still heavier felt than the Stratoliner, which is a western _looking_ fedora, but is light weight felt.

I know all this has been said in other threads, and probably here too, but I did not see it in my quick review.

Actually, brim widths on the ORs varied too. The one I got from you has a brim width of 2 7/8 inches. I have another one which has a brim width of just 2 1/2 inches, and I have two more with brim widths of 2 5/8 inches. You're right. Both the Strats and ORs had brim widths all over the board....and something else you don't see too often, an Open Road in a Royal Stetson. I have a Royal Stetson that has definite OR proportions, but it doesn't have Open Road stamped on the sweat band. But I did find one on eBay though. It's the first Royal Stetson I saw that actually had Open Road stamped on the sweat band. I've seen them in Royal Deluxes but this is the first one I saw in a Royal Stetson....

 

[fedoracentric]

My brown OR has one just like it. (50s era make)

 

[T Jones]

Well that does it then. Even though my ORish Royal Stetson doesn't have Open Road stamped on the sweat, I'm going to call it an Open Road anyway. It's definitely of OR proportions. I'm guessing mine to be from the early '60s.