Is An Open Road an Open Road if it Doesn't Say Open Road?

[jimmy the lid]

Notice the similarities in the Stetson models in this ad,
http://207.218.231.242/~thefedor/showthread.php?t=33387
I would look for an Open Road mark somewhere in the hat before calling any Western looking Stetson an Open Road.

I wouldn't disagree with that proposition. But, to be fair, the original question posed by Even-Steven was whether or not it is appropriate to refer to any Open Road-looking Stetson as an Open Road. So, if two identical-looking Stetsons roll off the assembly line, one right after the other, and one gets an "Open Road" sweat, and the other gets a "Royal Stetson" sweat, is it fair to call the latter hat an Open Road? As a technical matter, probably not. If I bought a lid on the 'Bay that was advertised as an Open Road and it didn't actually say "Open Road" on the sweat, that would be unacceptable (which is why I always ask if it's not already apparent in the auction photos). As a stylistic matter, though, I don't think it's way out of line to refer to such a lid as an OR.

Cheers,
JtL

 

[RBH]

From 1938


<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/6007/1938nj4.jpg" border="0" alt="1938"/></a>

 

[KY Gentleman]

I know where this will probably lead us but if you buy a new Open Road it dosen't say "Open Road" on the sweatband. The box says it, the paper tag inside the band has it typed on it, your receipt says it.....but it isn't stamped on the sweat.
Have at it guys......

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

After having read, with considerable interest, contents of this thread (I wonder if that should be spelled with a "t"), I must conclude that I am the proud owner of one Stetson 20 and one Stetson 100 but that neither are "Open Road", even if in many respects they look like the hat in question. I am, of course, a bit disappointed and may now have to buy an "Open Road", given that the discussion clearly points at the rejection of my guild membership application.
But I accept that: never would I accept to have a BMW motorcycle called a "Harley" (heavens forbid!)

 

[Lefty]

The new hat also says Stetson in it, but it's hardly the same animal as the vintage ORs which, due to the many, many sales and purchases of companies and/or licenses over the years, may have been made by Stevens for Stetson. With all of the horse trading going on between companies, nearly identical OR models with several different labels may have all been made in the same shop.

I'm sticking with the answer that if it doesn't say Open Road on the sweat (or did before the sweat was replaced by Optimo ), then it's just an OR styled hat, not an Open Road.

I know where this will probably lead us but if you buy a new Open Road it dosen't say "Open Road" on the sweatband. The box says it, the paper tag inside the band has it typed on it, your receipt says it.....but it isn't stamped on the sweat.
Have at it guys......

 

[Stan]

Hi,

I have one vintage Stetson that's an Open Road, but does not have that name stamped on the sweatband. It's a Panama version.

It does have a couple different Stetson logos and even 'Genuine Panama' stamped on the sweatband, but not the Open Road name itself.

It does have a tag attached to the rear side of the sweatband with a Style Number on it. It came with the original box, which has a label on it with the matching Style Number and, under 'Model' is printed 'Open Road Panama'.

Looks to me like Stetson was more interested in playing up the Genuine Panama nature of this particular model than they were in maintaining continuity of having the Open Road name readily visible.

I think this is as much a Stetson Open Road as the felt version I have which does have the Open Road name printed onto the sweatband.

Later!

Stan

 

[Feraud]

An anomaly such as your Open Road Panama does broaden the discussion Stan.
I would like to see pics of the hat and associated tags if you can post them.
Thanks.

Issues such as separating a hat from it's original box or replacing a damaged sweatband can change the nature of any hat. Identification and resale value are two issues to consider.

 

[Rick Blaine]

My Panama OR, though nowhere is it marked "Open Road" I have a couple of felts too, dead ringers for ORs, but nowhere so marked, only a 3x designation.

 

[Lefty]

If it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, but isn't marked "genuine duck", you've got yourself a duck-styled or duck-clone water fowl.

While I have no idea what toys are popular today, I can't imagine trying to sell a kid on the idea of "really, it is a Cabbage Patch Kid/Barney/Bob the Builder/whatever thingy - it just doesn't say so." That kid would know that, come the next school day, he/she would be the only one in class without the new toy.

 

[Justdog]

Stamped OR

Hi again,

Any thoughts on my idea that perhaps the higher-level, unstamped, OR-looking Stetsons were sold open crown and so they'd not get the OR name since that requires a cattleman's crease from the factory?

Stan

Not sure about that as one I got was unblocked but still has OR sovereign 20 Clearly embossed Open Road. I do accept that you could ask for a hat unblocked of course.

 

[Justdog]

OR

Have Royal deluxe, Soveriegn 20, 2X 25 one 3x one 3x 15.
All except the 15 3x have Open Road designated embossed in the sweatbands.
The anomoly is the Stetson 15 3X beaver, it is probably the oldest of the hats.
Exactly the same dimensions style of all the OR hats I have. I would call it a Stetson 15 3x in OR style but as it does not specifically state OR it is what it is Stetson 15 3x beaver.

 

[Justdog]

Panama

My Panama OR, though nowhere is it marked "Open Road" I have a couple of felts too, dead ringers for ORs, but nowhere so marked, only a 3x designation.

Beautiful hat!:eusa_clap

 

[tonyb]

Lots of familiar territory here, fellas. But what the heck, if we didn't go back over some old stuff, we'd have a whole lot less to talk about.

I've owned (and still own) a whole mess of ORs and the like -- including a few Stratoliners and Dobbs Westwards and a Mallory Dallas and some Borsalino Alessandrias and a Disney Ranger and a Knox Somethingoranother and some others whose model names don't immediately come to mind. And one that for all the world seems to be an Open Road -- it's a Stetson and has the narrow ribbon and the bound edge and what we usually think of as OR dimensions -- but it doesn't say open Road anywhere on it. So yeah, I'm kinda familiar with the species.

In GENERAL (please note the emphasis), Stratoliners are of a lighter felt than ORs. Some Strats came lined (and with reeded sweatbands) and some didn't. Those unlined Strats had unreeded sweats, or such is the case with all I've encountered. ORs used to come to the retailers with open crowns. These days, they leave the factory with that "cattleman's crease."

Brim widths varied quite a bit, as did crown heights and bow styles. Some had wind strings; some didn't. ORs seem to have come in about as many quality grades (and designations thereof) as Stetson produced -- meaning there were Royal ORs and Royal DeLuxe ORs and 3X ORs and 7X ORs and Stetson 25 ORs and Stetson 100 ORs. (Come to think of it, though, I don't recall Stetsons other than ORs carrying the "100" designation.)

As to the controversy of the moment -- I say that if it doesn't say Open Road on it, or never did (as contrasted with a genuine OR that had its sweatband replaced), it ain't an OR, even if it is like Even Steven's hat or that one of mine I alluded to. It's a hat that is indistinguishable from an Open Road provided you overlook the fact that nowhere on it does it say it's an Open Road. So I guess that makes it a HTIIFAORPYOTFTNOIDISIAOR. If you replace the sweatband and cut down the brim and then put on a wider brim edge binding and a thicker band and bow, what you have is a hat that used to be a Stetson Open Road. Nothing wrong with that, if that's what you want. It ain't like you couldn't find another Open Road.

 

[Viper Man]

...If you replace the sweatband and cut down the brim and then put on a wider brim edge binding and a thicker band and bow, what you have is a hat that used to be a Stetson Open Road. Nothing wrong with that, if that's what you want. It ain't like you couldn't find another Open Road.

Unfortunately in my case, I had to replace the sweatband because the reed was beginning to oxidize and it had left a very small green spot on the felt. It's a shame because the sweatband was in great shape otherwise. My hat was a Royal DeLuxe OR (very nice felt!) but I never completely warmed up to the thin ribbon and I have always loved the "Whippet" look so I thought I might be able to go for a similar look.

 

[EVEN-STEVEN]

It's a hat that is indistinguishable from an Open Road provided you overlook the fact that nowhere on it does it say it's an Open Road. So I guess that makes it a HTIIFAORPYOTFTNOIDISIAOR.

Brilliant! :eusa_clap I will soon be starting THE HTIIFAORPYOTFTNOIDISIAOR SOCIETY OF OPEN ROAD PRETENDERS

 

[Lefty]

I like Pretenders to the Road (rather than throne). It could even have the subtitle, "Heavy is the Head."

 

[jimmy the lid]

I hope that none of this leads to Open Road rage...

Cheers,
JtL

 

[Lefty]

or a Dobbs faction calling themselves the Westward H...

never-mind.

 

[warbird]

I hope that none of this leads to Open Road rage...

Cheers,
JtL

shakeshead BOOOOOO BOOOOOOO :eusa_clap

 

[John in Covina]

Hat Nazis?

I have written on this previously, that when it comes to the Open Road style of hats, "Imitation is the sincerest form of Flattery" and that Open Road clones should be as welcome as family.

The Open Road style transcends the lettering on a sweat band & trumps any argument for Hat Purity. See the original thread and you'll get the jist of the comraderie not the concept of Exclusion.