Learning to Love the Open Road!

[Custom79]

Wow.

I've just been doing some reading here about Stetson's Open Road.

What a gorgeous style for a hat. I can certainly see why so many of you have one or more.

It is definately on my list for future reference.

Regards.

C79

 

[airforceindy]

Not sure what size noggin you're carrying around, Custom, but these ORs pop up quite a bit on Ebay. You have to REALLY want it though, especially if you fall into the unfortunate 7.5-7.75 (Sputnik Class) size range, because they go up FAST!!!! I have a fairly old Stetson that my local hatter told me is an 8X OR, and it's a great beater hat (rancher-owned, tough-loved, rode-hard-put-away-wet, all those cliches apply!). Happy hunting.
Regards, Andy

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Open Road-itis

Hey Custom79!
Y'know, I knew there must be something about these things because of all the hubbub on here about them but I found out first hand a couple months ago when I got one from eBay. I was fully expecting to change the cattleman's crown into a more typical fedora bash but when I put the thing on it was perfection. The older ones feel great, look great and have some kind of magic about them. Mine is a very light tan (not Silverbelly but I don't know the actual term for it, maybe "almond") with sort of a barely green undertone. It has a ribbon and edge-banding which I read someone refer to as "old gold" which makes for an unusual and very exclusive looking color combination. One of my top five favorites!
G'luck finding yours. You will, sooner or later, no doubt.
Gene

 

[johnnyphi]

At the risk of sounding ignorant...

What's the difference between the Open Road and Stratoliner?

I know both have thin ribbons and wide brims.

Was the Strat the predecessor to the OR?

 

[epic610]

You can get one ....

in each style and color!

 

[Stoney]

What's the difference between the Open Road and Stratoliner?

I know both have thin ribbons and wide brims.

Was the Strat the predecessor to the OR?

The Stratoliner is more of a mainstream fedora while the Open Road is a western hat. The ribbons on them are similar, the Stratoliner bow tails are trimmed straight while the Open Roads usually have a point on the end of the bow tails. I'm not sure which came first, I know Starts were made in the 1940s, Open Road [huh] I'm not sure when they were first made.
That's about all I know maybe someone else can elaborate more on them.

 

[KY Gentleman]

I just ordered my third Open Road. I had one I bought when in high school and wore it until in my early twenties it was ruined by an extremely inebriated person in Texas. THATS a long story..... My second one I wore until it was pretty haggard and had to be "retired". I've ordered my third because I miss having one around! I've always liked the quality of a Stetson Open Road and highly recommend you get one.

 

[tonyb]

The Stratoliner is more of a mainstream fedora while the Open Road is a western hat. The ribbons on them are similar, the Stratoliner bow tails are trimmed straight while the Open Roads usually have a point on the end of the bow tails. I'm not sure which came first, I know Starts were made in the 1940s, Open Road [huh] I'm not sure when they were first made.
That's about all I know maybe someone else can elaborate more on them.

Bow treatments vary from OR to OR and from Strat to Strat, as do crown heights and brim widths. Some ORs (and Strats) have wind strings and some don't.

As their names would indicate, the OR was marketed as a Western (or at least Western-esque) hat while the Strat was targeted at the fellow who identified as (or fancied himself, anyway) a modern, dashing man on the move who sported a somewhat more casual style than his predecessors.

That's the impression the period advertising leaves me with, for whatever that's worth. The old ads I've seen for the OR show it with a crown style we here usually call a cattleman's crease, while the Strat ads show a fedora pinch. But the hats came from the factory with open crowns back then, so the buyer was free to bash it any way he wished. Many (most, maybe?) ORs got the cattleman's treatment, but I've come across many a vintage OR with a fedora bash, and they appeared to have sported that style since new.

Strats were a lighter-weight sort of lid, although I wouldn't claim that all Strats had lighter felt than all ORs. Stetson made so darn many ORs (they still do, last I looked), that it's hard to make any absolute statement about 'em.

Oh, and some Strats came with liners, and some didn't.

 

[Stan]

The Stratoliner is more of a mainstream fedora while the Open Road is a western hat. The ribbons on them are similar, the Stratoliner bow tails are trimmed straight while the Open Roads usually have a point on the end of the bow tails. I'm not sure which came first, I know Starts were made in the 1940s, Open Road [huh] I'm not sure when they were first made.
That's about all I know maybe someone else can elaborate more on them.

Hi,

Ooh. A long story. I like those!

I can tell you that my favorite worn-out hat (a vintage fedora) wound up in a pan of drain oil.

That's another long story! :eusa_doh:

Maybe we need a 'long story' thread about how we lost favorite hats.....lol

Later!

Stan

 

[duggap]

TonyB, could some of the ORs have come precreased instead of open crown. I only say that because I thought I remembered a picture of LBJ getting a gift of a new OR and as he opened it, it had a cattleman's crease. Or maybe my memory is wanting.:eusa_doh:

 

[tonyb]

I'd imagine that LBJ might have had someone shape his hat for him, what with him being the president of the United States and all.

Seriously, though ... I suppose it's possible that Stetson sent out some ORs pre-bashed back then, but I know that when I last bought a new one, a dozen years or so ago, it was open crowned, as were the others I and other folks I know purchased new in the period before then.

These days, they come from the plant in the cattleman's style only, or so all the evidence I've seen of late would suggest.

 

[ideaguy]

they're spelled differently...

 

[tonyb]

That too.

 

[KY Gentleman]

Today I received my new Open Road I posted about earlier in this thread.
I've worn it out all day and I have to say I really love this hat.

 

[indycop]

Today I received my new Open Road I posted about earlier in this thread.
I've worn it out all day and I have to say I really love this hat.

Pics??

 

[KY Gentleman]

Pics??

I might wear it to Memphis for the big BBQ!

 

[indycop]

I might wear it to Memphis for the big BBQ!

I can't wait that long!! I'm not very patient:eusa_doh: lol lol

 

[RBH]

I might wear it to Memphis for the big BBQ!

THIN RIBBONS RULE!

 

[ideaguy]

FYI: I've got a killer 7 3/8 on OFAS-well worth the look. Excuse the self-promotion.

 

[Viper Man]

"ENJOY YOURSELF IN THIS SHORT LIFE. WEAR SOME STURDY BOOTS, A FINE FEDORA, AND AN ATTITUDE OF PRIDE."

I like this mantra! :eusa_clap