Modern Open Road Stetson Question

[RBH]

... It's also nice to have open crowned high hats on the market in different places, places that Beaver and Akubra don't hit.

I think if that made it into the lineup it would have been the best seller.

You are right.
I have generally found that the pre-creased hats just dont have the height that a hand creased Campdraft does.
I love my Campdraft but I would like to have a Stetson Open Road and have yet to find one that I like. I have owned several, and on all but one the crown was just shy of the height I like. The one that was 'perfect' did not fit.
This open crowned OR is looking like it may be the ticket.

 

[JohnnyB53]

It's nice to have competition on the market. It's also nice to have open crowned high hats on the market in different places, places that Beaver and Akubra don't hit.

If that hat went to market I think it would give Borsalino's open crown allesandria more of a run for it's money. Most people really don't know Akubra or Beaver yet they know Stetson, and if Stetson made a hat that i think would be more wearable by the masses, something that gives more options when it comes to styling since it has that higher crown, well I think we'd see more hat wearing.

So I say we go right on pushing toward Stetson providing more high crowned open crowned models. And compared to Borsalino and Akubra... Well I like Stetson's felt better.

I think if that made it into the lineup it would have been the best seller.

Good answer. That's just what I wanted to know. You're thinking on a broader scale of introducing the concept to the public as opposed to a few aficionados finding open crown or teardrop OR equivalents from little-known vendors.

For an open crown OR to have a market impact, Stetson would have to get the dealers on board so they could in turn get their customers on board. The biggest barrier is fear of customer anxiety over creasing an open crown. Teach dealers how to block a hat so they can sell the idea of individualizing the crown to customer preference. Dealers also need to be able to teach the customer how to crease an open crown hat. An in-store display showing three ORs, one in cattleman's crease, one center dent, and one c-crown would also help. In this way, with some dealer participation, a single hat model could reach a wider variety of customers.

For example, I'd gladly wear a teardrop OR, but you'd never catch me wearing the cattleman's crease.

 

[handlebar bart]

Good answer. That's just what I wanted to know. You're thinking on a broader scale of introducing the concept to the public as opposed to a few aficionados finding open crown or teardrop OR equivalents from little-known vendors.

For an open crown OR to have a market impact, Stetson would have to get the dealers on board so they could in turn get their customers on board. The biggest barrier is fear of customer anxiety over creasing an open crown. Teach dealers how to block a hat so they can sell the idea of individualizing the crown to customer preference. Dealers also need to be able to teach the customer how to crease an open crown hat. An in-store display showing three ORs, one in cattleman's crease, one center dent, and one c-crown would also help. In this way, with some dealer participation, a single hat model could reach a wider variety of customers.

For example, I'd gladly wear a teardrop OR, but you'd never catch me wearing the cattleman's crease.

Thats a great point. When I bought my first fedora it was a open crown Sydney and they creased it for me. After watching him work on that lid I lost any and all fear of doing it myself. Seeing it demistified will turn alot of people on to the options that an open crown hat offers.

 

[JohnnyB53]

You are right.
I have generally found that the pre-creased hats just dont have the height that a hand creased Campdraft does.
I love my Campdraft but I would like to have a Stetson Open Road and have yet to find one that I like. I have owned several, and on all but one the crown was just shy of the height I like. The one that was 'perfect' did not fit.
This open crowned OR is looking like it may be the ticket.

Call me crazy, but I'd rather have a Campdraft Deluxe in Heritage felt, and with the deluxe sweatband.

In silver belly, heritage fawn, mid brown, moonstone, and bluegrass green.

Yeah, baby!

 

[RBH]

Call me crazy, but I'd rather have a Campdraft Deluxe in Heritage felt, and with the deluxe sweatband.

In silver belly, heritage fawn, mid brown, moonstone, and bluegrass green.

Yeah, baby!

Thats what I mean about the Campdraft, a great tall crown that can be creased in many ways.
I havent had an Akubra with Heritage felt, but I have always loved the Imperial felt of the Campdraft I have.
I have seen the mid brown and I would like that to be the next Campdraft I get!

 

[gtdean48]

Call me crazy, but I'd rather have a Campdraft Deluxe in Heritage felt, and with the deluxe sweatband.

You are crazy but I like how you think! :arated: on the Deluxe in Heritage felt. I think Akubra could go that way on a few more "style" models as well = Fedora, Stylemaster, CEO...

 

[portolan]

Just got this OR on OFAS....

I really didn't like it too much until I decided to try and snap the brim down. What a change that one simple action made. Now I love it. Very soft, great color. It is amazing how this one thing has changed the look of the hat. Thanks to all of you for giving me the courage to snap a brim! Phil

 

[RBH]

I really didn't like it too much until I decided to try and snap the brim down. What a change that one simple action made. Now I love it. Very soft, great color. It is amazing how this one thing has changed the look of the hat. Thanks to all of you for giving me the courage to snap a brim! Phil

then you will have a fedora when we are in MontEagle!
Looks super the way you have, after wearing awhile you may decide to leave it that way.

 

[ddcronk]

Hi fellow loungers. I’m looking at a mid 1970s 5X Stetson Open Road. I know that the quality of Stetsons varies wildly with the different eras, so I’m hoping that someone here can attest to that specific combo. It’s a long oval, which is great for me and rare, but I want to make sure I’m not getting a rough cardboard hat, depending on what Stetson was doing in the mid 70s and whatever they decided 5X meant that week.

So - anybody with a 1970s 5X Stetson care to chime in? Thanks for the help.

 

[TPD166]

I have owned a couple of late 60s-70s Open Roads - they were 4X as I recall - the felt on mine were decent and not overly stiff. What I did not like were the lower crowns and pronounced taper - I just did not like they way the looked on me. Of course, the ones I had were cattleman creases. I had one of them re-bashed into a teardrop and that greatly improved the look. Currently I only have ORs from the 50s, except for one modern one in black (which is pretty stiff and suffers from the same low crown/taper application).

 

[hatsRme]

If you like it, run (don't walk) to buy it. They haven't made those in about 40 yrs.

Operative phrase is (always) "if you like it!"

 

[belfastboy]

I have owned a couple of late 60s-70s Open Roads - they were 4X as I recall - the felt on mine were decent and not overly stiff. What I did not like were the lower crowns and pronounced taper - I just did not like they way the looked on me. Of course, the ones I had were cattleman creases. I had one of them re-bashed into a teardrop and that greatly improved the look. Currently I only have ORs from the 50s, except for one modern one in black (which is pretty stiff and suffers from the same low crown/taper application).

I have an OR from the 70's and it is quite stiff but it was rebashed to a teardrop and the hatter may have added stiffener to effect the new bash. I too am not crazy about the low crown. It is an okay hat, heavy on the OK part.

 

[alanfgag]

Are you sure it's from the 1970s?

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Pics??

 

[ddcronk]

Thanks everybody for your replies. Here are some photos from the ad:

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Buy it if the price is right. Even if it’s stiff, with use it will loosen up. It’s a nice hat. It will just get better.
B

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I don’t have the aversion to modern Stetsons like some do. My size has made vintage hats slow going. I actually really like some of the newer hats. I can’t speak to the hat you’re looking at, but I like fedoras that are soft and I like them when they are western stiff. Keep and open mind and jump in.

Brent


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