Open Road dating guidelines?

[Wayfarer]

Are there any dating guidelines for Stetson Open Road's?

3X? 4X? Royal Stetson? Open Road on the sweatband?

etc?

Thanks

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Good luck!

Tough assignment for sure.

.

 

[warbird]

No one dates my Open Road. Now I'd suggest datng at least a 20 year old. Don't move too fast or put it on the head too quickly. Any open road wearer should already be a gentleman, I shouldn't have to say it.

 

[Pilgrim]

The only information I can share is the strong impression that Stetson changed from brown to black sweatbands somewhere around 1970. That's also about the time OR felt tended to get stiffer. I therefore have a preference for ORs with brown sweatbands.

Other than that, the only general ideas I can share are to look for price tags, or for models such as "Twenty-Five", "Fifty", etc.

Perhaps others will offer more detail.

 

[Stoney]

I also received an email from Hatco, Stetson, that it has been over 35 years since they used the X's on sweatbands for any of their hats.

 

[Rick Blaine]

Yeah, but

I also received an email from Hatco, Stetson, that it has been over 35 years since they used the X's on sweatbands for any of their hats.

I have a Stetson "James Dean_The Rebel" model dated 1986 w/ a XXXX designation...[huh]

 

[GentlemanFarmer]

Flying too high

Hey guys, I think Warbird was flying at too high an altitude and forgot to put on his oxygen. I talked like that in the altitude chamber at 20,000 feet.

 

[GentlemanFarmer]

Back on subject

Wouldn't it be great to sit down with someone from Stetson/Hatco and get an OR timeline and keep it here?

 

[Bebop]

I also received an email from Hatco, Stetson, that it has been over 35 years since they used the X's on sweatbands for any of their hats.

I have many Stetsons with X's on the sweatbands that are fairly new, including an Open Road that is a couple of years old.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Wouldn't it be great to sit down with someone from Stetson/Hatco and get an OR timeline and keep it here?

Somehow, I doubt that even Stetson/Hatco still has the archives to do that.

.

 

[Stoney]

I have a Stetson "James Dean_The Rebel" model dated 1986 w/ a XXXX designation...[huh]

Well, there nothing as consistant as inconsistancy. Hatco does not seem to be the sharpest at record keeping. From their email...

" This hat looks like a style called the Hampton (style # TF33102223.HMPTB-R) which we have been making since 2003. We no longer make the Hampton, but this is a common style. It has a "crows foot" crease on the crown. In asking around I found out that we have not listed X quality in dress hats in over 35 years. So your hat is over 35 years old. I apologize I was not able to find an exact date for you. Again thank you for wearing Stetson hats"


fftopic:

Not an Open Road, Actually unknown as to what this is. It looks a bit like a Whippet to me.
The above email was in responce to the below photos of a Stetson with no model name in the hatband. I'm guessing that is was made sometime in the 50's, based on the liner logo and the clear plastic in the liner as well as the round size tag, which reads "7/8" rather than 6 7/8 as modern tags do. Any other ideas on dating this one or having seen one like it before?

 

[Bruce A. Fulmer]

Dating Hats

Hi Warbird,
Since your avatar is F4U, I guess comments about dating is appropriate.
I've never possesed Ms Road, but her cousins Miss Resistol (she has kitten-like skin), Stevens (she's from the other side of the tracks), and Dobbs Westward (she's only 20 and says so) are quite nice and bear a strong family resemblance to Ms Road.