Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

The County Recycled My Sixties Open Road

Atticus Finch

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,718
Location
Coastal North Carolina, USA
Hi Johnny,

Indeed! But, first, I need to steam it into the shape I like. I have to "flatten" the brims of my ORs in the front and back so that the sides curl up a bit. Experience has taught me that I look goofy(er) in hats that have even slightly upturned front brims. Also, this steaming and flattening process lets me gently elongate the hat to better fit my long oval head.

For a long time I thought that ORs remaind unchanged throughout their history. I was wrong. This hat is slightly smaller than my 'fifties ORs and my modern OR...even though its tagged a size larger than any of them. When I say smaller, I mean that it has a slightly smaller brim and a slightly lower crown. I guess if it were a flight jacket, I would describe it as having a trim cut as compared to my other Open Roads.

AF
 

jwalls

Vendor
Messages
741
Location
Las Vegas
I am glad to hear that tax monies are being spent for something of value.:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap
 

Atticus Finch

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,718
Location
Coastal North Carolina, USA
Here's some photos of the 'sixties or 'seventies OR the county bought for me. I'm thinking it may become my most worn hat. A size 7 3/4 LO...it fits like a modern 7 5/8.

Picture004-2.jpg


Picture014-1.jpg


Picture007-1.jpg


AF
 

J.B.

Practically Family
Messages
677
Location
Hollywood
Wow! Congratulations! That IS a fine one! :cool2:

Looks like you ended up with a real beauty! :)

All's Well That Ends Well?!
 

illumin8em

A-List Customer
Messages
396
Location
Oregon
.
Very nice hat, and HD-28.


Atticus Finch said:
Here's some photos of the 'sixties or 'seventies OR the county bought for me. I'm thinking it may become my most worn hat. A size 7 3/4 LO...it fits like a modern 7 5/8.


Picture014-1.jpg


AF
 

Atticus Finch

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,718
Location
Coastal North Carolina, USA
Thanks for the replies, all.

I wish I could accurately date my hat. I've read every scrap of information about vintage Stetsons that I can find...here and elsewhere...trying to decipher some common scheme or pattern to go by. Sadly, there seem to be many variables and even more opinions about what those variables indicate. I wish Stetsons could be more like vintage flight jackets. With them, you just look for the contract number and there's your date.

Anyhow, here are a few clues.

My hat has a black, square size tag but no metric size number. ('sixties-'eighties?)

My hat has a black, narrow sweatband with a gold line at the top. ('sixties-'seventies? I've never been able to pinpoint exactly when brown sweatbands changed to black and when they changed back to brown, again.)

My hat has a "diamond" liner. ('sixties-'seventies?)

My hat is "four-X" beaver. (Modern? My older ORs are three-X.)

My hat is tagged as long-oval and it says that it is a long oval on the size tag. There isn't a seperate "long-oval" tag as is the case with my older hats. (I've no clue when stock long-ovals were discontinued.)

My hat is marked "The Open Road". (That, also, seems to have been discontinued, but when?)

On another note (and please pardon the pun), my HD-28 is a 2009 model. I bought it last October.

AF
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,154
Messages
3,075,194
Members
54,124
Latest member
usedxPielt
Top