The Open Road Guild

[Tony in Tarzana]

On the (Open) Road Again!

My Open Road has arrived! My new digital camera hasn't yet, but should soon.

It has the brown sweatband with an ornate "John B. Stetson Company 4X Beaver" logo on one side, "Stubbs, Ardmore Okla" on the other, and "The Open Road" at the front. The "The" is in script, and there are the chevron or arrow shaped designs after "the" and, facing the other direction, before the "Open."

The felt is in pretty darn good shape, no holes and only two small marks. It's in need of re-shaping, though. I may just make the acquaintance of Art Fawcett to that end. It'll give me an excuse to check out his work first-hand.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Old hat, new camera

Click on the thumbnail for a larger picture...

 

[jamespowers]

Click on the thumbnail for a larger picture...

I think you did very well. That is a nice Open Road and looks to be in good shape. I think we can now also be sure it has a decent amount of beaver fur in it as well.
That hat will last a lifetime. :cheers1:

Regards,

J

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Thanks!

Besides the classic style of the hat, what I love about it is the name. "The Open Road" is so evocative of the American West. Just seeing that logo on the sweatband makes me want to get a classic American drop-top and head out on the... well, the Open Road.

 

[tonyb]

How did this thread retreat to the second page?
I recently added two more OR-like lids to the stable--a nice light gray custom job made by some apparently defunct outfit out of Rochester, NY called Circle Hatters (the library there informed me that their most recent listing for Circle Hatters dates from 1972) which set me back 30 bucks; and a silverbelly-ish Dobbs Westward that looks like it'll clean up fine. The Dobbs came in a two-fer deal (with a too-small Champ stingy brim that I'll probably pass along to someone who can use it) for a combined $23.59.
Dobbs Westwards apparently came in varying levels of quality. Another one of mine really ain't much of a hat, but this most recent acquisition is at least mid-range, in my estimation. It's not as nice as the Mallory Dallas (of course), but every bit as good as the older 3X Stetsons, and perhaps a bit better. The felt has a nice feel and the crown hasn't tapered. (Wish I could say that for the other Westward.) And it has one of those faux windstrings.
Anyway, I'll give it a naptha bath tomorrow and stretch it up a tad (it's a tight 7 1/8) and then maybe post some pics.
Let's see, I think that brings the OR (and their ilk) collection to 16, which would be an embarrassment just about anywhere but this joint.
BTW, Tarzana, you heard from Covina John lately?

 

[RBH]

Open Road arrived

Got one of my O R's in from Steve Delk today. He did a wonderful job on cleaning and resizing it.
We are lucky to have Craftsmen like Steve and Art here for us.
Here are a couple of pics. The first is out of the box. Open crowned

<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/2415/hpim00867jo.jpg" border="0" width="401" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

this is with a little shaping from me Dont know why the first pic is so silver looking.. the 2nd is closer to the true color. Maybe I will soon learn to take better pics.


<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/4351/hpim00873ga.jpg" border="0" width="401" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

 

[John in Covina]

No embarrasement

Let's see, I think that brings the OR (and their ilk) collection to 16, which would be an embarrassment just about anywhere but this joint.
BTW, Tarzana, you heard from Covina John lately?

Sounds like a lovely collection and still growing.
fftopic:
Hi all! When it rains it pours, first i had no work now i have 2 jobs. WIth the usual stuff going on and now two jobs i ahve been hard pressed to keep abreast of matters at the Lounge. My day job is for a company that bought an Oil pump rebuilder and has not published a catalog since 1995. I am making a new one for them and this will last until September.

My second is assiting the marketing guys at Laban Pen with "good" English sales type blurbs and descriptions. When we get the next catalog set, I'll be repping the brand on the West Coast and suggesting some new fine writing instrument designs series etc.

Hopefully, we'll get things set and it will calm down for a while.


From the movie "Splash"
"She don't speak no good English!"


On the good side, I am earning money and can expect to get back into the Search for more Fedoras by July.

Sincere best wishes to the Loungers and Loungettes!

 

[tonyb]

Glad to hear you're getting lotsa work in, John. Making money beats not making money. Hope it all makes for a long and comfortable retirement.
RBH, what sort of OR is that? Any guesses as to its vintage?
I'm tempted to send that Circle Hatters custom off to Steve. It fits just fine and it's in very nice condition (good as the day it was made, essentially), but I just can't get it to take a shape that's right for me. And it ain't like I'd go hatless while awaiting its return.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Good to see you back, John. I was wondering where you'd went, as well.

And Tonyb, I tried! I got a sweet little Olympus digital camera and went a bit nuts over the past few days. I'm getting the hang (sort of) of self-portraits, but I need more practice. (and batteries)

 

[RBH]

RBH, what sort of OR is that? Any guesses as to its vintage?
I'm tempted to send that Circle Hatters custom off to Steve. .

If I had to guess I would say early to mid 50s. Although it could be late 40s.
Steve did an great job. He had to replace the sweat and the fit is great.
I had no trouble on shaping it. I just gently re-enforce the crown style when I put it on. It seems to hold it well so far. Of course I'm wearing a straw now that it summer but it seems to hold the shape so far.

 

[Magus]

I recently got this Royal Deluxe Open Road for $8.32. It was listed without a picture so I guess nobody wanted to take a chance. I was the only bidder. It was the sellers fathers hat and dates to the mid 50s. It was listed as having a few moth nibbles so I wasn't surprised when they were there. But the felt is really superb. The sweatband and liner look like new. Since it has some nibbles I'll probably just wear it to work.

I'm the only one at my place of employment with a workforce of around 400 who wears a fedora so I know I won't look like a clone wearing it.

fedoralover

ARRRRRRRGGGG!!!

I can't seem to find one for under $80...and if I am going to pay that much I'll put it in a fund for a Art F. Custom OR.. ...maybe its my fat head? (7 1/2)

SIGH..

Back to the quest.

M

PS...Great hat!

 

[jamespowers]

I can't seem to find one for under $80...and if I am going to pay that much I'll put it in a fund for a Art F. Custom OR.. ...maybe its my fat head? (7 1/2)

Yep, it's your fat head.

Regards,

J

 

[tonyb]

Yep, the new/old Dobbs Westward cleaned up fine

Inside and out

Under the sweatband I found some folded pages from an old Wards catalog, showing stuff like women's cashmere/wool blend coats with fur collars and alpaca/wool blend linings for $17.98, and this price tag

Any guesses as to when this hat retailed for $10 new?

 

[Zach R.]

I have a 7.5 Open Road that I don't wear that often if any of you are interested.

 

[Tommy Fedora]

7.5 Open Road

Hey Zach, I'm interested. I can't seem to find an Open Road for my size 7.5 coconut. Let me know the specifics.
Thanks.

 

[Magus]

Ok...do we have to sign in blood or something?

Because the LONG wait is ended. My Silver Belly Open Road hits the open road on its way to me tomarrow!

M

Lets see...

Now if I can find one in that blue gray.....man oh man!

 

[PutALidOnIt]

Hey, Magus!

Congratulations! You know you may lose that stingy brim affinity with the OR look...tall crowns...wide brims...

You don't have to sign in blood, but since stingies lead to the hard stuff, we may require a warning label:

TRADITIONAL FEDORAS CAN BE ADDICTIVE!

Enjoy, and plz post pics when it comes in!

Still waiting to become a member of the Whippet Whips and the Playboy Presidio...

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Yep, it is. I have an Open Road, but now I want an older one. I find myself obsessed with wind strings, too. Not that I ever use them, but I like seeing them on the hats. I'm up to 3 of them now, one on my Stetson Homburg, one on my Stetson Playboy, and one on my Dobbs stingy. One's on the way on a Stetson pork pie, too.

Now I need an Open Road with a wind string.

 

[DanielJones]

I should be receiving my Open Road today or tomorrow. I can't wait for this day to fly by and get home to see the package waiting for me there.
I have patience for everything but mail order. It just never seems to arive fast enough when the money is put down. Must be that instant gratification nation thing.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[jamespowers]

I should be receiving my Open Road today or tomorrow. I can't wait for this day to fly by and get home to see the package waiting for me there.
I have patience for everything but mail order. It just never seems to arive fast enough when the money is put down. Must be that instant gratification nation thing.

Cheers!

Dan

It must be leftover from when you were a kid. Remember ordering stuff from comics? It took forever too.