The Open Road Guild

[Frunobulax]

My application for membership in the Open Road Guild:
View attachment 296653 View attachment 296654 View attachment 296655 View attachment 296656 View attachment 296657 View attachment 296658 View attachment 296659 View attachment 296660 View attachment 296661 View attachment 296662
Based on the liner, keyhole size tag, and price, I’m saying it’s a late 1950’s. The felt is thin and soft, and it required steam to hold the crease I have in it. Brim is 2 3/4”, crown is roughly 5 1/8” open. It has let me know that these are my preferred hat dimensions.

Nice pick-up, Snowman! Gotta admit, C102 is an unusual block for an OR.

 

[Rmccamey]

If it says OR, it must be an OR. Very nice. My first and one of my best is an RD OR.

My application for membership in the Open Road Guild:
View attachment 296653 View attachment 296654 View attachment 296655 View attachment 296656 View attachment 296657 View attachment 296658 View attachment 296659 View attachment 296660 View attachment 296661 View attachment 296662
Based on the liner, keyhole size tag, and price, I’m saying it’s a late 1950’s. The felt is thin and soft, and it required steam to hold the crease I have in it. Brim is 2 3/4”, crown is roughly 5 1/8” open. It has let me know that these are my preferred hat dimensions.

 

[Snowman]

Nice pick-up, Snowman! Gotta admit, C102 is an unusual block for an OR.

Thanks. I’m enjoying it. Tell me more about the block code and why this one is unusual.

 

[Frunobulax]

Thanks. I’m enjoying it. Tell me more about the block code and why this one is unusual.

Well, apparently not as unusual as I thought. I did a cursory review of this thread, and though there aren't too many references, there are more references to the 102 block than I thought. I own three ORs, though none have block numbers on the re-order tags. My wife's 3X OR has block C(something)42, the (something) is either a 5 or 6, I think, but is faded. I had mistakenly thought that ORs most commonly came with a 122 block (which is a Playboy block, for one).

While not very helpful with ORs - I didn't look real hard - here is a thread which attempts to categorize Stetson block numbers: https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/stetson-block-profile-numbers.62324/

 

[Bamaboots]

Well, apparently not as unusual as I thought. I did a cursory review of this thread, and though there aren't too many references, there are more references to the 102 block than I thought. I own three ORs, though none have block numbers on the re-order tags. My wife's 3X OR has block C(something)42, the (something) is either a 5 or 6, I think, but is faded. I had mistakenly thought that ORs most commonly came with a 122 block (which is a Playboy block, for one).

While not very helpful with ORs - I didn't look real hard - here is a thread which attempts to categorize Stetson block numbers: https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/stetson-block-profile-numbers.62324/

This discussion got me curious and since it started over an RD OR, I peeked behind my only RD OR. I haven’t looked at any of the others.

 

[carouselvic]

Me too

 

[Frunobulax]

This discussion got me curious and since it started over an RD OR, I peeked behind my only RD OR. I haven’t looked at any of the others.

View attachment 296889

Thanks, Greg. I wonder what the letters mean.

 

[Frunobulax]

Me too

And?

 

[Bamaboots]

Thanks, Greg. I wonder what the letters mean.

And?

My questions as well.

 

[carouselvic]

RD


25


3X

 

[Snowman]

Well, apparently not as unusual as I thought. I did a cursory review of this thread, and though there aren't too many references, there are more references to the 102 block than I thought. I own three ORs, though none have block numbers on the re-order tags. My wife's 3X OR has block C(something)42, the (something) is either a 5 or 6, I think, but is faded. I had mistakenly thought that ORs most commonly came with a 122 block (which is a Playboy block, for one).

While not very helpful with ORs - I didn't look real hard - here is a thread which attempts to categorize Stetson block numbers: https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/stetson-block-profile-numbers.62324/

Thanks for the thread reference. It was quite informative and interesting, but it really didn’t shed any light on the 102 block question. I hadn’t paid much attention to the block numbers before, but now I need to go back and look and some of my unnamed Stetsons and see what they are.

 

[rclark]

RDOR

?

 

[jlee562]

3x


862? 822?

 

[Bamaboots]

R

3X

I have another 3X, a few years earlier than the other, that has the onion skin covered LD liner and white production tag but sweat has obliterated the numbers but for a slight 1 that can be read in the blocking space. My 50’s, likely later in the decade, 7X CB OR has no production info within.

 

[rclark]

Royal Stetson

 

[Rmccamey]

Perhaps I can confuse things even more. This is the Wholesale tag in my 3X OR. The hat does not have a separate block or reorder tag. My hat has a wind trolley and a keyhole size tag and a 2 inch brown sweat. As you can see, the block number is nothing close to 101 or 102.

 

[rclark]

Stetson 25 OR

 

[PDXHAT]

Here's a pic of me from the 90s putting an Open Road to good use.

Now, a question: I have always felt that the proper color for an Open Road is Silverbelly. But lately, with the gloomy weather here in Portland, I've been hankering for a black 6x Open Road. However, I don't want to make the same mistake I made in 1983 when at the age of 29 I thought the best color for my first Burberry was navy blue. (It wasn't, a mistake I corrected, eventually.)

So: where do y'all come down on color for an Open Road? Is anything but Silverberry another Navy Burberry?

 

[BobHufford]

So: where do y'all come down on color for an Open Road? Is anything but Silverberry another Navy Burberry?

Cool pic! Welcome to the lounge.

I have not met a color of Open Road that I didn't like. A Silver Belly is a "must have", but I would love to have other colors as well.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Here's a pic of me from the 90s putting an Open Road to good use.

Now, a question: I have always felt that the proper color for an Open Road is Silverbelly. But lately, with the gloomy weather here in Portland, I've been hankering for a black 6x Open Road. However, I don't want to make the same mistake I made in 1983 when at the age of 29 I thought the best color for my first Burberry was navy blue. (It wasn't, a mistake I corrected, eventually.)

So: where do y'all come down on color for an Open Road? Is anything but Silverberry another Navy Burberry?
View attachment 297381

Ahh...the vintage black unicorn Open Road would be just dandy i believe.
Welcome to the lounge, enjoy.
B