The Open Road Guild

[deadlyhandsome]

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3X Beaver in an uncommon color - it is a light brown, maybe fawn?
2 3/4“ brim, 5 1/4” open crown.
The sweatband and liner ink are faded, but the felt is without blemish. The sweatband is supple, but the stitching is iffy in spots.
All indications are mid-1950s.

Was the open crown height really only 5 ¼ inches? Seems pretty low for a 1950s OR, but I could be very wrong.
Great Looking hat in fantastic shape. Good find.

 

[carouselvic]

3X Beaver in an uncommon color - it is a light brown, maybe fawn?
2 3/4“ brim, 5 1/4” open crown.
The sweatband and liner ink are faded, but the felt is without blemish. The sweatband is supple, but the stitching is iffy in spots.
All indications are mid-1950s.

Here is mine, I think the color is the same as yours. I think you are spot on with a mid-50’s date.

 

[Snowman]

Here is mine, I think the color is the same as yours. I think you are spot on with a mid-50’s date. View attachment 475877

Twins! Is that color fawn? Yours looks to be in a bit better shape on the inside. I’m really pleased with this one.

Was the open crown height really only 5 ¼ inches? Seems pretty low for a 1950s OR, but I could be very wrong.
Great Looking hat in fantastic shape. Good find.

Thanks, Brent. I may be off a bit; I measured in a hurry. It may be closer to 5 1/2. Now I have to go back and check…

 

[Snowman]

My newest acquisition showed up today, this 3X OR is in great shape. A 7 1/2 LO fits me much better than the regular oval. I think my new OR is older than the one I bought before but someone can correct me if I'm mistaken. They crown seems a little taller than my other OR. I put a quick Cattleman crease in by hand but I'm not sure how it'll end up yet.
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That’s a great find in beautiful condition!

 

[StoryPNW]

That’s a great find in beautiful condition!

Thank you very much, it's one of my favorite hats in my small collection.

 

[BCTTU]

Here is mine, I think the color is the same as yours. I think you are spot on with a mid-50’s date. View attachment 475877

That is a beautiful hat. I'd love to fine something like this is caribou or peacock. I live the triple pinch in the c-crown. I've got a Roadster that is similar to this. Can this be done with any Open Road?

 

[carouselvic]

I don’t know anything about modern Stetson hats.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

That is a beautiful hat. I'd love to fine something like this is caribou or peacock. I live the triple pinch in the c-crown. I've got a Roadster that is similar to this. Can this be done with any Open Road?

Are you talking about the diamond crown shape? Vintage felt behaves a lot differently than what Stetson is currently making. Even the Royal DeLuxe and Pure line (100% beaver) don’t mold and shape like a mid-1950s or earlier 3X Beaver. You can cajole the modern felt into a similar basic shape with water and/or steam and simple tools, but I’ve never been satisfied with my efforts to re-shape a modern Open Road. Others might have been more successful.

Even in the 1950s Stetson et al were in steep decline and some of the felt of that time has disappointed me. Then again, I’ve recently been very pleasantly surprised by the quality of a 1960s hat. The even more recent felt has its place in my rotation, but it’s an entirely different animal than the earlier felt.

 

[BCTTU]

Thanks for educating me. My Roadster is DeLuxe and has the diamond crown shape. Of course, I've not tried to do anything else with it, and don't plan to. I like it just the way it is. Makes sense what you're saying about the OR hats not being as mailable. I saw a guy bring one in to the Hatco outlet when I was there a couple of weeks ago. He basically wanted it reshaped like a Stratoliner. It was a fairly new OR. Once they guy got done with it, it looked good, but you could still see the lines from when it was shaped like an OR. I honestly don't know why he didn't just go get a Strat off the rack and have 2 hats. There were plenty in his size that they could've cleaned up really nice for him. It came out looking good, though.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Thanks for educating me. My Roadster is DeLuxe and has the diamond crown shape. Of course, I've not tried to do anything else with it, and don't plan to. I like it just the way it is. Makes sense what you're saying about the OR hats not being as mailable. I saw a guy bring one in to the Hatco outlet when I was there a couple of weeks ago. He basically wanted it reshaped like a Stratoliner. It was a fairly new OR. Once they guy got done with it, it looked good, but you could still see the lines from when it was shaped like an OR. I honestly don't know why he didn't just go get a Strat off the rack and have 2 hats. There were plenty in his size that they could've cleaned up really nice for him. It came out looking good, though.

The reason to use the OR and not the Strat is the brim width. For me, the 2 ½” wide brim of the Strat is just too small. I think it looks great in the smaller sizes, but on my huge head I definitely prefer more brim width. Rather than working with a production hat that requires compromises, I’ve given up on modern production hats and have gone the custom route. I can get a custom hat made for close to, sometimes less than, the cost of a new Stetson etc.

Now vintage hats offers their own advantages and completing attributes.

 

[dkstott]

Thanks for educating me. My Roadster is DeLuxe and has the diamond crown shape. Of course, I've not tried to do anything else with it, and don't plan to. I like it just the way it is. Makes sense what you're saying about the OR hats not being as mailable. I saw a guy bring one in to the Hatco outlet when I was there a couple of weeks ago. He basically wanted it reshaped like a Stratoliner. It was a fairly new OR. Once they guy got done with it, it looked good, but you could still see the lines from when it was shaped like an OR. I honestly don't know why he didn't just go get a Strat off the rack and have 2 hats. There were plenty in his size that they could've cleaned up really nice for him. It came out looking good, though.

I love my Roadster. But I dumped the leather trim and replaced it with a ribbon hat band.

It's gotten soft enough after several years of wearing that it'll easily accept a center crease.. I tend to go with a diamond crease now.

 

[Mighty44]

I love my Roadster. But I dumped the leather trim and replaced it with a ribbon hat band.

It's gotten soft enough after several years of wearing that it'll easily accept a center crease.. I tend to go with a diamond crease now.

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Huge improvement!

 

[M Hatman]

For the Guild

Back to OR's.....

My mid-late 50's OR Twenty-Five.....more here: https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-official-stetson-25-thread.54458/post-2968536

 

[dkstott]

For the Guild

Back to OR's.....

My mid-late 50's OR Twenty-Five.....more here: https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-official-stetson-25-thread.54458/post-2968536

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I apologize for side tracking the topic.

 

[M Hatman]

I apologize for side tracking the topic.

No problem...I did enjoy seeing what you did with your Roadster.....

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I try my damndest to stay out of this BS & leave it to the expert on all things hat. And maybe it depends on when & where you grew up. Regardless of grade or ribbon width, the OR was worn by & designated the difference between the working cowboy & the ranch owner when he conducted his business or went to town. Harry S Truman, Dwight D Eisenhower & Lyndon B Johnson were all cattle barons before they entered politics & the White House, & are all known for their OR’s regardless of how they creased them. The ranchers of East Texas created their own crease known as the Hemphill OR for their own recognition. Anyone wearing their OR in a snap brim today wouldn’t know the difference between beef cattle & dairy cows.

The OR & the Western hat are just a few of the truly American icons we have left. I have worked & traveled wearing mine & have always felt a sense of pride when called “Hey Cowboy“ or ”Tex“ when out of country. If I was Australian I would feel the same way about Outback hats & Akubra. Don’t be so quick to give away American icons whether they are of your tastes or not. Wear your Stratoliner instead.

 

[M Hatman]

Jack,

Eisenhower was regular army, Truman wore his in a pinch. Stetson themselves introduced the OR as a snap brim fedora with a pinch crown (and I am NOT talking the 1937 Fedora)......we even have some of the 40's ads in this very thread. Both presidents wore a camber fedora when in Washington and on "official Business". Many wore OR's with a simple center crease as well.......the wider brim and taller crown work better than a Strat...especially with the taller open crown block back then.

It was later with LBJ when Stetson was turning out stiff brim, shorter rancher creased crowns when they really could not be worn any other way that you see that as THE way a Open Road is worn.

YES, the OR is a unique Fedora/Western Cross over but was worn many different ways.......with its shallow flange is is quite suitable as a snap brim especially in a "soft" configuration. Not all were made with stiff brims......

Sorry you are offended.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Eisenhower was regular army, Truman wore his in a pinch.

Sorry Mark, but Eisenhower grew up at Abilene, KS which was a railhead end point for some of the cattle trails to ship to market. His ancestors & he were in the cattle business growing up long before he became “regular Army”. They saved money by being just outside the railhead.

Truman married into a farming family. When he took over he lost his shirt farming. He turned the farm into a cattle operation to keep from losing it.

 

[M Hatman]

Sorry Mark, but Eisenhower grew up at Abilene, KS which was a railhead end point for some of the cattle trails to ship to market. His ancestors & he were in the cattle business growing up long before he became “regular Army”. They saved money by being just outside the railhead.

Ummmmm......OK.

Family roots started in Germany Eisenhauer (German for "iron hewer/miner") ending up in York Pennsylvania in 1741. The family became primarily sustenance farmers but providing enough income to provide subsequent generations a good education.

Not everyone who lives in Abilene was a cowboy or cattleman. Eisenhower and the family lived on 4th street in town.

His father was a college educated engineer who left Pennsylvania and started a general store in Hope Kansas which failed due to the economic depression of the time, moving to Texas for three years then back to Kansas and Abilene where he worked as a railroad mechanic until ending up at a creamery.



Here is a picture of the Eisenhower boys in 1902......Hardly cattlemen. They all became educated professionals, Bankers, Lawyers, Pharmacist, Army.

Camping Smoky Hill River

Here is a link for some more on the brothers: https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/sites/default/files/2019-06/62_318_0.jpg

The Father AND the Boys worked at a Creamery all through their High School education (Bell Springs Creamery). Ike was working there until 1911 when he was admitted to West Point.

The whole of his adult life was spent in the Military, 1911-1952 (being President of the US for a short stint of 8 years). Then in 1961 he was restored to active duty at which he apparently (I cannot find any evidence of him resigning this second time) remained the until his death in 1969. During this same time he resided at the Gettysburg Farm but also kept residence in Washington and was quite active traveling for various duties.

There is NO evidence of a family history of anything to do with cattle or ranching I could find.

Sources: National Archives; Eisenhower Presidential Library Boyhood Home and Museum; IKE Eisenhower Foundation; Americas Navy; and lastly cross checking Wikipedia (which is never to be entirely trusted).

Truman married into a farming family. When he took over he lost his shirt farming. He turned the farm into a cattle operation to keep from losing it.

The farm was his fathers......

Truman had an established well paid banking job in 1905 ($100 a month) when his father asked him to quit to help on the family FARM. He in fact SAVED the family farm working for 11 years well past his fathers death (1914) only leaving the farm when his regiment was called into Federal service (1917) when America entered WW1 (He was a reservist since 1905).

GREAT article here: https://www.morningagclips.com/courting-cussing-mules-and-common-sense-harry-s-trumans-farm-years-2/

AND Back to Open Roads: from Western Stockman Outfitters from 1953-54 and OR and a Twenty-Five with snapped brims.

And two "Sovereign's"

AND from Miller Stockman 1959......

There are ads from the 40's showing them with the front pinch (like Truman wore). Ads for regular men's shops (not western stores) especially advertised them as fedoras. So....the OR has always been a thin ribbon cross-over Fedora/Western since it's introduction in the common configuration (not the 1937 wide ribbon Fedora).

 

[BCTTU]

Very good point. I hadn't considered the brim width in changing the crown of an OR to that of a Strat. There is a quarter inch difference. That would make a big difference, for sure.