The Open Road Guild

[FurFeltFedora]

Thanks for the info gents, much appreciated. I keep an eye on Ebay, but I'm a 7 3/8 LO and the last couple of Open Roads in that size went for nearly $400. Well beyond what I'm willing to pay. I'll keep watching though

 

[Atticus Finch]

Thanks for the info gents, much appreciated. I keep an eye on Ebay, but I'm a 7 3/8 LO and the last couple of Open Roads in that size went for nearly $400. Well beyond what I'm willing to pay. I'll keep watching though

Yes, I agree! I would have to be buying LBJ's OR for me to part with four-hundred bucks!

Honestly, I've been paying around a hundred USD for the ones I've bought in the last year or so. I bought this one most recently and paid $123.00 plus shipping. Its a 3X "unmarked" OR, in great condition from (I'm guessing) the 1950s.

AF

 

[FurFeltFedora]

Well Atticus I can only hope I'm as lucky as you. $150 US is fine, but man, these things have been getting expensive.

 

[gtdean48]

Thanks for the info gents, much appreciated. I keep an eye on Ebay, but I'm a 7 3/8 LO and the last couple of Open Roads in that size went for nearly $400. Well beyond what I'm willing to pay. I'll keep watching though

Those had to be either 100 or 7X Clear Beaver Open Roads to bring that kind of price. I've only gone over $200 for a Stetson 25 OR style & that was with a very nice box included. I've bought 2 OR styled Resistols for my brother in 7 3/8 for under $100 for both.

 

[JohnnyB53]

Those had to be either 100 or 7X Clear Beaver Open Roads to bring that kind of price. I've only gone over $200 for a Stetson 25 OR style & that was with a very nice box included.....

For $230 new, a 6X Peters Brothers Shady Oaks might make a good alternative.

Surprisingly, a quick look at eBay revealed that a lot of vintage ORs in good condition with supple sweatband and lining intact, up to 7-1/4 at least, often go for $50 or less, though the shipping charges are often outsized a bit. Still, many come in under $80 including shipping. I may have to look into a '50s-'60s at that price.

 

[Justdog]

OR

Thanks for the info gents, much appreciated. I keep an eye on Ebay, but I'm a 7 3/8 LO and the last couple of Open Roads in that size went for nearly $400. Well beyond what I'm willing to pay. I'll keep watching though

I have a 3x vintage OR that I do not wear as it is too big for me. Excellent condition great felt, pliable not stiff, fedora bash not cattleman. No moth bites no odors . The only issue it had was the wind button was missing. Reg oval, same circumference. Looks exactly like the one AF posted above.

 

[ScottF]

Interesting. I also have two 3 X "Open Roads". One is marked "The Open Road" at the front of the sweat. The other just has "XXX" on the sweat. Both of my XXX ORs seem older than my Sovereign. They both have wide, light-brown sweat bands and their felt is much softer. They also have tan, round, size tags.

AF

I picked up one the other day that sounds similar to yours - 3x with tan round size tag, and it says "Open Road" on the sweatband. This is the best pic I have at the moment, but I would guess late '40s except for the liner - can we date more closely based on this liner?

ebay Stetson Open Road

 

[gtdean48]

I picked up one the other day that sounds similar to yours - 3x with tan round size tag, and it says "Open Road" on the sweatband. This is the best pic I have at the moment, but I would guess late '40s except for the liner - can we date more closely based on this liner?

ebay Stetson Open Road

It looks like the embroidered "last drop" which they stopped using in the 50's. You could be right with late 40's/early 50's.

 

[carouselvic]

The embroidery "Last Drop" liner was still used well into the 60's, if not completely through the Philly production.

 

[gtdean48]

The embroidery "Last Drop" liner was still used well into the 60's, if not completely through the Philly production.

Thanks Victor, I stand corrected as I thought it was discontinued late 50's.

 

[ScottF]

The embroidery "Last Drop" liner was still used well into the 60's, if not completely through the Philly production.

Thanks guys. Victor - just found your post on this over in the "Dating a Vintage Stetson by Liner" thread; however, no one followed it up with any information on dating. Any idea as to the age of your hat?

 

[carouselvic]

Not sure which hat you are referring to.




The hat with the oil silk liner is the oldest. Late 40's-1952. Clear plastic came next. The 7X on the end is the newest. The plastic had changed to a softer more pliable type.
(the only open road here is the one with the replaced sweat)

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

So what's the story on the ones with the embroidered liner art but no plastic or oil cloth covering at all? The old 7X I recently obtained has the same liner as yours, Vic, but with no evidence whatever of any covering over the art. I'm guessing that's early '40s??... [huh]

 

[ScottF]

So what's the story on the ones with the embroidered liner art but no plastic or oil cloth covering at all? The old 7X I recently obtained has the same liner as yours, Vic, but with no evidence whatever of any covering over the art. I'm guessing that's early '40s??... [huh]

Gene - that's the info I've been trying to get at as well. Mine appears to be embroidered, no cover, round tan size tag. When I get it (hopefully today), I guess if I have a hunchback beaver, then I know it's post-1952?

As long as it's got the soft felt I've seen in other 3x Stetsons, it's a success - just thought it would be good to nail down a date-range for future reference.

 

[carouselvic]

There have been lots of variants on this liner. Some used the word Beaver stitched on it as well. Bottom line is I don't know for sure.

 

[carouselvic]

Gene - that's the info I've been trying to get at as well. Mine appears to be embroidered, no cover, round tan size tag. When I get it (hopefully today), I guess if I have a hunchback beaver, then I know it's post-1952?

As long as it's got the soft felt I've seen in other 3x Stetsons, it's a success - just thought it would be good to nail down a date-range for future reference.

The seller gave the dates of 1949 or 1950 on the hat you bought. She had a pretty good reference date, the owner died in 1951.

 

[ScottF]

Not sure which hat you are referring to.




The hat with the oil silk liner is the oldest. Late 40's-1952. Clear plastic came next. The 7X on the end is the newest. The plastic had changed to a softer more pliable type.
(the only open road here is the one with the replaced sweat)

Thanks Victor - my post was regarding an embroidered "last drop" 3x Stetson. I would have thought that liner was only used on Open Roads and westerns, but apparently it was somewhat random. Also seems like there must have been a period where it was random whether a not the liner had the oilskin covering - maybe it was an option?

I also wonder if there were Open Roads produced at the same time that had exactly the same characteristics as one another, except some had "last drop" liners while others had the beaver/bird logo.

(I don't have any answers - just throwing questions out there for those of you who have handled more of these).

 

[ScottF]

The seller gave the dates of 1949 or 1950 on the hat you bought. She had a pretty good reference date, the owner died in 1951.

True, but given the beat-up condition of the mode edge, it could be older - no reason for the seller to assume that the owner bought the hats a year or two before passing away - that would be odd family history to be passing down.

Also, the Open Road appears to have the hunchback beaver logo, meaning post-1952, but I'll confirm when it arrives this week. 60 years is a long time to maintain history of a clothing item.

 

[carouselvic]

I also wonder if there were Open Roads produced at the same time that had exactly the same characteristics as one another, except some had "last drop" liners while others had the beaver/bird logo.

QUOTE]

I believe they were produced simultaneously.

 

[carouselvic]

True, but given the beat-up condition of the mode edge, it could be older - no reason for the seller to assume that the owner bought the hats a year or two before passing away - that would be odd family history to be passing down.

Also, the Open Road appears to have the hunchback beaver logo, meaning post-1952, but I'll confirm when it arrives this week. 60 years is a long time to maintain history of a clothing item.

I agree totally, my point was that it was not made after 1951.
I was asked to give an appraisal on a stoneware churn for a family. They had a hand written letter from a family member stating when the churn was purchased. I was able to show them the articles of incorporation for that manufacturer. Their family date was 20 years before the incorporation took place, but their was no convincing them aunt so and so was wrong.