The Open Road Guild

[illumin8em]

I'd stretch one from 7 3/8 to 7 1/2 but would never try one from 7 1/8. That is a fairly modern liner & sweatband like Lefty said. You can find more vintage ones if your patient.

I am thinking since 7 1/2 is lightly loose on my head, that I maybe able to stretch it to a wearable size. Would 80$ be a decent price? If not, what would?

thanks for the help fellas,

 

[Lefty]

Moth nibbles + newer model + not your size = don't bother
This is the kind of thing you find at garage/estate sales for under $15. I think that you should let it go and wait for a better one.

 

[gtdean48]

Moth nibbles + newer model + not your size = don't bother
This is the kind of thing you find at garage/estate sales for under $15. I think that you should let it go and wait for a better one.

:arated: I'm with Lefty, call me Pancho, I guess. I sold a 7 1/2 vintage 3X with a few slight moth nibbles for less than that. Keep looking.

 

[Inusuit]

:arated: I'm with Lefty, call me Pancho, I guess. I sold a 7 1/2 vintage 3X with a few slight moth nibbles for less than that. Keep looking.

And a fine hat it is, one of my favorites. Since I'm also a 7 1/2, I feel your pain. But Lefty and gtd are right on. Better vintage ORs show up on Ebay with some regularity, and most go for less than $100 even in good condition. I recently bought an OR 25 for $135. I paid less than $75 for both of my vintage 3X Stetsons. Patience is a virtue.

My experience with stretching hats has not been good. I've tried it on a couple, but they quickly returned to the original size. And in one case, the stretcher slightly deformed the crown. And both of these were hats marked 7 1/2. If you are between sizes, you might have good luck with a 7 3/8. I'd rather start with a hat that was a little too big than one that was a little to small. So maybe you could look for 7 5/8, but then you'd be bidding against gtd.

 

[gtdean48]

... If you are between sizes, you might have good luck with a 7 3/8. I'd rather start with a hat that was a little too big than one that was a little to small...

Good point. I know JtL will get a vintage 7 1/2 sometimes even tho he wears a 7 3/8 because they have drawn in over time. I have a few vintage 7 1/2s that I stretch to shape & size. Again, I'm definitely a Long Oval if not Extra Long Oval, so shaping has always been required to get the right fit. Taking a 7 1/2 up takes time = steam, stretch a little, steam stretch a little, keep the sweatband supple, repeat. Also, you'll need a Hat Jack to keep the shape once you get there between wearings. I even need them for hats that fit to start with from time to time. Order one from Harbor Freight, or maybe a couple....

 

[ScottF]

Royal Stetson Deluxe

Recently acquired this one - I don't know how long before I actually receive it, so I decided to go ahead and post these pics. It's the only bound-brim Open Road 'Royal Stetson Deluxe' I've seen evidence of (digging through the 'Open Road' thread). It has both stamps on the sweatband.

If the ribbon is original, it's probably one of the last wide-ribbons . If the ribbon is not original, it's definitely one of the earliest thin-ribbons. The ribbon appears to not be folded in on the right side (evidence of fraying), which makes me think it is original. Also, it looks white, but the seller indicated it is actually tan.

 

[rlk]

That ribbon could be as old as the hat and still not be from the factory. The frayed edges don't seem too Stetson-like as well as the standard felt color matching thin edge binding typical of thin ribbon OR's.

 

[Lefty]

I saw that one too and had a chat with another Lounger about it. We agreed that it probably isn't original to the hat. Still, it's a nice, big OR.

 

[ScottF]

That ribbon could be as old as the hat and still not be from the factory. The frayed edges don't seem too Stetson-like as well as the standard felt color matching thin edge binding typical of thin ribbon OR's.

All true. On the other hand, given that this hat pre-dates the other thin-ribbon Open Roads we have examples of, and that the previous wide-ribbon Open Roads were all black ribbons like this, it's possible that it was a transition on the first bound-brims, as opposed to transitioning to a wide-ribbon tan-colored ribbon, or a wide-ribbon black with black edge binding.

 

[rlk]

All true. On the other hand, given that this hat pre-dates the other thin-ribbon Open Roads we have examples of, and that the previous wide-ribbon Open Roads were all black ribbons like this, it's possible that it was a transition on the first bound-brims, as opposed to transitioning to a wide-ribbon tan-colored ribbon, or a wide-ribbon black with black edge binding.

Did you check under the sweatband to look at the stitching that holds on the ribbon and or from a previous ribbon?

 

[ScottF]

Did you check under the sweatband to look at the stitching that holds on the ribbon and or from a previous ribbon?

I will when I get it.

 

[rlk]

I will when I get it.

Sorry, I forgot.

 

[ScottF]

Sorry, I forgot.

I held off one ENTIRE day to post about this hat My intent had been to wait until I received it and had a close look; however, I am very impatient and wanted opinions - for instance, I hadn't thought of someone back in the '40s replacing a ribbon immediately.

I was very excited when I saw the sweatband stamping, and confess to purchasing a hat way too big, simply out of historical curiosity. Also, I've had a Whippet, and have a Playboy, both from the early '40s, with a similar liner design, so if this hat originally had a thin ribbon, then thin ribbon Open Roads have been around a bit longer than 1948 (I don't think that's likely). Take a look at the liner and let me know what you think.

Just things to think about. The main thing is that I hope I can put it on my head without it slipping over my ears.

 

[rlk]

The main thing is that I hope I can put it on my head without it slipping over my ears.

That just makes it better for the winter.

 

[RBH]

While its a super looking hat... I did not think the wide ribbon Open Roads had a bound edge.
The ''new'' Open Roads were so different from the older model , it had a bound edge and thin ribbon.
I will have to look through my ads to see what I find.

While I no longer have it {I have sold 3 Open Roads [sold this one to Scotrace I think] I had a Open Road thin ribbon with this same stamp on the sweat.

 

[ScottF]

While its a super looking hat... I did not think the wide ribbon Open Roads had a bound edge.
The ''new'' Open Roads were so different from the older model , it had a bound edge and thin ribbon.
I will have to look through my ads to see what I find.

I agree - that is definitely what we know so far.

While I no longer have it {I have sold 3 Open Roads [sold this one to Scotrace I think] I had a Open Road thin ribbon with this same stamp on the sweat.

Right, there's nothing unusual about this particular 'Open Road' stamp on the sweatband - what's odd is seeing ANY 'Open Road' stamp on the same sweatband as the 'Royal Stetson Deluxe' stamping.

 

[Lefty]

I don't think that's going to get this too far. The reeded sweat says mid to late 40s at best, the script Open Road isn't there, and the edge binding is there. The wide ribbon could certainly have been applied by the original retailer, but I'm doubting that it came from the factory.

Here's my 25 and 7x. Both the sweat and liner on yours are earlier, but the The Open Road markings look the same to me.

 

[Lefty]

I agree - that is definitely what we know so far.



Right, there's nothing unusual about this particular 'Open Road' stamp on the sweatband - what's odd is seeing ANY 'Open Road' stamp on the same sweatband as the 'Royal Stetson Deluxe' stamping.

OK. I didn't see your edit when I was posting. Interesting.

 

[ScottF]

OK. I didn't see your edit when I was posting. Interesting.

I was starting to think that I was talking in Cavanagh....or maybe even Scala.

I think everyone was so set on believing that this ribbon isn't original to the hat, that they ignored the main point here - the sweatband is something new.

If the sweatband stamp combination had been the same as others I'd seen posted here, then I would be looking for a certain ribbon/brim combination as well. But it wasn't, and I'm not.

 

[RBH]

The earliest Open Road Royal Stetson Deluxe ad I found was from 1948.
And it was the thin ribbon.

Here is a good one from 1949.