The Open Road Guild

[Dinerman]

It's a Canadian made one which makes dating it a bit more difficult.

Interesting to note, though it doesn't help to date it- The "Open Road" lettering is in the same script which appears on the American mid '30s wide ribbon, stitched brim version, but is executed differently, and the sweatband leather is different from what they used then.

It looks like the crest features a leaf instead of stars in the upper right hand corner, which seems to point to a date after 1952 or so.

So I'd say about 1952 to 1957 as a tentative date. Probably towards the earlier end of that.

 

[yanito]

It was definately bought in Winnipeg. It needs a good cleaning though. There's nowhere here that cleans hats. The lining is sweat stained, and there's a sweat mark on the crown. What's the best way to clean this?

 

[marvelgoose]

Also, some help in dating this would be very much appreciated. The seller said 1950s, but I'm not entirely convinced. Unfortunately, I'm also thoroughly awful at dating Stetsons, so I need some help from you fine fellers.

I have one almost exactly like it and the purchase ticket was dated 1989

 

[ScottF]

Well, I now have pictures (in Dr. Evil voice) "This is what I like to call a DI-SAS-TER"

Bwahaha...Bwahahaha!!! (Scott isn't laughing)

I tried to put on the hat, and it felt like a size 7 (it's tagged 7 1/4 long oval). Given that this and the other hat I bought along with it were both tagged 7 1/4 long oval, both were owned by the same person, and both had the same pre-1952 Stetson logos, I was mystified. So...I tried harder to put it on...SNAP!!! The sweat busted loose from the hat. So I removed it and it looks like the leather itself IS 7 1/4, but the plastic that it's sewn to is smaller. Also, the sew job to the hat itself was horrid. The sweatband had obviously been re-sewn back to the hat, and the ribbon and wind cord weren't attached correctly either.

As if the above wasn't enough, the reeding had corroded horribly where the sweat was sewn together, and bled through to the top of the hat.

I removed the sweatband altogether, so here's what I now have:

The hat body actually looks pretty good.

Well, this hat was unwearable as received, so I removed the sweatband and ribbon, tried cleaning with no luck, and sent to J W Hats with instructions to replace the ribbon with a wider one in the same color. The following shows the results - the ribbon shown was the widest he had in that color, and he picked the sweatband color himself. I think he did a very good job, although I had assumed the new ribbon would get the traditional bow treatment....so I was surprised at first, but it has grown on me. He got out some of the green, but this being my 'long walk in the hot sun by the water' hat, I'm not so concerned - the 3x felt is fantastic. And JW is VERY reasonable priced and friendly.

 

[RBH]

Damn that looks good!
Love a thin ribbon but love a great looking hat also! This is a great looking hat! Unique bow treatment!
Reminds me of Tom Deans hat form Mike Moore at Buckaroo Hatters.

 

[Dinerman]

Scott-
Those old plastic layers have a nasty habit of shrinking up. Best solution is just to cut them clean out. I've done it on several hats with no ill affects. It usually doesn't actually shrink the leather.

One of the reasons I wear almost exclusively vintage is the stitch quality on the sweatbands. Look how fine the stitching holding the reeding to the reed tape is on the vintage one. Now look at how widely spaced the current sweatband manufacturers stitch it. The feeling of that on my forehead bothers me on new ones.

 

[RBH]

I'm new to this site. I just bought a vintage Stetson Open Road and I'm wondering if anyone knows what time period it's from.

Very nice!

 

[ScottF]

Scott-
Those old plastic layers have a nasty habit of shrinking up. Best solution is just to cut them clean out. I've done it on several hats with no ill affects. It usually doesn't actually shrink the leather.

One of the reasons I wear almost exclusively vintage is the stitch quality on the sweatbands. Look how fine the stitching holding the reeding to the reed tape is on the vintage one. Now look at how widely spaced the current sweatband manufacturers stitch it. The feeling of that on my forehead bothers me on new ones.

Yes, good point on stitch quality. I really wanted to save the old sweatband - I ended up mailing it to JW separately, and I even asked him about the plastic restricting the leather. He said that it was a bad piece of leather and he could try to smooth out the warping, but he didn't think he could get it to fit the hat. However, I did have him mail it back, and so at some point I'll send it to another hatter for a second opinion.

 

[texashatman]

Here's mine. I'm not sure what year ot was made but the guy I inherited it from died 25 years ago and this was new in the box! I wear it Truman style.

[/IMG]

here's my brother's OR. This is his own creation of styling

[/IMG]

to paraphrase Larry McMurtry "There's one person in every group with a chamber pot as a hat"

 

[gtdean48]

Nice one TexasHatMan! And no accounting for brothers. I gave mine a pristine Resistol Santa Fe which he immediately removed the lapel cord/wind trolley!

 

[texashatman]

My brother has more hats than anybody I've ever met and yet that's his every day hat! It's surprising how many people come up to him and offer to buy it though....there's no accounting for brothers or others!

 

[Mr. Paladin]

Here's mine. I'm not sure what year ot was made but the guy I inherited it from died 25 years ago and this was new in the box! I wear it Truman style.

[/IMG]

here's my brother's OR. This is his own creation of styling

[/IMG]

to paraphrase Larry McMurtry "There's one person in every group with a chamber pot as a hat"

Welcome to the Lounge. Both looks are classic; yours is dress classic and his is work classic. Either way, I think they are great hats!

 

[RBH]

Nice hats Texas!!!!
My brother is fond of ball caps.

 

[illumin8em]

hello everybody,

any opinions on whether this is an Open Road or not? I thought so for a couple of months, but now i am not too sure. I made a thread about it earlier in the day, but thought i would post here as well. the crown just seems different to me, maybe not as tall, and curves just seem more subtle that the Open Road i see on the forum.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=45028

maybe the same hat worn by the fella next to him just unbashed

thanks,

 

[kiltie]

I Almost Forgot...

I posted on the arrival of this hat a while back:

( about mid page )

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=7350&page=51&highlight=open+road+guild

Well, I got it reblocked and somehow managed to resist the urge to put a diamond in it. The color in the original post is the more accurate representation*, and it's a great hat. The narrower-than-I'm-accustom-to brim really does me well ( not to toot my own horn ), and this has become THE front line hat for me.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj290/safdkiltie/IMG_1263.jpg
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj290/safdkiltie/IMG_1262.jpg


*before reblock - as I received it:
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj290/safdkiltie/BYr4g8wBGkKGrHgoH-DwEjlLlzbOWBKi2Ny.jpg

 

[RBH]

I posted on the arrival of this hat a while back:

( about mid page )

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=7350&page=51&highlight=open+road+guild

Well, I got it reblocked and somehow managed to resist the urge to put a diamond in it. The color in the original post is the more accurate representation*, and it's a great hat. The narrower-than-I'm-accustom-to brim really does me well ( not to toot my own horn ), and this has become THE front line hat for me.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj290/safdkiltie/IMG_1263.jpg
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj290/safdkiltie/IMG_1262.jpg


*before reblock - as I received it:
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj290/safdkiltie/BYr4g8wBGkKGrHgoH-DwEjlLlzbOWBKi2Ny.jpg

Man that hat looks nice!!!
I kind of like that crease..
BUT... lets see it on!!!

 

[redhawks2]

This is my OR from Byrnie Utz that I'm guessing is from the 50's. It has a wind trolley and I really like this hat. I have a route 66 pin on the side and that is my next road trip in my turquoise and white '56 Chevy Bel Air 2dr hardtop...can't wait for that!!

 

[kiltie]

Man that hat looks nice!!!
I kind of like that crease..
BUT... lets see it on!!!
__________________
RBH

I'll try to pull it together tomorrow. I was gonna give it the old " camera phone self portrait ", but A) this hat deserves better, and B) I look like stir fried ess aych eye tee right now...

 

[kiltie]

redhawks2 -

That hat looks NICE!!!

 

[DougC]

Good day, Gents! I live in San Antonio and office across the street from Paris Hatters. As a result, I have bought two Stetson Open Roads from Abe in the last four weeks--I can tell this is going to be an expensive location. One is retaining the cowboy look and gets worn the most. The other was re-shaped in a tear drop.

While I am not a member of the guild yet, please allow this to be my application.

Seperately, I stopped by Paris Hatters today to see what I could see. and learned Paris has two special color ORs made for them specifically..light brown and gray. I'll pick up a gray one when I can for a diamond bash. I also learned the OR is one of two styles that have been in the Stetson line for over 100 years.