The Open Road Guild

[jimmy the lid]

Thanks for posting the photos, hatophile. The felt color on your lid reminds me of the felt color on this Stratoliner -- though, it looks as if the ribbon on yours leans more in the direction of green. Let me just say that the green ribbon against that particular shade of brown felt is spectacular. It's an awesome looking lid. Nice snag!

Cheers,
JtL

 

[hatophile]

Thanks for posting the photos, hatophile. The felt color on your lid reminds me of the felt color on this Stratoliner -- though, it looks as if the ribbon on yours leans more in the direction of green. Let me just say that the green ribbon against that particular shade of brown felt is spectacular. It's an awesome looking lid. Nice snag!

Cheers,
JtL

That is a beautiful Strat, JtL. My hat does have a distinct greenish hue to the trim, a very nice contrast to the darker felt color.

I am amazed at the variations in all these hats from the same manufacturers, the models changed significantly from year to year it seems.

 

[zetwal]

[...] I do have several ORs that say OR, but don't look like traditional OR's to me, and several thin ribbons that don't say OR, and look like a spittin' image. I guess, though,
if it don't say it, it ain't.

I know this has been kicked around several times before. And I don't want to open a can of worms. I ask because the overall form and texture doesn't quite look like an OR to me.

Here's what I'm thinking. Some will perhaps agree, many, no doubt, will not. It seems to me that if a hat is marked Open Road (and appears not to have been altered) then it is an Open Road (no matter how it looks). But if a hat doesn't quite look and feel like an Open Road, and is not marked as such, then maybe it's really something else.

Of course, no matter the name, it's still a nice hat. :yo:

 

[hatophile]

Oh, no problem Zet, as I mentioned, it can be confusing, even the same model can have a different lookor feel. I have OR's that vary from 2 1/2 brim to almost 3 inches. Some are stiff, others are as pliable as a Strat. I even have a Strat that to me, anyway, feels like an OR.

In any event, I will double check tonight the model on that hat.

Curioser and Curioser.

 

[gtdean48]

... I ask because the overall form and texture doesn't quite look like an OR to me.

... if a hat doesn't quite look and feel like an Open Road,...

Can you explain further how you evaluate an Open Road like this?
I have had ORs from the earliest period, late 50's, the 60's to the 80s & even with Open Road on the sweatband, these hats are very different.

 

[jimmy the lid]

To me this doesn't look quite like an Open Road. But I could be be wrong.

zetwal -- Like gtdean, I'm curious what it is about hatophile's lid that leads you to say this...

 

[zetwal]

If the consensus is that any wide brim thin ribbon Stetson of that general style is an Open Road I'm OK with that. We have had this discussion with regard to Playboys and Stratoliners and Whippets too, but I don't remember if or how that ended.

As far as this particular hats goes, I can't put my finger on it. Just something about the over all shape and texture of the hat. I suspect that the feel of the hat is also different. Does it sing Open Road to you, JtL? Doesn't it look as much like a Stratoliner as it does an Open Road. Can we call it a Stratoliner as well?

 

[Yeps]

Good evening gentlemen.

So, I was a bit bored with my Open Road's bash (teardrop, medium pinches), so last night I wet it down and let it dry open crown to remove creases. Today, I had some fun bashing. Everything from potential shapes that it might live in for a while, to random, rather absurd western shapes, that don't make much sense for it. If you see one you like, let me know, I might keep it that way.

Fedora bashes first:

Rough diamond,

Teardrop

Center dent, tight pinch

Center dent, not so tight pinch,

Center dent, side dents,

Now for the westerns.

Cattleman

Telescope

Montana (this is where it starts being silly, I think),

and finally, Gus.

Thoughts?

 

[gtdean48]

...

Thoughts?

I like the Gus most of all but I am not a slave to fashion...

 

[jimmy the lid]

Montana (this is where it starts being silly, I think),

Thoughts?

I think it started to be silly a bit sooner than that...

 

[Yeps]

I think it started to be silly a bit sooner than that...

good point.

 

[jimmy the lid]

good point.

Incidentally, my previous response was offered respectfully, if possibly sarcastically...

 

[Yeps]

Incidentally, my previous response was offered respectfully, if possibly sarcastically...

I just was bored, and felt like playing around with my hat. Some of worked surprisingly well. Still not sure where it will end up.

 

[danofarlington]

Good evening gentlemen.

So, I was a bit bored with my Open Road's bash (teardrop, medium pinches), so last night I wet it down and let it dry open crown to remove creases. Today, I had some fun bashing. Everything from potential shapes that it might live in for a while, to random, rather absurd western shapes, that don't make much sense for it. If you see one you like, let me know, I might keep it that way.

Fedora bashes first:

Rough diamond,

Teardrop

To me, the first two, the traditional ones, look best. That hat is too much of a good-looking fedora for alternatives, which to my eye are either less good than the first two, or goofy. No harm in playing around with the hat, of course. But that hat naturally falls into a "suave" look reflected in the first two creases, and alternative shapes work against that. Now a cowboy hat might be more malleable style-wise, to my eye. With one of those, a person could try anything, and it would be more natural. Just my thoughts.

 

[zetwal]

I love the series, Yeps. That was really fun to watch ...

 

[jimmy the lid]

As far as this particular hats goes, I can't put my finger on it. Just something about the over all shape and texture of the hat. I suspect that the feel of the hat is also different. Does it sing Open Road to you, JtL? Doesn't it look as much like a Stratoliner as it does an Open Road. Can we call it a Stratoliner as well?

When I saw Hatophile's lid in the WHAYWT thread, I was curious about the innards, since I had never seen an OR in that particular felt/ribbon color combo. In fact, the closest thing I could think of was the Strat that I mentioned in my reply above. From a stylistic standpoint, I see nothing that wouldn't be consistent with an OR -- that's why I was curious if you could put your finger on what made it different in your view. From my perspective, one could describe that one as OR-style or Strat-style, and either one would be a fair description. But, the color combo had me thinking Strat initially...

Cheers,
JtL

 

[The Good]

I liked your cattleman and telescope creases the most for some reason.

 

[monbla256]

Good evening gentlemen.

So, I was a bit bored with my Open Road's bash (teardrop, medium pinches), so last night I wet it down and let it dry open crown to remove creases. Today, I had some fun bashing. Everything from potential shapes that it might live in for a while, to random, rather absurd western shapes, that don't make much sense for it. If you see one you like, let me know, I might keep it that way.

Fedora bashes first:



Center dent, tight pinch

[
Now for the westerns.

Cattleman

Thoughts?

EVERYBODY does the Teardrop or C-Crown with their OR's here so I like the not seen so often center-dent front pintch crease as it is DIFFERENT from the norm here. But the traditional US Cattleman crease would be the first pick for me. And I prefer the standard snap front as opposed to your Hollywood style swooshed brim. JMHO

Onward thru the fog

 

[hatophile]

When I saw Hatophile's lid in the WHAYWT thread, I was curious about the innards, since I had never seen an OR in that particular felt/ribbon color combo. In fact, the closest thing I could think of was the Strat that I mentioned in my reply above. From a stylistic standpoint, I see nothing that wouldn't be consistent with an OR -- that's why I was curious if you could put your finger on what made it different in your view. From my perspective, one could describe that one as OR-style or Strat-style, and either one would be a fair description. But, the color combo had me thinking Strat initially...

Cheers,
JtL

Well guys, to clear it up, it was not in fact an OR. I checked and it does not say Open Road anywhere on the hat. I must say, to me it was not inconsistent with an OR stylistically, and I think I probably mixed it up with another hat which is an OR and similar color, but more greenish and noncontrasting ribbon. Tomorrow I will try to post some pictures of hats that look similar to me, but are actually different styles.

Regarding your bashes, Yeps, I kind of like the first two best, but to tell you the truth, I rebash my hats quite frequently, depending on my mood. But some of them just look good with only certain bashes, so I leave those alone.
I think any of those would work with that hat.

 

[monbla256]

Have you ever thought about just "creasing" your hat and not "bashing" it all to hell? The "creases" you have shown look FAR better than the "bashes"