The Open Road Guild

[gtdean48]

...I have a late 60's Deluxe in Open Road style silverbelly but from the liner on this hat I am sure it is late 50's however someone has changed the sweat out and it has no markings indicating it's a true "Open Road". Any way to tell other then if it's stamped?? I have read that the felt was of higher quality then the standard Deluxe but its hard to tell since the felting is considerably different between my pre 60's hats and more modern hats. Also, what color was this hat called from the factory...

There are plenty of examples of Open Road style hats from Stetson with no "Open Road" markings to be found. Even with a replaced sweatband, there is no guarantee the original actually had OR stamped on it. Royal Deluxe Stetson & Royal Stetson Deluxe were considered the next step up over plain Royal Stetson. Some earlier years, the Royal Stetson was of higher quality than the Royal Deluxe of later years.
That could be the Almond Tan color you have. HTH....

 

[Kkaderly]

Thanks Gtdean!!!

 

[zetwal]

A creamy sunset silver belly OR royal deluxe acquired an hour ago (bottom hat):The one on top, purchased simultaneously, is a Resistol silver belly OR clone with a shorter brim.

I like the dimensions of the one on top and the color of the one on the bottom. No matter how I parse my preferences, both are fantastic. Enjoy!

 

[Giant.leap]

Wore my Open Road to a classic car show and got some shots of me standing next to cars of the era including a 1941 Dodge Woody...

 

[alanfgag]

photos to follow, I hope!

 

[Inusuit]

My every day go to Stetson 25 OR.

 

[hatophile]

Now that looks like a COWBOY hat!

 

[gtdean48]

My every day go to Stetson 25 OR.

You got some nice ORs Pard!

 

[The Good]

Open Road bump.

I wore mine (modern) on a two hour hike in the hills. It's been getting some good wear lately, and I think the sweatband has noticeably shrinked down a little bit, although looser than my Fed IV or vintage Stetson.

 

[monbla256]

Open Road bump.

I wore mine (modern) on a two hour hike in the hills. It's been getting some good wear lately, and I think the sweatband has noticeably shrinked down a little bit, although looser than my Fed IV or vintage Stetson.

Classic OR look!! Cattlemans crease and front snapped down!! It suits you well JB

 

[The Good]

Thanks. I usually wear it with the top of the brim rolled up, but I've taken to snapping it down lately. It's more protection in the sun, and looks cool when my glasses darken to become sunglasses outdoors. I still haven't worn my hat in the rain; I'm afraid to, as I remember what happened to my last Open Road, that I returned. Weird bumpy spots started appearing on that hat after one night of rain, and it only got worse when it got in another rain later. I'm thinking it had to do with the shellac, somehow. I still enjoy wearing this hat though.

 

[Orangegrad]

I’ve wanted a thin ribbon for a while now. But being only 5’6” and having a narrow and long face, I wasn’t sure that it would be a good fit for me. I found a 3x beaver at a price I was willing to pay, and below are some photos. Other than one small moth bite on the underside of the brim, it’s in pretty nice condition. The felt is very soft, and though I’ve tried to adjust the bash dry, it wants to go back to its original shape. I may keep the bash as is, as the proportions look right to me: the fedora knows best. I’m still not completely comfortable with the height of the crown and the narrow ribbon - making the hat appear taller than it really is. I’ll wear it for a while to see if I get accustomed to it.

Is there a good source for information on dating ORs? I’d like to know the age of mine.

 

[hatophile]

Orange, congrats on a thin ribbon. I am about your size and wear ORs frequently. I think that looks fine on you and you will get used to the size of the hat with regular wearing. The brim size also gives better coverage from the elements. As to dates some of the others here may have a fairly accurate time frame, but my guess would be late 50's. I like the way you have it creased as well.

 

[Orangegrad]

Orange, congrats on a thin ribbon. I am about your size and wear ORs frequently. I think that looks fine on you and you will get used to the size of the hat with regular wearing. The brim size also gives better coverage from the elements. As to dates some of the others here may have a fairly accurate time frame, but my guess would be late 50's. I like the way you have it creased as well.

Thanks for the encouragement on wearing a thin ribbon. I think I'm going to stop looking in the mirror and just wear it when my wife and I go out later this afternoon.

 

[RBH]

I think it looks great on you.
My only suggestion is to snap the front down a little bit more.

 

[Orangegrad]

I think it looks great on you.
My only suggestion is to snap the front down a little bit more.

Yep, the brim is indeed snapped down now. For some reason it was not in the photo. This felt is really really soft - and has a mind of its own.

 

[DJH]

Andy, you don't have a thing to worry about. The OR looks good on you and it's a very nice example as well.

I think this style of hat looks good on just about everyone - probably the reason that the various hat companies made them (and still do) for so long.

Enjoy wearing it - a classic hat!

 

[carouselvic]

I'd put it in the late 40's to early 50's. I'd like to see the size tag to be more certain.

 

[Orangegrad]

I'd put it in the late 40's to early 50's. I'd like to see the size tag to be more certain.

Here's a photo of the size tag. Thanks!

 

[carouselvic]

I would think 48-52 would be spot on.