The Open Road Guild

[RJR]

Man, you do great work, Terry! That hat is really coming along nicely!

+1

 

[Redfokker]

Here's my early '60s Royal Stetson OR after I took it completely apart and gave it a reblocking and size up from a 7 1/8 LO to a 7 1/4...

On the block, 23 1/4 inches

Off the block with temporary basting stitches to hold the new sweat in place for permanent stitches

Back together again. Except for the original sweat I reused everything that was original to the hat, even the 7 1/8 LO size tag. I sized it up to 7 1/4 to fit me....

I was surprised that I was able to reuse the Wind Trolley. It went back on, though.

I'll have more in the Conversion Corral later.

Love this one Terry. Being able to transform this hat to your personal specs and keeping most of the original is really an accomplishment. Love the color.

 

[T Jones]

Man, you do great work, Terry! That hat is really coming along nicely!

Thank you Tuk! It came out really nice. The crown height, the crease, and the ribbon work I'm completely happy with. The only thing that kills it for me is the 2 1/2 inch brim width. I don't like anything under 2 5/8. So it's something I probably won't wear much because of the brim. I know a lot of people like that width, it's just not my preference.

 

[T Jones]

Love this one Terry. Being able to transform this hat to your personal specs and keeping most of the original is really an accomplishment. Love the color.

Thank you, Mike! I'm happy with everything about it except for the 2 1/2 inches brim width. For that reason it'll see more box time than head time. I'm not really fond of brim widths under 2 5/8. On some people that width looks great. Not for me, though.

 

[ScottF]

I normally don't add my hat examples to these 'clubs', as they are not generally unusual;however, this one is kind of an outlyer (outlier?)

This is a mid-50's black Open Road with a homburg brim. The brim is softer and not quite as pronounced as a 'normal' homburg and the binding is a little thin on the outside, certainly nowhere near as wide as a St. Regis. But the brim does look to have been professionally done - I would guess factory.

Anyway, here it is:

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

I normally add my hat examples to these 'clubs', as they are not generally unusual;however, this one is kind of an outlyer (outlier?)

This is a mid-50's black Open Road with a homburg brim. The brim is softer and not quite as pronounced as a 'normal' homburg and the binding is a little thin on the outside, certainly nowhere near as wide as a St. Regis. But the brim does look to have been professionally done - I would guess factory.

Anyway, here it is:

View attachment 135770 View attachment 135771 View attachment 135772 View attachment 135773

Greetings ScottF:
I’m glad you posted this one here. These pics are so much nicer than in the other thread. This is one unique hat! With a brim curl or without, it is quite a lovely hat.
Being black really sets it apart from the usual vintage ORs i’ve seen. I think it might be a rare bird indeed.
Thanks for sharing.
Bowen

 

[ScottF]

Greetings ScottF:
I’m glad you posted this one here. These pics are so much nicer than in the other thread. This is one unique hat! With a brim curl or without, it is quite a lovely hat.
Being black really sets it apart from the usual vintage ORs i’ve seen. I think it might be a rare bird indeed.
Thanks for sharing.
Bowen

Thanks Bowen. Those original pics were taken with my phone at the antique shop - emergency pics to gather quick information and decide whether or not to purchase. Also, I've since scrubbed with a hat sponge, conditioned the sweat and alcohol-cleaned the interior.

The brim is almost 3" when the curl is flattened.

 

[ScottF]

on head...

 

[Roadopen]

Nicely done T Jones! You have great patience and knowledge in taking things apart and putting them back together in a better way.

Cheers!

Roadopen

 

[T Jones]

Nicely done T Jones! You have great patience and knowledge in taking things apart and putting them back together in a better way.

Cheers!

Roadopen

Thank you, buddy. The hat came out really nice. Crisp and clean. The crown proportions, the crown crease, the ribbon work, putting most of the original stuff back in the hat, the brim flanging, I'm all happy with. I just can't get password the 2 1/2 inches brim width. That kills everything for me. That width looks really good on a lot of people, though. It just doesn't look good on me. I prefer either a 2 5/8 or a 2 3/4 brim width. Here's a side view of the hat on my head. Notice how narrow the 2 1/2 width looks on me. It's definitely a nice hat. It's just that the brim width doesn't suit me. Maybe I'm just used to wearing wider brims. I dunno.

 

[Roadopen]

Thank you, buddy. The hat came out really nice. Crisp and clean. The crown proportions, the crown crease, the ribbon work, putting most of the original stuff back in the hat, the brim flanging, I'm all happy with. I just can't get password the 2 1/2 inches brim width. That kills everything for me. That width looks really good on a lot of people, though. It just doesn't look good on me. I prefer either a 2 5/8 or a 2 3/4 brim width. Here's a side view of the hat on my head. Notice how narrow the 2 1/2 width looks on me. It's definitely a nice hat. It's just that the brim width doesn't suit me. Maybe I'm just used to wearing wider brims. I dunno.

T Jones! I like the wide brim myself and the 2 1/2 would be my max, just me also of course. I send what you feel in regards. To some it is fine. Anything less will be delving into the stingy/trilby boundaries. True that one time or another we would be trying and maybe having the smaller to own one or few of this brim size but I myself personally seemed to graduated from this style as well and gone to a bit larger size above the 2 1/2.

This of course will all be subjected to preference and looks when you wear one or the other.
Specially for the fedora style and truthfully the OR nor the Strat are more of a higher breed from the actual fedora with a western twist added to its ever popular stature.

Maybe you just to wear this for the time being and get used to it.

Roadopen

 

[T Jones]

T Jones! I like the wide brim myself and the 2 1/2 would be my max, just me also of course. I send what you feel in regards. To some it is fine. Anything less will be delving into the stingy/trilby boundaries. True that one time or another we would be trying and maybe having the smaller to own one or few of this brim size but I myself personally seemed to graduated from this style as well and gone to a bit larger size above the 2 1/2.

This of course will all be subjected to preference and looks when you wear one or the other.
Specially for the fedora style and truthfully the OR nor the Strat are more of a higher breed from the actual fedora with a western twist added to its ever popular stature.

Maybe you just to wear this for the time being and get used to it.

Roadopen

Yeah, I thought maybe I just needed to wear it around some to get used to the width but the more I wear it the more I dislike it. This would be the perfect OR, though, for someone who likes 2 1/2 inch brim widths. Everything about this hat is really nice. The crown proportions, the crown crease, the ribbon work, even the brim flanging itself all looks really good, and I put most of the original stuff back on the hat. I just can't warm up to that brim width, though. I detest it the more I wear it. For me, I don't like a fedora with a brim width of less than 2 5/8 inches. This hat would look much better on somebody else's head who likes that brim width.

 

[suitedcboy]

I am with you. 2 1/2 and less look like a bottle cap on my head. I'm sure it is because I wear 4 1/2 to 4 3/4 brim westerns these days but the person I see in the mirror when wearing a 2 3/8 brim looks goofy.

 

[T Jones]

I am with you. 2 1/2 and less look like a bottle cap on my head. I'm sure it is because I wear 4 1/2 to 4 3/4 brim westerns these days but the person I see in the mirror when wearing a 2 3/8 brim looks goofy.

Yup. I guess if we get used to wearing wider brims and then putting on a hat with less brim than we're used to, it just doesn't look right to us. But, I have another trick I'm going to try to make the brim seem wider than it actually is.

 

[Roadopen]

Yup. I guess if we get used to wearing wider brims and then putting on a hat with less brim than we're used to, it just doesn't look right to us. But, I have another trick I'm going to try to make the brim seem wider than it actually is.

I can’t wait for this awesome trick you will have under your sleeves here for this hat Terry!
Say what is the actual size you think this hat would be safe to fit into someones head size?

Cheers!

 

[T Jones]

I can’t wait for this awesome trick you will have under your sleeves here for this hat Terry!
Say what is the actual size you think this hat would be safe to fit into someones head size?

Cheers!

Here it is after working the brim some. It's getting there and looking a little more the way I want it.

This hat would probably be on the money for a 7 1/4. I'm between a 7 1/4 and a 7 3/8.

 

[Roadopen]

Here it is after working the brim some. It's getting there and looking a little more the way I want it.

This hat would probably be on the money for a 7 1/4. I'm between a 7 1/4 and a 7 3/8.

I see what your take is on this hat Terry!

 

[steve740]

T Jones that looks like a brand new lid. Great work.

 

[T Jones]

T Jones that looks like a brand new lid. Great work.

Thank you buddy.

 

[Roadopen]

Thank you buddy.

T Jones,
Could we say that this alter-creation of yours brings a simile to an Akubra Fed?

Roadopen