The Open Road Guild

[BobHufford]

Stretch a 7 3/8 Clear Beaver Open Road?

I think a better plan is to sell it to me and go find a 7 1/2.

I tossed it in the ‘Bay for someone that it fits to retrieve …

Late 1940s/50s Stetson 7X CB Open Road hat, Size 7-3/8, 3" Brim, 5-1/2" Crown | eBay

Silverbelly (very light tan) in color with thin color-matched ribbon/bow and brim binding. The brim is finished with a 3/8" grosgrain binding. The crown is 5-1/2" open (4-1/2" - 5" as creased) with 3/8" grosgrain ribbon and bow.

www.ebay.com

 

[ScottF]

I tossed it in the ‘Bay for someone that it fits to retrieve …

Late 1940s/50s Stetson 7X CB Open Road hat, Size 7-3/8, 3" Brim, 5-1/2" Crown | eBay

Silverbelly (very light tan) in color with thin color-matched ribbon/bow and brim binding. The brim is finished with a 3/8" grosgrain binding. The crown is 5-1/2" open (4-1/2" - 5" as creased) with 3/8" grosgrain ribbon and bow.

www.ebay.com

I just received my 3X a little while ago. It is the absolutely most perfectly fitting Open Road I've ever owned, so, needless to say - I'm elated. The other two that I had in 3X 7 3/8 were both slightly earlier hats, and the felt was softer and more 'buttery'. So this one's stiff, but that's great for wearing outdoors in our rainy weather. The hat appears to be new and unworn, but I am not going to succumb to 'collector mentality'.

I compared it to my twenty-five that's only a few years older (manilla tag) and can't tell much difference - maybe the OR is a hair taller. The OR is also a little less tan - touch of grey.

As a side-note, I've been looking for posts from my old buddies here, and I'm noticing that a lot of them have been gone for years, and they were/are not that old. Did we have a purge while I was wandering around in other forums? Was I purged? Is this me talking?

 

[Stu K 323]

Not a 64, I only mentioned this OR to @Bobby Marshall just to let him know there are larger hats out there. I picked up this OR 3X some time back just because 7-7/8 is a rare one. I also have a 7-3/4.

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8.625 + 7.125 = 15.75/2 = 7.875



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Jack, do you have a rough date for this hat? I have purchased one that has the same liner, sweat band and size tag design, I thought it was late 60's (maybe 67/68?) but it could be 70's?

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Jack, do you have a rough date for this hat? I have purchased one that has the same liner, sweat band and size tag design, I thought it was late 60's (maybe 67/68?) but it could be 70's?

Late 1970’s. There’s an older thread on dating by liner here somewhere. Union tags can pin it down too.

 

[Stu K 323]

Late 1970’s. There’s an older thread on dating by liner here somewhere. Union tags can pin it down too.

Thank you

 

[Weatherman]

I recently started collecting ORs. I've also managed to pick up two twenty five ORs, one from the early 60s with a 3 1/4 brim and this one, a mid 60s-early 70s (from tag and liner) with a 2.5" brim.
The cool thing about this most recent hat is that it was sold by shuddy Brothers in Houston. They opened their hat shop in 1901 in Houston and in the mid-2000s they moved it to another location in Texas and they donate their proceeds to adults with intellectual disabilities. I have contacted them about the Hat and asked a few questions and described it and they have, based on that description and their logo inside confirmed that it was one of their hats. The hat is in excellent shape with no mothing and no stains on the felt or the inside liner and the sweatband, other than some wear on the logo is pristine.

 

[Bill Sohne]

I tossed it in the ‘Bay for someone that it fits to retrieve …

http://[URL]https://www.ebay.com/itm/126757448720

[/URL]

Sorry I missed it !!! would have been perfect... oh well...... the hunt continues

 

[Just Daniel]

I think a lot of folks just moved on. There is also more communication over on Facebook groups.

These shifts do seem to happen every couple of years. I’m always looking over RLK’s posts and wondering where that guy went.

I just received my 3X a little while ago. It is the absolutely most perfectly fitting Open Road I've ever owned, so, needless to say - I'm elated. The other two that I had in 3X 7 3/8 were both slightly earlier hats, and the felt was softer and more 'buttery'. So this one's stiff, but that's great for wearing outdoors in our rainy weather. The hat appears to be new and unworn, but I am not going to succumb to 'collector mentality'.

I compared it to my twenty-five that's only a few years older (manilla tag) and can't tell much difference - maybe the OR is a hair taller. The OR is also a little less tan - touch of grey.

As a side-note, I've been looking for posts from my old buddies here, and I'm noticing that a lot of them have been gone for years, and they were/are not that old. Did we have a purge while I was wandering around in other forums? Was I purged? Is this me talking?

 

[MikeP]

Any idea on how much (%) of beaver is in a 1950’s 3X Stetson OR?

 

[Bobby Marshall]

Any idea on how much (%) of beaver is in a 1950’s 3X Stetson OR?

I would have said 30%. Each X is ten. But I am still a noob so I could be wrong.

 

[jlee562]

I would have said 30%. Each X is ten. But I am still a noob so I could be wrong.

If this was ever true, it was most likely not the case during the 1950's. The only reference I've found on the lounge to x = 10% was tonyb speculating about the origins of the system.

As best we can tell, the 5x and 7x Clear Beaver hats are 100% beaver. Stetson has never disclosed their blends (the reasoning is discussed here in a very interesting post by a Hatco employee), so we are relying on the "Clear" designation, which was purportedly originally a piece of hatter jargon for an non-blend felt that turned into a marketing term. Though we do not have 100% verifiable evidence up to academic standards for these claims, that's the generally accepted wisdom.

All of which to say, the X system varies over time. In recent years 4x has been a blend, wool, or buffalo. And the quality of those hats is certainly not above a vintage 3x. Stetson Japan has said modern Royal Deluxe is 10% Beaver and 30% beaver. Which is true? Maybe both, which is the crazy thing.

 

[MikeP]

Any idea on how much (%) of beaver is in a 1950’s 3X Stetson OR?

Was this (my original)message edited?

 

[Bamaboots]

Was this (my original)message edited?

Moved to ask a ?

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/ask-a-question-get-an-answer.41576/post-3151698

 

[Nate98]

I just got this little beauty and am trying to determine the age. What do y’all think?

 

[BobHufford]

I just got this little beauty and am trying to determine the age. What do y’all think?

I wanna say late 1970s/ early 1980s (that liner and no metric size combined on the tag). That’s not definitive though.

One I had recently that was a bit newer.:

 

[voodooMan]

Hello All - new here so not sure if I should post a question in a new thread of if here is better.

Even though it's snowing here in SW Ohio I have been thinking of summer hats! Decided on an Open Road and pulled the trigger on a Hemp, but I am not pleased with the brim. As you can kinda see in the picture, it is not level which looks very odd when worn. Did I just get a bad one?

Can I flatten out this brim so that is even and will stay that way or should I return and get one of the Shantung ORs?

I've seen posts from Hurricane Jack and StoryPNW and their Hemps look great, with a flat, crisp looking brim.

 

[StoryPNW]

Hello All - new here so not sure if I should post a question in a new thread of if here is better.

Even though it's snowing here in SW Ohio I have been thinking of summer hats! Decided on an Open Road and pulled the trigger on a Hemp, but I am not pleased with the brim. As you can kinda see in the picture, it is not level which looks very odd when worn. Did I just get a bad one?

Can I flatten out this brim so that is even and will stay that way or should I return and get one of the Shantung ORs?

I've seen posts from Hurricane Jack and StoryPNW and their Hemps look great, with a flat, crisp looking brim.

You are definitely not alone, the hemp doesn't seem to hold shape as well as the Shantung or a felt. You can get it to shape up and hold fairly well with some steam, but it is never going to look as crisp as a shantung. That is part of its charm though, in my opinion the looser weave feels like it breathes better and has a different look to it.

 

[livelyjames]

You are definitely not alone, the hemp doesn't seem to hold shape as well as the Shantung or a felt. You can get it to shape up and hold fairly well with some steam, but it is never going to look as crisp as a shantung. That is part of its charm though, in my opinion the looser weave feels like it breathes better and has a different look to it.

I have a hemp Stratoliner and that has been my experience also…..I bumped the back of it on something wearing it and got an ever so slight crease in it. I have not been able to completely remove it with all the steam in the world….after a few hours it comes back…

But I love the hat…

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I've seen posts from Hurricane Jack and StoryPNW and their Hemps look great, with a flat, crisp looking brim.

Thanks for the compliment. I have both the hemp & a 10X Shantung. I like them both but the hemp is definitely lighter & cooler.

I ironed the brim of my hemp but you have to pay attention to the flange, & not iron it out. I iron on an old Pyrex carousel plate I kept from an old microwave. It has a lip on the outside edge circumference perfect for holding the butt of the iron up off the brim binding. I have an old heavily padded hot pad like my grandma used to make. I dip the hot pad & it will hold water due to the padding. When I iron on top of the hot pad it will make steam, forcing some of it down into the brim. I use a hat jack in the hat as a heat sink to protect the sweat from getting hot. I’ve had my hemp for several years now & I have not had to redo the brim.