RBH
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Here is part of the ad from 1948.
I watched but didn't bid on it. It is my size but I didn't care for what appears to be an add on wide ribbon. It could be an new sweatband but doubt they would bind the edge too.ScottF said:... The main thing is that I hope I can put it on my head without it slipping over my ears.
ScottF said:Recently acquired this one - I don't know how long before I actually receive it, so I decided to go ahead and post these pics. It's the only bound-brim Open Road 'Royal Stetson Deluxe' I've seen evidence of (digging through the 'Open Road' thread). It has both stamps on the sweatband.
If the ribbon is original, it's probably one of the last wide-ribbons . If the ribbon is not original, it's definitely one of the earliest thin-ribbons. The ribbon appears to not be folded in on the right side (evidence of fraying), which makes me think it is original. Also, it looks white, but the seller indicated it is actually tan.
Justdog said:This could very well be original and be the result of a custom request. 5/8 is a big hat for a sizable man. No reason at all a customer could not order this as it appears here.
ScottF said:Right, there's nothing unusual about this particular 'Open Road' stamp on the sweatband - what's odd is seeing ANY 'Open Road' stamp on the same sweatband as the 'Royal Stetson Deluxe' stamping.
RBH said:All I was showing was there were 'Royal Stetson Deluxe' stamping on Open Roads in 1948.
Felt and Straw said:I just picked up my first Open Road. The Stetson 3X branding on the sweat has the Beaver but not the Griffin.
Anything about the missing Griffin?
Felt and Straw said:I just picked up my first Open Road. The Stetson 3X branding on the sweat has the Beaver but not the Griffin. I've reread the first 22 pages of this thread where the question was asked twice but never (to my weary eyes) answered regarding what the significance is of the missing Griffin and if it helps in dating the hat.
Mine has a dark brown (not black) sweat (1 3/4") that says "open road" the "the" is missing. It has a wind trolley. I am working the sweat with Lexol for a bit before I torque it enough to look under to see if there is any tagging, etc.
Anything about the missing Griffin?
Cheers
ScottF said:I'm stretching the Nutria tonight (not a euphemism).
Dinerman said:If you could post a picture, I could take a look.
Mr. Paladin said:This is my second "official" Open Road, fedora style (with sweatband markings); a Royal Deluxe Stetson Open Road I just got off e-Bay.
Wow Mr. Paladin, looks brand spanking new. Any idea of the vintage?
ScottF said:
jimmy the lid said:When Scott showed me photos of this lid, my first reaction was that this was the only example I can recall of an Open Road sweat paired with the "Royal Stetson DeLuxe" designation. Here are some thoughts:
1. In terms of dating, an ad recently posted by RBH shows that the "Royal Stetson DeLuxe" designation was still in use in 1945. I own a 1948 "Royal DeLuxe" Stetson -- so, we know that by at least sometime in 1948, the "Royal DeLuxe" designation was in place (versus the "Royal Stetson DeLuxe" variation). I think that the ads provide very good evidence that the thin-ribbon ("modern") version of the OR was introduced right around 1948. That being said, print advertising sometimes lagged the actual introduction of a particular model. So, my own conclusion is that Scott's lid, by definition is one of the early "modern" OR's. What it may also suggest is that the transition from "Royal Stetson DeLuxe" to "Royal DeLuxe" occurred right around the 1947/1948 timeframe.
2. My hunch is that, when Stetson launched the new version of the OR, it launched the OR as a thin ribbon, complete with new sweat design, edge binding, etc., and I think that the ads bear this out. I don't believe that there was a transition phase where the new OR was delivered from the factory with a wide black ribbon.
3. That being said, RBH has also posted a variety of ads that make it pretty clear that, back in the day, it was quite common for a hatter to offer to customize one's hat purchase by putting on a different style of ribbon. So, as others have already observed here, the mere fact that there is a wide ribbon on Scott's hat doesn't necessarily mean that it didn't leave the hat store that way many years ago -- but I'm not sure there is evidence to suggest that the wide ribbon was on the hat when it left the factory.
So, all in all, a very interesting find -- and a great looking OR! Well done, Scott!
Cheers,
JtL
WineGuy said:Can anyone confirm the vintage claim or give me advice as to what the correct age is?