The Other Open Roads.....

[carouselvic]

Post Philly is my best guess, I don’t know anything more

 

[glider]

Thanks for the info, now I have learned something today.

 

[DaveProc]

Alright hivemind, attached is a pic from September 1941 of the Stetson Southerner and the Open Road from 1943.
Earlier, I shared ads for the Southerner from '41 to '62.
I just looked at probably 300+ newspaper ads for the Stetson Open Road from 1937 to 1943 and they all show the Open Road with a wide ribbon, I could not find a single ad showing an Open Road with a narrow ribbon during this time period.
Is it possible, maybe, that this Southerner is the precursor to the thin ribbon Open Road we know today?

 

[DaveProc]

So, when we hear Open Road, we instantly think thin ribbon, hence the premise of this thread. How about the original Open Road, now considered, the "Other" Open Road.
1937


1938


1938


1941


1943

 

[DaveProc]

1944

 

[Dotneck]

Here's my open road. Size 7...won't fit me so it will go up for sale. Don't know how old it is but it looks like new.

 

[Blare]

Here's my open road. Size 7...won't fit me so it will go up for sale. Don't know how old it is but it looks like new.

Too bad on the fit. Nice hat.

 

[T Jones]

Another Open Road / thin ribbon conversion in the works from a '50s era Stetson 3X Beaver Quality Western. I originally kept it Western when I first refurbished it but it just didn't sit well with me that way. I'll be reusing the original 3 ply ribbon that came with it, as well as the brim binding. It was a badly faded, crushed up and dirty sweat stained mess when I first got it. Since I like a natural distressed look on some hats I cleaned this one up just enough to get the nasty out of it. It'll have a nice lived in look when I'm finished...

Before:

On the block:

Setting the crease and waiting for it to dry. Brim has been trimmed to 2 5/8 and then it will be flanged to a snap brim:

 

[Blare]

Another Open Road / thin ribbon conversion in the works from a '50s era Stetson 3X Beaver Quality Western. I originally kept it Western when I first refurbished it but it just didn't sit well with me that way. I'll be reusing the original 3 ply ribbon that came with it, as well as the brim binding. It was a badly faded, crushed up and dirty sweat stained mess when I first got it. Since I like a natural distressed look on some hats I cleaned this one up just enough to get the nasty out of it. It'll have a nice lived in look when I'm finished...

Before:

On the block:

Setting the crease and waiting for it to dry. Brim has been trimmed to 2 5/8 and then it will be flanged to a snap brim:

Really nice look Terry.

 

[T Jones]

Really nice look Terry.

Thank you Blare!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Lichtenstein’s “South Texan.”

This hat has a great hand and wonderful vintage feel. The felt is very reminiscent of my early 1950s Stetson Royal De Luxe Open Road. The felt is more like dress felt than say the 3X of the same time. 5 5/8” open crown and 2 3/4” brim.

 

[BobHufford]

I saw that there was a Stevens 7X Gold Beaver on the list (but the pics were gone). This is the 4X Silver Beaver.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Luxureze 3X Beaver. 5 5/8” open crown and 2 7/8” wide brim. Apparently part of the Byer-Rolnick Hat Corp stable. The color is lighter than silverbelly or even silvermist. It’s a cool tone eggshell off-white.

 

[rclark]

Luxureze 3X Beaver. 5 5/8” open crown and 2 7/8” wide brim. Apparently part of the Byer-Rolnick Hat Corp stable. The color is lighter than silverbelly or even silvermist. It’s a cool tone eggshell off-white.

View attachment 453127 View attachment 453128 View attachment 453129 View attachment 453130 View attachment 453131 View attachment 453132 View attachment 453133 View attachment 453134 View attachment 453135

Nice! I have a Luxureze hat and a an extra Luxureze box if you are ever interested.

 

[BobHufford]

1970s (?) Sears “Chief of State”. Size 7. 5” crown (4-1/2” as creased) with a 2-1/4” brim.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Sears “Chief of State”. Size 7. 5” crown (4-1/2” as creased) with a 2-1/4” brim.

There was one floating around for sale a while back in Sand color.

 

[DaveProc]

Stetson Asheville 1943-1945

 

[Mighty44]

So, when we hear Open Road, we instantly think thin ribbon, hence the premise of this thread. How about the original Open Road, now considered, the "Other" Open Road.
1937
View attachment 389914

1938
View attachment 389915 View attachment 389916

1938
View attachment 389917 View attachment 389918

1941
View attachment 389920 View attachment 389919

1943
View attachment 389922 View attachment 389921

Just realizing that the name Open Road in the OTHER Open Road would slot it in thematically with many other similar looking lightweight, lower priced hats with travel-themed names from the 1930s and 40s like the Stetson Wanderer, Knox Vagabond and Dobbs Cross Country—I know there are quite a few others I’ve seen here with names like Getabout or similar. Sorry if this is repeating previous speculation!

David

 

[DaveProc]

The other "Westward"
Crofut and Knapp Westward
1949-1952

 

[DaveProc]

Crofut and Knapp
Forty-Niner
1949