Truman and Open Road

[g.durand]

I've been taken by old photos of Harry Truman and the way he wore his Open Roads. Earlier in this thread Art Fawcett describes the crease as a teardrop with forward pinches, but unfortunately the photo of Art's version has been removed. In all the photos I can find of Truman and his Open Road hats, it appears that he is wearing a hat of very high quality, thin felt, which shows all the marks of the hand that formed the crease. So I've been working on my '40s Royal Deluxe Open Road and I'm close to getting the result I'm looking for.

Pardon the grainy photos. In order to eliminate the iPhone camera distortion and get an accurate depiction I had to take the shots in a mirror from a distance, in low light, then crop and correct.

 

[Rogera]

G. That's a great looking crease!

 

[alanfgag]

My personal favorite for brim treatment... nicely done and worn!

 

[moontheloon]

looks awesome Michael

I've gone for that brim style on my BG CD ... I always get compliments on it

 

[hatophile]

I like it Michael. You kind of remind me of the man himself with the hat and glasses.

 

[Benzadmiral]

fftopic: Although as you know, there are sooooo many versions of the Open Road, but after a lot of thought and researching pictures -- I now believe that the hat that is pictured here with LBJ is not a Stetson -- but rather an obscure short-brimmed, high-dimpled alpine bash Resistol model known as the Deming...

I'd also heard that the model was the San Antonio. I have one shorter-brimmed vintage Resistol OR clone myself, but it doesn't mention the model on the sweatband.

 

[g.durand]

Thanks, guys. A few more of my thin ribbons may get the treatment.

Perry--any likeness I may have to Harry S. is only by way of the hat and glasses. I do like the wire rim specs paired with the thin-ribbons.

 

[hatophile]

Harry liked Hawaiian shirts too!

 

[RJR]

I believe that I understood LBJ's hat to be a San Antonio.

 

[ingineer]

I believe that I understood LBJ's hat to be a San Antonio.

Yes, i believe you are right
Look where the size tag is , definitely a Resistol

 

[RBH]

President Truman also had a unique crease...

 

[rclark]

Bumping this thread just for kicks.

I have a Stetson 100 that I have gradually creased more and more like Mr. Truman's Open Roads. These are some older photos but I will try to post updated photos soon.

 

[alanfgag]

Bumping this thread just for kicks.

I have a Stetson 100 that I have gradually creased more and more like Mr. Truman's Open Roads. These are some older photos but I will try to post updated photos soon.

I feel like I know just what you mean. I would start out within the safety of a fedora crease and slowly lengthen the dents and slide them around towards the back of the hat until they were knee high to a cattleman. At least that's how it seemed from the front. From the side, it still looked like a fedora.

 

[rclark]

I feel like I know just what you mean. I would start out within the safety of a fedora crease and slowly lengthen the dents and slide them around towards the back of the hat until they were knee high to a cattleman. At least that's how it seemed from the front. From the side, it still looked like a fedora.

View attachment 148305

Alan, that's exactly how my hat crease is evolving! Very cool look IMO.

 

[BobHufford]

I would start out within the safety of a fedora crease and slowly lengthen the dents and slide them around towards the back of the hat until they were knee high to a cattleman.

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