What is it about the Campdraft?

[rrog]

It seems like the Campdraft is a favorite among the loungers here. The desire to have an Open Road is a given and the clamor over the Fed IV is obvious, but what is it about the Campdraft that makes it so popular? I'm asking a serious question. They're great looking hats (answered my own question?), but there are lots of great looking hats out there. So enlighten me and tell me, what makes the Campdraft one of the favorites?

Thanks,
rrog

 

[gtdean48]

I went with Campdraft because I have had a modern 4X Stetson OR that did not compare to the Vintage OR that my grandfather wore. I am thin ribbon fan & the Campdraft has the brim & other dimensions that I really like. I will have a Silver Belly, mid-Brown & Gray (may have to be another brand) before I am done. Great classic style of lid IMHO... gtd

 

[KeyGrip]

I think it is the connection with the Open Road. Mine is still on the way so I cannot speak from experience, but from the comments I read I gather that the Campdraft is closer to the original Open Road than the current Stetson offering.

 

[MattJH]

If thin ribbons worked for me, I'd own one.

I'd still have my Stratoliner, too.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I have to go with what's been said so far. A picked up a Campdraft back when it was just a blip to this forum. I liked open crowns, I liked the Open Road, and vintage in my size was a tough find. The Campdraft turned out to be a great hat, as a few of us early wearers learned. Once the word got out... well, behold the power of the satisfied customer!

 

[rrog]

I think it is the connection with the Open Road. Mine is still on the way so I cannot speak from experience, but from the comments I read I gather that the Campdraft is closer to the original Open Road than the current Stetson offering.

So is this the general consensus? Because the Campdraft doesn't look real similiar to Stetson's OR and I've also seen Campdrafts crowned differently from each other. If you just looked at Stetson's OR aka LJB, you'd think that's what it's supposed to look like. Does anyone have any pictures of vintage OR's to compare to?

Thanks,
rrog

 

[gtdean48]

1950's Vintage OR photos

From that online flea market site...

 

[indycop]

For me it is an excellent hat at a great price. The hat is soft enough to conform to my headshape. It also is light and cool to me and the thin ribbon is casual and has a common man flair that I like.

 

[RBH]

All of the above!

I say just get you one and you will see!

 

[BobC]

I like the casual look of the thin ribbon, and I like the brim width of the campdraft. Add to that the high, straight crown that looks good no matter how you crease it, and you've got the perfect hat.

There are lots of pictures of the campdraft around here creased with diamonds, teardrops, center dents and who knows what. It's just a good looking hat that wears great and takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'.

 

[John in Covina]

Because the Campdraft doesn't look real similiar to Stetson's OR and I've also seen Campdrafts crowned differently from each other. If you just looked at Stetson's OR aka LJB, you'd think that's what it's supposed to look like. Does anyone have any pictures of vintage OR's to compare to? Thanks, rrog

*************
Take a peek thru the thread titled "The Open Road Guild" which I just bumped. The LBJ center dent and two long side dents is only one way to do the OR. The older ones had soft crowns and were often rebashed to a fedora style snap brim and a pinch so very often they would change the crown.

If you also look at "the Brotherhood of the Thin Ribbon" thread you'll see the related styles too. These days the OR has been preshaped and the use of stiffner puts in more in the cowboy businessman realm but it came open crowned in the past like the Campdraft does most often now.

 

[KY Gentleman]

I just got a Campdraft myself this past week and I agree with everything thats been said about its merits. I especially like the tall crown, though.

 

[RobFedoraField]

new campdraft

I received my first campdraft last week and my wife fell in love with it, she likes it more than my fed iv on me.

now the real question is how to shape. I took a huge teardrop / c crown and it looks pretty good. I had to wet shape it for it to stay, steam just wasn't doing the trick like on my fed iv.

the big question is ... in the back, snap up or snap down? ... how can you snap down the back with out forcing the sides down a little as well, the hat is brand new and I'd hate to have my new hat looking droopy.

 

[carter]

rrog, There is a lot of information regarding the Campdraft here:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?p=693867#post693867

Among the responses from Ron at HatsDirect (found on that thread) is the assertion that the Akubra Campdraft is exactly the same hat that Akubra made as the Open Road before their relationship with HATCO (Stetson) was broken in the 90's. Therefore it is entirely possible that the Campdraft is more true to a vintage OR than the current HATCO model.

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

Before putting it back in the box, I've had just a peek at the silverbelly unbashed Campdraft (and the size fits...) that arrived a few days ago (it's my christmas gift from my wife, it now resides fully wrapped awaiting the arrival of father Christmas).
Now why would I have ordered yet another OR clone? For one, I find the OR style absolutely tops. My favor goes slightly more to the LBJ cattleman bash, which didn't prevent me from putting a diamond (only the bash!) on my "100" (this hat has style galore).
So, the Campdraft is, indeed, supplied unbashed. I have no idea how I'll bash it, in fact, I'm seriously tempted to leave it unbashed for a while at least, and wear it that way. In Antwerp, where I work...ships...[huh] , there are a lot of jewish gents in the diamond trade, some of whom wear impressive, usually black, unbashed hats. Looks great on them, from the top of the high crown to the tip of their beard...
I mean, a bash is something I can always do at any time later, undoing it after that results in a less than perfect crown, I feel.

 

[RBH]

Before putting it back in the box, I've had just a peek at the silverbelly unbashed Campdraft (and the size fits...) that arrived a few days ago (it's my christmas gift from my wife, it now resides fully wrapped awaiting the arrival of father Christmas).
......

Sounds like you have a wonderful wife! And plenty of patience!

 

[jimmy the lid]

Among the responses from Ron at HatsDirect (found on that thread) is the assertion that the Akubra Campdraft is exactly the same hat that Akubra made as the Open Road before their relationship with HATCO (Stetson) was broken in the 90's.

There is indeed some photographic evidence that bears this out, but it would be wrong to post it here quite yet...

I think there are some subtle differences between the Akubra OR and the Stetson OR. The ribbon treatment is just slightly different, and I think the crown may be slightly fuller and the brim slightly wider. As I said, very subtle differences. On the whole, however, I think that it is accurate to say that an unbashed Campdraft is about as close as you're going to get to the style of a vintage OR in a modern production hat.

Cheers,
JtL

 

[jimmy the lid]

the big question is ... in the back, snap up or snap down? ... how can you snap down the back with out forcing the sides down a little as well, the hat is brand new and I'd hate to have my new hat looking droopy.

FWIW, Rob, I wear mine brim down in back. You can see examples of both brim up and brim down in various photos around the Lounge. I think the Campdraft works equally well in both styles.

Cheers,
JtL

 

[gtdean48]

...the big question is ... in the back, snap up or snap down? ... how can you snap down the back with out forcing the sides down a little as well, the hat is brand new and I'd hate to have my new hat looking droopy.

I vote for snapped up in the back = classier look for a county hat style, IMHO (that is how I'm wearing my OR today)... gtd

 

[carter]

Photographic Evidence

There is indeed some photographic evidence that bears this out, but it would be wrong to post it here quite yet...

I think there are some subtle differences between the Akubra OR and the Stetson OR. The ribbon treatment is just slightly different, and I think the crown may be slightly fuller and the brim slightly wider. As I said, very subtle differences. On the whole, however, I think that it is accurate to say that an unbashed Campdraft is about as close as you're going to get to the style of a vintage OR in a modern production hat.

Cheers,
JtL

Ohhhh.... Is this to be our Christmas surprise from JTL?

I can't wait to see the "photographic evidence". It's bound to be an education in pictures!