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[new2hats]

I think that's why I havent been wearing my 7 1/8s. I will have to go through each hat to see how they fit, sell off the tighter ones. I also notice it's how I wear them; I can wear the tighter hats up high like a halo and it won't bother me as much. Kinda bummed about all those good hats I passed up on the bay because I thought they were too large!!!

 

[Hat and Rehat]

Since it's second hand, you don't know how the hat was used & stored. It's probably safe to presume that the sweatband/hat may have shrunk a little, so either it will fit or may need some gentle coaxing with a hat stretcher. If however, the previous owner left the hat in a car or next to a window in summer or dried it close to radiator when it got wet, etc. then it could be several sizes too small.

That's always the rub. Yesterday's centimeters may not be today's.
I have one Akubra, a Plainsman I believe, and it claims to be 58cm.
My noggin measures 22 5/8" just above the eyebrows.
I ought to be an American size 7 1/8, but I wear size 7 in Champ and Beaver Brand all the time (Stetsons tend to fit to size). I do have to wiggle those 7s down a little, but wind doesn't worry me once I've anchored one (I was walking uphill into a headwind this morning in my 7 1/8 Stratoliner and kept my eyes down).
Cowboys used to have their boots custom made. Then they'd soak their feet in a crick and let their horse piss on them. Go figure.

 

[Rmccamey]

Have not had this problem before. One of my hats has a nice, soft sweatband. It is clean and not oily but after a few minutes of wear, the hat seems to "ride up" on my head. It's like there is not enough friction between my flesh/hair and the leather to keep it down. Do I just need to clean the sweat good (it seems fine as-is) or use some talc or baby powder perhaps?

 

[Bamaboots]

Chinstrap.

 

[belfastboy]

Chinstrap.

Yep, hurts less than staples.

 

[Rmccamey]

I considered velcro on my sideburns

Chinstrap.

Yep, hurts less than staples.

 

[DrMacabre]

Hello everyone, today I received a stetson open road from ebay but to my disappointment this hat seems to have been poorly stored with another hat on top of it for some time. Seller seems to have forgot to mention that and plays it like he didn’t see it... anyway.

The hat has a groove all around probably made by the sweatband of another hat, do you think this can be easily fixed ?

 

[Frunobulax]

Hello everyone, today I received a stetson open road from ebay but to my disappointment this hat seems to have been poorly stored with another hat on top of it for some time. Seller seems to have forgot to mention that and plays it like he didn’t see it... anyway.

The hat has a groove all around probably made by the sweatband of another hat, do you think this can be easily fixed ?
View attachment 216054 View attachment 216055 View attachment 216056

Steam, brush. Steam, steam, steam. Brush, brush, brush.

Repeat as necessary.

 

[jlee562]

P.S. Two ply ribbon = not an OR.

 

[DrMacabre]

P.S. Two ply ribbon = not an OR.

Now that you mention it, i can see it looks like this hat has a stetson range ribbon but after checking the measurements on stetson website, it’s an open road for sure.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Now that you mention it, i can see it looks like this hat has a stetson range ribbon but after checking the measurements on stetson website, it’s an open road for sure.

All that matters is if you like it. However, if that’s the original ribbon it is not an Open Road. The Open Road was never offered with a two chord ribbon. The measurements also don’t make the model as blocking etc. are all part of the description. Also, there is a contingent here that hold that unless the hat is marked Open Road, even if it’s otherwise identical, it’s not an Open Road. These “clones” are quite common can be just as nice or nicer. It could also be that someone changed out the ribbon at some point. It’s a nice hat, and with some steam and brushing I bet those marks will disappear or at least greatly diminish. Looking forward to seeing photos of you wearing it.

 

[jlee562]

Now that you mention it, i can see it looks like this hat has a stetson range ribbon but after checking the measurements on stetson website, it’s an open road for sure.

As Brent mentions above, the Open Road never came with such a ribbon. The original 30's version has a wide ribbon, while the model we know today always came with the thin grosgrain. Unless you are sure that the hat you're bidding on is a current model hat, comparing an older hat to the current Hatco Stetson specifications is not an entirely accurate way to determine model. Specifically with the Open Road, we've documented a few different brim widths on hats stamped with the OR imprint from 2 1/2" - 2 3/4".

I have a hat with similar trim that I wear all the time, as the two ply ribbon was also a common and popular treatment that Stetson offered on multiple different models, but ORs they are not.

 

[Louis Mountbatten]

I agree with the others. You only have a named Stetson if you have a stamp into te leather sweatband with that name on it (or in the 60s if you have that large white inventory tag folded under the sweatband with the model name printed on it). If your hat with the two ply ribbon says Open Road on the sweatband, then it might be that someone changed the ribbon. But if there is no Open Road marking anywhere in the hat, it is not an OR.

 

[Frunobulax]

As Brent mentions above, the Open Road never came with such a ribbon. The original 30's version has a wide ribbon, while the model we know today always came with the thin grosgrain. Unless you are sure that the hat you're bidding on is a current model hat, comparing an older hat to the current Hatco Stetson specifications is not an entirely accurate way to determine model. Specifically with the Open Road, we've documented a few different brim widths on hats stamped with the OR imprint from 2 1/2" - 2 3/4".

I have a hat with similar trim that I wear all the time, as the two ply ribbon was also a common and popular treatment that Stetson offered on multiple different models, but ORs they are not.

Jared, you're going to have to expand that to 3 1/4" to account for my Twenty-five OR (and I believe at least one other).

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-official-stetson-25-thread.54458/page-5#post-2248200

 

[Zombie_61]

...If your hat with the two ply ribbon says Open Road on the sweatband, then it might be that someone changed the ribbon...

Or the sweatband.

 

[Louis Mountbatten]

If someone changed the sweatband, then all you have is a hat. Not a named anything. The sweatband is the model and if that is gone, then it is no longer the model.

 

[Zombie_61]

If someone changed the sweatband, then all you have is a hat. Not a named anything. The sweatband is the model and if that is gone, then it is no longer the model.

No argument here. I was merely presenting another possible, yet probably more unlikely, explanation. Caveat emptor.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Jared, you're going to have to expand that to 3 1/4" to account for my Twenty-five OR (and I believe at least one other).

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-official-stetson-25-thread.54458/page-5#post-2248200

Oh crap Jim!!
Now i’ll be running around with a ruler all day looking for the new grail!

Also....@DrMacabre, looks like nice felt. Let’s see more pics after brushy brushy steam steam. Especially the insides. We OR and ish’s like that stuff.
B

 

[Bamaboots]

Jared, you're going to have to expand that to 3 1/4" to account for my Twenty-five OR (and I believe at least one other).

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-official-stetson-25-thread.54458/page-5#post-2248200

I was waiting for it.

 

[Frunobulax]

If someone changed the sweatband, then all you have is a hat. Not a named anything. The sweatband is the model and if that is gone, then it is no longer the model.

See, I think that's not quite right. If I take all the markings off of my Chevy Impala, what am I driving? A Chevy Impala, that's what. If the sweat is changed on an OR, it's still an OR. Or at the very least, a modified OR. Changing the ribbon changes the characteristics of a hat, which I think would require a "modified" label.

For me, if it's blocked on an OR block and has OR characteristics (dimensions, etc.), it's an OR.

I was waiting for it.

LOL.