Considering a Stetson Open Road, what pairs well with it?

[belfastboy]

The current Campdraft has a very average 5 ½” open crown. You can crease it where it looks very similar in height to the current Open Road. A 5 ½” open crown is certainly not a tall crown and lower than most western hats. It’s a classic dress hat crown height and it certainly looks a lot lower on most people. Look the the several threads we have here on the Campdraft and see how it looks on others. Angles and proportions make a huge difference on how a hat looks in photos. As a size 7 ½ I doubt you’ll think the crown looks too tall once it’s creased.

I have yet to see an open crown OR. While my CD has a fairly straight sided blocking is the OR blocked on a more tapered block like a #51?. I have a Resistol OR like hat. It has a 5 1/4" open and has some taper to it. I love the hat but a definitely different profile from my CD. Thoughts?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I have yet to see an open crown OR. While my CD has a fairly straight sided blocking is the OR blocked on a more tapered block like a #51?. I have a Resistol OR like hat. It has a 5 1/4" open and has some taper to it. I love the hat but a definitely different profile from my CD. Thoughts?

I believe the block changed over time, but the #52 was used for the OR and it’s my personal favorite.

 

[belfastboy]

I believe the block changed over time, but the #52 was used for the OR and it’s my personal favorite.

I have a few vintage #52's....a bit of taper but not as much as the #51's.

 

[M Hatman]

What happened to the RD OR you got from me?
As I recall the blocking was the same as my other ORs....

 

[PDXHAT]

The current Campdraft has a very average 5 ½” open crown. You can crease it where it looks very similar in height to the current Open Road. A 5 ½” open crown is certainly not a tall crown and lower than most western hats. It’s a classic dress hat crown height and it certainly looks a lot lower on most people. Look the the several threads we have here on the Campdraft and see how it looks on others. Angles and proportions make a huge difference on how a hat looks in photos. As a size 7 ½ I doubt you’ll think the crown looks too tall once it’s creased.

Angles and proportions and photos and also personal taste: I like the crown tall and have bashed it that way. But that's what's great about a CD--you can bash it however it pleases you!

I hope the OP considers a CD: from what I'm hearing I think it would be a perfect hat for him.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Angles and proportions and photos and also personal taste: I like the crown tall and have bashed it that way. But that's what's great about a CD--you can bash it however it pleases you!

I hope the OP considers a CD: from what I'm hearing I think it would be a perfect hat for him.

I like my crowns tall too. In fact, the reason the Campdraft doesn’t work well for me is the 5 ½” open crown is at least ½” too short for me no matter how I crease it. I wish they gave us more crown to work with as you can always crease it deeper to take up excess but you cannot stretch it to give you more. I also appreciate the durability of the Campdraft, but I much prefer the much better felt available on vintage or custom hats. My Akubras have mostly been relegated to rain or hard use hats. They really fill that niche well for me. Now if they would just restock the Akubra Sombrero in my size I’d be set.

 

[RBH]

Just curious, I noticed everyone wearing these hats in the pictures seem to be in the yard..am I the only one wearing these hats casually around town? In Israel I definitely am. IDK how you can live in a climate like this and not be an avid hat wearer..when Ilived in Arizona in 2008 remember people generally wearing hats if they were outside longer than the time it took to go to the car

A very versatile style.

 

[Frunobulax]

Just curious, I noticed everyone wearing these hats in the pictures seem to be in the yard..am I the only one wearing these hats casually around town? In Israel I definitely am. IDK how you can live in a climate like this and not be an avid hat wearer..when Ilived in Arizona in 2008 remember people generally wearing hats if they were outside longer than the time it took to go to the car

Nah, we just tend to take photos while leaving the house. Thin ribbons are very popular and most of us wear them anywhere.

 

[StoryPNW]

In .

I looked through the Wolfhrae thread..I found a post of you wearing a wolfbrea modeled off the open road.

It's not exactly the same hat, you can tell it's a custom.. You also can tell it's the same hat design though. You still have it? BTW How Many hats do you have man? Seems like there's not a hat you haven't owned

I have a little time before I pull the trigger, I'll probably get the stetson, if I really wear it a lot maybe I'll get a custom made.

The new ORs also have a shorter stouter crown IMHO than the campdraft, even when creased the same, as an above post shows. I it piques my taste a bit more and I'll be more likely to wear it more.

Just curious, I noticed everyone wearing these hats in the pictures seem to be in the yard..am I the only one wearing these hats casually around town? In Israel I definitely am. IDK how you can live in a climate like this and not be an avid hat wearer..when Ilived in Arizona in 2008 remember people generally wearing hats if they were outside longer than the time it took to go to the car

I live in more of a rural setting, but have worn my vintage OR to soccer matches with my son and to Vegas on vacation with my wife. It really will go anywhere. I have mine bashed with the fedora bash instead of the cattlemans crease.

 

[PDXHAT]

I wear my hats everywhere, from the yard to town to the inside of an airplane. And the modern OR is a great look, I love mine. But it is a very distinct look, and I love an open crown hat that I can bash to my own specs.

 

[StoryPNW]

I like it man. I thought you couldn't reblock them though

The one in the picture is a vintage 50's open crown hat, I have had a center crease, diamond, cattleman's, and other creases in this hat at different times. Open crown is one of the bonus points for a vintage hat.

 

[belfastboy]

I like it man. I thought you couldn't reblock them though

Modern stetsons are machine blocked with a fair bit of stiffener...the crease is there permanently. You can remove the pressed in crease but not completely. It is set in so hard that a shadow of the crease will remain. Vintage Stetsons of good quality are a completely different animal. It is not fair to compare them. A good vintage hat can take a dry crease, return to open crown and crease it differently the next day.

 

[PDXHAT]

I like it man. I thought you couldn't reblock them though

As others have said, open crown hats can be rebashed. That is one of the reasons I like the Campdraft, and why others love to buy custom/vintage hats that have open crowns.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

While the Campdraft can be re-creased and the crown given a different shape, it’s entirely different from a quality vintage hat or a good custom. The Campdraft felt isn’t able to the reshaped without steam or water…at least not in the way that a quality vintage or custom hat can.

I haven’t seen an Akubra yet you could shape like this:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKnIYFDB_RU/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

 

[PDXHAT]

While the Campdraft can be re-creased and the crown given a different shape, it’s entirely different from a quality vintage hat or a good custom. The Campdraft felt isn’t able to the reshaped without steam or water…at East not in the way that a quality vintage or custom hat can.

I haven’t seen an Akubra yet you could shape like this:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKnIYFDB_RU/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

This is absolutely true. Akubras are wonderful but the felt is of a different quality than the hat illustrated. That's why I have a Gannon custom silverbelly vintage open road style on the wish list. This year, for sure.

 

[Rmccamey]

Are stetson hats true to size? Should I size up? I have ordered a few akubras size 7 1/2 without a problem, though the style master just fits.

Also does anyone have pictures comparing the open road to the stetson range 6x?

Stetson felts, old or new, have always been spot-on for my 7 1/8 head.

Stratoliner

 

[PDXHAT]

I've not had much problem with Stetsons. They fit out of the box for me.

 

[Tacocaster]

Are stetson hats true to size? Should I size up? I have ordered a few akubras size 7 1/2 without a problem, though the style master just fits.

Also does anyone have pictures comparing the open road to the stetson range 6x?

I have many newer/modern Open Roads and Stratoliners in both felt and straw. They are “generally” true to size, but are pretty inconsistent in my experience. These are mass produced hats and not always perfect. The 6X OR fits a bit more snug than the Royal Deluxe on my head. The straw OR fits me mostly in 7 3/8, but I also have a great fitting one in 7 1/4. I have a perfect fitting Stratoliner in 7 1/4, but most 7 3/8 Strats fit me. I must caution you—the OR doesn’t fit everyone the same, depending on the height of your head. It will bottom out due to the shallow crown size if you have a “tall” head. I have a Stetson Range that I can photograph tomorrow for comparison. They are very different hats, mainly because of the brim size, flange, and shape. The Range is definitely a cowboy/western hat.

 

[Ingramite]

Open Road has been my go to hat for a lot of years. I never feel out of place in any setting.

I really don't see a lot of folks wearing them around here though. As such, I do get compliments almost every time I wear mine. From young hipsters to old hippies and ranchers.

 

[BCTTU]

Dang it. Just when I thought I was done buying felt hats for the season, you guys go and post this great discussion about the OR. I had been avoiding getting an OR for some unknown reason. Actually, I felt it was too "cowboy hat" looking, and I can't pull off a cowboy hat. But, I'm seeing it as more versatile, thanks to this thread. My "local" hat shop has a sage distressed OR in stock in my size, and now I have to go try it on. I am curious to see if the crease keeps it too high on my head. I like my hats down further on my head.
Nonetheless, I've got to drive over and check it out on Saturday. Not exactly how I was planning on spending my Saturday morning, but I suppose there are worse ways to spend time!