Is An Open Road an Open Road if it Doesn't Say Open Road?

[Lefty]

Hey John, I'm no hattist.
Some of my best friends are Open Road clones.

 

[Justdog]

Verrrry funny

I hope that none of this leads to Open Road rage...

Cheers,
JtL

lol lol

 

[Justdog]

Clone

I have written on this previously, that when it comes to the Open Road style of hats, "Imitation is the sincerest form of Flattery" and that Open Road clones should be as welcome as family.

The Open Road style transcends the lettering on a sweat band & trumps any argument for Hat Purity. See the original thread and you'll get the jist of the comraderie not the concept of Exclusion.

If it were not for my Adams clone I would never have found the style I like, The Stetson Open Road.

 

[tonyb]

I have written on this previously, that when it comes to the Open Road style of hats, "Imitation is the sincerest form of Flattery" and that Open Road clones should be as welcome as family.

The Open Road style transcends the lettering on a sweat band & trumps any argument for Hat Purity. See the original thread and you'll get the jist of the comraderie not the concept of Exclusion.

The style transcends Stetson, for that matter. Hats in what we now think of as the Open Road vein predate the Open Road. And many of us can point to examples of factory-made OR-ish hats that are (arguably, at least) superior to all but the finest offerings from John B.

There's a good reason so many ORs have been made over the decades, and why so many other manufacturers produced their own versions (back when there still were so many other manufacturers). The Western-esque style may not be everybody's shot of bourbon, but it's certainly been a hit here in the States, eh?

 

[Justdog]

Style

I agree the style trancends the maker. The open block can be styled so many different ways. I did read the hx somewhere and in the text was described the Texas businessman who may have been resposible for the design first. He was well known but the name escapes me. I know he created a large museum of art in Texas. I,ll try and find the HX again

 

[Justdog]

OR Style

Just got this back from the Hatter. Sweet and soft and an awesome chocolaty brown.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/justdog/Hats/SteTsonBrw152.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/justdog/Hats/SteTsonBrw153.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/justdog/Hats/SteTsonBrw154.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/justdog/Hats/SteTsonBrw155.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/justdog/Hats/SteTsonBrw156.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/justdog/Hats/SteTsonBrw157.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/justdog/Hats/SteTsonBrw158.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/justdog/Hats/SteTsonBrw15.jpg

No OR in the Sweat

 

[RBH]

WOW!!!
I Love That Thin Ribbon!!!!

Great hat !!!
<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/8008/stetsonbrw152ec5.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a>

 

[Rick Blaine]

New very fine Straw Stetson... no O.R. on the sweat though just "genuine panama" and the Stetson logo.

 

[RBH]

New very fine Straw Stetson... no O.R. on the sweat though just "genuine panama" and the Stetson logo.

Rick.... you are a god!!!!
How do you find so many fine thin ribbons!!! ????

I love this straw! Really like the crown crease, plus the brim looks like it is wide enough... great find!!!

 

[Feraud]

Hey John, I'm no hattist.
Some of my best friends are Open Road clones.

Now that's funny!

 

[Rick Blaine]

Rick.... you are a god!!!!
How do you find so many fine thin ribbons!!! ????

I love this straw! Really like the crown crease, plus the brim looks like it is wide enough... great find!!!

Thanks Bro'. Dumb luck would be my sole defense. Judging from the box this was no later than mid 6o's. And it was as new. I'll post some detail shots if I can this weekend. I was very pleased. It is by far the finest weave I own or have seen in the flesh.

 

[AlanC]

Well, I think it's clear--and it's been said already, but I'll say it again--that 'Open Road' has become somewhat like 'Coke' or 'Kleenex'. Yes it refers to a specific brand and model (in this case Stetson), but it is such a common thing that it has become a generic designation for a style of hat across different brands.

Just as any sort of cola is called a coke, so any sort of Open Road style hat is called an Open Road.

 

[Lefty]

Just as any sort of cola is called a coke

Maybe that's true where you come from, but that's another debate (soda, coke, pop, etc).

(woohoo, 1000 )

 

[Rick Blaine]

Maybe that's true where you come from, but that's another debate (soda, coke, pop, etc).

(woohoo, 1000 )

... jus' look at all us hillbillys who have invaded central O-HI-O!

 

[Lefty]

That is one cool map. As you can see, we're pretty solidly "pop" in OH. I wonder what all of the "other" names could be.

I just noticed the major problem with the map - a county can have only 30% use of one term and still be assigned that term's designated color. There's a bit too much extrapolation going on here - especially with only 120,000 responses determining every county in every state.


A southern girl (Georgia) that I worked with went to a pizza place soon after she moved here. The guy behind the counter asked her if she wanted a pop. Being accustomed to the generic "Coke", she took it to mean something sexual and nearly hit the guy before her boyfriend explained the finer points of beverage linguistics.

 

[warbird]

Yellow and blue makes green.

 

[RBH]

Yellow and blue makes green.

And that would make a Open Road of a different color!

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

C'mon guys, aren't these all just "Indiana Jones Hats" anyway?

 

[Stan]

Hey! Yeah!

Hi,

Hmmm. A Green Open Road.....

That's what I need! A green Open Road with Yellow ribbon. Just the thing to wear to my antique farm equipment shows!!

lol lol lol lol lol

Later!

Stan

 

[Justdog]

100

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/justdog/Hats/Stetson1002.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/justdog/Hats/Stetson1003.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/justdog/Hats/Stetson1004.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/justdog/Hats/Stetson1005.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/justdog/Hats/Stetson1006.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/justdog/Hats/Stetson1007.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/justdog/Hats/Stetson100.jpg

No OR Stetson B Company Red sticker behind sweat. #702 Phili.