Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

The Open Road Guild

Messages
12,384
Location
Albany Oregon
Here's my early '60s Royal Stetson OR after I took it completely apart and gave it a reblocking and size up from a 7 1/8 LO to a 7 1/4...

IMG_20180912_082620166.jpg


On the block, 23 1/4 inches
IMG_20180912_085803831.jpg


Off the block with temporary basting stitches to hold the new sweat in place for permanent stitches
Royal_Stetson_Refurb_10_A.jpg


Back together again. Except for the original sweat I reused everything that was original to the hat, even the 7 1/8 LO size tag. I sized it up to 7 1/4 to fit me....

Royal_Stetson_Refurb_4_A.jpg


Royal_Stetson_Refurb_5_A.jpg


I was surprised that I was able to reuse the Wind Trolley. It went back on, though.
Royal_Stetson_Refurb_8_A.jpg


Royal_Stetson_Refurb_2_A.jpg


I'll have more in the Conversion Corral later.
Love this one Terry. Being able to transform this hat to your personal specs and keeping most of the original is really an accomplishment. Love the color.
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
Man, you do great work, Terry! That hat is really coming along nicely!
Thank you Tuk! It came out really nice. The crown height, the crease, and the ribbon work I'm completely happy with. The only thing that kills it for me is the 2 1/2 inch brim width. I don't like anything under 2 5/8. So it's something I probably won't wear much because of the brim. I know a lot of people like that width, it's just not my preference.
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
Love this one Terry. Being able to transform this hat to your personal specs and keeping most of the original is really an accomplishment. Love the color.
Thank you, Mike! I'm happy with everything about it except for the 2 1/2 inches brim width. For that reason it'll see more box time than head time. I'm not really fond of brim widths under 2 5/8. On some people that width looks great. Not for me, though.
 

ScottF

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,755
I normally don't add my hat examples to these 'clubs', as they are not generally unusual;however, this one is kind of an outlyer (outlier?)

This is a mid-50's black Open Road with a homburg brim. The brim is softer and not quite as pronounced as a 'normal' homburg and the binding is a little thin on the outside, certainly nowhere near as wide as a St. Regis. But the brim does look to have been professionally done - I would guess factory.

Anyway, here it is:

IMG_1779.jpg
IMG_1780.jpg
IMG_1782.jpg
IMG_1786.jpg
 
Last edited:

AbbaDatDeHat

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,852
I normally add my hat examples to these 'clubs', as they are not generally unusual;however, this one is kind of an outlyer (outlier?)

This is a mid-50's black Open Road with a homburg brim. The brim is softer and not quite as pronounced as a 'normal' homburg and the binding is a little thin on the outside, certainly nowhere near as wide as a St. Regis. But the brim does look to have been professionally done - I would guess factory.

Anyway, here it is:

View attachment 135770 View attachment 135771 View attachment 135772 View attachment 135773
Greetings ScottF:
I’m glad you posted this one here. These pics are so much nicer than in the other thread. This is one unique hat! With a brim curl or without, it is quite a lovely hat.
Being black really sets it apart from the usual vintage ORs i’ve seen. I think it might be a rare bird indeed.
Thanks for sharing.
Bowen
 

ScottF

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,755
Greetings ScottF:
I’m glad you posted this one here. These pics are so much nicer than in the other thread. This is one unique hat! With a brim curl or without, it is quite a lovely hat.
Being black really sets it apart from the usual vintage ORs i’ve seen. I think it might be a rare bird indeed.
Thanks for sharing.
Bowen

Thanks Bowen. Those original pics were taken with my phone at the antique shop - emergency pics to gather quick information and decide whether or not to purchase. Also, I've since scrubbed with a hat sponge, conditioned the sweat and alcohol-cleaned the interior.

The brim is almost 3" when the curl is flattened.
 
Last edited:

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
Nicely done T Jones! You have great patience and knowledge in taking things apart and putting them back together in a better way.:cool:

Cheers!

Roadopen
Thank you, buddy. The hat came out really nice. Crisp and clean. The crown proportions, the crown crease, the ribbon work, putting most of the original stuff back in the hat, the brim flanging, I'm all happy with. I just can't get password the 2 1/2 inches brim width. That kills everything for me. That width looks really good on a lot of people, though. It just doesn't look good on me. I prefer either a 2 5/8 or a 2 3/4 brim width. Here's a side view of the hat on my head. Notice how narrow the 2 1/2 width looks on me. It's definitely a nice hat. It's just that the brim width doesn't suit me. Maybe I'm just used to wearing wider brims. I dunno.

Royal_Stetson_Refurb_1_A.jpg
 
Last edited:

Roadopen

One of the Regulars
Messages
215
Location
Hollywood North b/w 7 - 7 1/8
Thank you, buddy. The hat came out really nice. Crisp and clean. The crown proportions, the crown crease, the ribbon work, putting most of the original stuff back in the hat, the brim flanging, I'm all happy with. I just can't get password the 2 1/2 inches brim width. That kills everything for me. That width looks really good on a lot of people, though. It just doesn't look good on me. I prefer either a 2 5/8 or a 2 3/4 brim width. Here's a side view of the hat on my head. Notice how narrow the 2 1/2 width looks on me. It's definitely a nice hat. It's just that the brim width doesn't suit me. Maybe I'm just used to wearing wider brims. I dunno.

Royal_Stetson_Refurb_1_A.jpg

T Jones! I like the wide brim myself and the 2 1/2 would be my max, just me also of course. I send what you feel in regards. To some it is fine. Anything less will be delving into the stingy/trilby boundaries. True that one time or another we would be trying and maybe having the smaller to own one or few of this brim size but I myself personally seemed to graduated from this style as well and gone to a bit larger size above the 2 1/2.

This of course will all be subjected to preference and looks when you wear one or the other.
Specially for the fedora style and truthfully the OR nor the Strat are more of a higher breed from the actual fedora with a western twist added to its ever popular stature.

Maybe you just to wear this for the time being and get used to it.

Roadopen
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
T Jones! I like the wide brim myself and the 2 1/2 would be my max, just me also of course. I send what you feel in regards. To some it is fine. Anything less will be delving into the stingy/trilby boundaries. True that one time or another we would be trying and maybe having the smaller to own one or few of this brim size but I myself personally seemed to graduated from this style as well and gone to a bit larger size above the 2 1/2.

This of course will all be subjected to preference and looks when you wear one or the other.
Specially for the fedora style and truthfully the OR nor the Strat are more of a higher breed from the actual fedora with a western twist added to its ever popular stature.

Maybe you just to wear this for the time being and get used to it.

Roadopen
Yeah, I thought maybe I just needed to wear it around some to get used to the width but the more I wear it the more I dislike it. This would be the perfect OR, though, for someone who likes 2 1/2 inch brim widths. Everything about this hat is really nice. The crown proportions, the crown crease, the ribbon work, even the brim flanging itself all looks really good, and I put most of the original stuff back on the hat. I just can't warm up to that brim width, though. I detest it the more I wear it. For me, I don't like a fedora with a brim width of less than 2 5/8 inches. This hat would look much better on somebody else's head who likes that brim width.
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
I am with you. 2 1/2 and less look like a bottle cap on my head. I'm sure it is because I wear 4 1/2 to 4 3/4 brim westerns these days but the person I see in the mirror when wearing a 2 3/8 brim looks goofy.
Yup. I guess if we get used to wearing wider brims and then putting on a hat with less brim than we're used to, it just doesn't look right to us. But, I have another trick I'm going to try to make the brim seem wider than it actually is.
 

Roadopen

One of the Regulars
Messages
215
Location
Hollywood North b/w 7 - 7 1/8
Yup. I guess if we get used to wearing wider brims and then putting on a hat with less brim than we're used to, it just doesn't look right to us. But, I have another trick I'm going to try to make the brim seem wider than it actually is.

I can’t wait for this awesome trick you will have under your sleeves here for this hat Terry!
Say what is the actual size you think this hat would be safe to fit into someones head size?

Cheers!
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
I can’t wait for this awesome trick you will have under your sleeves here for this hat Terry!
Say what is the actual size you think this hat would be safe to fit into someones head size?

Cheers!
Here it is after working the brim some. It's getting there and looking a little more the way I want it.
Levis_and_Royal_Stetson_4_A.jpg


Levis_and_Royal_Stetson_1_A.jpg


This hat would probably be on the money for a 7 1/4. I'm between a 7 1/4 and a 7 3/8.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,293
Messages
3,078,130
Members
54,244
Latest member
seeldoger47
Top