The Open Road Guild

[BobHufford]

Stretch a 7 3/8 Clear Beaver Open Road?

I think a better plan is to sell it to me and go find a 7 1/2.

I tossed it in the ‘Bay for someone that it fits to retrieve …

Late 1940s/50s Stetson 7X CB Open Road hat, Size 7-3/8, 3" Brim, 5-1/2" Crown | eBay

Silverbelly (very light tan) in color with thin color-matched ribbon/bow and brim binding. The brim is finished with a 3/8" grosgrain binding. The crown is 5-1/2" open (4-1/2" - 5" as creased) with 3/8" grosgrain ribbon and bow.

www.ebay.com

 

[ScottF]

I tossed it in the ‘Bay for someone that it fits to retrieve …

Late 1940s/50s Stetson 7X CB Open Road hat, Size 7-3/8, 3" Brim, 5-1/2" Crown | eBay

Silverbelly (very light tan) in color with thin color-matched ribbon/bow and brim binding. The brim is finished with a 3/8" grosgrain binding. The crown is 5-1/2" open (4-1/2" - 5" as creased) with 3/8" grosgrain ribbon and bow.

www.ebay.com

I just received my 3X a little while ago. It is the absolutely most perfectly fitting Open Road I've ever owned, so, needless to say - I'm elated. The other two that I had in 3X 7 3/8 were both slightly earlier hats, and the felt was softer and more 'buttery'. So this one's stiff, but that's great for wearing outdoors in our rainy weather. The hat appears to be new and unworn, but I am not going to succumb to 'collector mentality'.

I compared it to my twenty-five that's only a few years older (manilla tag) and can't tell much difference - maybe the OR is a hair taller. The OR is also a little less tan - touch of grey.

As a side-note, I've been looking for posts from my old buddies here, and I'm noticing that a lot of them have been gone for years, and they were/are not that old. Did we have a purge while I was wandering around in other forums? Was I purged? Is this me talking?

 

[StuK323]

Not a 64, I only mentioned this OR to @Bobby Marshall just to let him know there are larger hats out there. I picked up this OR 3X some time back just because 7-7/8 is a rare one. I also have a 7-3/4.

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8.625 + 7.125 = 15.75/2 = 7.875



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Jack, do you have a rough date for this hat? I have purchased one that has the same liner, sweat band and size tag design, I thought it was late 60's (maybe 67/68?) but it could be 70's?

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Jack, do you have a rough date for this hat? I have purchased one that has the same liner, sweat band and size tag design, I thought it was late 60's (maybe 67/68?) but it could be 70's?

Late 1970’s. There’s an older thread on dating by liner here somewhere. Union tags can pin it down too.

 

[StuK323]

Late 1970’s. There’s an older thread on dating by liner here somewhere. Union tags can pin it down too.

Thank you

 

[Weatherman]

I recently started collecting ORs. I've also managed to pick up two twenty five ORs, one from the early 60s with a 3 1/4 brim and this one, a mid 60s-early 70s (from tag and liner) with a 2.5" brim.
The cool thing about this most recent hat is that it was sold by shuddy Brothers in Houston. They opened their hat shop in 1901 in Houston and in the mid-2000s they moved it to another location in Texas and they donate their proceeds to adults with intellectual disabilities. I have contacted them about the Hat and asked a few questions and described it and they have, based on that description and their logo inside confirmed that it was one of their hats. The hat is in excellent shape with no mothing and no stains on the felt or the inside liner and the sweatband, other than some wear on the logo is pristine.