Great looking hat. I own 4 Open road Road deluxe hats. My grandfather Live to be 100 years old. This was the style he wore. He would drive me to school and his 51 Chevrolet pick up that he purchased new. He passed away in 1984. I wear this style hat in honor of him.
That is really cool. They are great hats. I use these hats for work. A traditional sized brim would be a little cumbersome in a construction job trailer environment. The open road and stratoliner give me good sun protection and warmth. Take care and thanks for commenting.
Thanks for watching. I believe that is a good choice. The harder finish on th 6X sounds better for weather resistance but the felt is too thin. I think you made the right choice.
I have six Open Roads 6X and four Open Road straws. Every one of them is a 7 1/4 and fit perfectly out of the box except my last 6X which I got a few weeks ago. It fits like the one you have in the video: it's "almost" right but not quite. The hat stretcher didn't help much because of the monofilament line in the hat band which I am unwilling to cut. Like you, I'm hoping that wearing it will break it in.
That is definitely a bummer with that stitching. I would’ve sent it back. I’ve purchased several from Stetson, and they, too, have at times come from different vendors. The stitching isn’t always perfect, and the sizes aren’t entirely consistent. I’m a 7 3/8 but I have a 7 1/4 straw open road that fits great. I love Stratoliners, too. I love the fit of the Stratoliners. The Royal Deluxe is a much softer felt than the 6X. I like both, but I have a slight preference for the 6X. However, even the felts are sometimes inconsistent. The good thing is that I’ve been happy with every Stetson I’ve ever purchased.
I would love to get a Stratoliner Premier. With the open crown I could get my preference on the crown. They are also a little taller. I have only seen one or two available.
@@azdesertdog I was fortunate enough to buy a Premier Stratoliner in Silverbelly right before they evidently disappeared. Got it on clearance, too. I still see them on eBay once in a while. I like the deeper crown and I will make it an Open Road with the cattlemen’s crease so that I can wear it lower than the typical Open Road.
Nice looking hat. As for the quality: you're not being nitpicky. You're right to expect more from Stetson. I just returned a 10x straw Open Road, just like the one you briefly showed in this video, to Steton because the venting was crooked, believe it or not. It made the hat look deformed. It shouldn't have made it past Stetson's quality control check. One small critique, if I may: the grosgrain band is pronounced "grow-grain", not "gros-grain". The "s" is silent.
Thanks for your very informative video. I took a chance and ordered the 6x Open Road as a Christmas/New Year gift to myself. I have a question about a design issue, however. After inspecting the hat, I noticed that the inner liner is not sewn in, but loose under the headband. Is that by design or did I receive a hat with a design flaw? I have never owned a Stetson, or any other premium hat before, so I am not sure if this is normal (for the liners to be replaced?).
I just tried a brown Open Road this past week, They only had one in my size I wanted a Silver Belly but brown was all they had I did like it but the stitching at the bottom of the crown maybe where the hat liner is stitched was loose so I walked away from it
Thanks for watching Terrell. I have been told Akubra is the hat to buy right now. They make an open crown called Campdraft. I think they also have a cattlemens crown similar to the Open Road but the name is not coming to mind right now.
The Royal Deluxe is supposed to be softer. It's a different type of felt. The 6x is the more traditional western felt, made to work. The Royal Deluxe is a lighter, softer dress felt. Wears nicer, with no break-in, but not as tough.
Thank you for watching. I'm not certain. I've had it for several years. I get most of mine from an Etsy store called knotatail. The young lady makes them herself.
@azdesertdog ya know I been on the fence for akubra too. Im thinking the riverina or the territory. I think the prices are good for the quality, lots of good yt reviews on the akubras. I work with an Aussie who swears by their hats.
I’ve got all open road Stetson both beaver 6x and straw… 🎉 I want the same horsehair hatband You have…! How does it stay on when turned upside down between wears?
A good horsehair hatband should stay on by itself in most conditions. Some really well-made bands will have little retainers on the tassle side that tie the tassles back to the band. They keep it taught. You can make them with matching thread. Also you can take some matching thread and tie the horsehair hat band to the grosgrain underneath. I'm not a fan of gluing or stitching through the hat.
Stetson used to have higher Standards on their Quality Control now that their Line is owned by Hatco the quality just got lower or inconsistent. That's why so many Collectors are looking for vintage Fur Felt Hats. Stetson's Premier Open Crown is their very best Fur Felt besides their pure Beaver Felt($400.) I would send it back and get a different Hat they have lots of them. The darker One looked better on you. Stetson won't tell you about the quality of the Fur Felt now so it could be a blend of Rabbit and Wool mixed together and you would not know. X's don't really mean much Today that's why Collectors are going to indendent Hatmakers paying more Money yet,they get a Hat that's real and usually won't sit in the Closet everyday.
Seems like everything. Just got the KTM back aftet 4 months. I would stock pile consumables for your bikes. Most of the parts for my service and they parts the dealer wrecked were back ordered all the way to Austria.
Thanks! I get my hat bands in a lot of different places. I usually have something particular in mind. A good place on Etsy is Knotatail she make some real nice bands.
I originally wanted a 6X. It was more in line with the western felts I usually wear. The Royal Deluxe won me over. I feel it's higer quality and more comfortable.
Thank sir. Happy New Year to you as well. Amazon is a great source for fearhers. Dirt cheap. Better quality than when I used to hunt. The best size is 6" to 9" for a fedora. 12" Turkey feathers are good for western hats.
Well done video. Very informative. You've done a nice job personalizing those Open Roads. I have an Open Road Shantung in Chocolate Brown. It arrived with very blotchy coloration. By accident, i discovered some oil based wood stain was the EXACT color, so I was able to even things out. I opted to purchase an Akubra Camp Draft Open Crown that I bashed like the Open Road. Very heavy fur felt that is very stiff. Even with shipping from Australia, it was half the price of the Open Road. Akubra is the Stetson licensee in Australia. As far as stiffeners, which do you prefer? The Bickmore or the hairspray? Kevin at JJ Hat center in NY recommends Rave Extra Hold, but I am concerned about tackiness in humid weather here in Kansas. Thanks for this video!!
Akubras seem to have a higher crown, I’ve looked at a few, I’m 5”8 220, not sure if I want the higher crown. They also have, for the most part , bigger brims, you can have them cut, but not sure.
Thanks, I ordered the Sage and its on the way. I have the other colors but not the Pecan. I personally prefer the Deluxe to the 6x. As for quality control its hit and miss. I had an open road that was stained and also had some band stitch issues. The sizing is sometimes a little big. Most of them were fine though. Good video!
Gotcha, thanks for quickly replying. I've been at a toss up between sage and walnut. I've got silver belly and cognac in straw. I stumbled across your video in search of a better image of walnut. Keep up the good work.
That hat should have been either sold as a " blemish " OR better yet not sold at all ( to better the brand ) ! I'd be pissed to get a premium hat that looks like that hat !!!!
Thanks John. My next hat will be an Akubra Campdraft. It comes open crown. I can shape it. It has tougher western hat style felt and is somewhat weather resistant.
@@azdesertdog I can't seem to order a hat on line & expect it to fit ( I ordered an " angler " hat from David Morgan hat Co. ... was told to order a little larger , ... it came , You guessed it , it came ... a little LARGE ! ) I went in Person to a store that sells Stetson hats . One line of hats marked 7 1/8 , we're all over the place . They ranged from too small , to ok , to too large to fit Me ! How can You order something like that on line !?
@@azdesertdog oh, thanks for correcting. I got its name only by listening, and I was under impression you Americans just butchering yet another European words :)
Nice Hat! I like the style. Good info. But, Sadly, the quality of the today’s products seeming exemplifies America’s “new,” diminishing standards in product quality and pride of workmanship; though there is no price reduction.
It seems like everything is effected. That's why the KTM has been at the dealership for four months. The certified mechanic put the wrong fluid in the clutch.
