Akubra Stetson Open Road ??

[3thoubucks]

It's a fact Stetson was in business with Akubra in the past. An Australian store that sells closeout and overstock, was selling 5 new fedoras on ebay (the auctions have ended) There were 3 auctions, because there were 3 colors, Fawn, Sand, Brown. All 3 auctions used this picture- NOTE the WIND TROLLEY. All the auctions were titled "Akubra Open Road" "Open Road" is a Stetson trademark name. I wrote the seller, and was told that some of the hats were Akubra and some were Stetson "..but they were all exactly the same". I assume they are vintage, I don't think Akubra or Stetson has put a wind trolley on a hat in a while, but the seller didn't know how old they were. It has those Akubra Fed/Raiders lines up the side real bad. ..... In 1981 my employer told me the Raiders hat was a Stetson. Her brother was a film editor in LA, so it might have been inside info. And of course "Australian Model". I'd like to think the Raiders hat had plush HJ felt. The Akubra felt I've seen is kind of crude, but perhaps it used to be finer. I would have bid, but the sizes were very small and very big.

[eazybox]

It's a fact Stetson was in business with Akubra in the past. An Australian store that sells closeout and overstock, was selling 5 new fedoras on ebay (the auctions have ended) There were 3 auctions, because there were 3 colors, Fawn, Sand, Brown. All 3 auctions used this picture- NOTE the WIND TROLLEY. All the auctions were titled "Akubra Open Road" "Open Road" is a Stetson trademark name. I wrote the seller, and was told that some of the hats were Akubra and some were Stetson "..but they were all exactly the same". I assume they are vintage, I don't think Akubra or Stetson has put a wind trolley on a hat in a while, but the seller didn't know how old they were. It has those Akubra Fed/Raiders lines up the side real bad. ..... In 1981 my employer told me the Raiders hat was a Stetson. Her brother was a film editor in LA, so it might have been inside info. And of course "Australian Model". I'd like to think the Raiders hat had plush HJ felt. The Akubra felt I've seen is kind of crude, but perhaps it used to be finer. I would have bid, but the sizes were very small and very big.

Wow-- maybe that old Stetson ad that looks like an HJ wasn't so misleading after all: "The Man With the Hat is Back, and He's (Really) Wearing a Stetson!" Curiouser and curiouser...

Jack

[Alan]

Akubra did make the Open Road under license with Stetson for awhile (not sure how long). Akubra now makes the same hat under the name the Campdraft.

The picture here shows it with a wind trolley (but not the traditional OR bash).

[fatwoul]

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[Oklahoma Jones]

Two reasons for the dent.........placed on expanding hat stretcher during processing, and also being stacked with other hats..........see it all the time at the western store where I shop.

[Arkansas Russell]

The Campdrafts all come with windtrollys. Also they come open crowned.

[3thoubucks]

Wow. I didn't realize you could get a modern Akubra with a wind trolley. They could be different vintages though, because the bow on the Everything Australian hat is positioned higher in relation to the ribbon.

[fatwoul]

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[3thoubucks]

It's rearward (just behind the ear) because the hat is turned. I can't see anything on the other side because it's within the front dent. .... I just read that Akubra was licensed to make Open Roads for over 30 years. Indygear FAQs states the Campdraft was the model for the Federation. Strange that Hats Direct doesn't advertise Campdrafts, and neither does David Morgan. I wonder if they are different than Bushman hats? They seem to have more brim dish. Here's the only open crown shot of a Campdraft I could find on the web. (looks like the darker one has a little of the side dent going on?

[Oklahoma Jones]

Yeah, 3K, I see the dent on the darker hat..........still just think it is the way the hats are stretched and stacked, though turning can also produce the dent. Could probably be popped out with some steam and some hat stiffener............

[Dr.Seuss]

It's a fact Stetson was in business with Akubra in the past. * * * All the auctions were titled "Akubra Open Road" "Open Road" is a Stetson trademark name. I wrote the seller, and was told that some of the hats were Akubra and some were Stetson "..but they were all exactly the same". * * * In 1981 my employer told me the Raiders hat was a Stetson. Her brother was a film editor in LA, so it might have been inside info. * * *

That explains something.

In 1982, a salesman at Kay's Fashions for Men (Maxwell Street, Chicago), looked me in the eye and said, this Stetson "Open Road," was the same hat used in Raiders; except for the color. Kay's was sold out of brown.
Somewhat naively, I bought it.



I see similarities to the current offerings.

Could the Open Road be.........the "missing link?"

Sincerely,

[Michaelson]

I had someone from Christie's tell me it was based on an oversized derby that was rebashed and the brim recut. Supposedly it was to explain the 'ballooned' appearance of the crown. Swore on his grandmothers grave! I bet she was still alive at the time, though.

They were telling us all KINDS of stuff to sell overstock hats back then.

Regards! Michaelson

[GCR]

Whose Campdraft is that from so long ago?

My guess is either _ or Steve, as they were both fooling around with modified Akubras back in the day...

-GCR

[Michaelson]

I believe that's one of _'s. I don't recall any of Fedora's being photographed at the time.

Regards! Michaelson

[Indiana G]

if that's one of _'s, it would be a size 8....only one way to find out....someone take a rope and climb to the top of the crown so we can get a picture of you for size reference

{jumps under the plymouth as _ throws a right hook}

[GCR]

I believe that's one of _'s. I don't recall any of Fedora's being photographed at the time.

Regards! Michaelson

I believe you're right. I was thinking of the pics of Steve's dark brown (was it Nigeria brown?) Bushman on the "more fedoras" page.

I have to agree with Tone that the pics of _'s campdraft really do look very good. I considered that as an option myself some years back, but the ribbon-change scared me off.

-GCR

[Dr.Seuss]

The open crown height of this Stetson is less than 5 inches.


I have often toyed with the idea of a reblock which uses up the brim, to gain some crown height.

Is this rabbit? Anyone? Anyone?

Sincerely,

[Puppetboy]

Is this the Open Road? Does anyone notice the sweep on the rear of the crown? It looks like it has that weird sweep that's on the back of the Raiders hat - where it pulls in a lot at the top of the hat band in the back. The base is actually larger than the top.

[Dr.Seuss]

Is this the Open Road? Does anyone notice the sweep on the rear of the crown? It looks like it has that weird sweep that's on the back of the Raiders hat - where it pulls in a lot at the top of the hat band in the back. The base is actually larger than the top.

Yes, that is a Stetson "Open Road," purchased in 1982.

So if the crown is too short to begin with - I wonder if _ just got as much as he could off the thing and had a very, very shallow top dent - is it possible that they'd have gone through that much work to make a hat taller? Or did the Campdraft change from a taller crown to the 4. someting incher since then?

You should give it a try, Seuss. Just to see how it turns out.

In the works. It will be an interesting experiment.

Sincerely,

[Michaelson]

It looks really good. I'm wondering why it was dismissed back then as an option. (Well, aside from the brim having to be cut down and ribbon, etc.)

Well, if you'll recall, a LOT of things we now take for granted were being ignored or dismissed, as we were still just seeing details from the then new invention of 'frame grab' by those who had high end video equipment.

I mean, it took post after post after post of frame grab proof by our old friend Rundquist to show that the felt wasn't stiff as a board, but soft and flexible. (and sadly, I admit I was one of those who dimissed his theory out of hand until he bombarded me with proof. Goes to show we can be taught! )

So, most folks didn't even WANT to talk about crown height or the like, let alone dealing with something called an 'open crown' hat. Steve, _, and Rundquist were the first to step up to the plate with experiments and visual proof that the mainstream was WAY off target.

It was just information that was WAY ahead of it's time when first posted.

I still shake my head when I look back and remember items that I didn't believe and spoke out against back then.....items like the soft felt, the web belt color, 'RaiderOfTheLostArk' from Indyfan (who has since disappeared never to be heard from again ) first pointing out that the Wested jackets changed almost from shot to shot in the original movie using only book and magazine photos we had at the time (and I'm talking back in the mid 90's! ) stating the theory that each jacket had it's on nuances which many also didn't believe......until frame grabs proved him totally correct, Dan Riser beating the bejabers out of his Akubra Fed to soften it up (we cringed with horror then).....on and on.....

Regards! Michaelson

[Dr.Seuss]

So if the crown is too short to begin with - I wonder if _ just got as much as he could off the thing and had a very, very shallow top dent - is it possible that they'd have gone through that much work to make a hat taller? Or did the Campdraft change from a taller crown to the 4. someting incher since then?

You should give it a try, Seuss. Just to see how it turns out. * * *

A Canon:
As you requested. A fun experiment. Here is my quick "Raiders" shaping on that Open Road.

The crown is just about 4 5/8 inches (very top). Brim, 2 3/4 inches. The ribbon is 1 1/8 inches; wider looked out of proportion (sorry, no time for a bow). A very shallow top dent.

I have not worn it in over 15 years, as the crown was always too low for my tastes.

Sincerely,

[Indiana Greg]

I got one of these recently from this seller. It is a lovely hat that seems to my eye to be quite comparable to my vintage Royal Deluxe Stetson Open Road which has to be 50 yrs. old. And of the three Akubras I own (this one, a reg Fed & an Adventurer in the Heritage felt) it is hands down the nicest, both in felt & construction. (sorry batteries are down on the camera so no photos as yet) it has a fantastic blood red liner & is marked as a Stetson Open Road, the sweat isn't near as nice as the vintage tho'. I have it in a teardrop bash w/ a moderately tight pinch. The seller, when pressed, opined that to his recalection Akubra stopped making Stetsons at least a decade ago, beyond that he wasn't much help on the age question.