The umbrella, cane, riding crop and miscellaneous accessories porn thread - Page 27

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

Smith:

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

After Richard Lawrence unsuccessfully tried to shoot Andrew Jackson, our seventh president supposedly whaled on the would-be assassin with his cane such that Jackson's aides had to restrain him forcibly. Not that I can blame him.

Originally Posted by holymadness

Given that it is nearly always the rainy season in Paris, I'd been on the lookout for a decent umbrella for some time. In the meanwhile, I'd borrowed a collapsible from a friend which turned inside-out during the first major windstorm, and a solid with a metal tube from a co-worker which broke 2 ribs during the next. Needless to say I was somewhat dissatisfied with my stopgap solutions and decided to find a proper one-piece umbrella.

It's possible to order online from James A. Smith, but with prices starting at £150 and a wait time of several weeks, I was not persuaded. That goes double for Brigg. A number of high-end boutiques in Paris such as Antoine's (pl. Madeleine), Arny's (r. de Sèvres) and Old England (blvd. de la Madeleine) sell reputed brands, including Brigg, but for prices reaching €200-300. Again, a bit steep.

I was tipped off by a friend about a réparateur de parapluies in the 3e arrondissement named Pep's which was reportedly quite well thought-of. This tiny little atelier, which is hidden in the oldest (16th century) alley in Paris between the r. de Turbigo and r. St. Martin, is as you might expect stocked to the rafters with umbrellas. Most for repair, but some for sale. If you've ever run into a tourist with a black, pagoda-shaped umbrella that vaguely resembles the Eiffel tower, you've seen one of their creations.

Less kitchy was their selection of stick umbrellas for men. There was everything from immense « parapluies de campagne » with linen canopies (apparently waterproof!) to gorgeous solid-stick pieces that had been polished until the wood felt like silk bearing canopies that were woven by hand and thus had different motifs on each side. But what caught my eye were the basic models, named for political ranks.



I was quite taken with the « ministre », part of a line of umbrellas made in France by a workshop founded by Pierre Vaux in 1948. As you can see, it's a solid stick construction made of maple. What I particularly like about it are its 10 ribs which give it extra wind resistance (though the owner gravely warned me that "in any contest between the umbrella and the wind, the wind will always win").







But what really pleased me about this find was the price: €82, eminently reasonable given its construction quality and styling. He also sells a higher-end model in the same line, the « président », which is the same size but with thicker wood (which to my mind meant heavier and not necessarily more desirable). The président also has the advantage of coming with a plate joined to the handle with your name engraved on it, but at double the price, I could take it or leave it.

In any case, I found exactly what I wanted for a price I was willing to pay and not a moment too soon; they predict rain for the next two days.

Originally Posted by summej2

Here are two recent eBay acquisitions. One a two-piece ten-rib from Italy with a chestnut handle, the other a one-piece eight-rib from England with a leather handle---both private-label for Saks. Thanks to RJ for pointing me to the latter.

These are the seller's photos, I'll have to see how they look in person...

Originally Posted by Lear

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Originally Posted by DocHolliday

Great gloves.