Official Umbrella aficionados thread

[ojaw]

This is too real, back it up Irene!

 

[Lucy J]

In a futile attempt to cover up the phallic handle with wax, (as suggested earlier in the thread) I’d like to report the comical result. I’ve since removed the wax with toothpick and resigned to the phallus. I still have a bespoke Maglia on the way, hopefully with a better result View attachment 1704642

?????

 

[Goofy]

In a futile attempt to cover up the phallic handle with wax, (as suggested earlier in the thread) I’d like to report the comical result. I’ve since removed the wax with toothpick and resigned to the phallus. I still have a bespoke Maglia on the way, hopefully with a better result View attachment 1704642

Hold firmly and enjoy.

 

[Lucy J]

Yes please... ??

 

[despaircollectr]

All righty gentlemen and lady. This shall be my final umbrella for a while. Introducing.. bespoke (MTO, really) Maglia Francesco. Solid stick chestnut, green canopy with yellow stripes, horn-tip and the plate is engraved with my name. Bonus collection on my Eames hanger.

 

[logboy]

All righty gentlemen and lady. This shall be my final umbrella for a while. Introducing.. bespoke (MTO, really) Maglia Francesco. Solid stick chestnut, green canopy with yellow stripes, horn-tip and the plate is engraved with my name. Bonus collection on my Eames hanger.

i had two unused maglia i had ordered, and sold them when i read an interview with new younger francesco in charge that said … they’d been using chinese frames since the early 90s.

this is my frustration with expensive / bespoke umbrella makers : most umbrellas are cheap chinese crap, so why make expensive chinese crap? why keep quiet about what you’re making and refuse to clarify when asked? why use the cover of worry about competitors when many businesses use the characteristics that set themselves apart to attract business?

i can’t find any that are clear and complete in what you’re getting for the money. it’s hard work or good fortune to find out the reality.

 

[despaircollectr]

i had two unused maglia i had ordered, and sold them when i read an interview with new younger francesco in charge that said … they’d been using chinese frames since the early 90s.

this is my frustration with expensive / bespoke umbrella makers : most umbrellas are cheap chinese crap, so why make expensive chinese crap? why keep quiet about what you’re making and refuse to clarify when asked? why use the cover of worry about competitors when many businesses use the characteristics that set themselves apart to attract business?

i can’t find any that are clear and complete in what you’re getting for the money. it’s hard work or good fortune to find out the reality.

Maglia is pretty open to where their materials are sourced. I face timed Francesco for 45 minutes. The chestnut wood is from Spain, buttons from Australia, canopy from Italy and ribs from China. Talarico is very difficult to get a reply out of, and thus I did not press further. The umbrella came with a document saying that the wood is from Italy, and that's that.

The only maker that can satisfy you IMO is Michel Heurtault. He was transparent from the beginning with prompt replies. Ribs are from Japan, made in 1970s. Silk from France, wood from France, and horn sourced in Europe. But it seems like you've burned bridges with Heurtault. I asked about shipping with outmost care, noting I've heard of your case. This is what he had to say:

 

[logboy]

Maglia is pretty open to where their materials are sourced. I face timed Francesco for 45 minutes. The chestnut wood is from Spain, buttons from Australia, canopy from Italy and ribs from China. Talarico is very difficult to get a reply out of, and thus I did not press further. The umbrella came with a document saying that the wood is from Italy, and that's that.

The only maker that can satisfy you IMO is Michel Heurtault. He was transparent from the beginning with prompt replies. Ribs are from Japan, made in 1970s. Silk from France, wood from France, and horn sourced in Europe. But it seems like you've burned bridges with Heurtault. I asked about shipping with outmost care, noting I've heard of your case. This is what he had to say: View attachment 1713437

he did not offer to redo the umbrella before the refund, which came so quickly when i pointed to the poor packaging and damage mostly caused by it, so as to avoid having to correct any issues or satisfy this customer.

there was no subsequent offer to redo the umbrella either, as i later enquired as to whether they’d made adjustments to their procedures to avoid a repeat of the lacklustre efforts which caused the damage during the shipping of the one i ordered. great umbrella, poor execution, bad packaging. i took photos, and experienced pulling that great thing out of its box with a sheet of paper rolled loosely (not taped) around it and falling away inside before i could even get it out completely. not a major picky demand from me or massive effort from them. give it a couple of minutes of thought and effort, cos it’s expensive - handmade - and being sent globally. i suspect he writes all off as issues connected being ‘handmade’, which is … a cop out.

i did not make a demand to have it (or anything) for free, nor did i receive a response to my statement that - because of brexit and increased costs, which i had warned were coming when i placed the order in late last year - the cost would very likely be prohibitive (add 20% VAT and other costs), difficult to be as precise about (double charging of VAT at border checks) , and that, in theory, the failure to realise the clock ticking on brexit at time of order (several months, i think) was another reason why they appeared to have been half-arsed in customer concern.

i later made a theoretical statement that it could only be possible to predict the cost of if i wasnt paying which he clearly didn’t understand the nuance of.

he‘s was so quick to be absolutely certain that the issues that arose should have been acceptable to me and that they’re inherent with handmade umbrellas. i disagree, strongly : they’re not present on other handmade umbrellas and they’re usually protected at the point at which the damage most obviously occurred : where the tips of the canopy can press against the shaft. the much more minor pushung of the frame against the shaft from (i guess) tightening the roll of the fabric to the japanese parasol frame was somewhat more understandable, but ive heard no mention of this or seen it elsewhere either.

take a look elsewhere, you will see rubber rings used to prevent this issue. heurtault doesn’t appear to know or guess there could be gaps in his knowledge or work.

 

[blueberry7]

Just for the record, Kirchtag is also transparent about his sources. On the website https://www.kirchtag.com (German only) it says for example that they get their ribs from Italy, other metal parts are made locally for them in Austria.

 

[logboy]

Just for the record, Kirchtag is also transparent about his sources. On the website https://www.kirchtag.com (German only) it says for example that they get their ribs from Italy, other metal parts are made locally for them in Austria.

if you order one, be sure to ask about packaging it well for the journey too. great sticks at kirchtag, didn’t like the fabric. heurtault are masterful, but just terrible at some aspects of managing customer service concerns in my experience.

 

[blueberry7]

if you order one, be sure to ask about packaging it well for the journey too. great sticks at kirchtag, didn’t like the fabric. heurtault are masterful, but just terrible at some aspects of managing customer service concerns in my experience.

Thanks, I already have one (posted pictures of it somewhere earlier in this thread)

 

[Lucy J]

My Brigg golf umbrella was blown out of control and blown completely inside out twice on Tuesday in 50-60mph gusts and horizontal torrential rain in Storm Barra here in Brighton. Luckily I managed to get it back under control each time and then closed it to save it from serious damage. Brighton was a real umbrella graveyard on Tuesday - I'm not sure any umbrella would have been able to hold up at the height of the storm.....

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Hi everyone from Canada! Here is my journey to the world of umbrellas. Two years ago, I was in contact with Maglia to get a custom made umbrella. After everything said and done, the price was 500 euro + 30 for shipping (450 GBP). I decided not to go for it. Not because it was too expensive, more so because in Montreal it doesn't rain often, I work from home, do not commute and would rarely use it. I decided to purchase one of the last Aquascutum available. I am a purist and always regarded Aquascutum as one the the great houses. Moreover I have one of their trench and cashmere scarf. When I got it, was happy until I saw the tag "made in China" but still found it would do the trick. Now stay tune for the second part....

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Part two of my first post here! As I mentioned, I couldn't justify pulling the trigger for something I have no use. On the other hand, I value craftmanship and heritage. About 1 month ago, I was in a specialized hat store in Montreal, Henri et Henri, buying a Borsalino. On my way out, on the wall, I spot a series of umbrellas, one caught my attention, a nice solid stick chestnut made by Doppler. As I have never heard of them, I went to my car and did a little research. Regardless of what I found, the overall fit and finish was remarkable. Not having seen any other famous brands mentioned throughout this tread, I find it hard to believe, something could be better made. The price was $200 CAD (115 GBP), clearly discounted or mispriced as they are advertised at 269 euros (230 GBP) on their website. Clearly not the upper hand of the scale but wow... It is a remarkable umbrella by any account: 10 ribs, handmade in Austria, solid stick in Chestnut, the canopy is 55% cotton, 45% polyester, made in Italy (maybe from the same mill as Maglia?). If anyone has any information on Doppler, I would greatly appreciate. Just love the sound and feel it makes when I open it. Stay tune for my third post!!!

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Now, lastly everyone keep mentioning Maglia and Talarico as the end all be all of Italian craftmanship, were one might be stronger in the wooden shaft while the other in attention to details and canopy. Clearly no real winner, or I could be mistaken. I came across last week a NYC website selling a ridiculously low priced handmade Italian umbrella by Il Marchesato for $65 USD plus shipping. It sat me back about 80 GPB. Again clearly something was off. On the artisan website the same one sales for 239 euro (200 GBP). Now, I haven't received it yet and clearly for the price, I surely hope I will not be disappointed. The moral of the stories here is sometimes, you can find a great umbrella at a fraction of the cost. Are those ribs made in with Chinese steel? Maybe, maybe not, Doppler have been making umbrellas since 1946 while Marchesato since 1978, not as long as others but let's be honest here, it an umbrella not a car, the technology involved here is not out of this world to pass on... As soon as I received my Marchesato, I will post comments and picture. As anyone had any experience with this maker?