Official Umbrella aficionados thread

[logboy]

I know, just kidding, to me this solid stick thing seems a bit over the top, not sure it looks that much better and probably has very little functional difference but hey, I'm having trouble wearing ties with non handrolled edges and they have zero function and can hardly be noticed, so who am I to say?

the solid stick is a british thing, afaik. it's the umbrella as something evolved from the production of walking sticks. as though the function of an umrella was added by a stick maker as a variant. it's to be used as a walking stick when not being used as an umbrella.

 

[clee1982]

Is there a alternative to solid wood stick that can still fully support users weight, for example high strength stainless steel sounds cheap but maybe too heavy though I can imagine there can be other things?

 

[logboy]

Is there a alternative to solid wood stick that can still fully support users weight, for example high strength stainless steel sounds cheap but maybe too heavy though I can imagine there can be other things?

probably. too many choices. a solid stick, as a variation on a walking stick, is inherently intended to take the weight of a person leaning on it. some have the look but not necessarily the strength, i guess ... like london undercover. thing is, not many need or want a walking stick. it is, as i say, a sign of some craftsmanship.

 

[Lucy J]

Following up the recent comments and questions about the strength and reliability of solid stick umbrellas, I was forced to close my gents walking length solid stick Brigg on Saturday in storm conditions with horizontal rain and gusts of over 50mph... I was going to meet a friend for lunch and decided that I wouldn't be able to control any of my golf brollies in the wild wind and rain (and I couldn't get an Uber...)
I made it through the first 15 minutes or so from my house, holding on tight to control the umbrella in the heavy rain, but as the restaurant was on the seafront, I then had to get down one of the side streets towards the front. As I walked towards the corner where the side street meets the seafront the wind really picked up. It was just funnelling into the side street and I had to hold the umbrella right in front of me like a shield...
The gusts were battering the crown of the umbrella and I was blown to a standstill, unable to make progress into the wind. By this stage the whole umbrella was shaking and was starting to be blown in on itself.
I knew there was a real risk of complete blowout if the wind took control of the brolly so I part closed it to try to release the pressure on the frame which helped, but it felt as though the wind was still trying to get under the brolly and I knew if that happened then the whole umbrella would be at risk of being torn completely inside out.
I had to close the brolly, tying it shut so that there was no risk of the wind getting hold of it, and walk the rest of the way relying on my raincoat to keep out the worst of the weather.
When I got to the restaurant, I discovered that my friend had used a stormproof golf umbrella and that her umbrella had been completely ripped to pieces. So I had to close the Brigg but it almost got me there and lives to fight the weather another day...

 

[clee1982]

Well I don’t know about you guys but I still with synthetic outer shell that has a hood and forget about umbrella all together in strong wind…. umbrella isn’t really useful with side rain…

 

[Lucy J]

Maybe if I was walking a dog I might (but only might!) wear a synthetic outer shell with a hood, but even then I would probably choose my vintage riding mac... 🤣🤣

Going out for lunch requires a certain amount of style (even if it turned out to be style over practicality in Saturday's awful weather) and so, especially as I'm a girly girl, it needed to be Burberry mac, boots, umbrella and beret.

Choosing a beret instead of a fedora was a decision based on the strength of the wind, as was taking my Brigg solid stick rather than any of my golf umbrellas, as I thought I MIGHT be able to keep the Brigg solid under some sort of control, whereas the sheer size of the golf brollies would probably have resulted in me and the brolly being blown totally out of control even before getting to the seafront.

As it turned out, the Brigg survived most of the way, and it was only the last two or three hundred yards that I ended up closing the Brigg, clinging on to my beret with one hand and holding the tightly furled Brigg in the other...

I know that the wind, if it's wild enough, will eventually win against an umbrella, but we girls have fashion considerations along with protecting our hair and makeup if we have to go out in rough weather, and living in Brighton I see a LOT of rough weather.... 🤣

 

[symphvaria]

Curious if anyone has any recommendations for quality folding umbrellas (apparently something of an oxymoron according to my research!) that can be thrown into a briefcase for convenience. Specifically looking for something that is 11" or shorter when folded up. I wish I could fit something bigger because something with a hooked handle like a Francesco Maglia or a Mario Talarico would have been really nice, but no such luck.

 

[Lucy J]

Curious if anyone has any recommendations for quality folding umbrellas (apparently something of an oxymoron according to my research!) that can be thrown into a briefcase for convenience. Specifically looking for something that is 11" or shorter when folded up. I wish I could fit something bigger because something with a hooked handle like a Francesco Maglia or a Mario Talarico would have been really nice, but no such luck.

I've mentioned before that I've heard good things about Davek folding umbrellas, but I've never used one so can't comment from experience! My go-to folding brolly is a Jumbo from Fulton Umbrellas (I think they now market it as a "Tornado" brand) but it's 16 inches when closed rather than the 11 you're looking for, but it does open up to pretty much golf size and, of course, size matters! It's not too resilient to strong winds, and I've been through 3 or 4 of them here in Brighton, but it's a really good size if it's just heavy rain you are combatting or if you have someone else you're trying to shelter...

 

[SuaveStyle]

I was hoping someone could provide some insight. I bought a lovely umbrella from Poszetka and had hung it on the back of a car seat to dry out one day and found that the top had been in contact with the car floor and had dried out with dirt etc on the end. I used a mild hand/dish soap to wash it off and it dried out seemingly good as new. However, since then, I feel like it doesn’t repel the rain as well as beforehand. I feel like small flecks of rain are penetrating and I’ve noticed some water drainage on the inside of the umbrella, albeit was used in pretty heavy rain. Is umbrella fabric coated with some repellent/hydrophobic material that I may have washed off? Or is it my imagination?

 

[logboy]

I bought a lovely umbrella from Poszetka

the only umbrella i see on that site is by talarico

Ombrelli Artigianali - Napoli - Mario Talarico Ombrelli dal 1860

Mario Talarico Ombrelli dal 1860 è un punto di riferimento a Napoli per la vendita di ombrelli artigianali. Da 5 generazioni le creazioni, resistono al tempo e agli utilizzi più estremi. Visita il sito!

www.mariotalarico.it

and they simply seem to state on their website 'fabric waterproof'.

you'd be better off asking the retailer or maker.

 

[magulv]

Dear umbrella aficionados.

I purchased my first "serious" umbrella in july, a Swaine Thomas Brigg with solid cherry wood stick and navy blue canopy. After eight months of waiting, I finally received the umbrella yesterday.

Upon unboxing and opening the canopy, I noticed that the fabric isn't completely stretched out near the end tips (sorry for not knowing the correct terminology). It's wrinkly, but it seems to be due to manufacturing issues, meaning excess fabric due to an error in attaching the fabric to the frame. Can anyone here tell me if this is completely normal and to be expected, or if it seems as if there in fact is something wrong here?

Also, there are some marks/scratches on the open cap and the ferrule. Swaine has informed that these are due to the traditional wire method they use, instead of pinning the fittings. Can anyone confirm this?

Thank you for any insight you can provide!

 

[logboy]

Upon unboxing and opening the canopy, I noticed that the fabric isn't completely stretched out near the end tips (sorry for not knowing the correct terminology). It's wrinkly, but it seems to be due to manufacturing issues, meaning excess fabric due to an error in attaching the fabric to the frame. Can anyone here tell me if this is completely normal and to be expected, or if it seems as if there in fact is something wrong here?


Also, there are some marks/scratches on the open cap and the ferrule. Swaine has informed that these are due to the traditional wire method they use, instead of pinning the fittings. Can anyone confirm this?

Thank you for any insight you can provide!

i would say these flaws are unacceptable. i wouldn‘t accept them. saying it’s not a fault, it’s a feature, is an excuse. very poor. far more complicated and difficult things aren’t accepted with flaws this blatant or otherwise.

i’ve seen other makers iron fabrics, which i’d guess brigg would also do … i still think it looks excessive or questionable, perhaps because of the more obvious problems elsewhere influencing the overall impression.

 

[rayk]

Perhaps coincidence, but, excepting on the open cap, a James Smith & Sons whangee crook-handle umbrella received by me last week has the same marks and wrinkles. It’s my understanding that these often mistaken defects are a normal part of the manufacturing process; however, I can’t say with certainty that this is a fact. That your and my umbrellas, both from reputable makers, have these features suggests to me that coincidence isn’t a likely explanation.
The ruffled appearance of the fabric near the canopy tips is also present on my Smith. I expect that it will smooth out when unfurled for a time.

 

[magulv]

Perhaps coincidence, but, excepting on the open cap, a James Smith & Sons whangee crook-handle umbrella received by me last week has the same marks and wrinkles. It’s my understanding that these often mistaken defects are a normal part of the manufacturing process; however, I can’t say with certainty that this is a fact. That your and my umbrellas, both from reputable makers, have these features suggests to me that coincidence isn’t a likely explanation.
The ruffled appearance of the fabric near the canopy tips is also present on my Smith. I expect that it will smooth out when unfurled for a time.

Swaine has now reviewed the images of the fabric, and replied: "I have heard back from the team at the workshop and they have suggested this may have been caused by the way the umbrella was folded when put inside the box. (...) They have said that using an iron on a very low heat to try ironing out the wrinkles may work. (...) They did note it as odd as the umbrellas do not usually wrinkle like this.".

So at least they aren't saying that this is how all their umbrellas looks upon delivery. I mean, to me it seems like the fabric is stretched in the wrong directions, causing these wrinkles.


Regarding the scratches they said:

"In regards to the fittings, the marks are caused by a traditional umbrella method which originates back to our heritage in 1836.

The reason why we choose this traditional method over simply pinning the fittings in (hammering a small nail/pin into each side) is that pins will eventually shift and fall out due to many years of use. The wire method significantly improves the longevity of the fittings."

I hope this can console your concerns about the marks on the open cap and ferrule."

I can't find anything on Google regarding this wire method, but I would venture that this can and should be done without causing scratches to the visible metal parts.

 

[logboy]

I can't find anything on Google regarding this wire method, but I would venture that this can and should be done without causing scratches to the visible metal parts.

exactly. i would send this back, personally. i did it with heurtault, i'd do it with brigg. took me less than a few seconds to see such flaws as unacceptable and easy, entirely avoidable.

frankly, the one i had from heurtault both still impresses me (what an umbrella) and disgusts me (lazy, arrogant, dismissive idiots) several years down the line.

again : "it's not a fault, it's a feature" is a cop out.

far more complicated stuff doesn't show such flaws.

i'd venture to say these aren't made at enough of a scale, with enough regularity, to iron out (no pun intended) production issues, so every example is therefore something of an investment which must generate a profit and has to be sold whatever the mistakes and variations on outcome are.