Looking to buy a quality gents umbrella

New poster here...

I can see that this is a discussion that has been held before but would appreciate up-to-date opinions. I've reached that time of life where quality is key, and am looking for a full size traditional gents umbrella. The options here in the UK seem to be between Fox, James Smith and Brigg but Id also be grateful for any other suggestions. I dont need the umbrella as a walking stick but am still considering the solid shaft as well as the metal tube.

Its not going to be a fashion item - it will be my regular umbrella on wet days. I live on the Sussex coast and commute into London, and I have a 15-20 minute walk at each end. Both of these walks are in areas where it can get really windy so the umbrella will need to be able to handle that. Also interested to hear about any after-sales customer service from the providers in case the umbrella needs to be repaired at some stage.

Thanks in advance

Steve

I'd go with Jas. Smith if I were you. It is cut to your height, and they offer an umbrella with more ribs to withstand strong wind.

Originally Posted by Stever174

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New poster here...

I can see that this is a discussion that has been held before but would appreciate up-to-date opinions. I've reached that time of life where quality is key, and am looking for a full size traditional gents umbrella. The options here in the UK seem to be between Fox, James Smith and Brigg but Id also be grateful for any other suggestions. I dont need the umbrella as a walking stick but am still considering the solid shaft as well as the metal tube.

Its not going to be a fashion item - it will be my regular umbrella on wet days. I live on the Sussex coast and commute into London, and I have a 15-20 minute walk at each end. Both of these walks are in areas where it can get really windy so the umbrella will need to be able to handle that. Also interested to hear about any after-sales customer service from the providers in case the umbrella needs to be repaired at some stage.

Thanks in advance

Steve

The best brollie you can buy is to be found in the main square in Antwerp Belgium. I cant remember the name of the shop but its the only umbrella shop in the sqaure.

What would an Aussie know about rain?!

Originally Posted by Ich_Dien

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What would an Aussie know about rain?!

I've seen it in the movies once or twice, silent movies of course. Sound hasn't come out yet down here.

Hi Steve

Where in Sussex are you - I'm in Brighton and have had two Briggs for many years, although the Brigg golfer was destroyed in that terrible storm last November (dont know if you remember it!). My trad Brigg is very sturdy although I have heard one or two people on here have had them damaged in strong winds (maybe I have been lucky with mine). Briggs can be repaired though I believe, although my golfer was so badly damaged that I just had to bin it.

I'd love a James Smith and am hoping to buy one for this autumn - if you are in London you might also try Longchamp - some of their colours are quite masculine.

As regards solid stick versus tube I'e had solid stick ever since a Fox tube umbrella was completely blown out in Brighton about six or seven years ago - by the time I was able to get the brolly back under control the metal tube/shaft had been completely bent as a result of the wind battering the brolly whilst it was inside out.

If you do get an expensive umbrella, you may also want to think about something else for those really wild days when your brolly might be at risk. Since my Brigg golfer was destroyed I've been using a Fultom stormshield rather than my trad Brigg when its been really stormy - this is one of those golf umbrellas with wind vents. Its been my golfing umbrella for a while now and seems OK against gusty winds although I do get blown around a bit if Im trying to hold it against gale force gusts!

Hope this helps!

Lucy

Originally Posted by Lucy J

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Hi Steve

Where in Sussex are you - I'm in Brighton and have had two Briggs for many years, although the Brigg golfer was destroyed in that terrible storm last November (dont know if you remember it!). My trad Brigg is very sturdy although I have heard one or two people on here have had them damaged in strong winds (maybe I have been lucky with mine). Briggs can be repaired though I believe, although my golfer was so badly damaged that I just had to bin it.

I'd love a James Smith and am hoping to buy one for this autumn - if you are in London you might also try Longchamp - some of their colours are quite masculine.

As regards solid stick versus tube I'e had solid stick ever since a Fox tube umbrella was completely blown out in Brighton about six or seven years ago - by the time I was able to get the brolly back under control the metal tube/shaft had been completely bent as a result of the wind battering the brolly whilst it was inside out.

If you do get an expensive umbrella, you may also want to think about something else for those really wild days when your brolly might be at risk. Since my Brigg golfer was destroyed I've been using a Fultom stormshield rather than my trad Brigg when its been really stormy - this is one of those golf umbrellas with wind vents. Its been my golfing umbrella for a while now and seems OK against gusty winds although I do get blown around a bit if Im trying to hold it against gale force gusts!

Hope this helps!

Lucy



Thanks for this Lucy - I live in East Preston and walk to and from the station in Angmering to commute so I'm not too far from you. The house is pretty close to the seafront so you will know how wild and stormy it can get. I think I will go and check out the Brigg store just off Piccadilly, and also James Smith, but a friend at the office also said that I should look for a 10-rib umbrella as that might hold up better against the wind. You probably know that the problem is not just a brolly blowing inside out, but that it can collapse if the wind is strong enough, even if you are holding it into the wind.

From your experience, do you think the Brigg golfer is stronger than the traditional one or vice versa? I know theres quite a price difference and whilst I dont want a multicoloured one, I would certainly think about a single colour golfer if you felt that was a better bet...

And finally, I think I do recall the November storm you mentioned - in fact if it was on a Saturday I was actually playing golf that day with some friends - we play every other Saturday and in the morning it was really windy but the rain was holding off. We were at West Hove and being pretty much blown around by the wind - the two girls were really struggling. Then when the rain came we knew we had to find shelter as we were on the most exposed part of the course. The nearest shelter was about 350 yards away (into the wind!) and by the time we got there all our stormproof umbrellas (even my fulton stormshield) had been completely wrecked.

Thanks for your suggestions

S

Originally Posted by Ich_Dien

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I'd go with Jas. Smith if I were you. It is cut to your height, and they offer an umbrella with more ribs to withstand strong wind.
Yes, I'd agree with this. Good strong classic brolly (I opted for a black canopy solid stick), lots of other styles if that's your thing, and for a short guy like me, the fact they cut it to my height was a major selling point. I haven't been out in a gale with it, but it's coped with some moderately unpleasant weather all the same.

There are some "Mario Talarico handmade Italian Umbrellas" left in the B&S. They are going very fast....

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=186817

Originally Posted by Holdfast

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Yes, I'd agree with this. Good strong classic brolly (I opted for a black canopy solid stick), lots of other styles if that's your thing, and for a short guy like me, the fact they cut it to my height was a major selling point.

I haven't been out in a gale with it, but it's coped with some moderately unpleasant weather all the same.

Did you go for the 10-rib version?

Howard Yount, one of the SF affiliates makes some pretty sharp umbrellas.

Check them out.

Originally Posted by Stever174

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Did you go for the 10-rib version?

8 only. Still seems strong enough for my needs, but the 10 would definitely be sturdier.

Originally Posted by Stever174

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Thanks for this Lucy - I live in East Preston and walk to and from the station in Angmering to commute so I'm not too far from you. The house is pretty close to the seafront so you will know how wild and stormy it can get. I think I will go and check out the Brigg store just off Piccadilly, and also James Smith, but a friend at the office also said that I should look for a 10-rib umbrella as that might hold up better against the wind. You probably know that the problem is not just a brolly blowing inside out, but that it can collapse if the wind is strong enough, even if you are holding it into the wind.

From your experience, do you think the Brigg golfer is stronger than the traditional one or vice versa? I know theres quite a price difference and whilst I dont want a multicoloured one, I would certainly think about a single colour golfer if you felt that was a better bet...

And finally, I think I do recall the November storm you mentioned - in fact if it was on a Saturday I was actually playing golf that day with some friends - we play every other Saturday and in the morning it was really windy but the rain was holding off. We were at West Hove and being pretty much blown around by the wind - the two girls were really struggling. Then when the rain came we knew we had to find shelter as we were on the most exposed part of the course. The nearest shelter was about 350 yards away (into the wind!) and by the time we got there all our stormproof umbrellas (even my fulton stormshield) had been completely wrecked.

Thanks for your suggestions

S

I've heard the 10-rib argument being put forward on here before but as Ive neve had one I cant really comment personally.

As regards the brigg golfer vs brigg traditional question, both of mine have been great against many Brighton storms - I dont know whether my trad Brigg would have survived the storm which destroyed the golfer....... What I would say is that as the trad is a little smaller it may be easier to control in high winds, and as the cover area is less than the golfer it may take less of a pounding from the wind on a stormy day - against that the golfer is double-ribbed so you would think that the frame would be less likely to buckle than the single ribbed traditional umbrella. I would be inclined to ask that question when you are at the Brigg shop in the West End. You are right that the golfer will be cheaper to replace if you lose it!

And as for the November storm - yes it was a saturday and Im amazed you were even trying to play golf that morning - it was horrendously windy even before the rain arrived! I've played at West Hove and Im amazed you got even part way round the course. I was heading to the restaurant on the seafront near the west pier when the storm hit, and was walking down one of the side streets towards the seafront. As I got towards the seafront end of the street the wind just got insane and blew me to a standstill with me trying to keep the umbrella facing into the storm - despite me hanging on for dear life to the brolly the wind and rain were just lashing against it and even the double spokes couldnt hold - the frame gave way and the umbrella just collapsed around me. I really dont know if the trad Brigg would have survived, but I do know that a friend from work was shopping in Brighton and she was using her husband's Stormshield - and exaclty the same thing happened to that - it just collapsed - the vents were no use as the umbrella was being battered from outside rather than being blown inside out. I dont know if any umbrella would have been able to hold up against that storm....?

Let me know how you get on!

Did you get your Brigg Steve? You would surely have needed a good brolly last night against that terrible torrential downpour......