The Umbrella

[Matt Deckard]

being in California, they don't really get much attention.
When it rains people run for cover.

I guess my fascination with the umbrella began with The Avengers. John Steed.

I owned many umbrellas, and carried them very rarely. When I went to France (2002) and found myself in downpoor, I finally took the plunge. I was in a shop called old England and saw my umbrella (brolly), I picked up a Swaine Aideny Brigg umbrella.
A one piece walking stick umbrella with a oiled steel frame. It looked royal and was right for my height.

At Versailles I was surrounded by a myriad of people with umbrellas that fit in their bags or collapsed to fit in a pocket, many turned inside out with the high winds.
I had to check it in at the Paris Opera House and Versailles (I love checking things at the door).

My Umbrella/walking stick stayed together and held off the rain.

here are a couple companies that still know how to make a good umbrella. I am thinking about getting a Wangie handled Fox umbrella in the future.

http://www.james-smith.co.uk/
http://www.foxumbrellas.com/

I like the fedora and Trench coat... sometimes I like to go 20's and pull out the umbrella and bowler (or in the case of Steed 60's mod).

I will post pics when I am set up with a computer at home.

Happy new year.

 

[Pyroxene]

I almost thought about getting an umbrella this holiday season. I know a few people who work and live in the UK and travel to the states. I may have them pick one up for me.

How much do they run?

Pyro.

 

[Matt Deckard]

If you want a good quality old school umbrella like Steed carries... it's $200-300

It will last a lifetime and always look cool.

Stronger than any Totes umbrella you'll find.

 

[Imahomer]

Wow. Very cool sites. Thanks for posting them. I've got what I thought was a nice one a few years back, but it pales when compared to some of those featured on those sites. Looks like I need to upgrade.

 

[MK]

I would like to see your umbrella next time I see you. I might pick one up when I go to London later this month.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Will do, talk to you soon.

 

[MK]

So....why did you choose a two piece construction rather than a solid wood one?

 

[Matt Deckard]

A one piece walking stick umbrella with a oiled steel frame. It looked royal and was right for my height.

'Tis solid wood from stem to stern. Only the canopy mechanics and the canopy itself are other materials.

the handle and the stick are the same piece of wood.

 

[MK]

Here is an article I found by Cigar Aficionado that is fitting to this subject:

Published Spring 1996

Under Every Black Cloud
In a Country Where Rain is the Rule, Umbrellas are Works of Art
by Harry Rosenholtz

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In England, there are two opinions regarding the umbrella. One is that the umbrella is an indispensable fashion accessory that completes a gentleman's town attire. The other is that an umbrella should never fall victim to the vagaries of fashion, but rather it should be a statement of one's taste. Both positions are held as firmly as one would hold, well, an umbrella.

It may have been by chance that umbrellas came to England in the first place, but it is there that they have been produced and perfected to a standard unlike any other in the world.

The umbrella probably was first used in China, although it has been around for thousands of years in Egypt, as well as India and other Asian countries, primarily as protection from the sun. It frequently had ceremonial and religious significance.

Its introduction into Europe was relatively recent. A late-eighteenth century Englishman named Jonas Hannaway is credited with being the first gentleman to carry an umbrella in England. Of course, he came under considerable ridicule and antagonism, particularly from sedan-chair carriers who saw it as a threat to their trade. (They were right.) Its use was gradually adopted, and in time England developed a very special relationship with the umbrella.

The most venerable manufacturer of fine English umbrellas is the firm of Swaine Adeney Brigg & Sons, a company that started as whip makers. Around 1750 Captain John Ross left the army of George II and founded a business making carriage driving whips at Piccadilly, close to the Royal Palace. James Swaine, a virtuoso craftsman, later bought the business from Ross. The excellence of his workmanship was such that King George III presented Swaine with the Royal Appointment of Whip Maker.

In 1816, James took his son, Edward, into partnership. By 1835, the firm of "James Swaine" had moved to 185 Piccadilly (just last June the firm relocated to 10 Old Bond Street). After his father retired in 1845, Edward made his son-in-law, James Adeney, a partner. Known as Swaine & Adeney, the firm enhanced its reputation winning prize medals at the London Exhibition of 1851. It soon began to produce other articles such as attach?ɬ© cases, luggage and fine handcrafted leather goods.

A year after Swaine opened his Piccadilly shop, Thomas Brigg established the Brigg Umbrella Co. at 23 St. James Street in London. Brigg also manufactured walking sticks and hunting crops and later patented the "Perfect" shooting stick and the "Brigson" telescopic shooting stick--the kind of concealed weaponry with which we would all become acquainted through James Bond. In fact, until it was recently outlawed, an umbrella with a working shotgun was produced by the Brigg company. The problem was that the shotgun would fire only while the umbrella was opened, which made for rather inaccurate aim, especially on a windy day.

Brigg Umbrella opened a Paris shop in 1899 that became so successful that it led to the establishment of agencies throughout Europe and in Buenos Aires. In 1908, Brigg's international reputation was crowned when it captured the Grand Prix, the highest award at the Franco-British Exhibition.

Brigg lost its Paris shop during the German occupation of France in the Second World War. Fortunately, a formal alliance with Swaine & Adeney was completed in 1943, and the new firm of Swaine Adeney Brigg & Sons moved to consolidate manufacturing facilities and to market its products under one umbrella--so to speak.

In the small English village of Great Chesterford, Essex, Brigg converted an old schoolhouse into the firm's manufacturing plant, which is still in use today. To walk through those doors is like being transported back in time, when everything was done by hand. Craftsmen perform specialized tasks: bending the wooden handles, applying the lacquer to the shafts or cutting and sewing the fabric for the hood. While time alone does not confer greatness on a product, one suspects it is why Brigg has the confidence to offer the same guarantee one would expect from Rolls-Royce--that the umbrella will last a lifetime.

A premium umbrella is a work of architecture. It is the efficient combination of exotic woods, tempered steel, brass and nylon (or, in some cases, pure silk) used to perform a logical function: keeping rain off your head. If you look inside an opened Brigg umbrella, you see the ribs as an intricate latticework, perfectly stretched by tension, looking for all the world like the cables of a great suspension bridge. As with all good architecture, the completed product has a wonderful elegance born of simple design.

Ian Eastwood has been the director of production for Swaine Adeney Brigg since 1980. He understands the appeal of a fine umbrella and talks lovingly about the "glow of the woods" when discussing the carefully selected handles. He describes the painstaking process of crafting a single Brigg umbrella, which can take from one hour to three days. "You need a master's eye and a steady hand," he intones. "Selecting the right runner [the brass piece that slides along the shaft] is a case in point. There are 50 sizes of runners, each a different circumference. The worker must select one that will have the right tolerance to allow for absorption of moisture and the expansion of the shaft."

How is a Brigg umbrella made? Production begins with the most commonly used woods for handles--malacca and polished chestnut, Eastwood says. The ends of the stick are dipped in wax to protect the soft interior wood. Then the hard silica shell of the outer wood is removed by dipping it repeatedly into acid. Residual acid is rinsed off, the wax is removed and the wood is ready for bending.

Bending, or hand-crooking, is accomplished by controlled application of heat and steam, resulting in a unique crook for each umbrella. The craftsmen use a torch to achieve just the right amount of softening to facilitate a perfect bend. Certain woods such as whangee, a gorgeous bamboolike wood from Japan, are beautifully detailed with the slow burn of the torch. The wood is baked overnight, then carefully inspected and hand-sanded to remove any imperfections. After sanding, varnishing begins until, as Eastwood claims, "the wood retains a heavy viscous coat with a lovely satin gloss."

Some of the most distinctive umbrellas have exotic leathers stretched around the wooden crook and then carefully stitched by hand. These include crocodile, ostrich and lizard, but even more common leathers, such as calf or pigskin, have a certain smartness when combined with an elegant black rolled umbrella.

The shaft of a Brigg umbrella can be constructed in two ways. The first is a solid, one-piece construction; the umbrella is essentially a walking stick with an umbrella built around it. These are generally made from coarse woods such as cherry, walnut or ash. In England, their additional heft and sturdiness make them ideal for country use.

Other umbrella shafts are made of two elements, combining an exotic wood handle with a shaft made from straight-grained Swedish birch, a high-density wood that is very consistent in quality. Each stick is turned to size, graded, sanded and stained to match the color of the handle. Even the insides of the slots are stained.

"Brigg insists on using the very finest fittings to complete the umbrella," says Eastwood. All the runners and notches are made from solid brass and finished with a bronze coating to prevent tarnishing. These critical moving parts are built to withstand many years of the stress that occurs when an umbrella is opened and closed or is subjected to high winds. "These umbrellas simply do not turn inside out," assures Eastwood. The ferrule at the tip of the umbrella is also bronzed brass and capped with steel to withstand wear when the umbrella is used as a walking stick.

Perhaps the only part of the umbrella that Brigg does not make from scratch is the frame, which is produced by the famous Fox English Frame Co. It is made from oil-tempered Sheffield steel, which ensures even tension and flexibility throughout the hood. The springs in a Brigg umbrella are made of hardened nickel silver and never fail to respond. Instead of being riveted, which is a common point of weakness in most umbrellas, Brigg's ribs and stretchers are wired together by hand. Rust can't intrude because all the metal parts are coated with a protective finish.

Even though the frames are made elsewhere, Eastwood insists that the distinctive domelike shape is Brigg's alone. "It is because the patterns employed in cutting the fabric to fit the frame have been perfected for over 100 years." The fabric for the hood can be nylon, a pure cotton twill or even silk.

Owning a silk Brigg umbrella was a fairly common experience as recently as 20 years ago, but today it is a more rarefied pleasure. Brigg still manufactures these umbrellas to order, making them of taut, waterproof, three-ply silk yarn, but it is becoming harder to find one at a Brigg retailer. If you are lucky enough to locate or order one, be prepared to spend $450 or more. Of course, you might ask to have your initials engraved around the sterling silver or gold-plated collar, right under the Royal Warrants.

There are, of course, other manufacturers of fine umbrellas today. The one that most closely matches Brigg's attention to detail is the Italian maker Maglia Francesca. In a small factory in Milan, every umbrella is handmade to a very high standard. However, instead of bending the umbrellas in-house, Maglia buys all of its finest woods pre-bent.

What makes these umbrellas so wonderful, aside from their beautiful construction, is the unique Italian fabrics that Maglia uses for the covers. Chino Maglia, the owner, prides himself on his ability to manufacture the unusual. "We once were asked to make umbrellas with whangee ribs," he says. "That was difficult, but not impossible." Today, Maglia produces umbrellas mostly for private-label customers such as Barneys New York, Gucci, Loewe, Bergdorf Goodman and Paul Stuart. "The challenge," he says, "is to make exclusive designs for each."

What is the allure of a great umbrella? Eastwood believes that "umbrellas are an instrument of power. They are tactile, visual, sensual reminders of achievement. They are, after all, substantial."

Certainly, Brigg has had its share of powerful clients. Timothy Johnson, a retired manager of Brigg's Piccadilly shop, recalls, "Neville Chamberlain was known for his umbrella. He used it as a prop during speeches to Parliament." The governor general of the Falklands allegedly surrendered by placing a white flag onto his Brigg umbrella.

Brigg umbrellas are also carried by celebrities, from Patrick Macnee to Henry Kissinger to Clint Eastwood. Johnson recalls the day the kings of Spain and Greece came into his shop together to purchase their umbrellas. With typical British reserve, he recalls, "That was an odd day, indeed."

In a way, an umbrella signals a person's preparedness and perseverance, always ready to deflect what nature has to offer. Thus the umbrella maker's credo: "Outside every silver lining is a great big black cloud."

Harry Rosenholtz is the owner of Worth & Worth, a men's hat and accessories store in New York City. He often writes about men's fashion, jazz and ice hockey.


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Where to Find the Best Selection of Brigg Umbrellas:
Swaine Adeney Brigg & Sons
10 Old Bond Street
London, England

Uncle Sam Umbrellas
161 West 57th Street
New York, N.Y. 10019

Worth & Worth
331 Madison Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10017 and
208 South Lasalle
Chicago, Ill. 60604

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Where to Find Umbrellas by Maglia Francesco:
James Smith & Sons
53 New Oxford St.
London, England

Paul Stuart
Madison Avenue & 45th Street
New York, N.Y. 10017

Bergdorf Goodman Men
754 Fifth Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10019

 

[Matt Deckard]

MK's umbrella

please show us your new umbrella

 

[Zach R.]

Umbrellas

Hi, I have an umbrella that my grandfather got from my great grandfather and gave to me almost 7 years ago and I am wondering if anyone can help me identify how old it really is.

Its a brown cloth umbrella made out of wood and has a khaki wrist-loop on the handle. The only identification marks I can find are on the strap that holds the umbrella closed.

Its pretty worn but I can make out a "MH" crest that says "Original Ghurka Leather" above it.

 

[sandysot]

Congratulations:
you have a very desireable Ghurka umbrella from Americas best leather company.They make all sorts of things, especially high end luggage..Check www.ghurka.com. Marley Hodgson was the founder and older items marked with the MH are sold oin Ebay all the time.
I have several old MH and newer pieces

Sandy

 

[BellyTank]

Sandy-

Nice to see you over here Sandy!
Makes a change from VLJ huh?

B
T
/
M
A

 

[Wild Root]

Sounds cool brother!

I know nothing about old umbrellas! But, I can tell how old they are from looking at one. You post a photo of it and I could give you a good ball park guess to the age.

Funny, a friend of mine has a few good vintage and antique umbrellas. He showed me a real nice black one in EXELANT condition. He had no idea how old it was till I saw it. I opened it up and looked around. I saw a small white tag stitched to the inside. I uncurled it and it bore the eagle and NRA "we do our part". So, I screamed! I told him it was from 1934 to 1936! He asked, NRA? Why would the National Rifle Association make an Umbrella? I told him about FDR's "New Deal" act of 1934. He was really happy to hear that it was that old. He even admitted to using it on occasion. I asked him PLESE don’t do it again! He laughed and agreed.

Root.

PS. If any of you find any clothes or any thing that have this eagle and NRA on it let me know. Here are some samples.

 

[PADDY]

Welcome Sandy...

Makes a pleasant change here doesn't it. Welcome aboard!!

 

[sandysot]

Thanks for the welcome gentlemen.
I stride past my hall closet and look in at my collection of military outerware and just sigh sadly. Just champing at the bit to get into fall season for A-2 and B-15 weather.
Meanwhile,my wife who is a master clothes mavin, has decided to coordinate and style my wardrobe in cool summer fashions, the better to weather the 90% heat in our Vero Beach resort town.
No more green and lavender shirts. Now Im all ,like, color coordinated and brand shopping crazy.Haspel unlined seersucker and linen jackets, Polo linen trousers and shirts,panama hats and like that.
Oh well,at least I can still use my aviator sunglasses and my Cole-Hahn shoes. Oh no --now I have to get white bucks and Izod collar shirts. Quick someone poke me in the eye with a sharp stick.lol.

Sandy

 

[Matt Deckard]

This is why I hate film (I love film, just hate having to transfer it to show pics)... I need a new scanner, all my trip photos are old school.

Anywho, this is the brolly I got in Lyon France.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Here's an old umbrella of mine, made in England. Unfortunately, the pigskin on the handle is dried out and chipping off.

The umbrella's saucered tip hinges down, allowing the user to spike the umbrella into the ground.

The handle unfolds to become a stool seat. An umbrella-cum-camp stool.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Too bad variety was big then but not now... I only see one or two styles of cane chairs or umbrellas nowadays.

Lots more variety back then. I wish it were so today.

Nice Brolly.

 

[John in Covina]

By Appointment to the Queen

Some time ago Cigar Aficionado had an article about a company in England that had the Royal Appointment. It was a great article that explained about the materials, the construction and the total quality of the umbrella.

I had never owned an umbrella until I came to Southern California! I recieved one as a gift, a collasping one from Robert Bosch Corporation, it was a reminder to the buyer to stock up on wiper blades. Had it for a long time, accidentally left it a Lawrey's Prime Rib on La Cienega after a big dinner for a friends birthday. Took me a month to figure out where I had last had it. I do hava Totes collapsible umbrella now. One thing is to re-enforce the stiches holding the cloth to the ribs with a drop of super glue, then it will last much longer!

It's raining now, and I know I'll need to make a few errand runs today, so the umbrella is in the truck, ready to go.