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What's Your Umbrella?

I live on the rainy northwest Pacific coastal area, which gets plenty of rain in the winter. I now have two--count' em--really nice umbrellas that I bought from shops in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The first one I've had for several years and bought from the Umbrella Company, at their store on Granville Island, which sadly went out of business at the end of 2017. It is a two-person microfiber black beauty with a classy wooden handle.

The second is a recent purchase from Hedgehog Umbrellas in Vancouver. This one is built for windy conditions and has an industrial-strength frame. It wasn't cheap, but will last a lifetime if I don't lose it.

www.hedgehogumbrellas.com

Umbrellas (brollies, bumbershoots) seem to be falling out of favor due to the fact that many outdoor jackets and coats have hoods. I personally love umbrellas as a utilitarian accessory. And I'd rather buy a well-made umbrella that will last than cheap brollies that will fall apart before the end of the rainy season.

Do you use and umbrella? What do you use?
 
I live in Oklahoma. Down here we use umbrellas to keep the sun off.
I know what you mean. I grew up in Southern Arizona. In the summer, you didn't need a stove. All you had to do is take steak out of the freezer, go outside and throw it in the air to cook it medium rare. Throw it a little higher if you wanted well done. I like it in the Pacific Northwest despite the rainy season.
 
I live in Vancouver, B.C., so I have several umbrellas.

My favourite was also from the Umbrella Shop. My Dad bought it in the mid '70s from Izzy Flader at the original store on Pender St. I "liberated" it from my Dad when I went to university in the late '80s. They were built like tanks in those days.

Unfortunately, someone stole it. I bought a $5 cheapie automatic from the university bookstore that lasted only a few months. I pressed the open button and the whole top, from the runner to the canopy, shot away like a speargun!

Then, in late 2017, I heard that the Umbrella Shop was closing for good. I went to the new Pender St. store, but it had closed down just before I got there. Izzy's granddaughter, Corry, was locking up for the last time. :sad:

So, now I use a handful of Totes compact auto-open/close folders that are small enough to fit into a briefcase or even a jacket pocket. I've also got some custom-printed (with company logos) golf umbrellas made by Vancouver Umbrella (another old-time umbrella shop), but they're rather big and unwieldy.

I miss my Dad's old umbrella, though. As mentioned, it was a real quality piece.
 
I use a James Smith & Son, London Umbrella with Malacca Cane Crook.
It‘s the cheapest model in the Smith range, but still an excellent umbrella.
I never used an umbrella in my younger days, but I can’t dodge the spots now.
 
I live in Vancouver, B.C., so I have several umbrellas.

My favourite was also from the Umbrella Shop. My Dad bought it in the mid '70s from Izzy Flader at the original store on Pender St. I "liberated" it from my Dad when I went to university in the late '80s. They were built like tanks in those days.

Unfortunately, someone stole it. I bought a $5 cheapie automatic from the university bookstore that lasted only a few months. I pressed the open button and the whole top, from the runner to the canopy, shot away like a speargun!

Then, in late 2017, I heard that the Umbrella Shop was closing for good. I went to the new Pender St. store, but it had closed down just before I got there. Izzy's granddaughter, Corry, was locking up for the last time. :sad:

So, now I use a handful of Totes compact auto-open/close folders that are small enough to fit into a briefcase or even a jacket pocket. I've also got some custom-printed (with company logos) golf umbrellas made by Vancouver Umbrella (another old-time umbrella shop), but they're rather big and unwieldy.

I miss my Dad's old umbrella, though. As mentioned, it was a real quality piece.

I miss the Umbrella Company. They had some great umbrellas. Thankfully, I got one before they retired and closed the business. Weren't they the last umbrella maker in North America?
I live in Vancouver, B.C., so I have several umbrellas.

My favourite was also from the Umbrella Shop. My Dad bought it in the mid '70s from Izzy Flader at the original store on Pender St. I "liberated" it from my Dad when I went to university in the late '80s. They were built like tanks in those days.

Unfortunately, someone stole it. I bought a $5 cheapie automatic from the university bookstore that lasted only a few months. I pressed the open button and the whole top, from the runner to the canopy, shot away like a speargun!

Then, in late 2017, I heard that the Umbrella Shop was closing for good. I went to the new Pender St. store, but it had closed down just before I got there. Izzy's granddaughter, Corry, was locking up for the last time. :sad:

So, now I use a handful of Totes compact auto-open/close folders that are small enough to fit into a briefcase or even a jacket pocket. I've also got some custom-printed (with company logos) golf umbrellas made by Vancouver Umbrella (another old-time umbrella shop), but they're rather big and unwieldy.

I miss my Dad's old umbrella, though. As mentioned, it was a real quality piece.

 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
I managed to visit The Umbrella Company once, on Broadway. Sad to see them go as I have a vintage umbrella from my grandfather that needs a new covering.

Normally, I use an "unbreakable umbrella". They are mostly marketed as a "stealth" self defense tool, but I just wanted something really durable and wind-proof. They're great ... worth the coin.
 

Rhody

I'm a Lumberjack.
I have a few tote small ones and a few golf size. I never ever have one with me when it rains.
 
I have a couple of super-lightweight ones from Montbell that fold to about 6” -good for travel. Otherwise free ones the I get with subscriptions. I’ve have a few good one from high end shops and the canopies blew away just the same cheap ones when the lakefront winds get moving.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
I have a couple of Fultons. A crook handled full size one, and a smaller travel one. Since I started walking with a stick, I rarely use them. I have another though, which is a walking stick umbrella, and the two can be separated.
 

musicman1951

three-tu-tu, three-tu-tu
I use an old golf umbrella. It's big enough to use as a walking cane, and it covers two people if it actually rains.
 

Ravenonrock

I shaved the pig
I live in coastal BC and we sure get loads of rain. I’ve been grateful to stand under an umbrella on occasion, but have never taken to them. I have a few wide brimmed hats and caps I prefer when it’s raining. I walk my dog all winter in hard rain and I prefer my hands free, or one hand as the other grasps a leash. I won’t take it as far as to turn down an offer to stand under an umbrella, usually from my wife during our son‘s soccer game.
 
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