News and Information

Every Fox Umbrella is made to order so why not take advantage of this and fully customise your new umbrella?

The first step is to decide the type of umbrella that you want: Tube, Stick, Solid or Telescopic (foldable). Difference explained here. 

It is useful to view all the umbrellas on the range so that you are familiar with the options available. Once ready, you can visit our Bespoke Umbrellas section and start customising your new umbrella.

Depending on the style of your new umbrella, some of these options will be available:

Handle (Tube and Stick umbrellas)
Select your preferred handle and finish (if applicable).

Tip Cup (Gents Tube)
The purpose of the tip cup fitted to the handle is to be pushed over the tips of the umbrella when the umbrella is wet rather than furling the umbrella damp. This way the cover remains open and the water can run off. You would use this when walking into shops or buildings when you have been using the umbrella and can’t open up the umbrella to dry.

All Solid and Stick umbrellas that can’t have a Tip Cup fitted have a rubber ring.

Ladies and telescopic umbrellas don’t have tip cups.

Collar
A collar is a metal band fitted to the handle of the umbrella. We have rolled gold, hallmarked silver and nickel collars available to choose from. You can learn more about collars here.

Engraving
We offer engraving on both collars and tip cups. You can learn more about engraving here.

Frame (Gents Tube)
The frame incorporates the ribs (spokes) that hold the umbrella together and provide the classic Fox Umbrellas’ dome shape. Gents Tube umbrellas come with a 25" Steel frame and it is available in two finishes: Classic Brown Tube with black ribs or the modern Black Tube with black ribs.

 
Frame (Ladies Tube)
Ladies’ tube frames come in two sizes: 20” long and 23.5” long with the classic Brown tube with Black ribs.

Frame (Telescopics)
Telescopic frames come with an 8 or 10 ribs Nickel plated Steel frame.

The length of the 10 Rib umbrella is approximately 18" (45 cm) from handle to end and the cover when opened is approximately 40" in diameter (103.5 cm).

The length of the 8 Rib umbrella is approximately 14.25" (36 cm) from handle to end and the cover when opened is approximately 36" in diameter (91.5 cm).

Wood End (Gents Tube Only)
The wood end is situated at the top of the umbrella on the opposite side to the handle. It is made out of wood and fitted with a metal ferrule.

You can leave Fox Umbrellas to select the best match (taking the finish of the handle into account) or select your preference out of the three finishes: Black, Medium Brown and Dark Brown.

Tips
The tips secure the canopy to the end of the ribs on the frame. Black tips are usually fitted as standard but Nickel and Gilt finish are also on offer.

Stick (Gents Stick)
Select the desired colour finish of your stick: Medium Brown, Dark Brown or Black.

Umbrella length (Gents Stick and Solid)
The standard size of our umbrellas is usually 36” long, however, you can choose to have your umbrella made shorter or longer to suit you perfectly. You can find our measuring guide here. 

Band (E.Band or M.Band)
The band fastens your umbrella when not in use. The E.Band is made of elasticated material and affords some flexibility at the time of furling your umbrella. A M.Band or made band is a band made with the same material as the canopy. It will last longer than an E.Band but will require that the umbrella is neatly furled when closing down. You can learn more about bands here.

Contrast Stitch/Hem/Seam
The use of a contrast stich is a great way of further personalising your umbrella with contrast hem being the most popular.

Border around cover
A strip of fabric on a different colour sewn around the end of the canopy.

Inside Cap
This is a round piece of fabric situated between the frame and canopy.

Inside/Outside Rosette
A classic embellishment.

Outside Case
Perfect for protecting your umbrella when not in use.

Further Options

Invisible Join (Selected Stick Umbrellas)
The stick is fraised and joined by hand to give this umbrella a smooth finish on the join, this gives the appearance of a solid umbrella.

Standard or Packable Fittings (tube, stick)
Packable fittings make it possible to remove the handle and wood end of your umbrella making it easier for it to fit inside a suitcase.

Twin Rib Frame (Selected Gents Tube and Solid umbrellas)
A twin Rib Frame adds strength to the frame, much like a golf umbrella.

The majority of our umbrellas and walking sticks are suitable to have an engraved tip cup or collar fitted.

Engraving is perfect for adding a personal touch to your umbrella, marking a special occasion or making a gift extra special. 

To order, simply select “tip cup engraved” or “collar engraved” in product options and enter the desired text exactly as you would like to have it engraved. If the umbrella you wish to purchase comes with a tip cup but you would prefer your engraving to be on a collar you can place your order through our bespoke umbrellas section.

A collar is a metal band fitted around the handle of an umbrella or walking stick.

Collars provide an additional opportunity to personalise your umbrella by offering three different materials to choose from, as well as the possibility to add engravings.

Materials

Collars are available in Rolled Gold, Nickel, and Hallmarked Silver.

Our sterling silver collar is the top of the range and comes with a 925 proof stamp. As any other silver material, this type of collar will tarnish over time but its shine can easily be restored by polishing it with a silver cloth. Thanks to its hallmarked date letter, Silver Collars can be helpful when dating old umbrellas.  

Nickel collars offer the brilliant look of silver without the need for maintenance as nickel does not require polishing.

If you prefer a gold finish then our 9ct rolled gold collar will be the perfect addition to your new umbrella.

Left to right: Rolled Gold Collar, Hallmarked Silver Collar and Nickel Collar

How are collars fitted?

Our collars come in large sheets of each material which are cut to size, engraved (if required), rolled, bevelled, glued and then pinned to the handle. 

Fox Umbrellas offers two different types of bands to secure umbrellas when not in use: elastic bands (E.Bands) and made/material bands (M.Bands).

E.Bands are made from elastic and are very forgiving when furling an umbrella (rolling the umbrella up after use).  Most customers find the E.Band the simplest to use on a day-to-day basis.  Over time, E.Bands may need replacing as like all elasticated material they eventually stretch with wear, however, replacement E.Bands are readily available from our factory. E.bands come as standard for our tube umbrellas. 

E.Bands with made tabs are elastic bands with hand sewn tabs and are offered on our GS, MS and RS ranges. 

A Made Band (M.Band) is made to measure from the same material as the canopy.  In order to secure the M.Band correctly, the umbrella would need to be furled neatly. The advantage a M.Band has over an E.Band is that it will not stretch/perish with age.

Telescopic umbrellas have Made Bands with velcro as standard.

Umbrellas with Made Bands can be ordered in the bespoke umbrellas section on our online shop. 

We frequently receive enquires from customers who wish to know whether their umbrella is suitable for restoration or repairs. Maybe they inherited a family heirloom, found a long-lost umbrella in the loft, managed to bag a bargain on a vintage piece or simply damaged their Fox Umbrella when out and about…

The good news is that we are usually able to repair our umbrellas and most of the time the repairs are cost effective when compared to the price of purchasing a new umbrella!

… what about other brands?

We are happy to repair other umbrella makes as long as we have the correct parts to carry out the work needed.

If your umbrella was made in England chances are that we will be able to repair it, however, mass-produced umbrellas made abroad are rarely a fit for our components. In any case, we are always open to have a look and confirm if a repair is possible.

To have your umbrella assessed for repairs all you need to do is email a few pictures and once we see them, we should be able to identify the umbrella, its age, condition and any obvious issues requiring attention. With this we will provide you with an idea of the repair costs and instructions on how to send your umbrella to our factory in Shirley.

We do not believe in a disposable society. With the right care and precautions, your Fox Umbrella will last for many years to come!