Inside a Workshop That Makes Bespoke Umbrella Frames

Francesco Maglia, founded in Milan in 1854, is one of the last umbrella makers in Europe manufacturing its own frames from raw materials. While most brands source pre-made frames from Asian factories, Maglia cuts, bends, and assembles each steel or fibreglass rib by hand, producing roughly three thousand umbrellas per year with just twelve employees.

An umbrella frame consists of between eight and sixteen ribs connected to a central shaft by a runner mechanism. The ribs must be flexible enough to absorb wind gusts without inverting, yet stiff enough to maintain the canopy's profile. Achieving this balance requires precise selection of rib material, cross-section, and taper.

Steel ribs are formed from spring steel strip that is tapered, curved, and fitted with small brass connectors at each hinge point. The tempering is critical: too soft and the ribs bend permanently in wind, too hard and they snap. Maglia uses a proprietary heat treatment achieving the optimal elasticity for each rib length.

Handle selection offers the most visible expression of personal taste. Maglia produces handles in bamboo cane, chestnut, ash, and horn, each shaped by hand on a lathe or carved with drawknives. The crook handle, curved to hook over the forearm, remains the standard for a gentleman's umbrella.

Assembly requires patience. Each rib is attached to the runner and stretcher with brass rivets, tensioned to ensure uniform opening pressure. The canopy is hand-stitched to the rib tips using reinforced thread and small metal caps preventing fabric tear-through. A finished umbrella undergoes a rain test before being boxed.

A well-made umbrella is an investment in daily comfort and style. Expect to spend between two hundred and five hundred euros for a handmade frame with a quality canopy, a sum that amortises to negligible cost per use over a decade or more. Commission from https://www.francescomaglia.it