Straight or Curved? How the Handle Shapes an Umbrella

The handle is the part of an umbrella experienced most directly. It rests in the hand, affects how the umbrella is held while walking and influences how it can be carried or placed when closed.

Its shape also changes the appearance of the complete object. This becomes particularly clear with two umbrellas whose technical construction is otherwise the same: the Sapor Classic and Modern.

One Detail With a Visible Effect

Classic and Modern share the same 121-centimetre canopy, eight flexible fibreglass ribs, steel shaft and automatic opening. Their length, weight and protective case are also the same.

The visible difference lies in the handle. The Classic is curved. The Modern continues the straight line of the shaft.

Changing this single component alters the character of the entire umbrella.

Sapor Classic: The Familiar Curve

The curved wooden handle of the Classic draws on a form long associated with the traditional stick umbrella. Its curve is not purely visual.

The umbrella can rest over the forearm or be hung from a suitable place. The curve also provides different positions in which the handle can be held.

The warmth of the lacquered wood and its familiar silhouette give the Classic its distinctive expression.

Sapor Modern: A Continuous Line

The handle of the Modern is straight. It continues the line of the shaft, allowing the closed umbrella to appear as one uninterrupted vertical form.

This gives the model a more restrained and reduced appearance. Rather than standing apart as a separate curve, the handle becomes part of a continuous silhouette.

The construction of the umbrella does not change. Its visual character does.

Wood as Part of the Design

The handles of both models are made from lacquered wood. Grain and tone may therefore vary slightly. These differences belong to the natural material and make each handle an individual part of the umbrella.

Wood also introduces a different visual and tactile quality from plastic or metal. It gives both models warmth without interrupting their clear form.

A Question of Use and Form

Choosing between Classic and Modern is not a choice between two different levels of construction. Both provide the same generous canopy and frame.

The decision depends on which form better suits the way the umbrella will be used and the way a stick umbrella should appear.

Classic offers the familiar curve and the ability to carry or hang the umbrella by its handle. Modern follows a straight, restrained silhouette.

Sometimes a single detail is enough to change the character of an entire object.

Embrace the rain.