What's a real shepherd's umbrella?

The real shepherd's umbrella is almost as big as a small parasol, and is also known « country umbrella« .
Its distinctive feature, apart from its large diameter, is its pure cotton canvas for protection from the rain and sun, and its wooden ribs for protection against lightning strikes. Shepherds still use them to protect themselves from the elements on long mountain journeys. It's an umbrella that's been around since the early 1800s, and were once made from whale baleen.

Why are the ribs of a shepherd's umbrella made of wood?

The ribs of a real shepherd's umbrella, are made of rattan wood.

The ribs of a real shepherd's umbrella are made of rattan wood. In the early 1800s, they were made from whalebone, a rot-proof, non-conductive, flexible and highly resistant material. By 1850, baleen was increasingly hard to come by. Gradually, thanks to the French colonies in Indochina and Madagascar, rattan a versatile material used to make armchairs and small furniture - came to be used to make shepherd's umbrella ribs, for all the properties mentioned above. From 1850 to the present day, as rattan has become increasingly available, all shepherd's umbrellas have been made from this material. At François, we've been using the same tools and processes to make rattan ribs since our company was founded in 1882.

There are multitudes of rattan varieties (Manau, Malacca, Poluet, Tohiti, Saboetan, etc.). These varieties (which come from the rattan palm) have multiple properties and are used in different fields, depending on their resistance and flexibility. We used to use Saboetan because it's the hardest rattan of all, but it's become increasingly difficult to obtain over the last twenty years or so. So we opted for Loonty Koboo a variety of natural rattan from Malaysia, which is very supple and extremely hard-wearing.

Where is the shepherd's umbrella made?

In Poitiers, at the François umbrella factory

At François, we've been making shepherd's umbrellas in our family since 1882. It's a traditional object that can be passed down from generation to generation, because it's a very sturdy umbrella that can withstand the elements and stand the test of time. It can be found in France in a handful of establishments, including the François umbrella factory, one of the oldest French umbrella factories still using this know-how.

How is the shepherd's umbrella made?

The shepherd's umbrella takes the longest to make of all our umbrella models as it's the only one whose ribs have to be entirely handcrafted. entièrement à la mainThe few manufacturers who possess this know-how, often handed down in the family from generation to generation, are called “carcassiers”, because they know the entire umbrella frame, which is extremely rare in France today.

Steps in the making of a shepherd's umbrella :

The longest stage is the manufacture of the cane. The rattan arrives in 50kg bundles. It then has to be sorted and cut to the right size to make several bunches ready for use.

Steps in the manufacture of shepherd's umbrella ribs:

1. Weighing the wood so that each rib is balanced on each mechanism.
2. Height and cut each rib
3. Cutting with a knife or machine on each end of the ribs, to fit the tenons
4. Fitting the tenons + hand riveting
5. Fitting the brass trim by hand
6. Fitting the sleeve + hand riveting
7. Assembling the 8-rib rattan bundle on the beech shaft

Frame manufacturing stages:

1. Milling the shaft in preparation for fitting the springs
2. Fitting the springs (which open and close the umbrella)
3. Fitting the brass nut and runner
4. Assembling the 8 rattan ribs bundle
5. Canopy manufacture
6. Fitting the canopy to the frame

What materials does the shepherd's umbrella umbrella come in?

The shepherd's umbrella consists of :

• Beechwood shaft
• Ash pommel
• 8 rattan ribs
• pure cotton canvas
• brass runner and notch
• brass plate

What are the different sizes and diameters of the shepherd's umbrella?

Shepherd's umbrellas come in 3 main sizes:

• The smallest shepherd's umbrella: 125cm diameter with 75cm ribs (the one we make)
• The intermediate shepherd's umbrella: 135cm diameter with 79cm ribs
• The largest shepherd's umbrella: 150cm diameter with 84cm ribs

How to recognize a real shepherd's umbrella?

In its traditional form, a real shepherd's umbrella must have rattan ribs and a cotton canvas. If you find an umbrella that doesn't have these properties, it's not a genuine shepherd's umbrella. The material composition of a shepherd's umbrella is unique and cannot be compared to any other umbrella.

At François, you'll find the real shepherd's umbrella!