This is Tagawa.
Today I would like to talk about the appeal of two-stage folding umbrellas, also known as "bi-fold" or "two-stage fold" umbrellas.
Click here to see the types of ribs
The bifold umbrella has the ribs shaped as shown below, and when storing it, you can fold the ribs by snapping them off.
At Komiya Shoten, we use this "bi-fold" type of rib in most of our Japanese-made folding umbrellas.
We often hear from customers saying things like, "I want a folding umbrella that folds up without breaking apart," or "I want a folding umbrella that is more compact," but for a long time, from our founding until the present day, our company has focused on making folding umbrellas that fold in two.
There are four reasons for this:
I would like to introduce them in order this time.
1. Durable and unbreakable
The traditional two-fold, snap-type umbrella has a simple rib structure and is the strongest and most durable of all folding umbrellas, so it requires very few repairs.
Although they are still traditional, umbrella makers and rib makers have been discussing the material, shape, and weight of the ribs together and are constantly making improvements, so the ribs used today are stronger, lighter, and easier to use than those in the past.
2. It uses heavy fabrics such as Koshu weave.
Japanese-made umbrellas often use thick fabrics such as Koshu weave, natural materials, and laminated fabrics, and when combined with a tri-fold rib, the umbrella becomes so thick that it cannot be folded.
The fiberglass and carbon fiber bones we currently use work well with these fabrics and do not take up much space when folded.
3. Beautiful silhouette
We compared the silhouettes of umbrellas made with four different types of ribs: Poki Poki type 2-fold, Easy type 2-fold (easy opening and closing, topless), Poki Poki type 3-fold (topless), Easy type (easy opening and closing) 3-fold. Please see below if you are interested.
As you can see here, the silhouette of the bi-fold umbrella (the pop-pop type, two-fold) is closest to that of a long umbrella, forming a beautiful sphere.
4. The bone can be temporarily carried around with the device extended.
A two-fold umbrella can be carried like a long umbrella by closing it and placing the tip of the umbrella in the groove at the handle.
If you twist the name band on the front of the umbrella slightly to the back, you can temporarily close the open umbrella, so you don't have to take the time to fold it when entering a building or getting on a train or bus.
This easy-to-use, sturdy and beautiful bi-fold umbrella is sure to become your go-to companion for many years to come.
In addition to bi-fold umbrellas, other umbrella ribs also have various advantages, so we hope to introduce them to you on another occasion.
If you'd like, please check what type of ribs your folding umbrella has.
