- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee |
- All
James Smith & Sons
Rating Details »
Neighbourhood: Bloomsbury
53 New Oxford Street
London WC1A 1BL
020 7836 4731
53 New Oxford Street
London WC1A 1BL
020 7836 4731
- Nearest Transit:
-
Tottenham Court Road (Central, Northern)
Holborn (Central, Piccadilly)
Covent Garden (Piccadilly)
- Hours:
Mon. 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Tue. 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Wed-Fri. 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
£££
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
11 reviews for James Smith & Sons
James Smith & Sons is THE umbrella, stick and whip manufacturers in London. Coming here is a step back in time to an era when dandies and flaneurs roamed the streets. It's been going for over 175 years and the Victorian interior looks like it may well be the original. The vast array of beautiful hand made pieces available here are for people who like to enjoy the finer things and life are willing to pay for them. Prices range anywhere from £25 to well over £150 (some umbrellas are even over £200).
Although I like to browse and watch the old man sat stitching umbrella canvases together I've never actually bought anything. I'd probably only leave it on the tube the next day, but for the experience I definitely suggest coming to take a look at the beautiful ladies parasols, finely carved wooden handles and polished old fashioned mens canes.
But, if you need really do need a little something to go with the suit you just had made on Savile Row, here's the perfect place to find it.
At a time when the high streets are turning into chain-dominated clones of one another, coming across this shop is such a refreshing experience that it made me want to shout for joy.
I wasn't looking for an umbrella but happened to spot it while walking to Tottenham Court Road. The words 'Established 1830' were enough to draw me in and wow! You can't help but gawp at the array and craftsmanship of the umbrellas, canes, maces and swordsticks.
They do carry a range of differently priced products from the everyday use umbrella to the ceremonial 'swagger stick'. You can almost picture Victorian gents with some of the more elaborate umbrellas
Fascinating place
If you need an umbrella, go here. Totally great to be helped to find a hand made British brolly sold to you by men who have sold umbrellas for their entire lives (or at least it seems like they have done this their entire lives). Not all of us can afford to get a hand-made Aston-Martin, or a personally tailored suit...but maybe we can treat ourselves to the best umbrella ever from a real British maker...
I'm not a great fan of umbrellas- they always seems to get in the way when yoare trying to rush ahead on a narrow pavement. Or the wind seems to turn them inside out making them useless as a rain protector. Or you get stabbed in the eye/ arm/ shoulder by someone juggling theor umbrella nad talking on their mobile (yes, that has happened to me!) Despite my dislike of umbrellas- the British weather means that I always have a small tucked away in my bag.
James Smith & Sons is a London landmark that I have often walked past but never been inside. My cousin visited last month and said he wanted to go to London's #oldest umbrella shop' as he'd heard about the huge collection. I though it was a bit of an odd request but two days later we popped in. With huge shopping centres and department stores London has a decreasing number of specialist shops. It was like stepping back into time as we pushed past the front door of this umbrella mecca.
There's everything from the city gent's black umbrella to quirky chidren's umbrellas and alsoa range of walking sticks and canes. Even if you don't buy anything it's a great place to browse.
I bought a cane here and they shipped it to the United States for me. The cane is beautiful and extremely well constructed.
This Umbrella shop has been open since 1830 and is still family run. Nifty. It's great, like you're settig into the world of My Fair Lady, couldn't help but stop and go in when I walked past.
Apart from umbrellas, you can buy walking sticks, seatsticks, wristloops, etc. So basically, if you already have an umbrella and don't need a fancy walking stick, then there's not a lot here for you. But that's ok, just ace to look around...
In America it is impossible to find a good umbrella. After watching yet another $5 plastic umbrella shred itself to pieces in a storm, I decided to do something about it.
I decided that the combination of English common sense, utilitarian design and plenty of rain should offer the optimal combination to produce a good umbrella. A subsequent Internet search led to James Smith & Sons.
My desire for said brolly culminated in a stop-over in London on the way home from a data center installation. Of course, I did plenty of other things while I was in London, including almost purchasing an autographed 2nd edition of "The Hobbit", but the umbrella was what started it all.
I arrived at the store in the middle of a downpour and was amazed at the number of people who came into the shop to buy an umbrella. The shop is a step into the past, and is a history lesson all by itself. They offer a vast range of umbrellas, from small to extra large, cheap to breathtakingly expensive, and they come with a guarantee of quality. I was able to chat with a lady restitching a faulty rib on an umbrella and learned quite a bit about their care, construction and design. For fun, I got to try out a hotel doorman's custom umbrella with additional ribs and width. You could go parachuting with the thing.
My umbrella (with wooden mallard head handle) is home in the US now, having run the gauntlet of repeated airport security inspections, scans and questions (its box was the exact dimension of a rifle). It shows no sign of wear or loosening of the stitches. Should anything happen to it, I was assured that I could bring it back to the shop for repair, a promise that I intend to make good on.
James Smith and Sons is an umbrella and walking stick wonderland! I visited the shop in search of a new umbrella and was amazed by the selection. As the name suggests, this family owned business is reminiscent of the days of old when ladies and gentlemen use to take daily strolls in the park.
Be sure to checkout the animal head handle umbrellas for ladies, along with the rams and stag horn crooks. Even if you are not yet in the market for a walking stick or you've just bought a new umbrella, it's worth a look. Chances are you've never seen such an elaborate selection in your life!
I bought a small umbrella here that I used for a number of years, but the institution that is James Smith & Sons doesn't only sell umbrellas. I picked up a few beautiful black wood boxes that made perfect gifts for friends back home. The staff is wonderful and they don't frown on browsing. It's quite near the British Museum and worth a visit even if you aren't in the market for an umbrella.
Having walked in front of this shop many times, I finally caved into my curiosity and stepped into a world that belongs to 150 years ago. James Smith & Sons is a specialist umbrella, cane and whip shop that is reminiscent of the 1800's. It has a huge selection of beautifully hand-crafted wooden umbrellas. If you close your eyes and get a whiff of imagination you might even be able to picture a young Charles Dickens or Lewis Carroll strolling out of the store with a fancy duck-headed black umbrella.
The collections are stunning and everybody loves a good old, successful family business. I have never bought anything here, probably due to the fact that I am a serial brolly-loser and the prices are over my budget, but I believe this place is worthy of a look and could provide a friendly grandfather with the perfect gift.
A London landmark "the umbrella shop. You know THE umbrella shop", as there's surely only one, which makes it an excellent place to meet or great direction post. It also sells some really beautiful custom made umbrellas with all sorts of weird and wonderful handles, think Mary Poppins. I also bought a really cool children's umbrella here once, fluorescent pink with flashing lights on the end of each of the spokes. I couldn't fit it in my handbag so I lost it pretty quickly but it was a joy when it was still in my possession. They also sell the sturdiest make of compact umbrella if you want something practical and a bit less fancy. Most of all though, this type of specialist shop is a historical rarity that you should visit in case it goes.