Conch Umbrellas

Conch Umbrellas is a China-​based umbrella maker that has manufacturing and distribution facilities in Brazil, Italy, Japan, and the United States. One of their primary American locations is in Greenpoint just off the BQE — you can see their blue building as you drive in toward Manhattan!
It’s raining today, and this morning I needed an umbrella all my own. You can find Conch umbrellas at many vendors around the city — in Brooklyn as well as in other boroughs. The standard hook-​handled automatic model –2230E, if you must know — will run you about $ 3 unless you go to one of those inclement weather opportunist vendors who ups their price when it precipitates.
The choice is yours: You can either buy an expensive, sturdy umbrella and risk it’s getting blown out in a strong wind, or you can buy a series of cheaper umbrellas that will do the trick when you need them — and also risk getting blown out in a strong wind. I opt for the Conch, out of Brooklyn pride and because I know that an umbrella will get blown out sooner or later.
Conch umbrellas are well made, if cheaply. They don’t feel overly hefty, and the handle and opening mechanism feel particularly inexpensive. But for $ 3 a pop, you really can’t go wrong — or for long.
Look for the little blue tag. Conch USA Inc., with a little picture of a shell and the initials H.L.