94 years …Knirps
The inventor of the folding folding umbrella.
An injury from the war made it difficult for Hans Haupt to carry a cane and an umbrella at the same time, so he started looking for a solution to his problem. The result?
The first umbrella with a telescopic frame, the first small folding umbrella.
It fit perfectly in his pocket, and was always available when it rained! Being so small, it was only natural to refer to her as a tiny “bobblehead” – a small child – and hence the brand name Knirps® , as “knirps” in German means “bobblehead”.
In 1928, a company called Bremshey & Co, appreciated the amazing potential of such a product and helped to produce the first “varieties” of this innovative pocket umbrella.
It was the beginning of a new era, and many different sizes, shapes and colours were developed.
New and innovative materials were used, and bold constructions were created with many of them. Knirps® sets the standard for how umbrellas should be and how they should be made.
Thus , the first automatic telescopic umbrella version was launched in 1965, and the new Knirps X1 in 2004, a collection that is the smallest Knirps ever.