The Best Solid Brass Door Hardware
A solid brass door knob installed in 1910 still works today. It has weight, it has patina, and it turns with the smooth precision it had when new. A lacquered brass knob made last year already shows peeling at the wear points. These are the fittings worth installing once.
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How to Choose
The critical distinction is solid brass versus brass-plated. Solid brass is a machined or cast alloy all the way through -- when the surface wears, it reveals the same material underneath. Brass-plated hardware has a base metal (usually zinc or steel) with a thin layer of brass deposited on top; when that layer wears through, the base metal shows. Unlacquered brass develops a patina through use. Lacquered brass peels.
Emtek Solid Brass Door Knob Set
Emtek has been making solid brass hardware in Los Angeles for over 40 years. Their door knob sets are made from forged solid brass -- cast or machined all the way through -- and are available unlacquered (which develops a natural patina) or with a variety of finishes. The privacy and passage sets include the latch and strike plate. A complete installation from one manufacturer.
American-made solid brass at a price that reflects real brass and real manufacturing.
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Baldwin Estate Door Knob Solid Brass
Baldwin Estate is the premium tier of American brass door hardware. The castings are heavier than standard hardware, the tolerances are tighter, and the available finishes include Lifetime Polished Brass -- a proprietary process that produces a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) finish that resists tarnishing indefinitely while looking like polished unlacquered brass.
When you want the finest American solid brass door hardware. The weight in hand is immediately different from lesser hardware.
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Nostalgic Warehouse Victorian Brass Knob
Nostalgic Warehouse makes solid brass hardware in period designs: Victorian, Craftsman, Art Deco, Colonial. The Victorian knob is appropriate for homes built between 1880 and 1920 and represents the style of hardware originally installed in those houses. The casting detail is faithful to the originals; the solid brass construction means it will develop the same patina over decades of use.
Period-accurate solid brass for historic homes. The design matches what was there originally.
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