Choosing hardware for your kitchen cabinets Pt2

The knobs and pulls for your new kitchen cabinets may not be the first thing you think about when designing your custom cabinets but they make a large impact on the overall design. Previously we discussed the styles and finishes before, now let us discuss the quality.

 

Choose the quality you want

The old adage “You get what you pay for” applies to cabinet knobs and pulls as well. A knob that is between $2-$4 is likely to have some characteristics that make that knob less expensive to manufacture, and perhaps a lesser quality that you want. Here are some of those characteristics to consider:

       Lower quality knobs and handle pulls:

•Often have open backs to reduce the amount of metal used. This may make them susceptible to denting and bending. Feel the back of the knob or pull.

•May have thinner metal. This may make them susceptible to denting and bending. Look at the edges to check the metal thickness.

•May have a rougher finish due to less finishing time. Put your hand under the knob or pull to feel what it will be like using that product.

•Are hollow and light. Higher quality knobs are solid and heavy – solid brass, steel, iron, bronze, zinc, etc. – and being solid prevents dents and bending.

•May have inconsistencies in their distance between the screw holes. Hold several up next to each other to make sure they are consistent. If they are not, then they may not all fit your pre-drilled cabinets.

•Won’t have an anti-twist pin on knobs that have to be oriented a particular way. The anti-twist pin on higher quality knobs prevents the knob from spinning. Spinning is no problem on a round knob. It’s a problem on a knob that has an oblong shape.

•May have thinner plating on the finish. This is difficult to determine by looking, but becomes more obvious in the kitchen after a year or two of use, when the finish pits or wears or oxidizes. The warranty on lower quality knobs either is non-existent, or is a year or less. Look for a Lifetime Warranty as your assurance of an enduring finish.

•Lower quality knobs don’t look and feel the same as higher quality knobs. Hold a $4 knob and a $8 knob and feel the difference

Choose the product

Every collection has many pieces, all with designs that fit the collection. This allows you to pick and choose any piece in the collection and it will be compatible with all the other pieces in the collection. It’s easy to mix and match within the collection. You can use one knob from the collection on drawers, and another style of knob from the collection on the cabinets. You can use one style of handle pull from the collection on drawers, and another style of cabinet pull from the collection on the cabinets. Or, use the same knob or pull on all cabinets and drawers.

Contact your Landon designer to check out the options for your custom kitchen hardware.