Something To Latch On To
Its past time to think about hardware. I need to buy 8 cabinet latches for the butlers pantry side, and then I need 6 more for the dining room side of the double sided cabinets. I will also need 6 pulls for the drawers. The first question is, do I go with cast brass of cast iron. After that, do I go antique originals or reproduction.
Antique originals will always be the preference, but finding enough of the same pattern can be tricky. For the kitchen I got lucky and found a set of 12 matching antique originals at Ed Donaldson Hardware. You would think I paid more for antique than I did reproduction, but that is not always the case.
Below are some that I’m looking at. I really like the “bow tie” latches and I want to do cast iron in on the butler’s pantry side and cast brass on the dining room side. The only reason I may go with cast iron on both is because I already have a set of antique cast iron drawer pulls that match what is in the kitchen. If I use cast iron for the pulls than I would also do cast iron for the latches.
So far I have found no antique matching sets than are larger that 2. Not nearly enough. I’m in contact with Toledo Architectural Artifacts and they may have what I need, but their prices are a tad high, so even if they do have what I need, I probably won’t buy it. Although, that is the same pattern I have in the kitchen, only in the kitchen they are round knobs and not the 'bow tie' knob.
Notice how muddled the cast is on the last one from Van Dykes. Back in the day, and with the finer reproductions made today, they used a very fine sand to cast into. You get a sharp relief of the image. With the cheap ones, sometimes the cast is so muddled you can't make anything out. In short: You get what you pay for. I'm not considering the Van Dykes latch, but it is an interesting comparison.
House of Antique Hardware – Reproduction - $35
House of Antique Hardware – Reproduction - $18.50
House of Antique Hardware – Reproduction - $63.00
Ed Donaldson Hardware – Antique Original - $40 
Toledo Architectural Artifacts – Antique Original - $75
Charleston Hardware Co. – Reproduction - $30
Van Dykes Restorers – Crappy Reproduction - $6
4 comments:
I like the Toledo one the best because of its detail, like the way the bow tie resembles a little piece of bamboo. The old saying "they don't make 'em like they used to" really is true, isn't it?
no question in my mind, if it were me. It would have to be brass or bronze on the (showy) dining room side. Cast on the pantry side. Bigger lots do come up occasionally - I guess it depends on how soon you are going to need them. ETA on the cabinetry? :)
I think you're both right. I want the brass on the dining room side too, and I like the Toledo one the best.
The person I'm talking with (via email) told me they had 15 latches in the cabinet in 3 patterns. I told him I need 8 for the butler's pantry. I'm waiting for the reply.
i love the toledo $75 and the donaldson $40. you're an expensive date.
i like the brass bowtie ones too, very pretty.
what if you did a transition, with brass and iron ones in the butler's pantry and brass in the DR?
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