We wanted to inaugurate this first blog post with you on the theme of the different metals used in furniture hardware. We know how often this question comes up, and all the nuances it entails for your final choice.
As you'll see on our site, we've separated the notion of materials and finishes within the filters. A material allows a specific finish to be applied (chrome, nickel, matte, gloss, brushed, etc.). However, finishes do not necessarily dictate the material to be used (a matt gold finish can be applied to a brass or zamak base).
We can't be exhaustive on this subject, but we'll try to give you the best keys to understanding the products you select and their particularities. And above all, the different metals available for furniture hardware.
In this first article, we'll focus on metals.
Metal is the soul of a hardware store. The collective imagination associates the notion of hardware with metal, and most often with polished brass (varnished or not). But when it comes to decorative accessories, metal can't be reduced to just that.
Metals have always left their mark on history, especially in furniture hardware: the Bronze Age, the Iron Age... and the advent of steel, which has enabled so many technological advances and achievements that would have been unthinkable before.
What are the different properties of each metal?
Each metal has its own specific properties:
- Metallic luster: otherwise the ability of a metal to reflect light. Many of our customers are looking for polished brass, for example, which reflects light significantly;
- Hardness: this refers to a part's resistance to abrasion and penetration. For hardware accessories, the metals used have sufficient hardness for their use, whatever the material (brass, zamak, etc.).
- Resilience: resistance to shocks.
- Elasticity: the ability of metal to return to its original shape after being subjected to pressure.
- Plasticity / Ductility: enabling manufacturers to shape decorative hardware items (e.g. bending / shaping).
- Magnetism: Some metals are magnetic, while others are non-magnetic, such as aluminum and certain stainless steels.
However, metals are rarely used pure. It's the combinations devised by man that give it the exact properties we're looking for. This is particularly true when it comes to hardware items dedicated to your interior design.
What are the best-known alloys we'll tell you about when you visit our store? What is their composition?
1. Brass :
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc (from 5 to 45%). It is a yellow or even golden metal, depending on the alloy content and polishing. This material is very easy to machine, enabling the production of small, precise parts by turning.
Brass also lends itself remarkably well to surface treatments and coatings (varnish, nickel plating, chrome plating...). As a result, this material is not only widely used, but also highly appreciated when it comes to hardware accessories.
You'll find our range of brass door handles.
2. Stainless steel :
Stainless steel is an alloy of iron, carbon, chromium and sometimes nickel, with the sought-after characteristic of being corrosion-resistant. It is the addition of chromium that makes steel stainless, enabling it to be protected.
Surprisingly, this chromium layer is self-healing. In fact, it will reform in the event of impact or scratches.
See our range of stainless steel furniture knobs & handles.
3. Aluminium :
A rare metal, over the years it has become an industrial metal. Yet it offers unrivalled advantages. It can be used pure or in alloys to meet the manufacturer's requirements. It resists corrosion extremely well, is non-magnetic and accepts numerous surface treatments (lacquering or anodizing).
4. Zamak :
Zamak is widely used. What is it made of? An alloy of aluminum and zinc, with small amounts of magnesium and copper.
As a result, this material accepts electrolytic finishes, chroming, patinas and bronzing. As a result, it is the material of choice for furniture hardware.
We offer a wide range of recessed zamak handles.
5. The bronze
Bronze is an alloy of copper (majority) and tin (minority). This material lends itself admirably to casting (sand or die) at a temperature of around 1300°C. Bronze has excellent corrosion resistance.
In our ideology, bronze is associated with objets d'art, sculpture and church bells. Over time, it will become "verdigris", giving it its patina.
6. Copper
Copper is an orange-brown metal, extremely ductile and therefore easy to work by deformation. Copper is often alloyed with other materials, notably zinc, to obtain the brass you find in hardware accessories.
We hope that from now on, the different types of metal you'll find in hardware stores will no longer hold any secrets for you.
But furniture hardware doesn't just mean metal. It also means wood, leather, porcelain and stone, glass and horn. Etc... We'll tell you all about it soon.