I am building cabinets and glass fronted bookcases for my library. I am trying to use quality materials. The majority of the cabinets and bookcases are solid cherry. All the cabinets and bookcase are face framed with inset doors. I would like to use solid brass mortised butt hinges. The bookcase doors will be fairly heavy so I am looking for good quality hinges.
My search on the internet reveals hinges in the $6.00 category and hinges in the $20 to $30 range. Some say they are swagged and other do not mention that. The expensive hinges are 3/32 and mention nothing about swagging. An old FW article indicates that a few quick raps with a hammer can do the swagging. Is that true for the 3/32 hinges?
Any suggestion would be appreciated. Are the expensive hinges worth the difference? etc
Thanks
Carl Schellenberg
Replies
In my opinion, good hardware is worth it. If you're sepnding $10 or more a board foot for some primo cherry or other wood, and you are building a piece you expect to keep around for a long time (possibly to be enjoyed by future generations), why would you skimp on hardware?
Brusso, for example is expensive, but it is buperbly cast and has not a bit of play in the pin. Cheap stamped hinges are thin and often have tons of play and rattle. There are decent mid-range hinges. Lee Valley, for example sells some very decent butt hinges in the middle price point. If you want other choices or finishes for high end, there are places like WhiteChapel and others.
In short, yes.
FWIW, I like the hinges at Restoration Hardware -- there's a local store here. Good quality, they usually have 'em in stock and it's nice to be able to look at the piece in person (as opposed to ordering on the web) to help guage how it'll look when installed.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
I have always used Brusso hinges. They are expensive, but of the highest quality. In my opinion the hinges/hardware make the piece. It doesn't matter if you have beautifully finished highly figured cherry. If the hinges look cheap the piece looks cheap. That's just my opinion, to each his own.
You can see Brusso hinges at www.brusso.com
Burckly:
I think good hinges are worth it, but I balked at the Whitechapel ones at about $30 per pair (nice as they are).
Eventually I found ones at Horton Brasses:
http://www.horton-brasses.com/store/hinges/brassnickel
I was very pleased with the hinges and the quality of service.
Hastings
Just to chime in with one more brass supplier-- Ball and Ball, PA. I have used all of the other sources and they are indeed good suppliers. I have used Horton and Ball and Ball for 28 years and never had a problem. I prefer to get my brass from a foundry. They make most of their stuff on site. Some things I imagine are done elsewhere. Don't know.
Without knowing how big a butt hinge you want I can't recommend an exact hinge. You can go to Ball and Ball and they have a very nice website and a very detailed catalog to search for what you want. If you need to talk to someone, the people at Ball and Ball are very well informed and helpful.
Some little style/hole location concerns come up. Comparing Horton and Ball and Ball should get you in the right place.
Additionally, I have been using the hinges Lonnie Bird made available to the general public that he had custom made for his desk/bookcase. I have used them for lots of different heavy doors. They are thick brass and they are NOT drilled so you can custom fit them to your locations on the piece. You might consider them as well when talking to Ball and Ball.
Good Luck
dan
Try cape cod brass .com. They have baldwin, as well as other and have good prices. I buy from them when I need hardware for projects both cabinets and full size door handles and but hinges 3.5"x3.5" and 4"x4" solid brass.
http://www.baldwinbrasshardware.com/misc/hinges.htm
Edited 2/13/2009 7:14 pm ET by TonyCz
Edited 2/13/2009 7:15 pm ET by TonyCz
Brusso, Horton, Ball & Ball, and Baldwin would all be good choices, as the previous posts have mentioned.
I used to use Brusso hinges quite a lot. While we've lost touch in recent years, Larry Brusso was a personal friend of mine during the period he was developing his company, in the 1980s. He was a very skilled amateur cabinetmaker who's 9 to 5 job was as an automobile mechanic and machinest. When he couldn't find quality hinges for his cabinets he would make his own. Starting out in his garage, the company gradually expanded to include around 25 employees and the company became Larry's full-time job. He would frequently drop off samples of new hinges for me to try out. For some reason, he lost control of the company a few years ago. He may have just expanded too quickly, at a certain point. However, the company still makes quality hinges. I ordered from them about a year ago.
ChipTam
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