Heritage in Old Hardware

Bolts and brackets, fingerplates and fanlight openers, hooks and hinges, knobs and knockers, and locks and latches are all part of the heritage of hardware in our old houses. Hardware is one of the great glories of old houses, although until quite recently it was often overlooked. People restored the structure of their houses but forgot about the details. Today, it is realised that the appeal of old houses owes much to the attention to detail which their original architects, builders and owners lavished upon them. In an age when time allows for very little detailed work to be carried out in new houses, people cherish this quality in old buildings. Old hardware is appreciated once again and is being carefully restored and reinstated in many old houses.

Because so much of it was handmade, hardware was scarce and expensive before about 1820. Many emigrant settlers in Australia, North America and New Zealand took their own with them, consigning numerous crates filled with every conceivable item that they might need to their new country. Most had little idea of what, if anything, might be available there, and so brought all the nails, hinges, bolts and tools they would need to build a house and establish a farm.
By the 1840s and ’50s, there were numerous merchants whose establishments in the larger settlements were stocked with everything for the home and farm. The colonial housewife, preparing to hang curtains in her new home, visited the ironmonger’s store to purchase brass curtain rods, finials and rings, as well as many other useful hardware items.

The great increase in manufacturing industry in Britain and the United States during the early Victorian period had a tremendous impact on the availability of hardware for the homes of ordinary people. From brass and iron, manufacturers produced a staggering range of items in a multitude of patterns, shapes, sizes and decorative motifs. A healthy percentage of the output of the British and American brass and iron foundries was packed into the holds of numerous ships and despatched to distant places. Onto the wharves of major ports poured an avalanche of brass, cast iron and steel. There were stoves, grates, gasoliers, knobs, handles, knockers, boot scrapers, trivets, doorstops, panels and railings, locks, bolts, sash weights and fasteners, hinges, screws, nails, chains, curtain rods and fittings, pots, pans, kettles, bells, fanlight openers and much more.

Take a careful look around your old house before you conclude that it really doesn’t have any worthwhile hardware. You may be surprised at what you find. And whatever you do, don’t discard your old locks, doorknobs or other hardware. You’ll be throwing away part of the heritage of your old house. If security is a concern, supplement your old hardware with modern deadlocks and window locks. But try to make them as unobtrusive as possible. Select mortice deadlocks which are concealed within the door rather than rimlocks which are mounted on the surface. Old hardware can be highlighted with a traditional finish such as black japan and any essential new hardware which cannot otherwise be concealed can be painted to blend in with its surroundings. Restoring old hardware is often surprisingly easy and inexpensive and the results that can be obtained will amaze the uninitiated.

While the second-hand market is the best source of much architectural hardware, you may have to buy new fittings that serve the same purpose. Although it’s hard to beat the original article for quality and that indefinable character that age provides, reproductions are showing steady improvement in both range and quality. One of the problems with old hardware is that it is often very difficult to buy enough pieces in the same pattern. Reproductions are therefore often necessary. But before producing your chequebook, credit card or cash, talk to the staff at your favourite restoration shop. Many of them are connoisseurs of old hardware and enjoy dealing with people who share their interest. In many cases, most or all of the original hardware will still be in the building although repair or restoration may be necessary. Locks often lack keys and several coats of paint, obscuring the beauty and hampering the function, may cover other items. Removing the crust of paint and applying some brass polish, japan or other traditional finish will produce the most amazing transformation on many old hardware items.

The first step in a hardware restoration programme is simply to examine the house carefully and make a note of missing or inoperative items of hardware or of later, out of character, pieces. Missing items may have to be deduced, perhaps by marks on the joinery or paint which provide an outline or indication of their shape and size.
Screw holes sometimes show where fingerplates, sash fasteners or fanlight openers once rested. Look for tassel hooks for hallway portiere or window curtains, cleats or ties for fanlight cords, muslin brackets for sash curtains, stair rod brackets, picture hooks, sash lifts and casement window fasteners. Original rimlocks or mortice locks may still be in place, but keyless and so offering little in the way of use or security. Don’t be discouraged to find little of the gleaming brass that many people think is the hallmark of ‘old world charm’. A good deal of brass was certainly used, but cast iron, pressed tin, copper, crystal, glass, china and wood were also put into service. Fingerplates and doorknobs, for example, were available in all of these materials and a variety of timbers including oak, ebony, walnut and cocoa wood.
There were many finishes from which to choose. The antique hardware in your house could have been varnished, bronzed, shellacked (if of wood) or polished. It might have been given any one of a number of popular ‘antique’ finishes such as antique brass, antique bronze or antique iron. The most common finish for cast-iron hardware was a simple coat of black varnish or japan.

If you prefer the shine of polished brass arrange to have yours clear powdercoated. There are powdercoaters in most large cities and the local telephone directory will help you find them. However, it isn’t mandatory to keep brass in a constant state of high polish. A little tarnish, relieved by an occasional brisk rub with metal polish, won’t do any harm. Close examination of many items of old hardware may reveal makers’ names and registration symbols or numbers. These can be used to determine when the design for a particular item was first registered. Knowing when a design was registered may give you a clue to the age of an old centre door knob or other piece of hardware. Old catalogues published by manufacturers or retailers also contain useful information on hardware. These can sometimes be found in specialist research or architectural libraries or in secondhand bookshops.

Replacements for missing items of hardware can often be located. Old rimlocks in an unrestored condition may be found in a shop’s junk box and should be quite cheap, especially if the staple and key are missing. The staple is the part of the mechanism that sits on the door frame and without it any lock is useless. You may be able to find an old staple elsewhere or buy a reproduction to suit. Supplement your old front door lock with a modern mortice deadlock and fit unobtrusive locks to the windows. And a good home security system will reinforce your domestic protection.
Restoring old hardware is usually not too difficult. Take short-cuts to minimise the effort. String painted pieces onto a length of wire and take them to someone with a caustic bath or make your own. They will be ready to use 24 hours later. Caustic dipping can have disadvantages. Items with cavities may leak caustic, spoiling new finishes. A sandblasting cabinet may produce better results.

© Ian Evans