Sources include hardware specialty stores, general home furnishings outlets and hardware stores, as well as catalogs and Internet sources. Antique and vintage hardware, reproductions and contemporary designs are available. Each has its advantages and drawbacks. With antique and vintage hardware, the quality is unsurpassed, since we can t make hardware today of the same quality, Hartman says. Finding something suitable is usually not a problem thousands of patterns were made in the Victorian era and if we can t match something exactly, we can come close, says Hartman, who is also manager of Liz s Antique Hardware.
Vintage hardware can be expensive, but to get the comparable quality today can be even more costly.
Adding to the expense, however, is usually the need to restore the items. Still, it pays to use the old stuff when doing period restoration. Look for the old in specialty stores like Liz s, salvage yards and on the Internet. E-bay has a fast and furious section for vintage hardware, Hartman says, but you ll be competing against collectors who display their treasures in Lucite cases in the living room. With the popularity of antique hardware, good reproductions are now available.