Bronze Door Handles

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Bronze door handles buying guide Bronze on a door handle is usually a finish, not a metal. A handle sold as bronze can be solid bronze with a living finish, solid brass with a bronze lacquer, or stainless steel or zinc alloy with a bronze-coloured coating, and the three behave differently over time. This collection holds bronze, antique bronze and brushed bronze levers, knobs, pull handles, sliding door pulls, locks, hinges, stops and hooks, plus some shower door hardware in bronze. This guide sets out what the name means, how the main finishes are made, which numbers decide fit, how to match bronze across a door, and how to care for it. For the wider range, see door handles , interior door handles and door hardware . What bronze means on a handle Bronze is an alloy of mainly copper and tin, and brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Bronze develops a patina over time, and brass has a bright finish that can tarnish. In door hardware the word is used more loosely. Solid bronze handles with an oil-rubbed living finish differ from solid brass handles with a matt bronze lacquer, and the two groups are sold side by side. The product pages in this collection show the same spread: some are brass in a bronze or antique bronze finish, some are stainless steel with a bronze-coloured PVD or electroplated finish, and some are zinc alloy. Read the material line and the finish line on each product page, because the base metal and the coating, not the colour name, tell you how the handle will wear. Living finish or coated finish The biggest choice is whether the surface changes. Living finishes are handmade and change over time, and oil rubbed bronze is a dark finish with tones from deep brown to dark grey, depending on climate exposure. An oil-rubbed living finish is meant to change gradually, developing a patina that brings out copper tones. A coated finish is built to hold. Bronze-look PVD finishes are highly corrosion and abrasion resistant. Antique brass has a deep, rich colou