Solid Aged Brass Cabinet Knob

Cast in solid brass, left to age.

An unlacquered aged brass finish, which means the surface is alive rather than sealed. It arrives already softened and will keep moving — darkening where hands fall, staying brighter where they don't. Ten years in, no two knobs in a kitchen look quite the same, and that is the point of it.

Seventeen styles in one range, all solid brass, all the same finish. A kitchen can take one shape throughout, or change between them — the finish holds the run together even when the shapes differ.

Choosing a shape

Bun, Beehive and Victorian are the traditional profiles — reeded, stepped or domed, and the right choice for Shaker, in-frame and period cabinetry where the hardware should look like it has always been there.

Round, Flat and Oval are quieter. Flat in particular sits close to the door and suits a modern kitchen where you want brass in the room without a row of domes catching the light.

Ball and Mushroom are the smallest in feel — good on glazed doors, narrow drawers and bathroom cabinetry where a larger knob would crowd the frame.

Two ovals, and the difference between them

Oval on Rose sits on a round brass backplate, which covers the old fixing marks left by whatever was there before — useful on a refit. The 32mm has a 35mm plate and stands 38mm off the door; the 38mm has a 40mm plate and stands 44mm.

Oval is the same shape without the plate, on a waisted stem. Cleaner on new doors, and it sits closer in — 27mm projection at 32mm, 40mm at 38mm.

Sizing

Most styles come in 32mm and 38mm. As a rule, 32mm suits wall cupboards and smaller drawer fronts; 38mm holds its own on base units and deep pan drawers. If you are mixing, keep one size per run rather than alternating — the eye reads a change in size faster than a change in shape.

Living finish

Unlacquered brass is not a fault when it dulls. If you want to hold it bright, an occasional wipe with a brass polish will do it. If you want it to age, leave it alone — a damp cloth is enough. Avoid abrasives and bleach-based sprays either way, which cut the surface rather than clean it.

The rest of the range is in aged brass, and every finish sits together in the brass range. For coordinating pieces, see cabinet knobs.