Below we explain the subtle difference between the various finishes found in brass cabinet hardware such as brass cabinet knobs, brass drawer pulls, brass appliance handles, and brass kitchen fixtures.
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Selecting hardware for your project can be overwhelming enough, right? I mean it's the jewelry of the home, it is so important, but there are so many options and who has the time? You just finished selecting countertops, cabinet styles, you sorted through hundreds of tones of grey (or white or navy!) paint. It seems like the final stretch, you are almost done. Your cabinets are arriving next week (exciting!), and then you realize...no hardware. No hardware! You haven't selected your hardware, and you think well, where do I start?
Nowadays, it is quite possible that your options will be chrome, polished nickel, satin nickel, matte black, oil rubbed bronze, or last but not least, brass. And so you decide to go with brass because who can resist all the beautiful brass hardware on Pinterest against the gorgeous gray or navy background of a perfectly finished cabinet surface? Then you realize, brass is not just brass there is an overwhelming number of brass finishes, which is where we come in.
We're here to provide you with an easy and quick primer on the main brass finishes. Hopefully, we can at least we can save you time with that step!
By way of summary, we will describe three brass finishes below: (1) Polished Brass, (2) Brushed Brass, and (3) Satin Brass. We will also discuss a bit of champagne bronze which is technically not called brass but it has soared in popularity among brass lovers.
Polished Brass
Pictured: Lew's Hardware Bar Pulls in Polished Brass
Lew's Hardware's drawer pulls and knobs are a perfect example (pictured above). Polished brass most often means it is solid brass that has been polished and finished with a lacquer to prevent tarnishing and patina over time. Polished brass tends to be bright and shiny, and very reflective.
Now, I should note that unlike the Lew's Hardware knobs and handles pictured above, which are solid brass, a similar finish is often found in hardware made of other metal alloys. The metal is sometimes electroplated and similarly finished with a lacquer. Though not as heavy as brass, other metals can also have a beautiful finish, which will often be called polished brass. In such a case, it will be due to the similarity of the finish to polished brass, but it may not be solid brass. Such is the case with our gorgeous Luna Brass Cabinet Handles pictured below:
Pictured: Luna Brass Cabinet Handles
Brushed Brass
Brushed brass is one of the most popular finishes of the past few years and its popularity can be easily explained: this finish is modern and can make a statement without being flashy, and it can be bright and warm at the same time. Now, as to what the finish looks like, brushed brass tends to have tiny brush marks throughout, as it someone slightly wiped the surface with steel wool. Again, Lew's Hardware is a great example of the perfect finish. These designer pulls offered in a squared t-bar and round version flaunts that brushed finish for a modern and elegant look.
&#; Pictured: McCobb Style Mid-Century Brass Cabinet Knob
Satin Brass
Last but not least, another popular finish that has many fans in the design world, satin brass. Though the term is used interchangeably with brushed brass due to their similarities, satin brass is, in fact, a bit different from brushed brass, mainly because it does not feature the distinctive brush marks that characterize the brushed brass finish. Ultimately, we see customers use the two finishes interchangeably because you usually have to look at brushed brass very closely to find that it's not satin brass.
Our Luxe collection is a perfect example of the beauty the satin brass finish has to offer. The Luxe collection features a wide range of sizes, many matching knobs and two sizes of satin brass appliance handles.
Now, it's important to note that not all satin brasses are created equal. While the finish is matte and beautiful on all satin brass hardware, the tone of the brass itself can have slight variations among different collections so it's important to always either use items from the same collection or send us a quick (of chat!) so we can point you to all the matching items. For example, the Freestone collection has a different satin brass tone than the Luxe collection above, even though they are both made with satin brass finish.
As you can see, satin brass is not shiny, it is sort of matte and offers the perfect balance of gleam. Satin brass is soft, which you will notice when you enter the room, and you will notice it for the right reasons: because it looks perfect against every background color, navy, white, gray, you name it! Satin brass is the cabinet hardware that makes a subtle statement: it's bold and also elegant.
Satin brass is often finished with a top coat/lacquer so that the beautiful finish is maintained through time. For that reason, satin brass finishes often do not patina. This is not to be confused with the living finish of plain brass, which may look similar but will patina over time since that is what brass naturally does. It may be difficult to tell whether your brass item will patina or not, therefore sometimes it is important to ask the manufacturer or supplier whether the item is lacquered (if this is important to your vision for the project). In our case, all items are lacquered unless the title or descriptions specifically states that the item is unlacquered.
Last but not least, we bring you our forever loved Texture collection of satin brass knurled drawer pulls, knobs and appliance handles, which has a satin brass finish that resembles the Luxe collection discussed above.
Now, although this post is meant to cover brass finishes, we did want to quickly cover a very popular finish that is also a designer favorite. The Delta faucet trademark finish called "Champagne Bronze" is a favorite and it has been for some time now. It's a beautiful brass-resembling finish but a little warmer to go well with the champagne bronze finish found in Delta's beautiful faucets. The champagne bronze finish is also fairly matte and modern.
Below you will see some more examples of this beautiful finish, which by the way also goes well with Brizo's beautiful Luxe Gold.
The above Luna pulls come in a beautiful finish that matches the Delta Champagne Bronze faucets and can be used in bathrooms and kitchen renovations alike.
In addition to the beautiful Dash collection picture in the picture above, we have many other items in the champagne bronze finish to give you many options in the event you are trying to fins cabinetry hardware to match your new fantastic faucet. You can click here, to see more champagne bronze eye candy.
Thank you for reading our post and we hope it proves helpful in selecting the perfect brass cabinet hardware for your project!
What colour is Satin Brass?
Satin brass is a warm mustard gold colour with visible brush marks in the surface. It does not have a mirrored finish like Polished Brass Or PVD Brass.
Polished Brass PVD Brass Satin Brass
Are Satin Brass products made from real brass?
The company is the world’s best brass satin supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
Yes, 90% of our Satin Brass products are made from real brass, there are some exceptions such as some cabinet handles and cupboard knobs which are made from a Zinc alloy and then have a Satin Brass effect applied to them satin brass effect items will not tarnish like real brass. Please check individual products for more details.
How are Satin Brass products made?
Brass is a non-ferrous metal alloy produced of copper and zinc. The colour of satin brass products will vary depending on the amount of copper used during production. The brass being non-ferrous will not rust making it ideal for both internal and external applications.
Once the copper and zinc have been mixed together to form the brass it has to go through a production process, such as casting, pressing or hot stamping, to make it into shapes or parts for products.
The raw brass once made into it's required shape is highly polished to produce a nice smooth item. To create the stain finish the brass item is satinised &#;brushed&#; during the final part of production using a satin wheel to give the product a brushed, satin look.
Satin brass items are then usually coated in a high quality clear lacquer to help protect and maintain the finish.
Are all Satin Brass items the same colour with the same brushed pattern?
Satin Brass items will vary in colour slightly between manufacturers depending on how much copper is used during production. Due to the nature and process of satinising, each Satin Brass item will have a slightly different brushed pattern.
Are Satin Brass products suitable for outside use?
Yes, as brass is a non-ferrous alloy (it contains no iron) Satin Brass products will not rust when fitted outside. However the brass will eventually tarnish and turn brown.
Why has my Satin Brass item turned brown?
Whether you buy the highest quality most expensive brass products on the market or the cheapest budget quality brass products, brass will always want to dull and turn brown. This is because the metal (the brass) is reacting all the time with the oxygen in the air to tarnish the brass. This process is known as oxidation. This tarnish is trying to preserve the brass by forming a patina on the surface. The patina layer turns the surface colour of the brass a brown colour.
Traditionally in years gone by people would prevent brass products from tarnishing by polishing the surface of the brass with a metal cleaner such as &#;Brasso.&#; The polishing of the brass temporarily reduces the effect of the oxidation and keeps the brass looking golden.
However in modern times with people living faster paced life styles, very few people have the time to actually go round their homes and polish all their brassware. So to help keep the brass products looking as golden and new for as long as possible, manufacturers now lacquer over the brass to seal the brass finish.
Are all your Satin Brass products lacquered?
Yes all of our Satin Brass products (unless otherwise stated) are lacquered. For un-lacquered Satin Brass products please see below.
How long will the lacquer last and the brass stay golden looking for?
While the lacquer is an excellent solution to keep the Satin Brass looking golden for a long time, it won&#;t last forever. For Satin Brass items that are fitted internally in residential homes, you will find the lacquer will last for many years. The below scenarios are examples of where the lacquer will breakdown much quicker and the Satin Brass items will then start to tarnish quite quickly:
It&#;s difficult to say quite how long the lacquer will last as there many factors to take into consideration, such as how exposed it is to the wind and rain, or how much use it will receive in public areas. For normal internal use you can expect the lacquer and the brass to stay looking new for many years.
Can you preserve the lacquer?
Yes regular cleaning to remove dirt, finger prints and watermarks with a wax based furniture polish such as beeswax, &#;Mr Sheen&#; or &#;Pledge&#; will help preserve the lacquer finish for as long as possible.
What happens when the lacquer starts to breakdown?
The brass will now start to be exposed to the air and will start to oxidise, the brass will then start to tarnish turning it brown.
Can lacquered Satin Brass products be polished and refurbished?
Yes, Satin Brass products can be polished, but first before you can start polishing your Satin Brass items all the lacquer needs to be removed first. This is the main disadvantage of lacquering products. The lacquer very rarely breaks down evenly, which can leave items looking nice and golden on one part but on another part of the same item looking dark brown, making the brass look "dirty". Unfortunately in most cases the remaining lacquer will still be too tough for the metal polish to have any effect.
With Satin Brass products if you polish them to much or too hard you will start to remove the brush marks and eventually turn the item into a Polished Brass item.
We offer a professional refurbishment service for Satin Brass items. Please contact us for more information.
What if I want an aged, tarnished brass look?
With lacquered Satin Brass items, unfortunately you can't just leave them and not clean them to achieve a nice even aged look. Because the lacquer won't break down evenly and thus the brass wont tarnish evenly, they tend to look &#;dirty&#; rather than a natural aged look. We would suggest stripping off the lacquer from the products using an acetone based thinner or paint stripper such as &#;Nitramors.&#; With all the lacquer removed the brass will tarnish naturally and evenly.
False aged, antique look items are becoming very popular and there now lots of products that can be purchased off the shelf. Please view our Antique Brass and Florentine Bronze pages for more info on these antique look finishes.
Can you buy non-lacquered Satin Brass products?
Yes, if you want to be able to polish your brass items or would like your brass products to oxidise and tarnish naturally for an authentic aged look, please contact us for details on these products.
How to clean and maintain Satin Brass products
Satin Brass products should be cleaned regularly with a soft cloth and wiped over with a wax based furniture polish ideally beeswax, but products like &#;Pledge&#; and &#;Mr Sheen&#; work well too. Regular cleaning with furniture polish will help preserve and maintain the lacquer.
Do not use any form of metal cleaner on new Satin Brass products as this will damage the lacquer.
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