Antique brass bar pull with turned ends

Old-house hardware without the salvage hunt

The antique finish is a mellow brown-gold with a soft sheen, the color brass takes on after decades of hands. It suits painted Shaker cabinets, inset doors, old dressers and anything with a bit of age.

Sizes, lengths and weights

• 3-3/4 in (96 mm) centers: 4-1/4 in (108 mm) long, 2.0 oz (57 g)
• 5-1/16 in (128 mm) centers: 5-1/2 in (140 mm) long, 2.8 oz (79 g)
• 6-5/16 in (160 mm) centers: 6-13/16 in (173 mm) long, 3.5 oz (99 g)
• 7-9/16 in (192 mm) centers: 8-1/16 in (205 mm) long, 4.8 oz (137 g)
• 10-1/16 in (256 mm) centers: 10-9/16 in (268 mm) long, 6.0 oz (170 g)
• 12-5/8 in (320 mm) centers: 13 in (330 mm) long, 7.9 oz (223 g)

The bar is 1/2 in (13 mm) across and stands 1 in (25 mm) off the door. The overall length is only a little longer than the hole centers, so this pull fits narrow stiles and small drawer fronts where a bar with long overhangs would not.

Care

Dust it and wipe with a dry or barely damp cloth. Don't use brass polish on it: polish strips the antique tone back to bright metal.

Where it looks right

The antique finish sits naturally on cream, sage, gray-blue and deep green paint, on stained oak and on walnut. It is a good match for old latches, hinges and bin pulls you already have, and for kitchens with unlacquered brass faucets that will darken over time. On a bright white modern kitchen it adds warmth without shouting.

Fitting

Two screws from inside the door go into the posts. The pull is light, so it suits thin furniture drawers as well as kitchen doors.

Choosing a length

On a run of drawers, many old kitchens used one short size everywhere, which is the simplest way to keep a period look. If you want more presence, use the 5-1/16 in (128 mm) size on drawers wider than 24 in (61 cm) and keep the short one on the rest.