Croft Hardware Finishes
28 April 2017 :: Finishes
Croft Hardware Finishes
Croft Hardware are one of the few British manufacturers that still continues a long-lasting tradition of handcrafting and hand-finishing the highest quality architectural hardware. The founder's grandfather first started manufacturing and selling architectural hardware items in 1868. Five generations later, the company is still based in Willenhall in the West Midlands, the historic heart of the British lock and hardware industry.
Croft Hardware offer a comprehensive range of British manufactured products, all of which are made by hand by a highly skilled and experienced workforce. By combining traditional skills with modern manufacturing techniques, the Croft Hardware team of craftsmen produce quality fittings that are built to stand the test of time.
A unique offering from Croft Hardware is the huge range of bespoke finishes that can be offered on their entire range of products, making them the perfect choice to achieve an exact match with your decor.
To see the full range of finishes available by Croft Hardware see here
Antique Brass
An applied finish to a solid brass base. The final hand finishing steps create a beautiful mellowed and aged patina that will continue to age nicely with use.
Aged Brass
This is another applied finish to a solid brass base that gives an artificially and uniquely aged look of a time worn product with warm mellow tones.
Antique Nickel
This is a nickel plated finish which is oxidized to give a unique patina and then lacquered to create a rich, deep aged effect to the nickel.
Polished Chrome Plate
This highly polished chrome plating creates a stunning mirror smooth finish for a flawless bright reflective finish, perfectly suited to modern and traditional applications.
Distressed Antique Brass
Here the Antique Brass finish undergoes a further treatment of distressing to give an authentic aged appearance to the finish. As this is a hand produced finish an individual character is gained for each product.
Distressed Antique Nickel
The distressed surface finish creates a charcoal like tone in the antique nickel which perfectly complements natural textures such as pewter, stone and marble.
Dark Bronze Metal Antique
This applied finish creates a lustrous dark, almost black finish. Designed to age gracefully over time and develop it's own unique patina through use.
Distressed Oil Rubbed Bronze
A further distressed wearing effect to the oil rubbed bronze that creates a more aged look to the subtle bronze highlights.
Imitation Bronze Metal Antique
An applied finish that creates a matt lacquered deep coloured finish of almost caramel tones.
Oil Rubbed Bronze
A very traditional wearing effect that starts with a matt black finish, over time and through use the finish wears to give the subtle bronze highlights that are shining through on the edges and where they are touched most, to give an authentic patina that looks like it has taken decades to achieve.
Polished Brass
The Solid Brass, is highly polished to a flawless perfection, then a protective lacquer is applied to maintain that high point of lustrous beauty.
Polished Brass Unlacquered
The Solid Brass, is highly polished to a flawless perfection. In this case it is supplied without a lacquer coating meaning that it will age greacefully over time, or can be regularly polished to maintain it's original lustre.
Polished Gunmetal
This is a very bespoke highly polished finish applied to a sand casting of solid bronze giving a warm rose gold hue to the bronze, and is then given a clear lacquer coating.
Polished Gunmetal Unlacquered
This is a very bespoke highly polished finish applied to a sand casting of solid bronze giving a warm rose gold hue to the bronze. Here the finish is left unlacquered to allow natural oxidization and aging of the finish.
Polished Nickel
A solid brass base with a high quality nickel plating which is then polished for a dazzling shine. The final finish gives a warmer deeper colour than polished chrome with a finish that is reminiscent of fine silver.
Pearl Nickel
A unique finish with matt nickel plating being applied to a brass base and then given a dull finish to create a hint of yellow pearls.
Real Bronze Metal Antique
This is a highly polished finish on an original sand casting of solid bronze. This is made and finished using traditional methods which gives an array of colours in the finish of this product. The nature of any sand cast solid bronze product means that some surface blemishes and small porosity indentations can appear and should be expected.
Satin Brass
Here a solid brass product is carefully finished to a smooth satin perfection. Finished with a protective lacquer to maintain the finish.
Satin Brass Unlacquered
Here a solid brass product is carefully finished to a smooth satin perfection. Left unlacquered a unique patina will develop over time and use.
Satin Chrome Plate
A beautiful uniformed brushed finish to the chrome plating creates a smooth matt satin feel which is perfectly suited to modern and traditional applications.
Satin Nickel Plate
A solid brass base with a high quality nickel plating which is then brushed to give a uniform elegant matt finish. The final finish gives a warmer deeper colour than chrome with a finish that is reminiscent of fine silver.
Tudor Bronze
A sand casting of solid bronze in a traditional style along with small surface blemishes and indentations for an authentic bronze finish.
Lacquered Brass and Bronze (PB,PG)
Regular cleaning with warm soapy water will help maintain the general appearance and an occasional application of a good wax polish will help to protect the finish.
The life of the lacquer can be affected by many environmental or atmospheric conditions, including sea air and industrial pollution. If the lacquer does start to break down we recommend that it is removed with paint stripper and the article is kept clean in the traditional way using a metal polish (eg. Autosol or Brasso).
Unlacquered Brass and Bronze (PBUL, PGUL)
Although originally polished, if left untouched the finish will naturally become dull and darken over a length of time. To retain the polished finish regular cleaning with a proprietary brand of metal polish (eg. Autosol or Brasso) will be required.
Plated Finishes (CP, SCP, PN, SNP, PRL)
Regular cleaning with warm soapy water will help to maintain the appearance, but if required a proprietary brand of chrome polish can be used (eg. Autosol)
Living Finishes (AB, AGD, DAB, RBMA, TB)
Normal wear and handling will allow the raised areas to reveal the metal below helping to create an aged effect. An occasional application of a good beeswax polish can be applied if required.
Other Finishes (SB, MB, DBMA, IBMA, AN, ORB, DAN, DORB, SBUL)
Regular cleaning with warm soapy water and an application of a good wax polish gently applied, will help to protect the finish.
Atmospheric Conditions
Sea air and environmental conditions can cause a finish to deteriorate prematurely. Conditions will affect external fittings, and window fittings as they are likely to be exposed to corrosive or damaging elements for periods of time. In these situations regular cleaning will be needed and we recommend the following finishes to be the most suitable:
- Polished Brass, Unlacquered (PBUL)
- Chrome Plate (CP)
- Polished Gunmetal, Unlacquered (PGUL)
- Polished Nickel (PN)
- Real Bronze (RBMA)
To see the full range of finishes available by Croft Hardware see here