Hinging on your success: part 2 No comments yet

Cliffside’s solid brass hinge line has sizes ranging from large to small. In today’s article, we will examine another mortised hinge, following up on last week’s feature on the BH2A hinges. A larger mortised hinge, the BH3A has been a popular Cliffside hinge for years, and today we will examine it in-depth.

BH3A

BH3A shown in Venetian Bronze

Quick facts

• Leaf length: 2¹/₂“
• Overall length: 3¹/₂“
• Open width: 1⁵/₈“
• Barrel diameter: 8mm

The BH3A hinge is the largest mortised offering in the Cliffside line. It is available in 13 attractive finishes: the 11 colors of the signature hardware line, along with Nickel Chrome and Old Silver. The BH3A is manufactured using the same extrusion process as the BH2A, but its heavier barrel and longer length make it ideal for larger doors, or for those customers who request a bolder statement from their cabinet hinges.

The BH3A hinge is offered with an attractive minaret finial. Its 8mm barrel is ideal for use in any project. Originally non-adjustable, this piece was formerly known as the BH3NA, but now the adjustability of this hinge makes it a smart choice for cabinetmakers, and with screws finished to coordinate with all of our colors, the BH3A also has finishes available to match each of our solid brass hardware suites. This hinge is simply a great selection for use in any kitchen or bath with inset cabinets

Hinging on your success: part 1 2 comments

Today, Cliffside begins a new series: an in-depth examination of our industry-acclaimed solid brass hinge line. In the past several years, Cliffside’s hinge line has undergone several standardizations and expansions to better serve the needs of our customers. We have added finishes and made our line easier to order and understand. We have also added and expanded several newer hinge lines because our customers have demanded new items that maintain the high level of quality and Old World craftsmanship for which Cliffside is known.

Our examination begins with Cliffside’s oldest, best-known, and most widely recognized hinge: the 2″ leaf adjustable mortised butt hinge known as BH2A.

BH2A

Quick facts

Birth of the BH2A, from concept to creation

• Leaf length: 2″
• Overall length: 2³/₄“
• Open width: 1⁵/₈“
• Barrel diameter: 4.5mm

Details

The finial-tip BH2A hinge has been part of the Cliffside hardware line for many years. It is the most popular hinge that we carry, and it is on our top-10 list of best-selling items. Designed with strength in mind, the BH2A is extruded, rather than stamped, and the finishes are plated to resist powdering and damage. Our BH2A hinge offers one of the tightest reveals in the industry; many top manufacturers use our hinges specifically for that reason.

Another point is Cliffside’s wide finish selection in this line. The BH2A with the standard steeple finial is available in 15 standard finishes. 11 of these are part of our signature hardware line and can be used in conjunction with Cliffside’s solid brass hardware suites. We offer two distinct antique brass finishes (the dark AB and the lighter AE), two oil-rubbed bronze finishes (the matte-brown OA and the copper-highlighted VB), and a variety of other colors to suit many tastes and needs.

BH2A-BALL

The BH2A-BALL, shown in Iron

Quick facts

• Leaf length: 2″
• Overall length: 2⁷/₁₆“
• Open width: 1⁵/₈“
• Barrel diameter: 4.5mm

Details

Constructed with the same attention to detail that characterizes all Cliffside hinges, the BH2A-BALL is a relative newcomer to the Cliffside line, first making an appearance in early 2009. The BH2A-BALL is made by the same extrusion process as the BH2A; the only difference is the attractive ball finial which graces the barrel in place of the standard steeple-tip.

All of the BH2A-BALL hinges come in finishes to match our solid brass hardware suites. These 11 finishes are the flagship of our line and represent the most popular selections among our customers. With a wide variety ranging from polished chrome to black, this hinge is a winner sure to please.

BH2A-NF

Three identical hinges with different finials

Quick facts

• Leaf length: 2″
• Overall length: 2¹/₁₆“
• Open width: 1⁵/₈“
• Barrel diameter: 4.5mm

Details

Although several finishes of the BH2A-NF have been available since 2000, this line only came to its full fruition in 2010, when it was expanded to 11 finishes to join Cliffside’s hardware suites. Because the BH2A is offered in three different finial types (steeple, ball, and button), it is the most versatile hinge in the Cliffside line, providing numerous choices for any customer.

The 11 finishes available in the BH2A-NF are the same as those offered in the BH2A-BALL. All of the Cliffside hinges can be viewed in our newest “Fine Hardware Collections” catalog, available online for your viewing pleasure or in print (request a print copy here). Check back in our next installment to see another offering in the Cliffside mortised hinge line!

What’s the difference: part 3 of 3 No comments yet

In our final installment on comparing Cliffside’s finishes, we will be examining several of our line’s darker finishes — coppers and bronzes. Because Cliffside offers multiple finishes that fall into the “oil-rubbed bronze” category, this part of our line often needs clarification. In this blog, you will read about the old antique, Venetian bronze, old copper, and oil-rubbed bronze finishes. Here now, the definitive guide!

What’s the difference between…

…oil-rubbed bronze and old antique?

Cliffside’s finish named “oil-rubbed bronze” is only available on steel hardware. The knob currently offered in that finish is the S1204 series. The old antique, however, is a very popular finish which is part of our signature line; it is available on all of our solid brass hardware suites, which encompasses a large quantity of items.

The “oil-rubbed bronze” knob available on steel is a very dark finish, nearly a wrought-iron color. Our old antique, by contrast, is a rich brown color, popular throughout the industry. Below, you can make the comparison for yourself:

B600-OA on the left; S1204-ORB on the right

…old antique and Venetian bronze?

As shown above, the old antique is a solid brown representation of oil-rubbed bronze. Our Venetian bronze, the most recent finish added to the Cliffside line, is also oil-rubbed bronze, but it contains a light wash of copper. On pieces with more detailing or raised edges, the copper is more prominent. It also shows dramatically on our cup pulls, which bear a distinctive “thumbprint” of copper which sets the finish apart from the old antique.

Both the old antique (OA) and the Venetian bronze (VB) are available as part of the Cliffside hardware suites; any of our five solid brass hardware collections are available in those finishes.

For your reference, we’ve provided several different comparisons between OA and VB. First, on a simple 100 series knob:

At left, 100-OA; on the right, 100-VB

Next, on the more complex Ice Box Cupboard Latches:

IBCL in OA (left) and VB (right)

Finally, the thumbprinted cup pulls:

K4235-OA (above) and K4235-VB (below)

…Venetian bronze and old copper?

Because both finishes contain a copper color, many customers have asked about the difference between these two finishes since we added Venetian bronze to our line. In the Venetian bronze finish, the dark bronze is the primary color tone, while in the old copper, the copper itself is primary and the dark color comes from the antiquing process.

Both the VB and the OC are signature finishes, so you can get suite hardware in either color. It depends on which look you are trying to match: oil-rubbed bronze or antique copper.

Below, compare an item where the OC and VB finishes look similar…

K344-3-OC (top) and the same item in VB (bottom)

…and another item where they are very distinct and separate.

Solid brass cupboard latch (SBCL) in OC and VB

Cabinetmakers’ bonus!

What’s the difference between OA hinges and AB hinges?

A bonus for our manufacturing friends at the end of this series!

Our antique brass (AB) and old antique (OA) hinge finishes are very similar in color tone. The OA hinges are the same matte brown color as our hardware, but, as noted in our last edition, the AB hinges are also a very dark brown shade. The two major differences are this: the AB finish has a burnished golden undertone, where the OA is a simple brown; and the antique brass hinges have a high-polish lacquer, whereas the old antique hinges sport a flat finish.

See the difference for yourself:

3-8-OFFSET hinge in AB, on the left; and OA, to the right

That’s all for this series; check back next week for the start of a new set of weekly blogs!

What’s the difference: part 2 of 3 1 comment

In continuing our series on finish comparison, Cliffside proceeds from the gray to the gold, delving into the land of brasses. While much of Cliffside’s hardware is “solid brass”, only a few of those pieces are designated with “brass”-named finishes, like antique brass or polished brass, so it’s easy to get the two confused. Here are some other questions that our customer representatives field often:

What’s the difference between…

…polished brass and antique brass?

Cliffside’s polished brass finish has been around since the beginning. It, like the polished chrome and nickel focused on in our last edition, has a high-polish lacquer applied to it, which protects the finish and gives it that lustrous shine that is Cliffside’s signature color.

Antique brass, on the other hand, has a richer, more accented look while still maintaining a glossy sheen that is similar to the silver satin. Pieces with high levels of detailing, like Cliffside’s Rope and Criss-Cross Suites, make especially good use of the antique brass lacquer, as its dark elements linger in the ornamentation and elevate accented designs to a new plane.

The two finishes can be seen below, side-by-side on the same solid brass knobs:

At left: 110-PB (top) and K580-PB; at right: the same knobs in antique brass

…antique brass and antique english?

Cliffside’s suppliers are located worldwide in a variety of locations, and so their interpretations of finishes occasionally vary. In particular, Cliffside’s solid brass hinges are manufactured in Europe, so the antique brass finish that is applied to them is quite different from the rest of our hardware.

Compare, in this picture, an antique brass (AB) hinge alongside an antique brass (AB) pull:

K344-3-AB at left, as compared to BH3A-AB on the right

You can clearly see that the European-made antique brass hinge is much darker; its color, in fact, is comparable to the dark lacquer present on the foot of the pull shown at left. Cliffside’s customers were seeking an alternative antique brass hinge to match more closely with our AB hardware, so Cliffside developed the antique english finish.

View now the same image, but with an antique english hinge replacing the antique brass:

K344-3-AB at left, as compared to BH3A-AE on the right

These two colors are a better match when the hardware with a lot of open golden space, but the AB hinges are still available for those customers who prefer a darker finish, or for those who are using darker, more detail-oriented hardware, such as Cliffside’s Criss-Cross Suite.

Below, see the same hinge in both the AB and AE finishes:

BH2A-NM hinges in AB (left) and AE (right)