There are different kinds of cabinet hardware categorized as:
- Knobs
- Handles
- Cup Handles
- Latches and Catches
- Hinges
- Knobs
The knob is connected to the door of the cabinet just by a single screw. Knobs can be shaped in a lot of variety of materials. Most often knobs used in kitchen cabinet doors are made of stainless steel or other materials like bronze. Knobs can be made of non-metallic materials also. Some companies make knobs from crystal. Solid brass knobs are confirmed to be the most reliable and have good quality.
Knobs also come in a lot of styles mainly: “traditional knobs”, “contemporary knobs”, “rustic knobs” etc. they also come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Knobs can also be utilized in a lot of different applications. Such as small knobs are perfect for small use like butcher blocks, where oval and rectangular shaped knobs are mainly used for doors with thin moldings, or for long and thin doors. To properly cover the weathering on a cabinet left by another knob, knob with a wide base or attached backplate will be the best choice.
- Handles
Cabinet handles or also known as “cabinet pulls” are connected to cabinet door with the help of2 or more screws because there are numerous screw holes. To determine which type of handle to choose, the main factor which comes to mind is “center to center” measurement which means the difference from the center on one screw hole to center of the other screw hole. If there are just 2 screw holes, center to center measurement usually describe the total size of pull depending on its design.
There are different styles and sizes of handles available. Handles are often chosen depending on a common design. For bigger cabinets, handles are usually attached in the lower inner corner or next to stile or neighboring door; may be attached in the center of door’s border, or may be fixed in the center of door horizontally and vertically. Handles can also be fixed in the horizontal center of the door at top or bottom.
Fixing the handle in the center is a little bit difficult and can affect the size of the handle. If you use a single handle, the length of hardware must be between “one quarter and three eights of the width of drawer front”.
- Cup Handles
“Cup handles” are special kind of cabinet handles that are specially made for drawers. They are also called as “bin pulls”. The method used to attach cup handles and its shape are the factors that make it special. Cup handles can be just opened from only one direction due to their exceptional design. Normally cup handles are installed with an open end. Most of the bin pulls don’t have screw sockets.
Normally there is only single cup handle on the drawer but some designers also make two equally distant cup handles on the drawer to add a visual difference. So in order to open this drawer, you will need to use both hands as the handles will be placed on the left and right position to open the drawer properly. But if you use only one hand, it does not matter which handle you chose, the drawer will be off balance and may fall on one side. This may cause damage to the drawer.
- Cabinet latches and catches
Both latches and catches have some function i.e. they hold the cabinet door closed. The latch is basically a 2-piece item mounted on the outside of cabinet which hold the door closed from outside. The most common design of latches are “rotational latches” also called as “turn latches” and “lever latches”. The knob in rotational latches is present at the top of housing which is turned to activate the tongue while lever latches utilize an extension connected to internal spring to unlock the tongue. Whereas cabinet catches are used to close the cabinet door from inside.
- Cabinet Hinges
A hinge is a fixed axis around which more than 2 connected surfaces rotates. Hinge is a vital element in the cabinet. A cabinet is just a box and piece of wood it there are no hinges in it. The main factors that tell us which type of hinge is to use depend on the kind of cabinet door and the size of the hinge required for the door.