Aside from stainless steel, copper and iron, cabinet pulls are also made from zinc and its alloys. And these materials are actually superb for that purpose too.
Here’s why zinc is a good material for cabinet pull
Cabinet pulls made from zinc alloys are actually quite good. They are very durable, resistant to corrosion, do not wear easily from normal day to day touch, and can be finished in a variety of ways which makes them excellent for use in different kitchen projects.
Is zinc a good material for cabinet hardware?
Zinc, as the fourth most widely used metal on earth, is a very good material for making cabinet hardware like pulls.
When zinc is to be used for cabinet hardware, it’s formed into an alloy, which is basically the marriage between zinc and other metals like copper, magnesium and aluminium.
One of the most popular zinc alloys is brass, and you probably have it somewhere (in some form) in your kitchen (or home).
Brass is made by combining zinc with copper with the sheer goal of improving its mechanical, electrical and chemical properties, for instance in the case of physical, it’s tensile strength, wear resistance, creep, hardness, etc.
So many different standards of brass exist, and one study enumerated over 600 EN of them with all distinguished by the ratio of copper to zinc in them.
The implication of the “standard” existence of brass is the variation in quality of hardwares produced; basically, manufacturers now have the flexibility to choose what makes sense for their budget and their audience.
Anyways, such improvement in physical properties makes the new material perfectly suitable for use as decorative items such as household fittings, cabinet hardware, jewelry etc.
As you would expect, zinc alloys exist in different variations (and also sub variations too) depending on the elements used as well as the percentages of these elements in the alloy.
Because of that, some alloys are more suitable for certain applications than others. When it comes to cabinet hardware, you’ll find alloy 3 and 5 mostly used for it, and between the two, alloy 5 is much preferred because of its copper compound.
All in all, zinc as a cabinet hardware material is not easily prone to rust, holds on to it’s finishes beautifully well, is very easy to clean, doesn’t break as it ages, can be made to have a good feel in the hand, and most importantly, is a cost-effective option compared to other materials used for cabinet hardware, for instance stainless steel and copper.
What are the pros and cons of zinc cabinet pulls?
Pros
Some alloys of zinc, like brass for instance, offer an excellent base for finishing, and as a result, manufacturers are able to achieve a variety of finishes (on it) which makes brass suitable for different kitchen projects as well as accommodating different budgets.
Zinc is corrosion resistant which is the reason why almost half of it produced is used to coat iron or steel in order to protect them from corrosion: in a process known as galvanization. When used to make alloys, zinc adds in this property to the mix and makes whatever hardwares is produced from the alloy to be corrosion resistant.
Zinc alloys have high stability, high workability as well as structural integrity, and because of that, they can support fine detailing on their surfaces and also afford to be formed into complex shapes. This makes it possible to have a wide variety of zinc cabinet hardware products in the market.
Zinc alloy is more economically priced compared to other materials used for hardware out there.
According to ongoing research, brass, which is an alloy of zinc, has germicidal and anti-microbial properties which means that microorganisms find it difficult to thrive on it/ surface because it kills them within a matter of hours.
Cons
Compared to materials like steel and copper, zinc is relatively weak, and might feel or look cheaper.
Brass vs stainless steel: which is best for kitchen hardware?
Brass
So brass, as we’ve already established, is an alloy of zinc. It is made by combining copper and zinc at different percentages to achieve different structures which have different properties.
Generally, brass is an enhancement of zinc in the following areas; the tensile strength, hardness and wear resistance.
Brass in itself can have alloys too, meaning that it can be combined with other metals to arrive at a new metal.
These brass alloys can have different properties that are suitable for different types of applications and some may not necessarily be suitable for making kitchen cabinet hardware.
Stainless Steel
So like brass, stainless steel is an alloy too, except this time, that of iron.
Stainless steel has the property of resisting corrosion due to the presence of chromium in it, and also has lustre from mill finishes that makes it highly suitable for premium applications like making cookware and cabinet hardware.
Which is best?
When it comes to choosing between zinc and stainless steel, we need to compare them both on different faces.
So the first area is maintenance. When it comes to maintenance, both are quite easy to maintain. All you need to do is wipe them clean with a dampened cloth and you’re good to go!
When it comes to durability and strength, both materials are actually very durable and strong, but stainless steel would take the upper hand here being an alloy of iron which is, in fact, stronger than zinc and copper. And also because it has chromium in it which is a very hard metal too.
For corrosion, it ends in a tie. Both are highly corrosion resistant!
When it comes to the finish options, stainless steel is very limited, even though somehow, it still offers a more premium finish and feel than zinc alloys.
Zinc alloys on the other hand, can be finished in a variety of ways, and due to their high workability, can be detailed easily.
And finally, cost, which is what we should use to tie everything together.
Zinc alloys, and products made from them are typically cheaper in comparison to materials like stainless steel, especially the high-grade stainless steel.
So it’s only evident that at this junction, stainless steel is the go to material for premium cabinet projects, whereas when you are on a budget or want to explore finishes a bit, zinc alloys are the option.
What materials are cabinet pulls made of?
Cabinet pulls you’ll find in the market are mostly made using any of these materials: brass (and its various alloys), copper, stainless steel, nickel, pewter and bronze. All these are metals or alloys of metals that have different characteristics and properties that allow them to be finished in certain ways.
What material is the best for kitchen hardware?
There really isn’t one material that is best for kitchen hardware. Different materials are meant for different projects and for different kitchen atmospheres.
It’s up to a buyer to sit in their head after examining their kitchen and exploring the variety of hardware out there, to analyse their budget, deliberate on their taste, cross links between the two and come up with the conclusion of what works best for them.
But let’s face it, any quality cabinet hardware no matter the metal it’s made of, will never disappoint.
What hardware finish is the most durable?
Arguably, the Physical Vapour Deposition Coating (PVD) is the most durable finish you can opt for.
The finish is durable because the coating materials are transferred directly onto an atom, which makes everything extremely “high performance”.
With PVD, you can have a wide array of finish colors from brushed nickel, to Nordic Rose Gold, Copper, Black, Iron, etc.
The finish is highly resistant to scratching, it doesn’t tarnish easily, doesn’t degrade with exposure to UV rays, doesn’t discolor, is abrasion resistant, is resistant to corrosion, and doesn’t wear easily from day to day touch.
On the flipside, you want to stay away from living finishes which basically oxidize or change color as they age.
Those in between the two are the polished finishes, the brushed finishes as well as satin finishes.
How do you choose a kitchen cabinet hardware finish?
The choice of kitchen hardware finish solely depends on your personal taste, really.
There are different ways that kitchen cabinet hardware is finished and what impresses customer A might not necessarily impress B.
Another thing you want to consider is the color palate and finish of your kitchen and kitchen cabinets respectively. Go for something that blends with the style of your kitchen; either modern or traditional, colorful or clean, shouty or minimalist etc.