Neal Clayton
07-14-2009, 4:42 PM
i've posted a few times, and seen others post as well, about buying hardware from a website called "house of antique hardware", which i believe is actually several websites under the same company.
i've used quite a few hinges, transom latches, and other such things from there without any complaints, but after seeing a couple of their door locks was pretty underwhelmed. the two mortise locks i got from them were quite flimsy, as were the door plates and strike plates and other such pieces. one of the strike plates didn't even have holes that lined up properly with the bolt and latch.
so i found another website called 'rejuvenation', and called them last week to order a door lock set, and found it much superior when i got it in today.
obvious differences...
1) the door plates are a solid 1/8 thick, unlike the others i've seen at hardware stores and HOAH which are 1/32 stamped pieces.
2) they include two different styles of strike plate, one 'old style' with a 1" protrusion where the latch hits, and another square one, for both there's a stamped brass liner to go inside the mortise on the frame.
3) the lock is heavy, seriously heavy. it even seems a bit sturdier than my 1908 originals. they did include the allen wrench and extended length socket required to take it apart, but i haven't disassembled it to reverse it yet. the visible gears from the outside are very solid looking, though, much more so than any other mortise lock of recent manufacture that i've seen.
4) they offer a thumb turn and matching plate for the inside, which i prefer, HOAH doesn't.
5) the only knock on the whole thing, is they sent me the wrong knobs. i was supposed to get glass knobs and got cast iron knobs instead. i'll have to exchange those.
here's a pic...
note: they appear to be in the middle of a website re-design, and the order i submitted from the site didn't work, got an error that suggested i call instead. on the upside, a live english speaking person did answer the phone and take the order, so until the website issues are sorted, if you inquire or order, i'd call them instead. said live english speaking person did know the answers to the basic questions i asked such as backset measurements on the various styles of locks they have which weren't clearly noted on the site, and whether or not all their locks were reversible.
i've used quite a few hinges, transom latches, and other such things from there without any complaints, but after seeing a couple of their door locks was pretty underwhelmed. the two mortise locks i got from them were quite flimsy, as were the door plates and strike plates and other such pieces. one of the strike plates didn't even have holes that lined up properly with the bolt and latch.
so i found another website called 'rejuvenation', and called them last week to order a door lock set, and found it much superior when i got it in today.
obvious differences...
1) the door plates are a solid 1/8 thick, unlike the others i've seen at hardware stores and HOAH which are 1/32 stamped pieces.
2) they include two different styles of strike plate, one 'old style' with a 1" protrusion where the latch hits, and another square one, for both there's a stamped brass liner to go inside the mortise on the frame.
3) the lock is heavy, seriously heavy. it even seems a bit sturdier than my 1908 originals. they did include the allen wrench and extended length socket required to take it apart, but i haven't disassembled it to reverse it yet. the visible gears from the outside are very solid looking, though, much more so than any other mortise lock of recent manufacture that i've seen.
4) they offer a thumb turn and matching plate for the inside, which i prefer, HOAH doesn't.
5) the only knock on the whole thing, is they sent me the wrong knobs. i was supposed to get glass knobs and got cast iron knobs instead. i'll have to exchange those.
here's a pic...
note: they appear to be in the middle of a website re-design, and the order i submitted from the site didn't work, got an error that suggested i call instead. on the upside, a live english speaking person did answer the phone and take the order, so until the website issues are sorted, if you inquire or order, i'd call them instead. said live english speaking person did know the answers to the basic questions i asked such as backset measurements on the various styles of locks they have which weren't clearly noted on the site, and whether or not all their locks were reversible.