Lever Handles- they don't make 'em like they used to!

Having decorated our house from top to bottom, everyone decided it was time for a change with the door furniture.
The old cast brass georgian pattern handles had been on since I fitted them 20 years ago.

Plain bright chrome handles were the end winner from a well known DIY shop. They felt OK at the time of buying but once home realised each die-cast handle was actually the weight of a crisp packet and that I had been fooled by the more substantial overall weight which was actually the packaging.

Having begrudgingly binned all the old perfectly good brass handles (well we had to go for chrome even if it is 15 years after everyone else!) I begrudgingly fitted our shiny new replacements.

A week ago, after barely a year of light use, I find on one of them a plastic bush has already split out from behind the lever.
Attachment 20279

The old brass handles were still working great when they hit the bin, albeit a bit worn and slack, but they'd had 20 years of hard use including children growing up and their friends around etc.

Turns out these plastic bushings on these are wafer thin- about 0.5mm on the flange, so decided to make a few in brass to replace them. I now have the pleasure of waiting for all the others to randomly break at equally inconvenient times. They certainly don't make stuff like they used to.

Attachment 20280 Attachment 20281

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Huw Eastwood

Having decorated our house from top to bottom, everyone decided it was time for a change with the door furniture.
The old cast brass georgian pattern handles had been on since I fitted them 20 years ago.

Plain bright chrome handles were the end winner from a well known DIY shop. They felt OK at the time of buying but once home realised each die-cast handle was actually the weight of a crisp packet and that I had been fooled by the more substantial overall weight which was actually the packaging.

Having begrudgingly binned all the old perfectly good brass handles (well we had to go for chrome even if it is 15 years after everyone else!) I begrudgingly fitted our shiny new replacements.

A week ago, after barely a year of light use, I find on one of them a plastic bush has already split out from behind the lever.
Attachment 20279

The old brass handles were still working great when they hit the bin, albeit a bit worn and slack, but they'd had 20 years of hard use including children growing up and their friends around etc.

Turns out these plastic bushings on these are wafer thin- about 0.5mm on the flange, so decided to make a few in brass to replace them. I now have the pleasure of waiting for all the others to randomly break at equally inconvenient times. They certainly don't make stuff like they used to.

Attachment 20280 Attachment 20281

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I disagree!
30 years ago Indian levers were the most popular but they have now been largely edged out of the market by better European handles.
The exception is if you go to B&Q (or other similar places) and buy cheap rubbish off them.
The ones we sell go on for decades happily and are also better looking, better finished, better action and fit the spindle properly... for not a lot of money I think.
you are your own worst enemy if you buy stuff there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tom Gordon

I disagree!
30 years ago Indian levers were the most popular but they have now been largely edged out of the market by better European handles.
The exception is if you go to B&Q (or other similar places) and buy cheap rubbish off them.
The ones we sell go on for decades happily and are also better looking, better finished, better action and fit the spindle properly... for not a lot of money I think.
you are your own worst enemy if you buy stuff there.

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I have to agree completely with Tom, the DIY stores and particularly the one Tom mentioned have done a fabulous job of fooling most of the public with their advertising. If you want good products it is still better to go to the respective merchants for them.
A little while back I priced up a job for a friend, and B&Q's price was forty percent greater than the specialist, not only that the products were not of the standard one would hope for. Whereas the specialist sold quality and cheaper, it pays to think about these things.

Steve

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tom Gordon

I disagree!
30 years ago Indian levers were the most popular but they have now been largely edged out of the market by better European handles.
The exception is if you go to B&Q (or other similar places) and buy cheap rubbish off them.
The ones we sell go on for decades happily and are also better looking, better finished, better action and fit the spindle properly... for not a lot of money I think.
you are your own worst enemy if you buy stuff there.

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I completely agreed with Tom. Now european handles are getting famous day be day.