A full year since I wrote the first installment of The Source and, oh dear, the actual section of this site meant to house all these resources still begins with the equivalent of “please excuse our dust.”
But! I am reinvigorated. Last week, I put up a little poll asking what paid subscribers (or paid-curious) feel would add more value to their subscription and a fully-formed The Source section was one of the winners. (The other was “Book Club,” which I have to say is very fun of you. More on that soon, too.)
Here’s how I think this will work: The posts (like this one which I swear is about to start) will go out in-real-time to everyone. The Source *section* will live behind a paywall. And then after a certain amount of time to be determined, these posts will also slip behind the wall as well.
Today, we talk brass. Unlacquered. My mother-in-law talks about linen as having “million dollar wrinkles,” meaning linen clothes can be expensive and despite this, you might still look like a mess. Unlacquered brass is sort of the rumpled linen of metal fastenings. I, who prefer the disheveled in almost all categories, love it.
When we talk about ‘unlacquered brass,’ we’re referring to brass hardware that, simply put, has no protective coating applied. The brass is left “living” or raw, and therefore will develop a patina over time. How quickly it will patina and what that will look like depends on location, use, and the particular alloy used by the manufacturer (brass is made of a combination of zinc and copper). Things like skin oils, exposure to water, and varying humidity levels will also have an effect.
Our kitchen sink faucet stopped working (didn’t know that was an option, but hey) and “we” (me) decided to replace it with an unlacquered product. When it first arrived, I was embarrassed by the shiny, glinty brass. I made nervous jokes about Donald Trump’s gold toilet… Well here’s what it looks like these days (thank goodness):
So we’re fine. We’re not-too-shiny; we’ve got a patina. All is well.
A note, here, because many people *do* polish their unlacquered brass. I am of the camp that says, “why?” But for those who like patina but not too-too much, just know, this can be done.
Unlacquered brass is great and all, but why is it so expensive? One might ask themselves once they dip a toe into this pool. Start perusing hardware sites and you’ll see that a lack-of-lacquer usually adds a several-hundreds-of-dollars additional charge. Why?
From my investigative work on this subject (also called attempts to find better deals?), I have two conclusions. For one, solid brass is expensive. That’s it. If you’re buying unlacquered brass, it’s not a thin coat harboring stainless underneath. Sold brass is solidly pricey. The second reason, I believe, is that the majority of companies that even think about producing products using solid brass—lacquered or otherwise—are quite high end. So you’re already swimming around in a certain price-point just by wanting this look. (More on this below.) That said, solid brass is meant to last a lifetime, making cost-per-use likely low overall.
To wit, the sourcing part of this post. First, some of the as-mentioned, higher-end companies producing pretty unlacquered brass hardware and faucets. After that, my fun source that is friendlier on the budget.
Baldwin: baldwinhardware.com
deVOL: devolkitchens.com
Emtek: emtek.com
House of Rohl (Includes Perrin and Rowe): houseofrohl.com
Kallista: kallista.com
Lowe (my neighbor!!): lowe-hardware.com
Newport Brass: newportbrass.com
Rejuvenation: rejuvenation.com
Schaub: schaubandcompany.com
Studio ORE: studio-ore.com
Watermark Designs: watermark-designs.com
Waterstone: waterstoneco.com
Waterworks: waterworks.com
Vesta: vestafinehardware.com
My Source: Our house came with a modest outdoor shower when we bought it. By modest I mean shower head and handle; no enclosure. So maybe, immodest after all. Regardless, we barely used it. Last summer, we hired our neighbor to enclose the shower and I started searching around for new outdoor shower hardware. As you might imagine, the more brass involved in your fixture, the more money starts being asked. Then, I found my new friend-in-brass Khalid at Metal Works Morocco, a Marrakesh-based seller on Etsy.1 The price point is great, and you can customize your shower head and handle preferences. Plus, when I discovered earlier this spring that we had not properly drained the water from the fixture and ice had cracked one of the hex nuts, Khalid sent a few spare ones. 10/10 for Metal Works Morocco.
For reference, here is the listing for the fixture I went with.
My last, parting, and especially time sensitive hot tip: Quality Bath looks like a faceless online store, but is, in fact, a family business that takes a Passover break every year. When they are on their break, they offer a significant discount so as to retain your business. If you are in the market, keep an eye out as I would imagine that deal should go up pretty soon.
Have a brass resource that I haven’t listed?? Please, share with the group by adding a comment. 🧡
A dome home!! But, it’s in Montauk? (LINK)
Old timey human-sized hamster wheel? (LINK)
Not sure about the price here, but this sure looks like a nice place to sit and read the Tavi book. (LINK)
VERY GOOD WINDOWS. (LINK)
Etsy is full of unlacquered brass from Morocco, tbh, but I am feeling especially loyal to this particular outfit.