What is the difference between a hollow knob or pull and a solid knob or pull? Does it matter?

A solid knob or pull is a solid piece of metal. It feels heavy and rich. It won’t easily dent or crease. It’s harder to strip because there are threads down the whole depth of the product. A hollow knob or pull will be hollow inside or have a hollow back. It has less metal, so it’s less expensive to manufacture. Sometimes knobs and pulls have to be hollow because they have intricate designs that can only be made by pressing zinc sheet metal into a mold to get the intricate design imprinted, and then forming the product, rather than by pouring liquid metal into a mold. For most knob and pull designs, they can be made either solid or hollow, and solid holds up better. Top Knobs mainly makes solid knobs and pulls unless the design intricacies require a zinc formed hollow design, and even then we use a high-grade thicker zinc alloy.

Do Top Knobs products ship with screws, and will they fit my cabinets?

All Top Knobs products ship with screws. We ship two lengths of screws. One is 1 inch long and fits most cabinets and drawers. The other is 1¾ inches long for extra thick cabinets and drawers, with sections where the screw can be nipped to shorten the screw to size.

What is the warranty for Top Knobs products?

Top Knobs products have a Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and craftsmanship for the original purchaser.Click here for information on the Top Knobs Lifetime Warranty.

I’m replacing existing hardware and keeping my cabinets – will your products fit?

Top Knobs has the widest selection of knobs and pulls in the industry. We will have one that fits. Knobs are easy – it’s one hole. Pulls can get a bit more complicated because you need to match the center-to-center distance between the screw holes.

I want to do a “makeover” on my kitchen but I don’t want to spend a fortune. What are my options?

It’s amazing what a difference simply replacing the knobs and pulls will make. You won’t need to drill new holes and the kitchen will look much improved.

In addition, you might want to consider painting your cabinets, putting new cabinet doors on your cabinets, replacing your countertops, and replacing your sink.

Can I buy Top Knobs products from Home Depot or Lowes?

Top Knobs products are not available from large mass market retail chains. They sell only to professional kitchen and bath showrooms with designers on staff and their products on display. Such experts, like Annapolis Kitchen and Bath, are most successful in working with customers to find the perfect Top Knobs product for their home.

What is an Appliance Handle?

An appliance handle is typically used on a paneled refrigerator, freezer, trash compactor, or dishwasher where the front of the appliance looks like a cabinet face rather than an appliance. The Appliance Handle is used to open the appliance door. Top Knobs has the most extensive range of appliance handles. They come in a variety of styles and finishes. The choice of what appliance handle style to use is usually based on matching the knobs and pulls on the other cabinets and drawers.

What are the lengths of your Appliance Handles?

Appliance handles range in length from 6″ to 36″.

What screw lengths come with your Appliance Handles?

Appliance Handles ship with two screw lengths: 1 3⁄16 inch screws and 1¾ inch screws with sections where the screw can be nipped to shorten the screw to size.

How do I install an Appliance Handle?

It is best to refer to the manufacturer’s installation manual of your appliance. We recommend professional installation by a Top Knobs showroom dealer.

What is a back plate and when would I need or want to use one?

A back plate mounts between the knob and pull and the cabinet or drawer. It is bigger or longer than the knob or pull, so it creates a wider base, upon which the knob or pull is mounted. Back plates are often used just to be decorative. They often have an interesting design and matching finish that compliments well with the knob or pull, and gives the cabinet or drawer a whole different look. Back plates can also be used in a remodel to hide the mounting hole from a previous knob or pull used on the same cabinet or drawer. If the new pull is longer than the previous pull, the back plate would cover up the previous mounting holes, giving a clean new look to the cabinet or drawer.

What materials are used in your hardware?

Most of our knobs and pulls are solid brass. We also have knobs and pulls made from bronze, iron, steel, zinc alloy, granite, porcelain, stainless steel, etc. When you use the product search feature of this Top Knobs website you can search by type of base material if you wish. The product search results, regardless of search parameters used, always show you the base material of the product. This transparency is not typical in the cabinet hardware industry. Less expensive knobs often use less expensive materials, but sometimes higher priced knobs also made out of less expensive materials. With Top Knobs you always know the material you are buying.

What materials look best and hold up best over time?

The issue is often not the material used, but the thickness of the material and the quality of the finish applied to the material. Knobs and pulls made from solid bronze, solid brass, solid steel etc. are going to hold up better than hollow knobs and pulls. They will feel better in the user’s hand – a quality difference you can easily feel. They even sound better, strange as that may be, because they don’t have a hollow “tink” sound when hit with a ring or bracelet when being used. Hollow products are usually made of cast zinc. These products can be fine. Top Knobs has some cast zinc hollow products where the intricate design of the knob can only be created by using cast zinc. For such products we use a high-grade cast zinc alloy that is thicker, stronger, and long-lasting. Finish is just as important as the metal used. Your Top Knobs dealer can share their experiences with various manufacturers of knobs and how well their various finishes hold up. Top Knobs has a lifetime warranty against defects in materials and craftsmanship. Click here for information on the Top Knobs Lifetime Warranty.

Why shouldn’t I just buy less expensive hollow knobs and pulls?

Hollow knobs and pulls look pretty much the same as a solid one in a photo or mounted on a display board. So aren’t they going to be OK in your kitchen? Maybe. Some hollow products look great, but once you hold them in your hand you can tell the difference. Go buy a $3 knob at Home Depot,Lowes or Amazon, and then come visit the Annapolis Kitchen and Bath Showroom and feel the difference. Top Knobs has hollow knobs too when using cast zinc is the only way to achieve a particularly intricate design. Our hollow knobs use a higher grade zinc alloy and are heavier, thicker, and more durable. You can feel the difference with them as well. Hollow knobs can break over time. They usually use inferior metal and light duty finishes, neither of which will hold up well. And they feel different.

How do Top Knob prices for knobs and pulls compare to other manufacturers?

Top Knobs has grown to become the #1 brand of professionally installed cabinet hardware in North America. They did this by offering great quality at a good price. They are not the cheap product. That’s at Home Depot or Lowes, etc. Top Knobs offers a “middle-of-the-road” price. What is not middle-of-the-road is their quality. From solid cast knobs and pulls to multiple coats of finish sealer, hand-finishing, the widest range of collections and products, and a Lifetime Guarantee, Top Knobs products are highest quality at a value price.

Can I use different knobs and pulls in the same kitchen and have it look OK?

Absolutely! This is exactly the reason why Top Knobs products are organized into collections. Within a collection you can mix and match knobs and pulls of various shapes and designs and still get a unified style in your kitchen. For example, from the Aspen Collection you can use one Aspen pull design on cabinets, another Aspen pull design on drawers, use the same length or different lengths, use the same finish or a different finish, and still have a unified look and style in your kitchen.

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