Classic Brass

Founded in 1996 by J. Christopher Creighton, Classic Brass was the first new American manufacturer of handcrafted, traditional solid brass hardware to open in the United States since 1946. Chris's father had spent decades in the hardware business, and he passed down a single conviction: every door handle and cabinet pull in a fine home should be made the way fine hardware has always been made — from solid brass bars, by skilled hands, in America. Three decades later, Classic Brass is still family-owned and still operating out of its Chautauqua County workshop in Jamestown, New York.

Why It Matters in Your Home. Most "brass" hardware on the market today isn't actually brass at all — it's zinc or diecast pot metal with a brass-colored coating sprayed on top. It looks fine on day one; by year five, it's chipping, fading, and feeling cheap in your hand. Classic Brass hardware is solid brass through and through — heavier, more substantial, and built to last several lifetimes.

How It's Made. Each piece begins as a solid brass bar, then moves through a series of fine forgings, machine turnings, precision machining, and 12 unique hand-finishing steps. Classic Brass craftsmen have over 1,200 combined years of experience working in this single workshop. Hardware is finished to order — meaning your specific piece, in your specific finish, is built specifically for your project.

The Range. Door knobs, levers, entry sets, mortise locks, multi-point trim, pocket door hardware, cabinet knobs, cabinet pulls, appliance pulls, hinges, flush pulls, finials, and door stops — across more than 30 finishes including polished and satin brass, oil-rubbed bronze, polished nickel, weathered nickel, matte black, and Kensington. The new Florida Modernism door collection draws from mid-century coastal architecture, while the Reverie, Après, and Shore cabinet collections bring contemporary silhouettes to the line.