Replacing cabinet handles looks simple until the new ones arrive and the holes do not line up. Almost every problem with vintage cabinet hardware comes down to two things: fixing centres and finish consistency. Both are easy to get right if you check before ordering.
Measure the fixing centres first
Fixing centres are the distance between the centres of the two screw holes — not the overall length of the handle, which is always greater.
Measure from the middle of one hole to the middle of the other. If the handle is still fitted, measure between the two bolt shanks where they enter the drawer front. Work in millimetres and be precise: a handle 3mm out will not sit down properly, and enlarging the holes in a period drawer front is not something you want to do twice.
For a swing or drop handle, the centres are the distance between the two backplate posts the bail hangs from.
Every product page lists its fixing centres. If you are matching a run of drawers, check they all share the same centres — on old furniture they often do not.
The three finishes
Old Brass
A warm, lightly antiqued gold with darker tone in the recesses where a century of polishing would have left it. The most versatile of the three — it sits comfortably against oak, walnut, mahogany and painted furniture alike. This is the bulk of our range.
Old Silver (VA)
A muted pewter grey rather than a bright chrome. It reads as aged rather than modern, which is why it works against grey, sage and off-white paintwork where polished chrome would look out of place.
Antique Copper
Deeper and redder than aged brass, with more contrast between the high points and the recesses. Strong against darker timbers and green or navy paint. Our smallest range — worth ordering everything you need in one go.
Matching an existing set
If you are replacing two handles out of ten, accept in advance that a perfect match is unlikely. Antiqued finishes are applied by hand and vary between batches, and your existing handles have aged in place for years on top of that.
Two honest approaches:
- Replace the visible run. Change a whole door or a whole bank of drawers rather than individual handles, so any difference falls at a natural break.
- Move the old ones. Put the existing handles where they are most visible and the new ones somewhere lower or less prominent. Within a year or two they will have converged.
Our finish collections — Old Brass, Old Silver and Antique Copper — exist precisely so you can see everything in one finish on a single page.
Handles or knobs?
The conventional arrangement is knobs on doors and pull handles on drawers, and it is conventional because it works — a drawer needs a two-finger pull to come out straight, while a door only needs a point to grip. Our knobs and handles share finishes, so mixing them across one piece of furniture looks intentional.
Fitting notes
- Handles come with fixing screws. Check the screw length against your drawer front — thin plywood backs and thick solid fronts both need attention.
- Drill undersized and open up gradually on old timber. Veneer and dry mahogany chip if you go straight in at final size.
- Back the drill out through a scrap block clamped behind, to stop breakout on the inside face.
- Do not overtighten. Vintage-pattern castings are decorative; a bolt cranked down hard can crack a backplate.
Where to start
Browse Cabinet Handles and Cabinet Knobs, or work by finish using the collections above. Each listing gives the model number — quote it if you need to order more later and want the same pattern.