How to Care For Hand Forged Door Furniture

How to Care for Hand-Forged Ironmongery

Traditional hand-forged door ironmongery is made from mild steel and will rust when exposed to the elements.

Most hand-forged door latches, T hinges and pull handles have a beeswax coating, which offers protection during storage. If you have not used hand-forged products before, you may be wondering how to remove the sticky layer and how to care for your door furniture once fitted.

Read on to learn more about hand-forged ironmongery, what to choose for internal and external doors, and how to care for your new door furniture.

Hand-forged Gothic latch in black beeswax

Black Beeswax Ironmongery

Our range of black hand-forged door furniture has a black passivate finish and a layer of natural beeswax.

Beeswax has been used as a natural protective finish for ironmongery for hundreds of years and helps prevent rust during storage. It can also be used for regular maintenance to keep hand-forged items in good condition.

Beeswax does not offer protection against rain or other weather conditions. Unless your hand-forged pieces have an external-grade coating, most hand-forged products are not suitable for exterior use.

What Is Passivation?

Passivation is a process used to help protect the surface of certain metals from rust. It renders the surface “passive” so that a protective layer, such as a metal oxide, can be applied.

Our black passivate finish adds a thin layer of protection and gives the traditional black colouring that is so popular on hand-forged ironmongery.

How to Care for Your Hand-Forged Black Ironmongery

Natural beeswax is sticky and can mark soft furnishings and wooden surfaces. For this reason, it is best to remove any excess beeswax before fitting your ironmongery.

How to Remove Excess Beeswax

Unbox your item and check that all parts are included.
Apply a light spray of a mild solvent, such as WD-40.
Use a soft natural fabric cloth to buff away any excess beeswax.
For ongoing maintenance, apply beeswax and buff with a soft cloth to help prevent rust spots where the black coating has been damaged.

Removing excess beeswax from forged ironmongery

Pewter Finish Ironmongery

If you are looking for something a little more contemporary or different, you may prefer door latches and hinges in a pewter finish.

This rustic alternative to traditional black is also a great choice for contemporary interiors. Pewter products have been lightly oiled and do not have a beeswax coating.

Before installation, we recommend wiping pewter-finished products with a soft cloth. The pewter finish has the benefit of requiring very little ongoing maintenance, although hinges may benefit from occasional treatment with light oil on the moving parts.

Pewter T hinge and pewter Suffolk latch

Hand-Forged Ironmongery for Exterior Use

Due to the risk of rust and weather damage, hand-forged ironmongery should only be used externally if it has been treated with a specialist UV and rust-resistant coating.

Hand-forged ironmongery with Armor-Coat® offers strong protection for outdoor use. Independent testing has awarded the Armor-Coat® finish BS EN 1670:2007 Grade 5, the highest anti-corrosion level for steel-based hardware in the industry.

Armor-Coat® hand-forged ironmongery requires little ongoing maintenance, and the coating is hard-wearing. However, if the coating becomes chipped or damaged, rust spots may appear.

If this happens, treat the rust spot with a cotton cloth soaked in oil, remove any loose rust, and apply a matt black metal paint such as Hammerite.

For more information about hand-forged products suitable for outdoor use, including accreditation for Accoya® wood, browse our outdoor hand-forged ironmongery collection.

External grade door furniture