Nickel Door Knockers
Our nickel door knocker selection is hand finished to order in our own studio. Our in-house electro plating processes allow us to nickel plate the door knocker after the engraving has been done. This makes a superior nickel door knocker because the plating or lacquer is not damaged during the engraving process as in other manufacturers.
We produce 2 nickel finishes for our door knockers. The first being our Satin Nickel and the other being our Antique Nickel. Both finishes are finalized with a clear lacquer coating to protect the finished product.
satin nickel door knocker finish
This finish is sometimes called "Brushed Nickel". The surface of the castings natural brass gold tone is machine buffed smooth and hand polished. An abrasive media is used to dull the surface and create a horizontal grain to the surface.
The casting is then engraved. Following the engraving the casting is nickel plated to create the silver finish over the satin brass.
Because we engrave before we nickel plate our satin nickel door knockers our engraving shows up very well. This is not true with door knockers that are engraved after the plating process.
The actual engraving creates bright lines on the satin surface that creates excellent contrast. This is duplicated through the plating creating an easy to read personalization.
The final step is the application of clear gloss lacquer to protect and seal the finished product.
antique nickel door knocker finish
Sometimes called "Pewter" the surface of the casting's natural brass gold tone is machine buffed smooth and hand polished.
An abrasive media is used to dull the surface and create a horizontal grain to the surface. The casting is then engraved.
Following the engraving the nickel is electroplated to the door knocker. This then creates the silver finish over the satin brass. The plated nickel door knocker is then placed in an oxidizer bath to turn the surface almost black. The black oxidation is polished leaving a darkened satin finish with darkened highlights.
Most manufacturer's antique nickel door knocker finishes do not create adequate contrast for the engraving to be seen well. This is not true with ours because we engrave before we electro plate the nickel. The actual engraving creates bright lines on the antiqued satin surface. This creates excellent contrast for the engraving. This is duplicated through the nickel plating creating an easy to read personalization. As an added benefit the oxidation process actually darkens the engraving creating even more contrast.
Nickel electroplating is used on our antique nickel door knocker finish.
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