Modern cabinet hardware: Good, bad, or fine?
Soft close and other features of modern hardware are really convenient. But do they belong on 'fine' furniture?
Aug 18, 2020
As a professional cabinet maker, I have welcomed much of the modern hardware that has been developed over the last few decades. It has made building fine quality cabinetry more efficient and more functional. I have been using the same models of hinges and drawer slides for many years. I have memorized the part numbers and installing them is a walk in the park. That’s the left side of my brain, which is my cabinet maker side; however the right side, or furniture maker side, says this type of hardware has no place in fine furniture making.
Blum drawer slide and the orange lock that holds the drawer to the slide.
While I totally agree that a drawer with hand-cut dovetails that slides perfectly home with a piston fit is a thing of beauty, it is not as convenient as one with a full-extension drawer slide with soft close. A drawer equipped with these modern slides can have 50 lb. in it and still be opened with one finger and bumped closed with a hip. And it won’t slam.
These are my go-to slides, Blum 562H. Full-extension, under-mount, soft-close slides with a 75-lb. capacity.
Well-installed knife hinges are almost like magic. They have a clean appearance and are truly the mark of a fine craftsman. Yet a concealed cabinet hinge has that soft close feature (again) and is adjustable should wood movement become an issue. They also clip on and off easily for delivery or repair.
Blum Inserta hinges. The one in the background is for inset applications, the foreground is for overlay applications.
I would never suggest that using these types of hardware makes for a finer piece of furniture, however in a piece of furniture like a chest of drawers, they sure are convenient. So my question for you is this: Are pieces of furniture made with modern hardware considered fine furniture?
The soft-close function is built right into the hinge cup and can be turned on and off with the little switch I’m pointing to.
My take is that I would never use modern cabinet hardware when building my best work, even if it meant the piece would not function as well. For everything else, I would. What are your thoughts?
The hinges clip on and off the base plates easily.
I am getting ready to build a chest of drawers for my wife and myself. I’m leaning toward using under-mount slides because it’s a piece that will get used daily and needs to be easy to use. But there is a part of me that would really love the extra touch of class that would come with hand-fitted drawers on wooden runners.
These hinges open 110°, but limiter clips can be installed to limit travel to just 86°. Perfect for cabinets up against a wall.
A quick note about Blum. I’m not a spokesperson for Blum; I just happen to like their hardware. More importantly, I’m used to it. Learning and understanding these systems takes some time. If you’re going to dive in, plan on reading through a catalog or two. After having learned and understood the Blum system, I have stuck with it. There are plenty of other hardware manufacturers who make great stuff. Look around and pick one.
Here is a video link to a piece of furniture I made a while back where I used modern hardware.
Here is a video link to a cabinet I made without modern hardware.
 |
|
 |
|
 |
Comments
I had recently gone through this thought process. I built a Shaker-inspired sideboard for the kitchen. It has 6 drawers, 3 smaller and 3 larger.
I built the 3 smaller drawers as I would for "fine" furniture. Hand cut dovetails with tiny pins, drawer slips and beveled pine bottom.
The 3 larger drawers, being in a kitchen, would get frequent use while cooking and baking. I went with the Blum undermount slides mentioned above. The drawers work with barely a touch, and smooth as silk. Those 3 drawers still have Hand cut dovetails, but with a very utilitarian layout. And plywood bottoms.
"Fine" is a relative term. Utility is an important factor in whatever we design and build.
The author asks us about his comment that:
"My take is that I would never use modern cabinet hardware when building my best work, even if it meant the piece would not function as well. For everything else, I would. What are your thoughts"?
The logic of this statement is that he often doesn't do his "best work". Every cabinet to which he fits a Blum part is less than his best.
I doubt he really means this. So what does he mean?
Perhaps that metal hinges and slides are not made by the craftsman himself; and are standardised machine-made parts rather than hand-made. Perhaps also that their style clashes with many traditional styles, adding an element that has modern factory-made design elements to designs that are craft-like (individually made with less uniformity, to an older tradition).
Taxonomies and schemas that have various arbitrary and often vague classifications like "fine woodwork" will always throw up these essentially non-issues. Personally I now try to ignore hoary old classification schemes of every kind if they lack utility or fail to act as an undistorted reflection of the real.
So much human angst and tribal warring is generated by these adamantine old notions of where things lie in some cock-eyed hierarchical classification of things ... some contending pigeonhole schemes that condemn a thing to the bad-hole over here but puts it in the praise-hole over there.
Things are what they are; we like them or we don't, no matter what the label on them might say.
Personally I like metal sliders in the kitchen cabinets but wouldn't put them in my Cotswold A&C hayrake table drawers. You may feel differently. In any case, I have no inclination to build a wall between us just because you are a Blum-in-the-hayrake fellow. You may even call your Blummer "fine" with no gasp of horror & incredulity from moi!
Lataxe
Great blog post Mike. I have often wondered the same thing and generally fall on the side of “they don’t belong in fine woodworking pieces”. However, I certainly understand how Blum drawer slides would be an excellent choice for a often used piece like a chest of drawers. I say do what you want and don’t worry what others think. I’ve seen your work (both cabinetry and fine woodworking pieces) and they are all beautiful. I am just wrapping up some built-in cabinets on either side of my fireplace mantle and am mixing finewoodworking and traditional cabinetry Techniques. The drawers are built with hand-cut dovetails Hung on Blum soft close undermount hardware and doors are full inset hung with precision butt hinges. I like the illusion of fine furniture in utilitarian cabinetry, especially in the oft used center of the home.
Are you going to regret that your drawers are more difficult to open every day?
Those slides spark a lot of joy when you open them.
I use the under mount Blum drawer slides occasionally on my fine furniture. They are not seen and therefore don't detract from dovetailed drawers. The euro style hinges on the other hand are an eyesore when the doors are opened, so I will never use them on my fine furniture.
I’m a big fan of Blum hardware. I think the decision to use it comes down to use. For the liquor cabinet, hand made to the last bit makes sense. It’s not a thing you’re digging into when rushed (I hope) — it’s something to slow down with an appreciate. Much like the whisky I expect to find within. But grabbing a pair of knickers? Soft close under-mounts all the way.
Thanks for this Mike. I have used metal hardware on dressers and lowboys, and other fine furnishings for my own home. I do this because I like the convenience of heavy duty, long lasting, over-travel slides. I have done some wooden full extensions for folks but, they just don't do much for me beyond the initial wow factor. Customers get the more traditional construction they are asking/paying for.
Although I have been at this awhile my experience with modern metal hardware is confused at best. I applaud the many options for the professional kitchen and bath guys out there but, for someone who makes only a few pieces a year I feel a bit thick on this subject.
The Blum slides you mention look to do all I would want when I want that sort of thing. For me this has cleared away a lot of the fog that I am sure exists purely from my lack of experience with slide hardware as a product.
Again, my thanks.
I was at a Shaker Village craft fair in Ohio last year. There was an occasional vendor with interesting hand made piece I would consider fine furniture but most of the vendors were selling ho hum crafts, painted nicknacks and the like. But one furniture maker caught my eye as he had a beautiful highboy displayed out front. It was an exquisite piece to which I was immediately drawn, beautiful matching drawers and carvings that were definitely done by an experienced hand. I walked up to it and asked if it were okay to touch. The finish was smooth and warm to touch, when I pulled open one of the drawers I felt the unmistakeable feel of ball bearing rollers of metal drawer slides. I have to admit my heart sank, how could someone who could build such a fine piece finish it with kitchen cabinet hardware. Call me a snob but Euoro hinges and metal drawer slides on fine furniture, no thanks
I read your article, then started to watch the videos you attached, and it immediately hit me that you were cutting and shaping pieces on some very expensive and impressive modern machine tools. If you want to be such a true traditional craftsman on your 'finest pieces', why aren't you cutting and planing them by hand. Why is it okay to use modern technology in the shop, but not on the finished piece?
I'm not saying that you should cut everything by hand, I'm just trying to point out that this attitude is a double standard. Personally, I don't have any objection either way on the kind of hardware that someone chooses to use on their pieces. If it works for the builder and the user, then so what? But claiming to be a traditional purist because you refused to use drawer sliders on the piece that was entirely cut on a CNC router bed, is just silly.
Reminds me of the FWW magazine 'Solid wood vs. Plywood' debate some years ago. A few purists of that particular era of FWW were quite adamant that plywood deserved no standing in a publication that devoted itself to excellence in woodworking. Plywood now is so ubiquitous I doubt anyone's appalled if they see it on these pages. Of course in those days there were some who took their turn on the fainting couch when FWW introduced color photography eventually phasing out the B&W photos. So there's that.
I've had the same discussion with myself many a time but rarely do now...unless directed otherwise, if it helps me make a better functioning product for the customer, I'm all in. If the customer wants hand cut dovetails, hand cut it shall be. Wants visible dovetails but doesn't sweat over how it's made? I'll bring out the Leigh.
I don't see why drawer hardware should be an exception. Besides, you've already made concessions by using modern equipment to make the piece initially, so not to be too harsh, but it's a little late in the day to be tugging at your forelocks in existential angst.
Would craftsmen of yore use Blum hardware if it was available to them in their particular era? Of course they would! For the same reason they'd trip over themselves in their rush to get a 12" Delta planer if the opportunity and technology presented itself.
They didn't toil for hours thicknessing boards by hand because they enjoyed the labor intensive experience of it all, no, they did it because it was the only way. Well, now there's a better way for drawer installation...if it stands the test of time, it's good.
It is what it is. Woodworking is supposed to be enjoyable and life's too short to be beating yourself up over the Modernity vs. Tradition argument.
Mike, you're crazy if you don't go with the self closer on your chest!
My only hesitation using modern sliders is their functional life. Do the Blums breakdown over time? My fine furniture wants to be essentially care free.
I guess my question is, how could it be your best work if you're not using the best quality material? Isn't "Fine Furniture", furniture that is built with the best material, highest quality craftsmanship and designed for the most pleasing appearance? I wouldn't like the look of Euro Hinges on an Arts and Crafts piece but on modern furniture I have no problem. I don't see any reason not to use undermount drawer glides on anything that is not a reproduction piece.
Grandchildren reminded me how nice it is to have a drawer that will pull all the way out and not dump all over the floor. Full suspension drawers are the way to go.
Today's Mercedes have electric lights instead of oil but it's still a fine car.
I had that same discussion with myself when I built a bathroom vanity. It looks like “fine furniture” from the front...but it’s in a bathroom. So I decided to use plywood for the sides, back and floor, and Blum slides. I figured with the damp environment, I’d want the adjustability. And odds are good the next owner will rip it out anyway. But for the bedroom dresser on my build list, I’ll use traditional materials and slides. That build might outlast me.
I've been a cabinetmaker for 20 years and don't hesitate to use the Blum's on all of my new cabinet projects. They are one of the few BHMA certified slides with cycle tests (forget exactly, but think 100,000 open/close). While expensive you just can't get a better drawer action. Unfortunately, there are dozens of generics out there that are ruining perceptions on these slides. Some are extremely hard to open and I've been in homes where drawers stick out 1-2" when the closing mechanisms fail. Thanks for sharing!
The first time I attempted this was when building a new dresser for my granddaughter. Being a grandpa, I was concerned about her catching her fingers in the drawer. I opted for undermount soft close drawer glides. Since the drawer faces were inset and it is a face frame carcass I had to make some small changes to my design to insure they fit and work as they should. Since then, that is all I use. I agree with the author and have not been able to bring myself to use cup hinges. I also have found that Blum is not the gold standard and only hardware worth using. There are numerous great brands out there, I like KV, but there is Salice and others that are every bit as good as Blum.
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Sign up Log in