There is no written document of the history of door hardwares. But the fact remains that their history moved along the history of the door itself. History of the door and the history of the civilization moved together. When early men came out of the caves to live in the house, they must have realized to protect their homes from unwanted intruders and the hazards of the whether. This necessity led the discovery of the door. Subsequently different types of doors and door hardware came into existence. For example that around 1600B.C man began to use Hinges. Early Egyptian, Roman and Babylonian civilization were using hinges on a vast scale.
The major breakthrough in the manufacturing and design of door hardware came during the medieval period. This period saw the production of door hardwares like Door knockers, Door handles, Door knobs etc. The first metal that was probably used for making these door hardware was wrought iron. This was because wrought iron was inexpensive and after carvings they look beautiful. Moreover they were resistant to corrosion.

Door hardware of medieval period were carved with fanciful designs which is reflective of excellent craftsmenship. Door knockers for example carry both the mythological figures and the figures of an animal. The plain knocker of this period too were beautifully beaded.
Apart from wrought iron, several other materials were used for making door hardware. However the popular material that was used for making door hardware was brass. Door hardware of brass due to their shine, polished surface and resistant to corrosion are still used widely.

Even in the modern period these door hardware have maintained their relevancy. They are available in lot of designs, styles and materials and have infact reached to the point of perfection

Materials Used

There are different Materials that are used for making door hardware:

Iron Bronze Brass Aluminum

Wrought Iron Steel Stainless Steel

Manufacturing Process

There are different manufacturing process for making door hardware. Different types of door hardware are produced from various methods. The popular methods that used for making door hardware are:

Casting
Casting is a process in which the molten metal is poured into a mold with a cavity of the desired shape.

Forging
In this process the material is first heated and then they are forced into the dies of definite shape, under high pressure. As this process is economical and efficient they are preferred more.

Extrusion
Extrusion process is used for manufacturing long and straight metal parts. The shape of the cross-sections can be solid round, rectangular, to T shapes, L shapes and Tubes etc. Extrusion is done by squeezing the metal in a die by using a mechanical or hydraulic press.

Finishes On the Door Hardware

Once door hardware is manufactured, they are given finishing touch by various materials. The finishing touch provide these hardware not only beautiful appearance but also acts as protective coatings. Some of the popular finishes that are given to these hardware are:

Brass Porcelain Glass Satin Brass Plated Bright Brass Plated Satin Bronze Plated Gold Plated Silver Plated Oil Rubbed Bronze Plated

Satin Chrome Plated Primed for Painting Polished Chrome Polished Brass Satin Nickel Stainless Steel Bright Chrome Plated Satin Antique Nickel etc.