Vintage Metals

We distinguish between the two large sizes of strap hinges by classifying barn door hinges as slightly smaller than cellar door hinges.

Strap Hinges

This is an example of our cellar door hinges which is made of 10 x 100 x 1150 mm flat bar with a 20 mm dia pintle. The customer may choose from the various finial designs we have available. Time spent on good planning in advance will save a lot of problems during installation. Our advice is free and can only add to the successful outcome of the job.

Francois van Zyl

We distinguish between the two large sizes of strap hinges by classifying barn door hinges as slightly smaller than cellar door hinges.

Strap Hinges

Here is an example of our barn door hinges which is made of 8 x 80 x 900mm flat bar with a 16 mm dia pintle. The customer may choose from the various finial designs we have available. There are other add-on items like an inside decorative plate, cup square bolts and quatrefoil nuts.

Additional fittings such as catches, hooks or tiebacks and sliding bolts may also be required. One should do your homework well before ordering such hinges. Information such as door size, weight and opening angle is very important, so a well drawn sketch will save the day.

Francois van Zyl

In the Western Cape there are many Cape Dutch and Victorian homes and I seldom find the hardware exactly the same. Only the Victorian homes show some similarity in hardware like locks and hinges that were made in big factories during the time of the Industrial Revolution. Handles and escutcheon plates on the front doors of Cape Dutch homes especially, were one of the most important features of the house. The pictures  below show  replicas I made for some of these farmsteads.

Handle + rose	Handle with escutcheon plate
Joostendrift	Bergvliet lounge

Francois van Zyl

This key was made for a lock on the main door of a French armoire. The client, a well-known antique dealer, needed a key looking as authentic as possible. We had no idea what the original key looked like, so I based the design on the engravings on the lock’s cover plate.

Antique brass key

Francois van Zyl

Cape Dutch  rimlock

Rimlock set

This is a mortice lock fitted to a stinkwood casing and a brass coverplate to act as a rimlock on a front door of a Cape Dutch farmstead. The escutcheon plate and handle is fitted on the outside. The keys for this lock needs to be lengthened seening that the keys were made for a mortice lock.

Victorian lock

Brass rimlock

This lock was entirely manufactured by hand for a client who wanted a specific design with Victorian looks.

Francois van Zyl

Antique locks

 Over the years I have restored a large number of asntique locks from various manufacturers. Today I am sorry that I did not document them well enough because it will be helpful to have a reference and interesting to see the different makes, shapes and sizes. In South Africa you will find, apart from the sought-after Carpenter locks, names like H+T Vaughn, John Wayne and Union. Always look out for the brass medallion with the maker’s mark on the lock.

Francois van Zyl

Restored locks – Cape Town, South Africa

Before

 This is what most locks that I receive for restoration look like on the inside – a sight for sore eyes indeed!

After

 “Yes I feel better now”, says the lock. I probably will see your great-grandchildren in a hundred years.

Restored goods

 Restored hinges and locks with custom-made keys, custom-made handles and escutcheon plates, with screws, are the average package required for door furniture.

The lock on the top left is more or less a hundred and sixty years old and still working, and will keep on working as long.

Francois van Zyl

Since we started our business custom-made door handles have always been in demand. There was a stage where we considered having our most popular shape  cast at a foundry. We soon found that it was a very costly exercise. Apart from that, most customers want to decide not only on the shape, but also the size. The finishing of handles will depend on the theme and style of the house. We prepare the handles in various finishes such as polished (Top), brushed, sandblasted, hammered (Bottom right) and then finished in nickel, antique nickel, satin nickel (Bottom left), brass and copper plating. Below is some of our work of the past years.

Escutcheon+handle	Handle
Satin Nickel	Hammered steel

All the above handles are hand-sculptured. During the past seven years we have developed skills to manage more intricate designs in less time.

Francois van Zyl

Authentic Victorian hardware in good condition is very rare and many people in South Africa do not know the real value of that painted blob behind their doors and windows. Restoration of especially locks is one of our biggest departments and in our business a well-looked after lock is seldom found. Below is a restored Carpenter Tildesley lock with a handmade key and handle. On the right is a replica we made of a Victorian escutcheon which accommodates a modern cylinder lock and a ladle handle of our own design.

Old Carpenter Tildesley lock

Escutcheon + Handle

Among the reasons why many pieces of Victorian hardware are found on Cape Dutch Houses, is the fact that many formerly Victorianised houses were later restored back to the original Cape Dutch style.

Francois van Zyl

Lighting is a recent addition to our business and although the market is flooded with different designs and materials, it is still very good business. We prefer not to get on the same bandwagon and only concentrate on custom-made lamps for customers with specific requirements. We also recently added the restoration of the traditional oil lamp which has its own problems because of all the different shapes, makes and sizes. The lamps below (left) were made for an entrance to a replica of Groote Schuur, built by a private client, and are one of our own designs. The lamp on the right was made for the entrance to the Bergvliet Manor House.

Wall mounted lanterns

Wall mounted lantern

The increase in demand makes lighting a substantial part of our business and it seems it will remain so for years to come.

Francois van Zyl