Door handles are most definitely not what they used to be!  Once upon a time, our doors were kept shut by simple wooden bars and the most common door handle was a loop of coarse rope.  Eventually, door mechanisms were built that used glass or iron knobs to operate.  Now days though, you can find designer handles and door knobs that are made of all sorts of materials including alloyed metals such as stainless steel and bronze.

Bronze handles and stainless steel door handles share some important characteristics.  Both are easy to maintain – no polishing paste required, simply wipe them down with a soft dry cloth and all of the dust and debris magically disappears.  Both are also strong and sturdy – neither requires any lubricant to keep working smoothly and both are incredibly resistant to dents and scratches.

Of course, there are noticeable differences between bronze handles and stainless steel door handles too.  These differences are primarily because the two materials are made of different things.  Stainless steel is an iron alloy and its original color when finished is usually gray.  Bronze, on the other hand, is primarily a copper alloy which gives it a golden or coppery color when it is finished.  Stainless steel door handles are often painted or dyed black or white or left gray but highly polished.  People prefer to leave bronze handles in their coppery color rather than painting it or dying it some other color.  Even though bronze is every bit as strong as stainless steel, it is also easier to work with because the metals in the alloy are somewhat softer and more malleable than the metals that go into stainless steel.  Other than that, there are no major differences between the two metals – both are strong and high quality and will serve you well.

Either way you decide to go, the right designer handles for your doors can make a tremendous difference in the appearance of your home as well as the message your home will send to passers by on the street.