In The News
Liberty Hardware, a major knob and pull producer, made it into the New York Times a few days ago. Short, to the point, and with a good hook, the story was most likely just a reprint of its own press release. But that’s the way the news machine works.
The gist of the piece was this: Despite being big, Liberty supports small artisans with the limited edition HomeGrown Hardware line. Citing Etsy and the buy local movement as inspiration, Liberty’s go-small line is available, ironically, at select big box Home Depots.
I just kind of shook my head at that one knowing Horton Brasses has an ongoing history supporting skilled artisans. For Horton Brasses, it’s not a marketing gimmick. Rather, a commitment to quality, personalization, and tradition forges the relationship between small business and independent blacksmiths. (Sorry, I could not avoid the chance to make an iron smithing pun.)
If you’ve skimmed the Horton Brasses blog, surely you’ve come across Molly and George’s posts on blacksmithing. Darryl Chernikovich is another metal worker hammering it out for Horton Brasses. He even has an Etsy shop! I doubt Orion would even think to send out a press release advertising any of this. After all, it’s not news. It’s just how Horton Brasses does business.
Horton Brasses Oval Ring Pull (OP-1) in dark antique.
Handmade. Local. Small.
For Horton Brasses, those words mean more than trying to capitalize off of the latest and hottest trends. Instead, they are synonymous with ironwork. How else can you make hand forged knobs and pulls? There really is no other way. Horton Brasses blacksmiths are real people! And they’ve been working for Horton Brasses long before it was cool to quit your day job and start a chicken farm in Brooklyn. These folks are the real McCoy and they know their craft inside and out.
It’s funny that the big guys are trying to re-brand themselves alongside the smaller fries. But you know what they say: imitation is the greatest form of flattery.
2012 Up & Coming Kitchen Trends
Be on trend and check out the complete line of handmade iron hardware by Horton Brasses artisans! Let’s face it–people’s desire to reconnect with small businesses and receive personalized customer service is not on the wane in 2012. Know that when you buy from Horton Brasses, you are not an order number associated with an email address. They really do keep tabs on each and every order. From the manufacturing side of things all the way down to the shipping, real people are making it happen.
Looking for ring pulls similar to the ones shown in the New York Times article? Horton Brasses has the regular kind and even ovals!
Horton Brasses, Inc. 
Dear Horton Brasses-
I feel embarrassed for you to have written this.
Coming from someone who knows one of the skilled artisans involved in the Liberty Hardware/Home Depot program, I can tell you just how ignorant you are. You really have no clue about who these artisans are, where they have come from, the struggles they have been through, and the intense passion that consumes them for their trade.
What is so wrong with a passionate few finally getting the recognition that they deserve, even if it is from a “big box” retailer? I say FINALLY, we are getting something in these retail locations that is quality and that is worth a damn instead of the mass-produced garbage that has been lining their shelves for years.
What a wonderful program this is, and shame on you for not recognizing that the marketing power of such a large corporation is being used to better educate the people on quality products made from extremely talented artists. I assure you “real people” are making this happen just as in your business. Working their asses off everyday, putting care and passion and personalization into each and every thing that they create.
Maybe you should try doing some research before you make such allegations concerning these people who you don’t believe are “the real McCoy”. You really just don’t have a clue.
Sincerely,
Deeply Disturbed by this blog
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Hi, Deva here. I’m the author of this post.
I have to say, it was not my intention to insult the artisans that are involved with Liberty. As a blogger for Horton Brasses (I work freelance), I chose to write a piece about the Liberty article to show that Horton Brasses is basically doing the same thing as the “big guys” but that that doesn’t make it into the news.
I do not feel that I was trying to pass judgement on individual craftsmen, who I have great respect and admiration for. Rather, my commentary was geared more towards the fact that yeah, for Liberty it is a marketing tool. For most of us trying to make it in capitalism, marketing is where it is at.
Personally, I have nothing against big business. I live in a small town and I do most of my shopping at big box stores. And I have friends that work at the local Lowe’s. And I am glad the Lowe’s is there to provide jobs for my town. I even bought my cabinets from Lowe’s because that’s what fit my budget.
I can tell you care deeply for your friend whom you reference in your comment. It was not my intention to have this post taken to be insulting to individual artisans. I offer my apologies and thank you for taking the time to read and comment on this post.
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Let me just make this clear-the purpose of this blog is to promote Horton Brasses and talk hardware-technical, style, and production. There were no “allegations” made, heck this is free publicity for one of our competitors.
Our point is simple-the big companies are getting in on what we have done for decades. If a crafts person can make a profit doing work for big retailers then more power to them. I wish them nothing but the best.
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The fact that you state that Horton Brasses Inc supports local and small artisans, you would hope they would be behind Liberty Hardware because they are making an effort to bring up artisans into a marketplace where it is overwhelmed with mass machine produced products. I am truly disturbed that your article would attack a company that is helping market and promote its artisans. As your rebuttal blog to Danielle Walsh states you are only trying to bring to light that “Horton Brasses is basically doing the same thing as the “big guys” but doesn’t make it to the news” your intentions are clear, with this blog the only initiation of Horton Brasses Inc is to make into the news. Perhaps your blog would have worked better if you recognized the Liberty Hardware and The New York Times for bringing some media coverage to this trade as a whole, instead of trying to beat up on your competitor.
Liberty Hardware’s artisans make every piece of their product with passion and love for the trade. They are not some machine shop stamping out prefabricated products from molds- instead these artists spend hours upon hour’s hand crafting every piece they distribute. How about you take the time to recognize the artisans and a company that was able to help bring them to the market place for Americans across the country to access instead of trying to claim they are some big company trying to monopolize a up and coming trend- perhaps Horton Brasses should spend more time in branding its company and helping its artisans instead of criticizing another company that is trying make it.
Mary Murdock
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Let me start with I do not think you were insulting the artisans in your blog.
One of the artisans involved in this project is the son of a very dear friend of mine. I have been following his work online and I am so very proud of his work, I pass on the information regarding his work to everyone.
I pray this is a success for him so many reasons, here are a few: for him as an individual artist, for his family and for the community where he lives.
– as an artist – simply how wonderful to succeed in a
near dying craft/trade.
– family – so he can support them doing what he loves
and not stuck in the cube square of corp America
– for the community – if he is successful, his community
will benefit by putting people to work.
We live in a society of Big Box like it or not.
I have spent the better part of my life standing up against Big Box mostly due to their anti-union stand and because of the MASS produced items from whatever Country will give them the cheapest child/slave labor. A few months ago I was on a mission to buy a new bedroom set and it had to be built in America. I found ONE and it was offered in a few colors. The USA made set was actually cheaper than one made in Vietnam.
After everything started falling apart in our economy, people started to pay closer attention to Made in America, they are asking for it, looking for it and I hope and pray it continues. It proves Big Box is at least paying a little bit of attention to what people want. As consumers we need to express our wants and needs. When I purchased that bedroom set, I sent a letter to the store telling them why I had purchsed that set – It was made in America.
It would be wonderful if everyone that purchases the work of the artisans we have been talking about sent a letter to the Big Box Store. Telling them – I bought this because of who and where it is made vs mass produced overseas, it will get their attention. Today it is so easy to send a note or letter via e-mail.
My final comment – I love it that the “the little guys/gals” or making dent in the armor of Big Box.
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I have much respect for the workmanship you put into everything! I love your blog, I wish i could o metal work as well as you! Please keep the photos coming 🙂
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