Personalisation Haq : “ Personalisation is kind of a buzz word now , but it ’ s something we ’ ve built into our business model right from the start . There is a real need to embrace the fact that Architectural Ironmongers ( AIs ) are generally looking for something different .”

Nil : “ CAD and CAM is developing fast , along with 3D printing . We have invested in new machines ( and will soon be receiving another ). Styles and fashions change , and it ’ s imperative that manufacturers are able to not only get on board with this , but actively direct the market and come up with new ways to develop products .”

Anthony : “ We have recently introduced a new slim sprung rose to allow AIs to have the same visual effect on their door as an unsprung rose , whilst simultaneously taking some of the load off the lock . We work alongside some great creative minds to turn an idea into working prototypes and then products , as well as developing our own commercial ranges .”

Quality Nil : “ What you see isn ’ t necessarily what you get . You can have two handles that look the same , but the techniques used aren ’ t quite the same , which means the handle is likely to fail fairly quickly . Obviously , there is always a balancing act between price and quality but over time this balances out rapidly . We ’ d love for everyone to buy from us of course , but there are plenty of British firms out there working hard to produce top-quality ironmongery and using techniques to protect the integrity of the steel , rather than over-working and weakening it .”

Anthony : “ Another thing that happens a lot when there is a compromise on the quality is that things don ’ t quite match up , like pillars and fitting centres . This totally wipes out any initial cost saving as the fitter has to spend time either levelling this back up , or replacing the product .”

Haq : “ There ’ s really only one solution to this … Every single item that comes out of our factory is hand inspected at every single stage , which

means around 10 inspections per piece . It can be time consuming , but it does mean that fitting issues just don ’ t tend to arise . There are thousands of cheap options , but when you take into account that 30 % of ongoing building maintenance costs can come from ironmongery [ GAI / AMA research ] then a 25yr guarantee like ours can suddenly mean a huge cost saving .”

Dying trades Haq : “ A number of the old traditional trades are dying off as machines have taken over . We ’ re losing a whole skillset just because machines can be faster . Note that I said faster , not better , because they don ’ t always equate to the same thing . It must be a blend of the two . For some items , a machine IS infinitely faster , but again it comes down to the hand checking after . Are there defects ? Are there any sections that just aren ’ t up to scratch ( pardon the pun !)? A machine will always think it ’ s done the job perfectly , but as humans we ’ re a bit humbler so tend to double check .”

Anthony : “ We ’ re big fans of hand-polishing ; it takes great skill , but the differences are notable and again , it adds those little touches that a machine can ’ t see . Our polishers have been in the trade for years and are helping to train up the next generation in our recently-expanded polishing shop . We believe it ’ s still important to see ironmongery as a craft , not just a process .”

Nil summarises “ Technology will continue to advance , and we must all advance with it , but a healthy respect for tradition must also play its part . By making the best use of both , we ’ ll be able to still see craft , innovation and creative work from the human hand , alongside the speed and functionality of machines . It ’ s an exciting time to be in manufacturing – and we ’ re looking forward to seeing more blending of past and future to create more amazing ironmongery .”

Visit www . instincthardware . co . uk to find out more , or to talk to Anthony , Haq or Nil , call 0121 459 2358 .