Project Description

This Door knob Coat rack is a hand-crafted one-of-a-kind piece made from materials with an interesting back-story.

The door knobs we’ve used in this piece were first seen in the early 1800s. We know that that they were original to the Cambridge, MA home that we got them from. The metal shanks are made of cast iron, and the base of the knobs are made of brushed brass. They’re known as “mineral knobs”, which are natural glacial clay that have a “Albany slip” glaze or a clear glaze composed of feldspar and flint.

The wood used in this piece is among the hardest and most stiff of the woods in the world. It’s called Purpleheart Wood. And it’s simply beautiful. Truth be told, we’ve actually fallen for this wood, and plan to use it more frequently in the future! So, why are we hooked?

Aside from general appearance and feel, the flowering trees (called Peltogyne, known as Purpleheart or Amaranth) are native to the rain forests of Brazil, Guyana, and Suriname.

This beautiful wood is commonly used in cabinetry, flooring, furniture, and for guitar and musical instrument inlays. We had to take special precaution when working with this wood, as exposure to the dust generate during cutting and sanding causes nausea and irritation. It also emits a resin that is extremely damaging to our machinery, and is easily burned if cut improperly.

But, even with all of the challenges we have faced with Purpleheart Wood, we were quick to reap our reward when we began to see the finished piece emerge. It truly is the smoothest wood we’ve even laid our hands on. And the color is quite breathtaking. It’s not something you see everyday, and it’s sure to grab someone’s attention.

This multi-functional piece can be used in many creative ways. Sure, you could hang it horizontally and use it as a coat rack. Or you could hang it vertically as a stand-alone show piece. Perhaps our favorite way is to hang it horizontally to display your family photos. We love the ribbons, and even love the idea of “stacking” photos, so they hang vertically.

This piece comes with full mounting hardware, although as with every piece we create, we offer local installation. The Door Knob Coat Rack measures 36″ long, 3″ wide, and 3/4″ thick.