Shutter Hardware - Hand Forged Strap Hinges

These are the premier hinges of our product line. They are forged by blacksmiths in Pennsylvania that have specialized in shutter hardware for decades. Made from 3/16” thick material to make a bold appearance and to assure they won’t fail to securely hang heavy shutters over time. The finish is not historic; all hand made hinges and pintles get an epoxy dip/powder coat finish that is the best finish available in shutter hardware.

All hinges have ½” diameter barrels to mate with our hand made pintles. They are designed with quite a bit of room between the pintle pin and the hinge barrel, but it is intentional. It allows a bit of play to make the installation easier, and provides clearance for moisture to drain so they cannot rust together.

Standard lengths are 10 to 16 inches, in 2 inch increments; Standard width is 1½  or 2 inch.  Offsets are 0 to 3 inches in one inch increments.

Our part numbers make ordering the correct part easy. See our part number decoder for all the information you need to order the correct size for your project. Or just call us. We will work with you to make sure the correct pieces are ordered. 

Strap hinges and pintles are priced separately to allow you to combine those elements that will best work in your installation situation. All quantities are in pairs, so you need 2 set of hinges and pintles per window.

Tapered Strap

The 700 series is also called a tapered strap. The form of the hinge is cut from a 3/16” thick steel bar using custom made dies. The finished product has the general form of typical early strap hinges.

Hammered Strap

The 701 or hammered strap hinges are representative of the best early hand forged hardware. They are made by starting with a custom die cut blank. Then a hand-forged bevel is hammered along the length of the hinge. The bevel spreads the width of the hinge slightly and accentuates the un-straightness of the hinge. Finally the end is “beaned” or flattened and widened by heating and hammering. You may ask "why the bevel on the early hinges." The most likely answers are:

• The same reason as they hand-beaded the edges of interior beams. It creates shadow lines. The shadow lines give three dimensionality and pull your eye to the added care and detail of the original craftsman.
• It allowed the early smith to make a longer hinge with the same amount of material, which was expensive.

Tapered Beaned Strap

The hinge blanks are formed the same way. They start with the 700 blank but hand forge the end only.Since these are forged by hand, you can have a heart or exaggerated lima-bean shape to the end of the hinge as an optional detail.

Storm Strap

The 705 “Storm Strap” is an inexpensive but perfectly functional shutter hinge. It’s just a straight steel bar but hand made to function as a strap hinge. If you want the functional look but never plan to close the shutters this is a cost efficient choice because the hinges are hidden behind the open shutter anyway. If you like the shape but want something special we can also hand forge the edges to look like a 701.

Notched Option

Right Side

These are made with the same hinge “blanks” but notch the end. A pin is welded into the hinge barrel which mates with the female pintle. This results in a very nice installation where the hinge and pintle are of the same width - eliminating the need for room below the bottom hinge and the window sill for pintle mounting. This type of hinge and pintle were first seen in the early 1800's, but they became universally popular shortly after the civil war through the early 1900’s.

The notched hinges have an attached 1/2" diameter pin that mates with most of the original pintles. In any event, they're a very nice option that's easy to install - one of our favorite approaches. This design makes installation on a brick faced structure easier also. Available as an option on any of our strap hinge styles.

NOTE: This design creates unique hinges for the left and right side of the opening. Both hinge and pintle must have a side designated when ordering. Offset for the hinge and pintle is always zero on these products.

Custom Strap

What do you have in mind?

• Need to duplicate an existing hinge?
• Special length, width or offset?
• Different barrel diameter?
• Hinges that are visible with the shutter open?
• Unique end shape?

Call us and share your ideas.  The only thing better than a new challenge is a satisfied customer. 

© Guthrie Hill Hardware Company, Inc.