I've had brass pulls in my kitchen (as is ALL the hardware in my house) for 31 yrs.. Yes, eventually, the lacquer wears off and they tarnish and then I gather up a bunch and take it to my local brass place for a polish and relacquer and I'm good to go.

I'm getting new polished brass pulls for my new cabinets. I still haven't decided whether or not to lacquer them (guy only charges $1 ea). I may see how they age. Of course, if one can find a Baldwin pull one likes, it may be available in their "ever brass" finish and it will stay shiny forever. That's what I did when I replaced the kick plate on the front door.

I love the warmth and richness of polished solid brass hardware.

from what I'm reading, I think unlacquered is better wearing in the long run because the lacquer can wear off unevenly and be a pain to get to look nice when it starts to wear.

Just making sure you understand that instead of lacquer wear you will get tarnishing, which can also be uneven, on the unlacquered brass. As someone who once had the chore of polishing up a roomful of brown doorknobs, I'd take the lacquer every time.

Suzanne: I didn't know that there existed brass restoration services! Thanks for the tip! I just Googled and found one in my city. How often do you find you have to do this? The local shop has a one year guarantee on their finish. If this has to happen annually or even every 5 years, that would be way too much for me to manage.

My cabinet maker uses Richelieu for the hardware. It's included in the price of the cabinets. I'll do some research on their brass finish. That "ever brass" finish sounds mighty appealing... I might consider paying for the hardware myself and getting Baldwin pulls if it does indeed last forever!

daisychain: You read my mind! That was going to be my next pondering. .. should I mix the metals or use the same? ;) Glad that it won't look so awful if I don't use brass for the faucet too. That piece would likely be very high maintenance.

writersblock: Good point. Tarnishing doesn't happen evenly either. And, if I hire a service to restore the brass, then I don't have to worry about the hassle of stripping the lacquer. They'll do it for me! Lacquer is probably the way to go for me.

I've had my brass pulls (Amerock Revitalize) since late 2009. They have a lacquer finish, are heavily used, and don't show even the tiniest bit of wear. I also have the brass faucet pictured in your photo #3 and have been very happy with it, as well. I Started out with a chrome faucet and that looked just fine with the brass.

Also have white paint +medium brown stain combo and am not tired of it yet. (-:

Lacquer on brass is affected by the salts and oil in your hands, so your most used cabinets will have the lacquer wear away faster than the less used. I take my closet doorknobs about once every 4-5 years but that's because they are used daily. Other knobs in my house last much longer. Baldwin has what they call a Lifetime Finish and if my front door kick plate is an example, after 13 yrs it looks just the same as when it was installed. One pays a premium for this finish but if one can find hardware one likes, it is well worth it. I'm dying to get new hardware for my front door in this - VERY expensive due to the kind of lock I have.

shanghaimom: thanks so much for sharing your experience! I felt great relief when I read how durable your lacquered hardware has been. What a gorgeous kitchen you have. I especially love the pendants and that range!! The colour scheme in your kitchen is pretty much what I'm going for. You have great taste! ;)

Suzanne: thanks for adding more info! Every 4-5 years for daily-used knobs... OK, I think I can get on board with that. Only a some of the pulls in my kitchen will endure daily use so I hope that, overall, I'll find them to be as durable as shanghaimom's. I looked into the Baldwin Lifetime Finish and it definitely sounds and looks great. Wow, 13 years on a kick plate is amazing!

So..... is getting Lacquered brass hardware that way to go?