Brass Polishing Blog

Originally started as an antique store in Harvard Square, Cambridge, in 1976, we quickly started specializing in brass antiques.  From there, it was a natural progression to learn how and to offer restoration and polishing of brass, copper, bronze and silver.  This led to a great understanding and appreciation of quality construction in metal products, as well as their proper care.

As the supply of antiques started to run out, we then turned to good quality reproductions, and finally ended up with Baldwin Brass products:  candlesticks, doorknockers, etc.  After much prodding on my part, I convinced the Baldwin rep to allow me to take on the entire hardware line.  Very steep learning curve!

But, as luck had it, one of my first customers for a mortise lock was a family friend, Sal Abbrussese…a woodworker and carpenter who was building his own house at the time.  Sal semi-struggled through his first installation and provided valuable feedback along the years so I quickly became adept at specifying and selling the proper hardware for each door situation.  And Sal took on a new role as a lock installer.  Sal is with me today….33 years later!….still expertly installing locks and hardware in some of the finest homes in New England…and beyond.

Along the way, customers would inquire about brass and glass doors for their fireplaces, so I took on a line of those.  That proved successful so we quickly started showing almost a dozen different models.  One day, a customer asked if we could supply a gas log for her fireplace, to go along with the door she just purchased.

I knew one of the door manufacturers sold gas logs as well, so of course the answer was, “Sure!”  Suffice it to say, we still remember that first gas log sale today (that was 20 years ago!)…it was a disaster!  Nothing like failure to spur us ahead…we analyzed everything that went wrong and vowed never to repeat it, found a much better gas log supplier and then, along the lines of our hardware installation, hooked up with an installer of the gas logs who we trained personally.  The fireplace department took off and we have never looked back since!