Architectural ironmongery or architectural hardware is a term used for the manufacture and wholesale distribution of items made from iron, steel, brass, aluminium or other metals, including plastics, for use in all types of buildings.
Architectural ironmongery includes door handles, closers, locks, cylinder pulls and hinges (door furniture), window fittings, cupboard fittings, iron railings, handrails, balustrades, switches and sockets.
The term is sometimes used to distinguish between these items and retail of consumer goods sold in ironmongers' shops or hardware stores.
During the Industrial Revolution, mass production of ironmongery became more widespread, though businesses often remained regionally focused.
For example, in the UK, Laidlaw was founded in Manchester in 1876;[1] Derby-based Bennetts Ironmongery can trace its history back to 1734;[2] William Tonks & Sons was established in Leeds in 1789; and Quiggins served the Victorian era Liverpool market.