SA Baxter designs and manufacturers architectural hardware by merging traditional techniques with cutting
edge technology. the company has a team of artisans trained in jewelry making, metalsmithing, furniture
and product design working to create custom and semi-custom designs. the team begins by designing
pieces in cad, producing 3-d models working with clients throughout. from this point on the designs are
sent to the company_s foundry located in the new york hudson valley. the foundry allows the company to
keep every aspect of their products in house. the artisans employ a unique wax-casting process for creating
their moulds. once the metal is poured, the pieces are coated in the customers choice of finishes. the result
is hand-crafted hardware that harkens back to manufacturing of the past, updated for today.

http://www.sabaxter.com

designboom recently spoke to SA Baxter's founder and CEO scott baxter to learn more:


scott baxter

why did you start SA Baxter?
SA Baxter was started as a result of building a series of luxury homes. during that process I discovered that
there was a real lack of resources in the existing market to build custom architectural hardware, or even
modify existing hardware to the specs that I wanted. one of the problems I encountered was the
manufacturing of a simple, clean product in nickel finish. so I went out and did it myself basically by
researching and hiring many different trades: a machine shop to make molds, a foundry to cast the metal,
a plater to plate the pieces, and so on.

as a business builder, I thought, what would it take to do this all in-house under one roof? after about six
months of research, I decided to launch the company SA Baxter and it took about a year and half from
there to open our doors.


example of SA Baxter hardware

what kinds of things do you make at SA baxter?
we make custom architectural hardware start-to-finish in our own foundry and atelier. from doorknobs to
hinges, window latches to drawer pulls, we design and hand-craft hardware with the same quality,
complexity, and technique as some of the finest jewelry in the world.

the company has over 200 designs and continues to introduce new lines from its own design team.
our hardware is manufactured in the industry's widest selection of finishes and alloys -- we can create
just about anything you can imagine.


an artisan working on a wax prototype

what is your role at the company?
I'm very hands-on and involved on all of the levels of a working design environment. from pouring
molten metals in the foundry to collaborating with architects and designers around the world, I'm there.

what part of the process of creating a product is your favorite?
it is the well-choreographed dance of pouring the metal! after weeks of preparation and creation of wax
parts, in one very fast and felt swoop it is all destroyed and replaced with molten metal. just before the pour,
every member of the cast takes their position knowing that if they make one small error, all of that work up
to that moment is lost. once the movement begins, orchestrated perfection is a must. the reward is a perfect
piece of fine jewelry for the home.


door hinges as wax prototypes


wax door knobs


pouring metal at the foundry (CEO scott baxter on the right)

will the company manufacturer items beyond architectural hardware? what are the possibilities?
we currently do, and have in the past. we manufacture various architectural details like medallions, lamp
bases, wall sconces, and even levers for plumbing fixtures to match the door hardware. our latest example
is a request to make a solid bronze floor that we intend on introducing this fall. we also will eventually offer
plumbing fixtures.


more metal pouring at the foundry


wax mmoulds

what is the process of creating a product at SA baxter?
the most basic goal of SA baxter is to enable design. we do this by challenging ourselves, external artisans,
designers, and our customers to be original. no other hardware manufacturer offers this flexibility to design,
and this is evident when you look at various hardware manufacturer lines that showcase the same designs
over and over. SA baxter literally has broken the mold.

whether a simple sketch, CAD drawing, or a hand sculpted piece, the combination of our state of the art
technology with old world craftsmanship enables us to produce unique hardware that is simply not
available elsewhere. using the ancient art form of 'lost wax' casting, we inject the mold with wax, which is
then treated by hand, melted out (hence 'lost') and replaced with the metal of the client's choice. the end
product is an exact metal version of the original 3d model. then we proceed to the remainder of the
manufacturing process, where one of 200 possible finishes is applied and the product undergoes final steps
to fine-tune its design.


finishing process


door hinge


door knobs


a variety of hardware at SA Baxter