11-14-2018, 08:27 PM
For the past 25 or 30 years I've been using a Hettich 165 degree hinge for inset and 3/8" overlay lipped cabinet doors. I've used this hinge for 7 complete kitchen builds, and numerous furniture projects both for myself and others. When one of the people for whom I'd built a complete kitchen asked me to build some doors for an older buffet cabinet he'd built years ago, the original doors having failed over the years. I once again turned to the supplier I've used all these years for eight more of the Hettich hinge (1073407). The supplier informed me that the hinge has been discontinued in favor of a new model designed for the same applications. When the hinges and mounting plates arrived I found that the new hiinge was very unlike the original, although it can be used for the same application. The old model has a nice (chrome?) polished surface, the new hinge is plain steel, perhaps zinc plated, and physically considerably larger than the original. The new mounting plates instead of being cast, are now pressed sheet steel. I'm sure that Hettich did this switch for lowered manufacturing costs, and they definitely look cheap. More like something to use in garage storage cabinets, not in a finished piece of furniture or kitchen cabinet. My customer for the new doors was quite disappointed in the appearance of the new hinges, and asked me why the (expletive) I didn't use the same hinge I'd used on his kitchen cabinets. I've sent a message to my supplier, voicing my and my customer's feelings about the new hinges, for whatever good that will do. Guess now I need to shop for an alternative hinge, perhaps Blum makes a hinge that can be used for the same applications, hopefully they've not taken the same cheapening move that Hettich has.
