Casket Handle Set Checklist
A set is ordered by casket, not by handle
A casket handle set is the matched handles, bars and fittings for one casket, and it is ordered by casket, not by handle. That sentence is the whole checklist in miniature, because every error in ordering a set comes from forgetting it: ordering handles without stating the casket size, ordering a finish without stating that it applies to the whole set, or ordering a set for one casket size and using it for another. The set category page introduces the 12 sets, and the sizing page explains how a set is matched to a casket size.
The checklist below follows the order in which a set should be specified: casket size first, handle family second, finish third, bar size fourth, and load rating throughout. Each step is explained, and the wholesale inquiry page lists the same five items as the confirmation checklist to use before payment, so that the blog and the inquiry page agree.
Step one: casket size
State the casket size first, because the set is assembled around the casket. The casket's length and width determine the bar length, and the bar length determines which set fits. A set ordered without a casket size cannot be confirmed, because the sales team cannot know which bar length or which set composition is required, and a set ordered for the wrong size is a different set, even if the finish is the same.
Where a buyer orders sets for several casket sizes, each size should be listed separately, with its own quantity, rather than grouped under one size with a total quantity. Grouping sizes together is a common cause of a set being supplied for one size and used, incorrectly, for another, and it cannot be corrected by changing the finish.
Step two: handle family and material
State the handle family within the set: steel-bar, movable, fixed, cremation plastic or steel-reinforced plastic, and the material that follows from it. Metal families are castings, mostly Zamak #3, and plastic families are ABS or PP. Within plastic, state explicitly whether the handle must be reinforced, because a reinforced plastic handle is load-bearing and a plain plastic piece is decorative, and the two must not be confused in a set.
The family determines the appearance and the mounting of the set, as well as its rating. A movable handle swings, a fixed handle does not, and a steel-bar handle uses a long bar between cast fittings. The selection guide describes each family, and the set enquiry should name the family, so that the sales team does not have to guess it from the finish or the size.
Step three: finish for the whole set
State the finish once, for the whole set, rather than piece by piece. Handles, corners, ornaments, fittings and crucifixes in a set should all be in one finish, so that the finished casket reads as one set, and stating the finish once prevents drift between pieces. Metal finishes are gold, nickel, antique brass, antique copper and chrome; plastic colours are gold, silver, copper and bronze, with antique finishes on some ABS.
Confirm the finish against a physical sample, not a photograph, because plated and metallised colours render differently on screen and between runs. For a repeat set order, cite the previous sample reference and order date, as the repeat-order guide explains, so that the new set matches the previous set's finish, not merely the same colour name.
Step four: bar size and rating
State the bar size that follows from the casket size. The category facts for sets include steel bars in 20 by 20 millimetre, 22 millimetre diameter and 25 millimetre diameter sizes, and the choice among them follows the casket size and the handle family. A bar size stated without a casket size cannot be checked, and a casket size stated without a bar size leaves the set incomplete.
State the load rating handle by handle, where the set uses load-bearing handles. A set has no separate rating invented for it; its rating is the rating of its handles, and decorative pieces in the set carry no rating. Metal handles most commonly carry 120 to 150 kilograms per piece, reinforced plastic carries 35 to 50 kilograms per piece, and the model page governs for any single handle. For load-bearing handles, ask for the load-test record before order confirmation.
Step five: quantity, lead time and shipping
State the quantity for each casket size separately, because the minimum order quantity varies by product and is shown on each product page. State the destination, so that the shipping plan, full or less than container load from Wenzhou, can be confirmed. Confirm the lead time for the set as a whole, typically 30 days after order confirmation, with some models at 35 to 45 days, and confirm the payment method, telegraphic transfer or letter of credit.
Finally, confirm the whole checklist back to the sales team before payment: casket size, family, finish, bar size, rating, quantity, lead time and shipping. A set order that passes that confirmation can be produced without further questions, while a set order that omits any item will generate questions, delays or, worse, a set supplied to the wrong specification. The checklist is therefore not bureaucracy but the specification itself, in the order in which it should be given.
Using the checklist on delivery
The checklist should be used again on delivery, not only at ordering. On arrival, check the set against the order: casket sizes as ordered, families as ordered, finishes as ordered, bar sizes as ordered, and quantities as ordered, with the finish checked against a physical sample and the quantity checked against the packing list. A set that passes that check can be mounted with confidence, while a set that fails any item should be raised before mounting, because a mounted set with the wrong size, finish or bar cannot be returned as easily as an unmounted one.
Delivery checking also protects repeat orders, because a discrepancy found on delivery and recorded becomes part of the order's record, while a discrepancy found only after mounting becomes a dispute about whether the set was wrong or the mounting was wrong. Keep the delivery check record with the order record, labelled with the model numbers, finishes, quantities and date, so that the next order can cite a complete history, not merely a previous order that is remembered as correct.
Before payment, confirm the model number, material, finish, quantity, lead time and any load-test record for your order with the sales team.