Casket Hardware Materials
Metals
Most metal casket hardware is Zamak #3, a zinc alloy used for die casting. The company states that most of its metal products use Zamak #3, which is cast, hand polished and plated. Die casting suits the detailed shapes of handles, crucifixes, ornaments and fittings, and hand polishing prepares the casting for plating.
Steel is used for bars and for some fittings, commonly as 19 to 25 millimetre steel tube or round bar for long bars, and in 20 by 20 millimetre, 22 millimetre diameter and 25 millimetre diameter sizes for handle sets. Stainless steel 304 and 316 are used for some models, aluminium alloy and brass for others. Each metal appears where its properties suit the part: a casting for a detailed shape, a bar for a long grip, stainless steel where corrosion resistance matters.
No material is described on this site as better than another in general, because the right material depends on the part. A Zamak #3 casting is right for a detailed handle, a steel bar is right for a long grip, and a stainless steel part is right where its properties are needed. The product page for a model states its material, and that statement governs.
Plastics
Plastic casket hardware is ABS or PP, injection moulded and vacuum metallised. ABS and PP are both thermoplastics suited to injection moulding, and the choice between them for a model is stated on that model's product page. The sampled Reference 9005 is described as ABS new or PP new, which shows that the two materials can appear as alternatives for one model.
Vacuum metallising deposits a thin metallic layer on the plastic body, giving a metallic appearance in gold, silver, copper or bronze, with antique brass and antique copper on some ABS. The layer is a surface treatment, not a solid metal body, which is why a metallised plastic handle is lighter than a cast handle of the same size and why its load rating, where it has one, is lower.
The distinction between plain and reinforced plastic is a material distinction as well as a structural one. Plain plastic is decorative. Plastic reinforced with a steel bar or wire is load-bearing, within the 35 to 50 kilogram per piece band. A buyer must name the reinforced family explicitly when a load-bearing plastic handle is needed.
Choosing a material
Choose a material by the part's function first and its appearance second. A handle that must carry needs a cast metal or a reinforced plastic, with the rating checked model by model. A decorative piece needs only the right appearance in the right finish, and its material is chosen for moulding and metallising, not for strength.
For a whole casket, the materials should be chosen together, so that metal handles, plastic decoration and fittings present a consistent appearance. A casket that mixes materials without a finish plan will look mismatched, even if each part is individually correct. The finish guide explains how to match across materials against a physical sample.
No material claim beyond the catalogue is made on this site. Where a model's material is not stated on its product page, this site does not guess it from the family, and the enquiry should ask the sales team for the material of that model.
Before payment, confirm the model number, material, finish, quantity, lead time and any load-test record for your order with the sales team.