Local Wine Country

Hiking in Santa Monica Wine Country

 As I am not a wine connoisseur, I did not associate the  Santa Monica Mountains with wine tasting and was skeptical about making a date for a 2.5 hour tour in the hills.

However, as the journey through the marine layer of the lowlands made way for the  blue sky and sun of Kanan Dume Canyon, so did my expectations. The drive up this canyon is spectacular, the rugged brush terrain is dotted with flowering yuccas, poppies and mustard brush and  Malibu beach sparkles  blue in the distance. 

“Malibu Wine Hikes” is tucked away up a small road where west Mulholland Highway intersects Zuma Ridge Fire Rd. The site sits just below Saddle Rock and with an astounding 1,000 acres and an elevation at it’s peak of 2,000 ft offers a panoramic view stretching from Westlake Village to Point Magu. Saddle Rock sitting at  2,800 is  a well-known landmark most Los Angelenos know by name if not sight and is a rock that has for centuries figured in the indigenous Chumash culture.

Recently planted vines in the foreground with Mitten Rock in the background

Saddlerock Ranch is the location of Malibu Wine Hikes and is an industrious farm and winery that was established by Ron Stemler who planted the first Sauvignon Blanc vines. When the vine population was expanded to include red grapes, the winery established its reputation for wonderful Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon wines.

The 2.5 mile hike took me through acres of vines that had been recently planted in the wake of the devastating Woolsey fire that decimated the ranch crops and buildings in 2018. Thankfully, the resilience of nature has all but removed most reminders of the fire apart from the stone ruins of the family home and some scarred avocado and oak trees.

 In the Martin Pierce collection of vine door and cabinet hardware our inspiration  for the pieces came from both the lithe green vines as well as the more woody old growth vines.

Recently planted vines in the foreground with Mitten Rock in the background

What is the difference between a cabinet pull and an appliance pull

A common question is whether you can or should use a cabinet pull as an appliance pull. The question has 2 components  one is  aesthetic and the other technical-mechanical.

Larger Morphic Pull has a lip overhang that is easy to grip with whole hand for heavier doors and drawers

 Mounting posts - distance between centers – screws

A typical pull be it for a cabinet or appliance door will be attached by 2 screws that thread into either a mounting posts or  recessed holes on the back of the pull. The hardware manufacturer determines the location and distance between the posts, the size of the pre-drilled holes and the type of screw or bolt used to attach the pull. These factors together with the heft of the pull largely determine whether a smaller cabinet pull will work satisfactorily as an appliance pull. The mounting posts on our cabinet pulls are generally placed a little below the top and bottom of  the casting and are part of the casting. Their size is scaled proportionately to the size of the piece but at a minimum needs to be large enough to accommodate an 8-32 screw.  To work as an appliance pull for a large refrigerator or sub-zero door the posts will need to accommodate a more substantial 10-24 or even ¼-20 screw. As we make a wax replica before casting we can  customize the post making it larger or by making the area for the tapped hole larger. The thickness, thread count per inch and length as well as the base material all impact the strength of the screw. The thickness of the screw or the outside dimension of the threaded shaft is the first number given and is expressed either as a size or as a fraction. Smaller thinner screws are typically given a number and those greater than ¼” are usually expressed as a fraction 5/16”. The second number for a machine screw is usually the threads per inch followed by the length. For wood screws the thread is not called out and only the thickness and length are given.

The base metal of a screw will impact it’s strength and while brass screws are more decorative, unless they have a wide diameter will not be as strong as a stainless steel screw. Stainless steel has a greater tensile strength, is harder and the thread is not as prone to being stripped when under pressure.

10/24 x 3” #10 size screw diameter of threaded area is 3/16”, there are 24 threads per inch and the screw is 3” long. The style of screw is Slotted SLTD with a round head and it is a machine screw.

6 x 5/8 is a # 6 screw diameter 9/64” as it is a wood screw no thread count is given for this 5/8” long screw that has a Philips Oval Head style.

1/4-20 x4” the screw diameter is being shown as a fraction not a number code. This is a 1/4” threaded screw with 20 threads per inch it is 4” long and is a machine screw with a slotted head. The base metal is 18-8SS stainless steel which is equivalent to 304 stainless steel.

Note the heft of the ends of this pull they are in solid bronze and approx. 1 1/2”D x 1 1/4”H ideal for heavy gauge bolts

Aesthetics and Costs

Assuming the cabinet pull meets the technical demands above whether to use it as an appliance pull largely depends on taste and budget. Stainless steel and bronze are premium expensive metals and their prices continue to rise. Clearly an appliance pull will require a lot more metal to make and a lot more time to finish.

New Trends in Door Hardware

As a small, hands- on company, it is not difficult to spot trends at their out-start.
This is certainly the case with recent orders for barn door handles that are two tone with black or very dark brown accents. Our large door pulls, or grips are available in silicon bronze, an alloy that is golden or champagne in its unadorned state and in 316 stainless steel, an alloy which is a cool grey when cast.
Both alloys are durable, rust resistant and high- quality mediums but their density dictates how each can be color accented. Stainless steel is a much harder medium than bronze and its surface is more difficult to penetrate so liquid patinas will tend to slough off and not adhere to the metal. While bronze is a strong alloy its surface is easier to buff so liquid patinas can more easily penetrate and bind to the alloy.
Black is the color of choice for most tracking currently being sold for sliding barn doors which explains why we are seeing an increasing demand for black highlights to be added as custom finishes to our steel and bronze door grips. As our large door handles are dramatic organic designs, we feel it is important that the color accent be integrated into the design. When we are adding a dark patina to bronze handles, we immerse the piece in a chemical solution until it reaches the required darkness and then we halt the process by immersing the handle in water. Once dry, we re-work the piece by hand sanding and buffing the piece in select areas to remove the dark patina. The process can be repeated so that different depths of color are created. Once complete the color is fixed with penetrating oils and with a hard-wax topcoat. For high traffic projects the handle can be further protected by baking on a clear enamel coating.

Repeated immersion into patina to develop depth of color - highlights created by removing patina

We add color to stainless steel by baking on a powder chosen for color and iridescence. The handle is buffed or polished to the desired luster and areas that are to be free of color are masked off from areas receiving color. The color powder is sprayed on to the piece and then baked. Determining the accented area is crucial as once baked it is extremely difficult to rework the finish without stripping the piece back to the base metal.