I'm sure to some extent you get what you pay for, but there is also a HUGE variety of prices out there for what frankly is the SAME THING. I wanted bar pulls, which luckily are everywhere, but the same thing that cost $15 each at Expo was $3 on line. OK, not same brand necessarily, but practically identical in feel/finish/quality.

I'd buy a couple of the ones you like online so you can hold them, inspect them, make sure they are what you envisioned on your cabinet, and then order away if you are happy! This is what I did, and it cost a few extra dollars and days, but was very worth it.

I think sometimes there is a big difference. In my old kitchen I had cheap hardware that the builder put in. The knobs were heavy and didn't look cheap at first. But after several years the finish started wearing off.

For my master bath remodel, I bought more expensive, solid brass pulls and knobs. After 3 years, they still look new.

I saw some cup pulls being sold online that looked very similar to much more expensive pulls I'd been considering. I noticed they weren't solid brass, were zinc instead. I ordered a sample. They felt heavy and looked fine, but I didn't have confidence that the finish wasn't going to wear off in a few years. Also, underneath where you put your fingers wasn't machined very well ... I could feel rough spots.

In the end, I decided to purchase most my hardware from Restoration Hardware. They're all solid brass, were reasonably priced, and I feel more confident that the finish will last. I don't want to worry about having to replace them later on.

Good luck!

Erika

I paid a ridiculously high amount of money for mine (in my opinion--I think they were $17 each, which is probably not high at all for some kitchens, but really for me it was unnecessary). It was one of my last decisions and I just allowed my sense and budget-mindedness to get overwhelmed. Now I know better how to deal with those things, because of experience.

But any way, I got these supposedly high-end pulls, guaranteed for life finishes---which tarnished within 6 months! The kitchen design place I worked with replaced them all in a similar color but with a different finish, so there is a happy ending. But I've since looked around and realized that there are a lot of options that would have satisfied me. I did get a size I'm comfortable with that looks proportionate to me, so if I ever want to I can replace them in another color or finish.

So, I guess if I had to do it again I'd look on pulls as I look at paint--a relatively easy thing to change, even if you don't necessarily want to do it very often. Though at the time of course it felt like the most important decision in the world!

The cost mattered to me because I was going to need 90+ of whatever I chose! I'd be broke if I chose pricey pulls. I decided to choose a style I liked from amongst the cheaper choices. During a sale, I snagged my pulls for about $1 apiece. They are from a well known maker, but from their budget collection. I made sure they were a standard screw distance, so if they did need to be replaced, I would have many options to choose from. They are almost 2 years old now and still like new. If they do end up wearing in 5 yrs, I can replace them and STILL be spending much less overall than if I picked pricy ones.

I spent $5 each for my cheap ones (on the wall cabs) and $27 each for the cute designer ones (on the island only). At $2 each, you can buy a few now and see how they feel, or buy all of them now and if you hate them you can always swap out in a few years.

Buy samples of both the cheap and expensive ones. Then judge for yourself. I bought my long bar pulls on ebay. Far cheaper than the designer show rooms. Only problem was the metric screws but easily solved...