Disclaimer

We built this Site to share what decades of studying, reproducing and installing early hardware have taught us. We hope it helps you choose the right hinges, pintles, tiebacks, locks and latches for your shutters, barn, gate or heavy door. But a website cannot see your building, and the information here is general. Please read this Disclaimer before relying on anything you find on www.bvforge.com (the “Site”).

This Disclaimer is part of our Terms of Use. Effective date: October 5, 2026.

1. Information is general and educational

The articles, guides, glossaries, history, photographs, drawings, sizing charts and installation pages on the Site are provided for general information and education. They reflect our experience and opinions as blacksmiths. They are not a recommendation for any specific building, and every project has conditions we cannot know from a web page: the age and condition of the structure, the weight and size of the shutter or door, the wall material, exposure to wind and salt air, and local requirements.

Brandywine Forge, its owners, employees and agents make no warranty, express or implied, and assume no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, product or process described on the Site, or that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.

2. Installation advice is not a substitute for a professional

Installing heavy hardware involves real loads, ladders, masonry, power tools and, often, work at height. Our installation guidance describes common methods; it is not engineering, architectural or construction advice. Before you install or have hardware installed:

• Consult a qualified contractor or installer experienced with the type of work involved;
• Have a licensed engineer or architect review the design where loads are significant, such as large gates, heavy barn or carriage doors, oversized shutters, or hardware anchored in masonry, stucco or veneer;
• Confirm that fasteners and substrate are adequate; hardware is only as strong as what it is fastened to;
• Check local building codes, permit requirements, homeowners association rules and fire-egress requirements; and
• For properties in a historic district or listed on a historic register, confirm with your local historic commission or review board before ordering. What is historically appropriate on one building may not be approved on another.

You are responsible for the safe installation, use and maintenance of the hardware. Brandywine Forge is not responsible for injury or damage arising from improper installation, inadequate fastening or substrate, misuse, modification, or use beyond the hardware’s intended purpose.

3. Hurricane, wind and impact ratings

Functional shutters can provide real protection, and we discuss storm use on the Site. However, unless a specific product is expressly stated in writing to be tested and certified to a particular standard, our hardware is not certified or rated for hurricane, high-wind or impact protection, and it should not be relied upon to meet any building code, insurance or windborne-debris requirement. Products named for their function, such as the Storm Latch™, describe how the hardware works, not a certification. Whether a shutter system protects an opening depends on the shutter, the hardware, the fasteners, the wall and the installation together. If you need rated protection, consult your building official, an engineer and a supplier of certified systems.

4. Pricing may be outdated

Prices for products and services offered by Brandywine Forge are subject to change without notice. Prices shown on the Site may be outdated. Please call us at 610-948-5116 for current pricing. The price that applies to your order is the one confirmed in our written quote or order confirmation. See our Shipping, Returns & Made-to-Order Policy and Ordering Information.

5. Hand-made tolerances, materials and finishes

Our hardware is made by hand by working blacksmiths, and with anything hand made you should expect some variance; that is what hand made means. The dimensions given on the Site are nominal. Commercial bar stock has its own plus-and-minus tolerances in thickness and width. We can generally hold the measured length of strap hinges to within about ½ inch, and hand-forged pieces such as beveled hinges and tiebacks in a set will be close enough to tell they were made by the same craftsman at the same time, but they will not be machine-identical. We also leave deliberate clearance between hinge barrels and pintle pins so that exterior finishes are not rubbed off; this is taken up during installation.

Photographs and drawings show representative pieces. Color, texture, scale marks and finish will vary between pieces, between batches and on different screens. Bare metal hardware will rust if left unprotected, and any finish will require reasonable maintenance, particularly near salt water. Descriptions of how finishes have performed in the past are our honest observations, not a guarantee of future performance in your environment.

6. Historical information

Our notes on the history of hardware, regional styles and period appropriateness are based on our own study and experience. Practices varied widely from place to place, and experts may differ. Use this material as a starting point, not as authority for a preservation review.

7. No endorsement

Reference on the Site to any specific commercial product, process, service, paint brand, finish or company by trade name, trademark, manufacturer or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or favoring by Brandywine Forge, nor does it imply that company’s endorsement of us. Photographs of buildings and projects that use our hardware do not imply endorsement by the owners, architects or builders involved. Views of outside authors quoted on the Site are their own.

8. Trademarks

“Brandywine Forge” and our pattern names are marks of Brandywine Forge. Other names, brands and trademarks mentioned on the Site belong to their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only. See our Copyright & Trademark Notice.

9. External links

The Site links to websites operated by others, such as architects and organizations connected with projects we have worked on. These links are provided as a convenience. We do not control, review or guarantee the content, accuracy, availability or privacy practices of those sites, and a link is not an endorsement. When you follow an external link, you leave our Site and are subject to the other site’s terms.

10. Errors and omissions

The Site is maintained by a small shop, and pages may contain typographical errors, outdated or discontinued items, or mistakes in dimensions or descriptions. We reserve the right to correct errors and to change or update information at any time without notice, including after you have requested a quote. If something looks wrong, please tell us at [email protected]; we appreciate it.

11. Limitation of liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, BRANDYWINE FORGE WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF, OR RELIANCE ON, INFORMATION ON THE SITE. Our responsibility for hardware you purchase is set out in your order confirmation and our Shipping, Returns & Made-to-Order Policy.

12. When in doubt, call

The best way to avoid a problem is to talk it through before anything is forged. Call us at 610-948-5116, email [email protected], or use our contact page. Brandywine Forge, 201 North 4th Ave. #5, Royersford, PA 19468.