FAQ
Got a burning question not answered below?
ABOUT
WHO IS KEYWAY HARDWARE & LEATHERWORKS?
We’re a dynamic duo – two BFFs who started out making leather bags and accessories and launched Keyway as a way to use up our off cuts. Next thing we knew, we were making more drawer pulls and handles than bags! We have an 800 square foot studio where we make our products. Everything is made by the two of us, in our studio.
PRODUCTION & SHIPPING
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE MY ORDER?
Our production is between 1-5 business days. We tend to ship orders out on Wednesdays so if you order on Tuesday it’ll be closer to 1 business day, and if you order on Wednesday it’ll be closer to 5 business days. This isn’t a hard & fast rule. If you need your order in a rush, please send us a message.
HOW DO ORDERS TO THE USA SHIP?
USA orders ship out of Blaine, WA via USPS first class mail (2-10 days).
We offer the ability to upgrade to USPS Priority 1-3 Days during checkout- if you’re on a tight deadline we highly recommend upgrading to USPS Priority.
HOW DO INTERNATIONAL ORDERS SHIP?
All international orders ship via USPS First Class Mail International. Packages come with tracking but it’s up to the recipient’s country’s mail system to decide whether they will use those tracking numbers. This means that once it leaves the USA, unless your country has partnered with USPS for tracking, you won’t see further updates until it arrives at your door.
Shipping times vary. Each country has different customs/duty policies/requirements and different processing speeds. We can only go by the information provided to us as standards. It is up to the buyer to be aware of the possible customs/duty fees that may be applied when importing goods into their country.
Estimated shipping times
Europe: 1-5 weeks
Australia, New Zealand and Oceania: 1-5 weeks
Asia Pacific: 1-6 weeks
Latin America and the Caribbean: 1-5 weeks
We will do our best to meet these shipping estimates, but cannot guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose.
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply.
HOW DO ORDERS TO CANADA SHIP?
Our standard shipping method for Canadian orders is USPS First Class Mail International. This keeps the costs down BUT the trade off is that shipping times can take UP to 4 weeks, and tracking stops updating once the package has left the USA so you wont receive further tracking updates until it arrives at your door.
Since we’re near the border we are also able to ship via Canada Post, but they’re almost always around 2-3x more expensivve. If you would like to pay the more expensive Canada Post rates for us to ship via Expedited (1-7 days within Canada) we can, just send us a message and we’ll get a quote. In some listings we offer the ability to upgrade during checkout.
WILL I BE CHARGED CUSTOMS/DUTY?
If you are ordering from outside the USA it is quite possible you will be charged customs fees or duty. We have no control over this and we are unable to advise if your specific country will charge fees. It’s the buyer’s responsibility to know and understand the laws around importing items into their own country. We are not responsible for any customs or duty fees.
It’s important to understand your country’s rules and regulations on importing items into your country – we will not accept forced returns (where the buyer doesn’t pay the customs/duty charges and so the package is returned to sender).
PRODUCT INFORMATION
HOW ARE YOUR PRODUCTS MADE?
The old fashioned way – one at a time. Each one is stamped out individually using our 10-tonne mechanical press that is over 70 years old. We named him Maximus and he throws down all his force on these metal cookie cutters that are forged in the shape of our pulls. That’s how we cut them out. We stamp each one out, one by one, after making sure we have carefully placed it on a part of the leather hide with no blemishes and that will suit the purpose (for example, did you known that the belly is generally the stretchiest part of a cowhide, and that the back is generally the part with the least amount of give!?) We want our pulls to last and not stretch and warp so we are careful about what part of the hide we use.
After we’ve cut them out we check each one for quality, and trim each one individually so that they have smooth, clean cut lines. The ones that pass quality control then get packaged up with their corresponding hardware when an order is placed. Yes, we make everything to order and personally package each order that is placed 🙂
WHERE ARE YOUR LEATHERS SOURCED FROM?
Our leathers come from tanneries in the USA and South America. We actually started out as a leather goods company making bags and accessories and our line of hardware was a by-product of that line, it was a way for us to use up our scraps! We work with some of the oldest tanneries in the states.
I SAW YOUR ETSY SHOP HAS AN OPTION FOR LASER CUT PULLS & HANDLES - WHY AREN'T THEY AVAILABLE ON YOUR WEBSITE?
Good catch! Laser cutting is how we started making pulls but it’s actually extremely labor intensive and time consuming – it takes 3 times as long as it takes to make them with our clicker press. We are moving away from laser cut so it isn’t available on our website. We also offer a discount code on our website and we can’t afford to offer the pulls and handles at a discount when they are made with the laser, so that’s why they aren’t available on our website. If you would like to order laser cut you would need to do pay the full price (no discount codes!). Send us a message and we’ll set it up for you.
WHAT DOES LEATHER FINISH MEAN?
Finish refers to the texture and visual properties of the leather. We can have the same color of leather but with different finishes, and we understand that when buying on the internet it’s important to have as much information as possible so you can get a real sense of what the item will look & feel like. Our finish options are:
→ GRAIN PATTERN: Smooth vs Milled
Some leathers are buffed smooth so you cannot see the milled grain (the visible pebbling that is a natural characteristic of leather)
This is an example of what milled leather looks like. You can see the grain.
→ LIGHT REFLECTION: Glossed vs. Matte vs. Mild Sheen
Some leathers are finished to be completely matte while others have a gloss or glazed look. The middle ground is those with a mild sheen which means they are neither matte nor glossy, they are more of what in paint you would refer to as a satin or eggshell.
→ COLOR CONSISTENCY: Solid vs. Tonal Variance
We use tonal variance to describe leathers that aren’t one solid, consistent color throughout the hide. They have a variety of different tones meaning that products made different parts of the exact same hide will vary in shade, sometimes even one pull will have multiple tones in it.
→ UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS: patterned, distressed
Our patterned leathers are embossed with a pattern on them. This can be a different type of leather print (like ostrich, alligator, etc) or even a design (like our floral print leather). These patterns are embossed so they have texture as opposed to being printed on the leather like an image.
Our distressed leather have what’s called a ‘pull-up’ effect. This means that when the leather is bent or folded it lightens in that area, creating a beautiful depth and what some might call ‘worn-in’ look. You can have distressed leathers with tonal variance and you can have them with solid color. Solid distressed leathers are still all one consistent color throughout, that color just lightens when folded or bent. Tonal variant distressed leathers have both different tones in the leather and lighten when folded or bent.
DO YOU OFFER WHOLESALE?
We sure do! We love working with everyone from interior designers, decorators, home stagers, product merchandisers, furniture manufacturers and building contractors, to hotel lines and restaurants who want something unique. We just need your business number and we can set you up with a wholesale account. We do have minimum order quantities for wholesalers. Please contact us for more info.
PRODUCT SUPPORT & CUSTOMER SERVICE
REFUNDS & EXCHANGES
We sincerely appreciate your business and want you to be satisfied with your purchase. Please let us know if there is something that we can do to remedy a concern that you have with one of our items.
We stand behind our products 100% and offer an unconditional return within 7 days of receipt.
* Items must be unused and undamaged. Shipping cost and paypal transaction fees will not be refunded. Buyer is responsible for return shipping.
Please make sure that the Item is properly packaged in its original packing and you use the correct address and appropriate shipping methods for return shipping. We can not be held responsible for items damaged or lost in shipping.
I'M HAVING TROUBLE FITTING THE HARDWARE ON MY FURNITURE
We provide the dimensions of the pulls and the hardware they come with for you to make an informed purchasing decision.
If the screws are too long you’ll need to either buy shorter screws (at your local hardware store, usually they’re a few cents per screw), cut the existing ones, or use washers to shorten the length. If they’re too short you’ll need to buy longer screws.
Every furniture & cabinetry manufacturer has different thicknesses they use for their drawer and cabinet fronts. There is no ‘standardized’ size, and we aren’t able to stock the huge range of screws required to match the thickness of your particular unit.
We use M4 threaded chicago screws with a length range of 3/4″ to 1-1/4″ because this is what we have found to be the most common drawer/cabinet front depth, but ultimately if they are too long or too short you’ll need to use the length of screws that fit your piece of furniture.
If you’re finding that the screw cap (the front piece of metal hardware that holds the pull in place) is not sitting flush to your furniture piece, this likely means that the hole in your furniture is too small. You will need to use a drill that is 1/4″ to enlarge the hole.
WILL THESE PULLS WORK WITH MY IKEA FURNITURE?
Please be aware that our pulls are neither explicitly nor exclusively made for IKEA, and IKEA actually has different thicknesses throughout all their different lines. “HEMNES” isn’t the same thickness as “KALLAX”, and so on. So the short answer is, that yes, the pulls will work with IKEA furniture, but the screw length may or may not work depending on what particular line/model from IKEA you have.
That is why we provide the dimensions of the pulls and the hardware they come with for you to make an informed purchasing decision.
If the screws are too long, you’ll need to (one of the following):
– buy shorter screws (at your local hardware store, usually they’re a few cents per screw)
– cut the existing ones
-use washers to shorten the length
If the screws are too short you’ll need to:
– buy longer screws.
We use M4 threaded chicago screws with a length range of 3/4″ to 1-1/4″ because this is what we have found to be the most common drawer/cabinet front depth, but ultimately if they are too long or too short you’ll need to use the length of screws that fit your piece of furniture.
If you’re finding that the screw cap (the front piece of metal hardware that holds the pull in place) is not sitting flush to your furniture piece:
-this likely means that the hole in your furniture is too small. You will need to use a drill that is 1/4″ to enlarge the hole.