House of Antique Hardware sells period cover plates, not complete switches, and that one fact explains every price difference between them and Studio Timeless. Their push-button plate collection listed 79 products when we read it on 23 October 2026, from 9.39 dollars, with the switch mechanism sold separately. We make integrated solid brass units in formats they do not carry. Here is the honest comparison.
In short
- They sell the plate, we sell the unit. Their push-button plates run from 9.39 to about 52 dollars because the switch is bought separately, from 16.79 dollars up.
- Seven different construction claims appear in one collection, from forged brass to pressed brass or steel to cast solid bronze.
- They name a certification. Their switches and dimmers are described as UL and CUL listed. Most period brands we have read name none.
- No volts, no amps, no plate thickness on the pages we read, and no country of manufacture. We publish 15 A at 110 to 120 V and 0.080 inch.
- Both ranges stop at four gangs. Their push-button plates top out at quad; our buyable switches top out at four gangs too.
What House of Antique Hardware is
House of Antique Hardware is an American period hardware retailer with a deep catalogue of reproduction electrical cover plates. Their strength is breadth within the historic formats: push-button plates, split plates, toggle plates and outlet covers in a long list of finishes, across several named design families such as Traditional, Classic, Ovolo, Pisano, Como, Mid-Century, Streamline Deco and Floral Victorian. They are not a manufacturer of complete wiring devices in the way Studio Timeless is, and they do not claim to be. We are writing about them because they rank for a format we refuse to fake, and a reader who wants that format deserves a straight answer rather than a redirection.
The push button is the format we do not make
The push button is a real historic format, and Studio Timeless does not build it. Two small buttons stacked in a round opening is the switch of the period when American houses were first wired, and the toggle that replaced it arrives later. The archaeological literature puts knob and tube wiring at roughly 1890 to 1930, with the first National Electrical Code in 1897, which is the window in which a push button is actually period correct. Our nearest answer is the 1-gang Retro Toggle at 92 dollars, which is a round-opening lever rather than a button, and we say plainly that it is not a push button. The retro and vintage buying guide sets out what we do and do not reproduce.
Seven construction claims in one collection
Across 24 push-button plates read on one page, their listings make seven different claims about what the plate is made of. This is not a criticism, it is a shopping instruction: in a catalogue this wide the word brass does different work on different listings, and the sentence is the only place that tells you which. We quote them as published.
| Published construction claim | What it tells a buyer |
|---|---|
| Our premium quality forged brass switchplates are both elegant and durable. | Forged brass. No thickness or alloy given. |
| Crafted from economical pressed brass or steel | The base metal is not determined on the listing. It may be brass or it may be steel. |
| Precision cast in solid brass, it is beautifully detailed and incredibly substantial. | Cast solid brass. Substantial is a feel, not a figure. |
| This exceptional design is forged in solid brass, lending to its crisp pattern detail. | Forged solid brass, decorative pattern. |
| Forged from premium quality solid brass. | Forged solid brass, no pattern claim. |
| faithfully rendered in stamped sheet brass | Sheet brass, stamped. Thinner by process than forged or cast. |
| This heavy-duty accent is cast in solid bronze. | Bronze rather than brass, a different alloy family. |
The bronze line is worth a note because the words are not interchangeable. The Copper Development Association wrought alloy datasheet places the brasses and the bronzes in separate unified numbering ranges, and two alloys marketed as architectural bronze sit inside the brass ranges. So a plate called bronze and a plate called brass may be closer than the names suggest, and the only stable identifier is the alloy designation. Neither they nor we publish one, which we come back to below.
Pressed brass or steel, and why the word or matters
A listing that says pressed brass or steel is telling you the base metal is interchangeable at the factory. That is a perfectly normal way to make an economical plate, and at 9.39 dollars for a single gang it is honest value. It does matter for two reasons. A steel plate cannot be refinished when the coating wears, where solid brass can be brought back by polishing. And a ferrous plate behaves differently against a brass door handle in the same room, because the two will not age toward each other. If the room is being coordinated across plates and other hardware, knowing which metal is in the wall is part of the specification, not a detail. Studio Timeless publishes one answer on every plate: solid brass at 0.080 inch, no plating.
Their prices, and why the number looks so low
Their plate prices are roughly a third of ours because they are selling a third of the object. On the page we read, the Classic single gang in pressed brass or steel was 9.39 dollars, the Traditional single gang in forged brass 13.49 dollars, the Ovolo single gang 19.59 dollars and the Pisano single gang 24.29 dollars, with the Traditional quad gang in forged brass at 49.99 dollars and the Pisano double in Antique-By-Hand at 51.95 dollars. A Studio Timeless 1-gang knurled toggle is 84 dollars and includes the switching mechanism, the plate, the insert and the matched screws as one certified unit. Comparing 13.49 to 84 is not comparing like with like, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something.
The mechanism is separate, and that is where certification lives
They sell the push-button mechanism as its own product, and it is the part that carries the electrical claim. Their push-button switches ran from 16.79 to 30.89 dollars when we read them, in single-pole, 3-way and 4-way versions, and their push-button dimmers from 33.99 to 42.99 dollars in 300 watt and 600 watt versions. So the real comparison on one wall position is their plate plus their switch against our one unit. Their forged brass plate at 13.49 plus a premium push-button switch at 18.19 comes to 31.68 dollars for one position. That is genuinely less than ours, and if budget is the constraint it is the right answer.
UL and CUL named, volts and amps not published
They name a certification where most period brands name none, and they do not publish the electrical ratings that would let an inspector check it. The switch and dimmer pages state that the products are built to modern safety standards and are UL and CUL listed, and the dimmer pages add that they are UL listed for use with dimmable incandescent, halogen and LED bulbs. Against the other period brands we have read this year, that is a point in their favour, because several name nothing at all. What is missing is voltage, amperage and a file number. UL’s own guidance for code authorities states that a listed product is required to carry a marking identifying the listed company, by name, trade name, trademark or file number, so the mark on the part is what settles the question rather than the sentence on the page. If you are taking a push-button switch to an inspection, read the part and ask for the certificate in writing. Our guide to verifying a certification mark is the procedure, and the approval pillar covers what happens when the mark is missing.
Their plate is the historic footprint, not the modern one
The single-gang Traditional Forged Brass plate in Antique-by-Hand publishes 4 1/2 inches high by 2 3/4 inches wide, with a quarter inch projection. That is the standard plate footprint of the industry table, and it is a fifth of an inch shorter than ours. Every Studio Timeless plate is 4.70 inches tall rather than 4.5, which on a renovation is extra coverage over the ragged edge of an old plaster opening. The projection figure is worth isolating because it is often misread as a thickness. It is not. They publish how far the plate stands off the wall; they do not publish how thick the metal is, and we will not guess on their behalf. Our 1-gang toggle wall plate at 60 dollars and our 1-gang blank plate both publish 0.080 inch.
What is actually in the box
The box contents are the comparison that matters, and the table below is the whole article in one place. Columns are their plate, their mechanism and our integrated unit, from the pages read on 23 October 2026.
| In the box | Their push-button plate | Their push-button switch | Studio Timeless knurled toggle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cover plate | Yes | No | Yes, integral to the unit |
| Switching mechanism | No | Yes | Yes |
| Matched screws | Not stated | Not stated | Yes, 1.97 in with 0.28 in slotted head |
| Certification named on the page | None | UL and CUL | cULus, United States and Canada |
| Voltage published | Not applicable | No | Yes, 110 to 120 V |
| Amperage published | Not applicable | No | Yes, 15 A |
| Plate thickness published | No, projection only | Not applicable | Yes, 0.080 in |
| Country of manufacture published | No | No | No |
The last row is ours to answer for as much as theirs. Our pages do not publish a country of manufacture, an alloy designation or a plate cutout dimension either, and we have said so in print before. The row stays in the table because a comparison that only shows the other side’s gaps is not a comparison.
Both ranges stop at four
Their push-button plates top out at quad, and our buyable switches top out at four gangs, which is a coincidence worth knowing. Of the 24 plates we read, eleven were single, eight double, four triple and one quad, with the Traditional Quad Gang in forged brass at 49.99 dollars. On our side the 4-gang Retro Toggle at 269 dollars and the 4-gang knurled toggle at 237 dollars are the widest lever units published for sale. Anyone planning a five or six position wall in a period house is going to hit a ceiling whichever supplier they choose, and splitting the run into two boxes is the answer in both catalogues.
They sell a dimmer knob as a part, and we do not
Their catalogue includes a vintage style rotary dimmer knob with a mother-of-pearl inlay at 9.09 dollars, sold on its own, and that is something Studio Timeless cannot match. On our rotary dimmers the brass knob is the face of an assembly rather than a catalogue item: it sits on a splined shaft, it is not a separate line, and when one fails what we replace is the module, with its knob, in the matching finish. We published that in full yesterday. It is a small, real advantage for a buyer who has broken one knob on an existing push-button dimmer, and it is the clearest illustration in this article of the difference between a parts retailer and a maker of integrated units. The brass screw and extension range and the 1.5 inch replacement brass screw are where our own loose-parts thinking stops.
Finish vocabulary, side by side
Their finish names and ours overlap on three words and diverge on nine. The table compares the vocabulary rather than the result, because no finish name in either catalogue designates an alloy.
| Finish name | House of Antique Hardware | Studio Timeless |
|---|---|---|
| Antique Brass | Yes | Yes, hand-brushed |
| Unlacquered brass | Yes, as Un-Lacquered Brass | Yes, as Unlacquered Antique Brass |
| Satin Brass | Yes, on the pressed range | Yes |
| Matte Black | Yes, on the pressed range | Yes |
| Polished Brass | Yes | No |
| Polished Nickel | Yes | No, Stainless Steel is the nearest |
| Satin Nickel | Yes | No |
| Antique Pewter | Yes | No |
| Polished Chrome | Yes, on the pressed range | No |
| Oil-Rubbed Bronze | Yes | No, Aged Bronze is the nearest |
| Aged Bronze | No | Yes, hand-brushed |
| Hammered Brass | No | Yes, on knurled ranges only |
Their exclusive finish is Antique-by-Hand, described as ageing gracefully over time into a natural patina, which is the same living-finish idea as our Unlacquered Antique Brass. Two warnings on ours, both of which we repeat every time: Unlacquered is made to order, so the lead time is longer, and it is not returnable. The National Park Service survey of metals in America’s historic buildings records that architectural brass finishes were usually protected with lacquer, and that white metals such as nickel silver and stainless were a deliberate 1920s and 1930s preference, which is useful if you are matching a period rather than a taste. Our unlacquered guide covers how ours behaves month by month.
The openings do not interchange
A push-button plate, a toggle plate and a Retro Toggle plate are three different openings, and none of them accepts another’s device. A push-button plate has round holes for two stacked buttons. A standard American toggle plate has a vertical slot. Our Retro Toggle needs a 12 mm round opening and our knurled toggle uses the standard rectangular cutout, and a dimmer opening cannot be converted into a toggle opening. The rule in the field is the same either way: OSHA requires that faceplates be installed so as to completely cover the opening and seat against the finished surface, so an opening that is nearly right is not right. Do not file a lacquered plate to make a device fit, because the finish goes first and the plate is the cheap part. Order the plate that matches the device, and if you are unsure which you have, our installation and compatibility page and the format dating article will tell you.
Where House of Antique Hardware is the right choice
Four cases, and they are real. A genuine push-button restoration where the format has to be a push button: they have it and we do not. A budget-led job where 31.68 dollars a position is the number that works: ours starts at 84. A plate for a push-button mechanism already in the wall, which is a cover plate problem and not a switch problem. And a finish we simply do not make, where Polished Nickel, Satin Nickel, Antique Pewter, Polished Chrome or a cast Floral Victorian pattern is the specification. In all four we would rather send somebody to the right supplier than sell them a near miss and handle the return.
Where Studio Timeless is the right choice
Also four cases. When you want one certified object rather than two sourced parts, because a one-piece unit cannot be the wrong plate for the device and carries a single mark. When an inspector or a specifier needs published figures, and 15 amps at 110 to 120 volts, cULus for the United States and Canada and 0.080 inch of solid brass are in writing on the page. When a 4-way middle station is needed, which our toggle ranges offer at every published gang count. And when a whole house has to coordinate, with matched switches and outlets and toggle plates in one finish vocabulary. One honest limit on our side: our Retro Toggle is CE marked and is not UL or ETL listed, and an inspector is within their rights to refuse it. We say that in public because finding out at inspection costs more than reading it here. More about how we work is on the about page, and specification questions go to our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Is House of Antique Hardware a good place to buy switch plates?
For a genuine push-button restoration, yes. Their push-button switch plate collection listed 79 products when we read it on 23 October 2026, in gang counts from single to quad and in finishes we do not offer, including Polished Nickel, Antique Pewter, Polished Chrome and Oil-Rubbed Bronze. What you are buying is a cover plate, not a complete switch, and that is the single most important thing to understand before you compare prices.
Does a House of Antique Hardware switch plate include the switch?
Not as far as their listings state. On the 24 push-button plates we read on 23 October 2026, no listing said a mechanism was included, and one plate was described as compatible with new or vintage push-button switches, which implies the switch is separate. They do sell the mechanism separately, with push-button switches from 16.79 to 30.89 dollars and push-button dimmers from 33.99 to 42.99 dollars.
What is a push button light switch plate?
It is a cover plate with one or more round holes for the two buttons of a push-button switch, rather than the vertical slot of a toggle or the rectangle of a decorator device. It is a different opening from either modern format, which is why a push-button plate will not cover a toggle and a toggle plate will not cover a push button. Our history of the push button format covers how it came and went.
Does Studio Timeless make push button switch plates?
No, and we have no plan to. Studio Timeless makes integrated toggle, Retro Toggle, rotary dimmer, outlet and plate ranges in solid brass. The push button is a format we do not build, and when somebody wants a true push button we say so and point them elsewhere rather than selling a near miss.
How thick is a House of Antique Hardware brass switch plate?
They do not publish a plate thickness on the pages we read. The single-gang Antique-by-Hand plate publishes a projection of one quarter inch, which is how far the plate stands off the wall, not how thick the metal is. An absence of a claim is not a claim of absence, so we will not infer a thickness for them. Studio Timeless publishes 0.080 inch on every plate in the range.
Is House of Antique Hardware hardware UL listed?
Their push-button switches and dimmers carry a named certification claim. The product pages we read on 23 October 2026 say the switches and dimmers are built to modern safety standards and are UL and CUL listed, and the dimmer pages add that they are UL listed for use with dimmable incandescent, halogen and LED bulbs. That is more than most period brands name. No file number, voltage or amperage is published, and UL itself notes that a listed product must carry a marking identifying the listed company, so the mark on the part is what settles it.
What does their push button plate measure?
The single-gang Traditional Forged Brass plate in Antique-by-Hand publishes 4 1/2 inches high by 2 3/4 inches wide. That is the historic plate footprint. A modern standard plate is 4.5 by 2.75 inches in the industry table, and a Studio Timeless plate is 4.70 by 2.80 inches, so ours is roughly a fifth of an inch taller and a twentieth wider.
Do they sell a dimmer knob on its own?
Yes, and we do not. Their range included a vintage style rotary dimmer knob with a mother-of-pearl inlay at 9.09 dollars when we read it on 23 October 2026. On a Studio Timeless rotary dimmer the brass knob is the face of an assembly rather than a catalogue part, so what you replace is the module and the knob comes with it. We wrote that up in full in our piece on the brass dimmer knob.
Which finishes do they have that Studio Timeless does not?
Four, on the ranges we read: Polished Nickel, Satin Nickel, Antique Pewter and Polished Chrome, plus Polished Brass as a bright lacquered brass we do not make. Our nearest equivalents are Stainless Steel for the nickel family and Satin Brass or Antique Brass for the brass family, and they are not the same thing. Our finishes page shows what we do make.
Can I put a House of Antique Hardware plate on a Studio Timeless switch?
No. A Studio Timeless knurled or Retro Toggle switch is a one-piece unit, so there is no separate plate to swap, and the opening in a push-button plate does not match a toggle lever in any case. The Retro Toggle needs a 12 mm round opening and the knurled toggle uses the standard American rectangular cutout. Do not modify a plate to make a format fit; order the plate that matches the device.
House of Antique Hardware and Studio Timeless are not really competing for the same wall. They sell period cover plates in formats and finishes we do not build, at prices we cannot match because the object is smaller. We sell integrated solid brass wiring devices with published electrical figures. If the format has to be a push button, go to them. If you want one object, one mark and one set of numbers, start with the plate ranges or the knurled and Retro Toggle comparison.
All House of Antique Hardware figures in this article were read from their public pages on 23 October 2026 and are quoted as published. Prices and availability change; verify before you order.
Last updated: October 23, 2026
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