This fourth-generation family business proves heritage craftmanship is not lost but rather, treasured.  

Think for a moment about your favourite mug, the one you always reach for. Chances are the thing that draws you to it each time (rather than the host of other mugs sitting in your cupboard) is the way it feels when it’s cupped in your hands. Its weight. Its tactility. Well, the same thing could be said for the hardware in our kitchens. The handles, the hooks, the rails and the knobs. Afterall, these are the things your hands reach for every day, when you open and close cabinet doors and drawers.  

It’s for this very reason that companies like solid brass hardware producers Armac Martin believe the upmost attention should be paid to the design and construction of our kitchen hardware. And it’s not a new belief of theirs either. The ethos of this uniquely British brand has been passed down through generations for nearly a century. From brass fittings founder Harold McGrail to his great grandsons and now joint CEOs, Richard and Robert McGrail, the company has continued to masterfully manufacture its fine brass products in the heart of Birmingham.

That family approach is something Armac Martin prides itself on; in the factory too, there are parents who are passing on skills to their sons and daughters. ‘We have multiple generations of family members honing their craft here,’ says Richard.  

And while some equipment may have been modernised over the years, the overarching craft process remains much the same. ‘Once we have the raw component, pretty much everything else is going through hands,’continues  Richard. These experienced makers are sticklers for attention to detail and each product is reviewed at every stage of the process. ‘Ensuring the quality is at the level it should be is a commitment we’ll always make,' explains Richard.  

It’s pledges like these that attracted Neptune to working with Armac Martin. Our new collaboration reflects the synergy between the two British brands and has culminated in the release of our Oscott collection: a solid brass contemporary take on a classic bar handle with traditional ball joints. And while Oscott was ultimately a design-led partnership, because of the brass’s pure weight and tactile nature, it feels good in the hands, too.