Blum Hinges availability

[Packard]

I needed some Blum hinges.  I went to AH Turf and they had listed for the hinge I need:  "Unavailable until further notice".

I went to Woodworkers' Express and they showed them as available.

The carton arrived and only the mounting plates were included.  The hinges are not expected until February.

I went back to AH Turf and they show the hinges in stock but the mounting plates as "Unavailable until further notice". 

I ordered just the hinges.  I have mounting plates.

Is anyone else having a hard time getting Blum products?  But AH Turf and Woodworkers' Express have historically been good vendors.

Is this a supply-side problem from Blum?

 

[Knight Woodworks]

Try Woodworker’s Hardware.

John

 

[squall_line]

I believe people started seeing supply chain issues with Blum over the summer, if not earlier.  Ironically, even when lumber prices were sky high, hardware was scarce as well.

 

[Cheese]

I needed some Blum hinges.  I went to AH Turf and they had listed for the hinge I need:  "Unavailable until further notice".

Is anyone else having a hard time getting Blum products?  But AH Turf and Woodworkers' Express have historically been good vendors.

Is this a supply-side problem from Blum?

Thanks for the heads-up Packard...AH Turf has always been my go-to supplier. I'll be needing about 20 pairs of Blumotion slides so I'll put my order in next week.  [smile]

 

[tjbnwi]

Blum does have supply issues. We have some slides and hinges on order that are running 120 to 150 days out. Makes it a little hard to get things done.

In an average month we’ll use 200 pairs of slides and 500 hinges.

Tom

 

[Packard]

AH Turf's website is a bit cumbersome to use if you don't know the exact part number. 

Woodworkers Express's website is easier to use.  But on some items they only will sell in large quantities--far more than I would need.

Rockler's catalog is easy to use (mainly because they only carry a small number of Blum's parts.  And who can afford to use them at the prices that they charge?

AH Turf's old website was easier to use.

 

[semenza]

  AH Turf was my go to as well.  Luckily on my last job I only needed four Blum hinges and plates. I already had them so I didn't run into a delay.  Going forward though I think I might order some ahead so that maybe I will have them by the time I need them.

  Blum has some sort of manufacturing facility in the USA but they probably still need parts from outside. And like most places they probably have employment problems too.  Sorry, I don't mean to take this OT.

  I had no trouble getting K & V side mount slides.

  Seth

 

[Packard]

Hafele and Salice also make hinges.  I have no interest in changing, but out of curiosity what is the quality of those hinges.  My old kitchen cabinets had hidden hinges by Amerock.  I replaced them with Blum compact soft close (face frame) hinges. 

Are any of these other options good?

Amerock
Salice
Hafele

 

[Cheese]

  Blum has some sort of manufacturing facility in the USA but they probably still need parts from outside. And like most places they probably have employment problems too. 

Ya, with manufacturing, who even knows anymore.  [huh]  I ordered a pair of winter boots made in Maine using USA materials. I ordered them mid-October for a November 30th delivery date. Just received an update...they'll be shipping in March 2022.  [crying] [crying]

 

[squall_line]

Ya, with manufacturing, who even knows anymore.  [huh]  I ordered a pair of winter boots made in Maine using USA materials. I ordered them mid-October for a November 30th delivery date. Just received an update...they'll be shipping in March 2022.  [crying] [crying]

Not to stray too far off-topic, but did you order Bean Boots?  If so, their lead times in the October-March timeframe have been incredibly long since at least 2016 when I last ordered a pair.

 

[Cheese]

Not to stray too far off-topic, but did you order Bean Boots?  If so, their lead times in the October-March timeframe have been incredibly long since at least 2016 when I last ordered a pair.

Ya, you got it... [sad]

 

[Packard]

Our company ordered some specialty steel (C1070 spring steel wire, 40,000 pounds) and we used to get that in 2 - 3 weeks. 

We ordered this material at the end of October and delivery is in April 2022. 

There is a worldwide shortage of iron ore.  That was partly because of the pandemic shutdowns and China hoarding the ore for their own production.  But it is also because a dam broke in Brazil.  It flooded the iron ore mining district.  They are replacing that dam now, but its completion is expected sometime in 2023, with iron ore production to resume in late 2023.

So no matter what, manufacturers will be doing battle for the supply of steel, and all the hinges use steel.

To make matters worse, the nickel mines were shut down in the Philippines due to the pandemic.  Nickel is used for the plating on the hinges and also for the production of stainless steel. Stainless steel deliveries have grown from 2 - 4 weeks to 3 to 6 months.  Some standard grades and standard sizes are available, but often by the time we quoted the job and get the work, that material has already been sold. 

Difficult times for manufacturers.

 

[Lincoln]

Have been using Salice 'Silentia +' soft close hinges recently, as Blum have been impossible to get down here (Australia). Same drilling pattern as Blum. Happy with them. Grass 'Tiomos' are another alternative.

 

[Sparktrician]

Ya, with manufacturing, who even knows anymore.  [huh]  I ordered a pair of winter boots made in Maine using USA materials. I ordered them mid-October for a November 30th delivery date. Just received an update...they'll be shipping in March 2022.  [crying] [crying]

Not to stray too far off-topic, but did you order Bean Boots?  If so, their lead times in the October-March timeframe have been incredibly long since at least 2016 when I last ordered a pair.

You guys might want to look at pac-type boots from Schnee's in Montana.  I have two pairs with the bob-type soles and just love them.  They're also made in the US.   

 

[Crazyraceguy]

When I built my daughter's kitchen, back in June, I had to use Grass drawer guides. The Blumotion were just not available. It worked out ok, since I could get Grass hinges, so they were all the same.

 

[bertv]

Have been using Salice 'Silentia +' soft close hinges recently, as Blum have been impossible to get down here (Australia). Same drilling pattern as Blum. Happy with them. Grass 'Tiomos' are another alternative.

AFAIK Salice are made in Turkey 'imitations' of fairly good quality. With the Turkish Lira taking a dive their products may become even more cheaper.
Some German shops have in house brands that are 20 to 40 procent cheaper than the brand names - I guess that should apply to the N.A. market too.

 

[Lincoln]

Have been using Salice 'Silentia +' soft close hinges recently, as Blum have been impossible to get down here (Australia). Same drilling pattern as Blum. Happy with them. Grass 'Tiomos' are another alternative.

AFAIK Salice are made in Turkey 'imitations' of fairly good quality. With the Turkish Lira taking a dive their products may become even more cheaper.
Some German shops have in house brands that are 20 to 40 procent cheaper than the brand names - I guess that should apply to the N.A. market too.

No, the Salice hinges are made in Italy.

 

[Packard]

Have been using Salice 'Silentia +' soft close hinges recently, as Blum have been impossible to get down here (Australia). Same drilling pattern as Blum. Happy with them. Grass 'Tiomos' are another alternative.

AFAIK Salice are made in Turkey 'imitations' of fairly good quality. With the Turkish Lira taking a dive their products may become even more cheaper.
Some German shops have in house brands that are 20 to 40 procent cheaper than the brand names - I guess that should apply to the N.A. market too.

No, the Salice hinges are made in Italy.

I think he was referring to the knock-offs being made in Turkey.  To be convincing fakes they would say “Made in Italy” too.

 

[xedos]

Blum has some sort of manufacturing facility in the USA but they probably still need parts from outside. And like most places they probably have employment problems too.  Sorry, I don't mean to take this OT.

Yes, they have distribution and a production line just east of Charlotte, NC.

There are LoTS of drawer slides sitting up there waiting on the softclose pistons. That's the bottleneck worldwide for slides and hinges.  Their freeswing and non soft close hinges seem to be in good supply though.

Slaice is very good quality hinges - perhaps better than Blum.  They tend to lead innovation too.  Just aren't widely known in the U.S. 

Hafele is big in hinges, but they are a distributor not a manuf. AFAIK.  In the U.S. it's for Grass and Salice .

 

[twistsol]

A few months ago I tried to get some of the locking devices for Blum drawer slides, and rather than the 97 cents each, the only place I could find them in stock wanted $107.45 each.
https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/d...i-think-there-might-be-price-gouging-going-on