JB-818 Latch

High quality .Nothing to be ashamed of

I installed this latch on a small box intended for cremation ashes and it looks beautiful and functions flawlessly. I practiced using the mortise template on scrap wood several times before installing it on my curly maple box using clear epoxy as the glue. As most of you will have already concluded - these Brusso hardware items are very expensive, but excellent quality and appearance. For a small box that had to be perfect, this was a good choice.

I realize it’s just a latch for a jewelry box but you’d be amazed how little variety there is out there, and among the few types of latches there are from which to choose (hook-type, buckle, etc), none of them seem to be quality products. What’s more: none of them are particularly elegant in appearance.

Brusso’s latch is a quality product through-and-through. The manufacturing is obviously carried out with very tight tolerances and the product looks and functions accordingly. The spring is stiff but not too stiff and the catch is smooth but quite secure. Installation is also simple - rout the wood and then glue it in.

Aside from the fact that this latch looks great itself, it can be installed at different depths. If you want it protruding slightly, as I did, you can make the routing a bit more shallow. Or it can be installed flush with the surrounding wood. There is that flexibility, and the latch functions nicely either way.

If I had but one suggestion for Brusso, it would be this: make the back surface of the latch textured in order to allow a more secure contact with the adhesive. I haven’t had any issues thus far, but a knurled surface would be of benefit.

The latch is very high quality and solid. It is a bit tough to use on a wide box since there is nothing to grab onto to lift the lid so you have to push the button while lifting on the side edge of the lid.

Very easy to mount, instructions where clear.