Championing traditional fixings
Paul Farrant is the Director of FK Moore Limited, a company that has been in ex- istence since 1890.
The business started life as a brassworks, and today still offers traditional metal fixings as well as more modern materials such as plastic.
“Wall fixings and stand offs are always in demand and have become increasingly popular,” says Paul. “The (screw) cover heads always do very well too, and I think one of the reasons for that is because we have such a wide range, we can do virtually anything the customer wants with regards to size, style, finish and colour.” Today, all products are manufactured here in the UK to the highest standard, something Paul be- lieves provides them with an edge over the competition. “Each one of these goes through our hands a number of times before it gets to the customer, there is never any compromise with the materials we use,” he explains. When asked whether Paul thinks the traditional fixings market is waning in favour of more modern alternatives like ad- hesives and tapes, he answers that he views the industry as having become more polarized. Some customers may have a clear idea that they want a something quick and convenient, while others are happy to pay more if necessary for long-lasting, durable fixtures. According to Paul, health and safety should be at the foremost of mind when selecting fixtures and fittings,
Things to consider when selecting fixtures and fittings:
• Health and safety • Environmental impact • Longevity • Aesthetics
FK Moore specialises in traditional fixings
and sign makers should be able to remove any doubt of accidents by choosing the right products.
“I think there is a section of the industry that will know and trust a mechanical fixing, something that is well made, and they are happy to show the customer.
“You get the other end of the spectrum whereby a glue or adhesive will be used. That’s fine, there’s not a problem with that,
but in the UK we have unfortunately had in- cidents with fatalities where mirrors and such like have been secured using adhe- sives, and have fallen off and caused in- juries and fatalities. The move back to mechanicals is therefore inevitable, but it’s swings and roundabouts at the moment. I’d definitely say that it’s evident that people know what they’re after – they either want something quick, cheap and convenient, or they are in need of a mechanical fixing that’ll be in place for 20 to 25 years.”
Keeping signage lifespan in mind
In addition to health and safety, Paul rec- ommends keeping the longevity and ex- pected lifespan of a sign in mind when selecting the fixtures to use.
The range of finishes offers sign makers a huge amount of variety
“I would put longevity right up there as something to consider, but then I would given the type of fixings we do,” says Paul. “Our fixings will always last longer than plas- tic or something that’s glued. I bought a house last year that had a door number that had been installed in the seventies, funnily enough with our brass locators. I took the number off but the fixings were still on the wall when I left, they were screwed in nice and tight and still looked as good as I’m sure they would have done forty years ago. I will always say that if the budget allows it, buy something that’s built to last, rather than having your hand forced because in a year’s time that fitting now looks old and needs re- placing.”
www.fkmoore.com ISSUE 169 FEBRUARY 2017 Sign Update 53
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