Michael Healy
Information
Michael Healy is a metal worker and artisan based in Rhode Island
who has developed an exceptional line of door knocker and door
ringer products. Michael Healy studied metal sculpture at Notre
Dame, learning both the techniques of the trade and the aesthetics
of working with metal alloys to create beautiful, lasting figures.
In applying his skills to the relatively pedestrian area of home
hardware such as door fixtures he has brought artisanship to what
have traditionally been functional items.
Michael Healy looks on his products as door sculptures,
and rightfully so. The detailed castings, the creative designs
and the use of multiple
alloys have resulted in a collection of unique and beautiful additions
for the home’s entryway. Each of his door knockers and ringers
are individually made and signed by Michael Healy himself. The century
old bronze casting techniques he learned at Notre Dame have become
the basis for a unique niche in the home improvement industry.
Michael Healy works with bronze, oiled bronze, brass,
an alloy called nickel silver and chrome.
The brass in Healy products is seventy percent copper,
while the bronze is eighty five percent copper. Both alloys are hard
enough
to act as door knockers, while the colors in the two vary significantly.
Nickle added to the bronze produces nickel silver,
an alloy that adds a silvery sheen to the reddish brown of the bronze.
Oiled bronze differs from traditional polished bronze
in the color and sheen of the finished product. Oiled bronze door
knockers and
ringers have a dark reddish brown sheen, whereas polished bronze
has the reddish tones but shines like polished brass.
Michael Healy door ringers can be over three inches
in diameter, though they are all designed to mount on a standard
door bell button.
The result is a detailed metal casting of perhaps a crab or a pineapple
mounted on the wall where the doorbell should be.
You can find traditional designs such as
a lion’s head,
whimsical frogs or beautiful star and moon sculptures among the remarkable
variety of Michael Healy’s products.
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