Casket Handle Selection Guide
Select in order, not all at once
Handle selection works best in a fixed order: family first, material second, finish third, bar length fourth, and load rating throughout. Family means steel-bar, movable, fixed, cremation plastic or steel-reinforced plastic, and each family page describes its own use. Choosing the family first prevents the common error of choosing a finish and then discovering that no handle in that finish exists in the family needed.
Material follows family, because most families are defined by their material. Metal families are castings, mostly Zamak #3, and plastic families are ABS or PP. Within plastic, the choice between plain and reinforced is the choice between decorative and load-bearing, and it must be made explicitly, not assumed from appearance.
Finish follows material, because the available colours differ: metal plating in gold, nickel, antique brass, antique copper and chrome; plastic in gold, silver, copper and bronze, with antique finishes on some ABS. Finish should be matched against a physical sample, not a screen, and for repeat orders the finish should be confirmed again.
Bar length and load rating
Bar length follows casket size. Long bars are commonly 19 to 25 millimetre steel tube or round bar, and the handle set sizing page explains how bar length is matched to a casket. A bar that is too short or too long for the casket is a fitting problem, and it cannot be fixed by changing the finish.
Load rating is checked throughout, not at the end. A handle that fits the casket and matches the finish but is rated below the casket's loaded weight is not a safe specification. Metal handles most commonly carry 120 to 150 kilograms per piece, reinforced plastic carries 35 to 50 kilograms per piece, and decorative pieces carry no rating. The model page governs for any single handle.
Finally, confirm the set: handles, corners, ornaments and fittings in one finish, so that the finished casket reads as one set. The selection is complete only when family, material, finish, bar length and rating are all stated, and the wholesale inquiry page lists those five items as the confirmation checklist.
Common selection errors
The first error is treating a decorative piece as load-bearing. Plain plastic pieces and ornaments carry no rating, and specifying them as handles is a failure, not a saving. The second error is applying a category band to a single model: the bands are guides, and the model page governs. The third error is matching a finish on screen, where plated metal and metallised plastic render differently.
The fourth error is ordering a set for the wrong casket size. A set is assembled around a casket, so the casket size must be stated first. The fifth error is assuming a single minimum order quantity or a single lead time for the catalogue, when both vary by product. Each of these errors is avoidable by following the order above and by confirming the five items before payment.
Before payment, confirm the model number, material, finish, quantity, lead time and any load-test record for your order with the sales team.