How To Choose Coffin Handles

Fixed, movable, handle bar and complete handle set. They are not tiers of quality, they are different answers to different problems, and the right one usually falls out of how the coffin is carried and how the coffin is assembled.

A fixed handle is a single casting with no moving part. Nothing rattles, nothing wears, nothing seizes. It is the simplest and most durable option and it is the fastest to fit because there is no swing action to check.

• Best for: burial coffins, simple ranges, high volume assembly
• Consider: the handle stands proud of the coffin side permanently, which affects packing and storage

A movable handle has a claw fixed to the coffin and a bar that swings. In transit the bar sits flat; when the coffin is lifted the bar drops into the bearer's hand. Over a long carry that is noticeably easier on the hands and shoulders, which is why it is the most popular type in our catalogue.

• Best for: coffins that will be carried any distance by bearers
• Consider: two parts to fit, and the swing action needs checking before the coffin leaves the bench

Cast arms joined by a steel or stainless bar, usually 19mm to 25mm in diameter, running along the coffin side. Two bars per side is the common European layout. Because the bar is cut to length, the same arm casting can serve several coffin sizes.

• Best for: continental style coffins, ranges with several coffin lengths
• Consider: tell us the coffin size so the bar is cut to it rather than to a stock length

A handle set is the arms or claws, the end caps, the bar cut to length and the screws, packed together per coffin. It removes counting and matching from your assembly bench and removes the risk of a coffin going out with mismatched parts. Sets are quoted per set rather than per piece, and minimums are typically 100 sets.

• Best for: factories with a fixed range of coffin sizes and limited bench space
• Consider: less flexibility if your coffin sizes change frequently