Finail? Finial? Is that your final answer?

Like a dowel screw, or an elbow bracket, a finial is one of those seldom used words that belongs to the decorating or hardware genre. You probably don't  know the meaning or sometimes even the pronunciation unless you've had the occasion to use it. Many people think of a finial as something that sits on top of a lamp (this is true) and few realize it's also a "drapery knob". When it comes to decorative window hardware, the vocabulary is rich with layman terms that can baffle the average person. So I thought I would address some of the basics to help our customers understand the terminology and to help them make good decorating decisions.

The finial is the piece that attaches to the end of the drapery rod. Ours have an inserted wood threaded screw that works with wooden rods. However you can easily remove the screw and replace it with one that is threaded for a metal pole.  When choosing the finial, there are a few things to consider. Think about the size and how it will fit the space.  Is it a large wall? Tight corner? You also want to think about the drape. Heavy materials may work best with a  large finial while light sheers may call for something smaller or more delicate. And finally think about  how the light hits the space.  Many of our finial designs have crystals or crystal cabochons that refract light and create a very pretty effect.

Pictured clockwise from bottom left: Sunflower finial, J finial Isabella, J tieback Birdie, and small Tiki knob.

Our finials range from 4-8" in projection. If you prefer something smaller, many of our 2" diameter knobs measure 1 3/4" at the base and can be converted to a finial by adding a dowel screw. If you're scratching your head about the dowel screw, here's a picture that shows it with one end threaded for metal (to go into the knob) and the other end threaded for wood (to go into the rod).

Now let's examine how the finial fits the rod. (Right image). We list the diameter of the finial at the widest part to give our customers a feeling for the size of the piece. However the measurement at the base of the finial is smaller, and designed to extend or flare a little beyond our rods 1 3/4" and 1 3/8" diameters.