The Rolls Royce of Hinges archive
Wednesday 9 March 2011
Robert Ingham finds out if the Smart Hinge designed by Andrew Crawford in collaboration with Clive Jarman is worth its billing

Robert Ingham finds out if the Smart Hinge designed by Andrew Crawford in collaboration with Clive Jarman is worth its billing
Why hasn't someone thought of this before? A phrase that is often quoted when a breakthrough occurs in almost every field of human expertise and it's certainly true of the smartHinge that has been developed by Andrew Crawford in conjunction with Clive Jarman, an ex-Rolls Royce engineer. Andrew has an international reputation and is probably one of the best known box makers around, so his knowledge and skill is certainly the basis of this new hinge.
Simplicity
It's simplicity itself. The hinge has a built-in stop that enables the lid to be held safely in the vertical position when the box is opened. This factor has been incorporated into hinges for quite some time.I've seen an antique box, made in Victorian times, that had butt hinges with two narrow angled projections that provide a stay for the lid. While
it worked efficiently, its appearance lacked aesthetic subtlety. Quadrant hinges with a stay that drops into a slot in the side of the box also work well but they're fussy to fit and the material removed to accommodate the quadrant weakens the corner and side of the box.
There's another hinge available that's inserted into recesses in the sides that has a square projection, which is part of the outer knuckles of one strip of the hinge. Its appearance is also unattractive as it can clash visually with the outer surface details and decoration.