The traditional craft of the continuous handrail lives on at Slattery & Acquroff
With the introduction of more socially responsible building standards that require continuous handholds thus allowing better and safer access to buildings for the disabled and visually impaired. The importance of the craft of handrailing has never been greater.
Interestingly, the fundamental method of handrail construction hasn’t changed for hundreds of years. Certainly machinery has made construction faster but the actual method hasn’t changed much at all. A Continuous handrail is a handrail that does not stop and start at a newel post or where the stair changes direction, but continues in smooth curves from the bottom of the stair to the top. This handrail allows you to run your hand all the way along as you walk up or down the stair.
Continuous handrail requires a craftsman to have skills handed down through generations, as is the case with our handrailing expert Grant McGeachin. Grant has worked with Slattery & Acquroff for nearly 30 years. He learnt his craft off Bruno Venus, a German post war migrant (whose father, son and grandson all worked for S&A and the latter two still do) with wonderful woodworking skills. Bruno had learnt the craft from one of the company’s founders Alex Acquroff, who was considered to be ‘the best’. Alex had completed his staircase apprenticeship in Edinburgh before migrating to Australia in about 1911.
In its purest form, Continuous handrail is still honed from solid laminated blocks of timber using planes, spoke-shaves and gouges and these days a few electric tools. Continuous handrailing is unfortunately a dying craft, and we are possibly the only company left in this country prepared to spend the time and money to ensure that the art doesn’t die out altogether.
We move with the times because we value the craft. Our recent purchase of high-tech 5 Axis machine from Italy and associated software will see our ability to create Continuous handrail remain with Slattery & Acquroff, albeit using a different method. The new method will aid craftsman such as Grant to ensure high quality Continuous handrails are produced more efficiently and economically.
With our aging population the need for these rails and craftsman such as Grant to create them will only increase.
