Proudly made in Britain

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ: Ordering

Our postage charges can be found on this page:

The fastest way to shop from us is to buy direct from our easy to use and secure website. Select the items, add to your basket and proceed to check out.

All prices not requiring measurements are clearly shown on the product pages next to the product item.

All prices requiring measurements are calculated once the measurements are input.

Alternatively, you can email us all of your requirements and we will work out the cost for you. sales@madebytheforge.co.uk

Please use a Credit/Debit Card at the website check out.

If you wish to pay by bank transfer please contact us with your order details and we will supply you with our bank transfer details.

On each of the product pages that require measurements, (curtain and bay poles) there are tables in which to fill the information. Once done, one click takes you to the calculated price. Products that don’t need measurements, prices are clearly marked on each product page.

FAQ: Delivery

Our beautiful wrought iron decor is hand crafted in our very own Suffolk-based forge. As our items are bespoke and made to measure, it can mean that delivery times vary but our standard lead time is 14-21 days depending on the size and complexity of the order.

Our friendly and helpful team will keep you updated on your order and let you know a time frame for delivery. We will always keep our customers informed of any changes to lead times. We are confident that you'll be so pleased with our products that it will be worth the wait! However, we do understand that some of our clients may have time constraints and therefore need a quicker turnaround. For this purpose, we have designed the Cannonball or Button complete metal curtain pole kits. These kits have already been hand forged in three standard sizes; 1.2m, 1.5m and 1.8m, so you can order your perfect curtain poles without the wait and without compromising on quality and aesthetics. The pole kits are usually dispatched within 5 working days (Monday to Friday) of receiving the order.

FAQ: Design

Beeswax is a beautiful natural wax that gives the finished ironwork a dark gun metal grey colour.

Matt black is a classic painted black.

To read more about our finishes follow this link Matt Black or Beeswax finish.

Yes - wrought iron curtain poles can come in any colour you wish, as long as you have a recognised brand colour for us to match to. This does however increase the cost significantly. Please email us with details if you wish to receive a quote.

Wrought iron curtain poles can come in more colours than just black - however black is always a good option as it never goes out of fashion!

Black, or Matt black as we call it, is an all over paint. It has a consistent finish that will wear well and not change in colour over time. It can be wiped clean with a damp sponge and is more suitable in a damp area than beeswax. The paint covers the iron completely giving it a uniform slick appearance and looks incredibly smart framing a window. Beeswax is a natural wax that is applied to the metal as soon as it is forged, while the iron is still hot. Once cool, it gives the metal a protective coating and shows the natural gun metal colour of the steel. The result is a piece of ironwork with a very dark grey, luxurious sheen. It allows the natural colour and grain of the metal to stand out.

Feel free to explore the different finishes for our iron curtain poles and selection of finials. If you have any questions regarding the finish to suit you personally then please do send us an email or call 01473 487118 for more information.

The best curtain pole for a bay window is one that is made to measure and hugs the shape of your bay. We can make a curtain pole to fit the exact shape of your bay window. We use 20mm solid curtain pole material and fashion it, so it fits your space perfectly. Made to measure ‘Made by the Forge’ bay curtain poles are your first and best choice. They are extremely strong, look great and we can hand-forge poles for:

For more information on the various different bay options go to our Bay Window Curtain pole page where there are a lot more details to help you.

FAQ: Measuring

As a general rule, a curtain pole length should always include the finials so that you can check that you have enough room whilst measuring. When you consider a new curtain pole for your window, you should always check the maximum space you have available - i.e. the whole curtain pole length including the finial.

This is important because you may otherwise overlook a beam, wall or obstruction that will mean that the curtain pole will not fit when you try to install it thus causing a messy cutting down of your new curtain pole or finials. Made by the Forge curtain poles are made to measure, so we can send you a curtain pole that is exactly the size that you need - right down to the last centimetre.

Once you have decided on the maximum room you have available for a curtain pole, you should measure the window and then add 10% of the window opening each side for the drawback. Drawback is the area that a curtain pole needs to hold - or drawback the curtains into so they don’t obscure the light coming in when open.

Other common names for this are stack-back and stack area. Don’t confuse this with holdbacks which are pieces of shaped metal that hold the curtain out of the way.

Once you have added the window opening measurement to the drawback each side, the length of each finial should then be added on.

The curtain pole length is therefore:

  • Window opening width + Left + Right Drawback + Left + Right Finial.

Does this still fit your area? If yes, then great! You can place your order. If you have a lack of room, you may want to look at an alternative solution such as a Recess curtain pole with recess brackets

  1. Study your window and make sure there are no beams, light fixtures or switches in the way of where you want the pole to be mounted. Ideally it should be 15cm above the top of window frame. If you have a low ceiling then it should be placed halfway between the ceiling and the top of the window frame.
  2. Measure the width of the window space and make a note of the measurement (for accuracy please measure in millimetres).
  3. Allow 10% of this measurement to be added to both sides of the pole as draw back which is the area to the sides of the window where the curtain hangs when not drawn.

For example, if your window width is 100cm, then your left and right drawbacks add up to 20cm so your pole length ordered will be 120cm. Remember to take into consideration the small extra space for your choice of final.

We suggest one curtain ring for each 10cm of pole and also remember to order an even number of rings for curtain symmetry.

Read our blog on measuring a window for a curtain pole.

For helpful information go to our The Bay Window Curtain Pole page and for a visual guide we have a short video which shows you 'How to measure a curved bay window’.

When deciding on the size of a kitchen rail, there are a few things to consider.

Firstly you will need to look at the space you have available; for example you may wish to install a kitchen rail above a cooker, in which case it’s quite a simple measurement.

The second thing to consider is if you are fitting between 2 cupboards, or a restricted area. In this case it will be important to measure accurately to ensure that you can install the pan hanger easily. If your space is limited, we can make you a pan rail at a bespoke length so it fits your space perfectly.

We are experts in making curtain poles for recessed windows. They normally don’t require decorative ends (finials) because there is little to no space at each side.

Instead we can supply you with special recess brackets which screw into the adjacent wall each side and receive the end of the pole. As our service is a made to measure one, we can cut you a recess curtain pole to fit the space exactly.

When measuring, always measure the exact space from wall to wall, in mm and don’t make any deductions for brackets etc. as we will work this out for you.

FAQ: General

The best curtain pole for a 40mm eyelet curtain is a 20mm curtain pole. Our solid 20mm curtain poles are ideal for eyelet curtains as they are very strong and allow the eyelets to run smoothly. As the finials are removable, it makes it very easy to slide the eyelet curtains onto the pole.

The projection of 20mm standard brackets is 65mm and the projection of 25mm standard brackets is 70mm. The projection of the brackets can be altered by special request. Please contact us if you would like brackets with a longer or shorter projection and we will provide a quote for making them especially for you.

The way to calculate curtain pole length is to measure your window in cm and then add an amount each side for the area the curtains will draw back into. This area is called drawback. The amount of drawback varies depending on the weight of your curtain - but as a general rule you should add 10% of the window width as drawback. Example: 100cm window + 10% drawback each side = 120cm curtain pole (100 + 10 + 10 = 120).

Heavy curtains will need more and sometimes a lack of space will mean you can’t fit all the drawback in that available space. You may decide in this situation to take the pole directly into the adjacent wall and use a recess bracket instead of a standard pole bracket.

Poles that are over 200cm will need support in the middle in the form of a centre bracket.

Sometimes if you have little or no room above your window frame it will be very difficult or even impossible to attach a curtain pole bracket to the wall.

When space is limited above your window for the curtain pole bracket, the ceiling is the only place to fix to. Curtain pole ceiling brackets are a solution that we can make for you.

Made by the Forge can offer curtain pole ceiling brackets in various sizes to suit the drop that you need. We once made a curtain pole ceiling bracket for a customer in a shop who wanted a 1.5 metre drop - so anything is possible when you come to Made by the Forge for curtain pole ceiling brackets.

It will be important to check the structure of the ceiling to ensure that you have a good fixing to screw in to. This is important because curtain pole ceiling brackets will have more direct downwards pressure applied to them than a standard curtain pole wall mounted bracket. Plasterboard, lath and plaster or wattle and daub are particularly bad fixings for curtain pole brackets and in an ideal world you need to ensure that the curtain pole ceiling bracket attaches to a wooden joist or something with good holding structure. Plywood, concrete, wooden beams and brick make good fixing areas for your curtain pole ceiling brackets but it is still important to ensure you use the right type of fixings - e.g. rawlplugs, when you install.

We always suggest that you hire a professional installer if you are unsure about how to install curtain poles yourself.

I hope this is helpful. Our website has a comprehensive range of curtain pole brackets to choose from that will suit any installation and if you can’t see it on our website then we should be able to make it for you.

Our curtain poles can be made as long as you like - literally. However, once a curtain pole is at a certain length, we will need to cut it in to pieces in order to ship it to you.

Generally this is a 200cm section. So for example, a 350cm pole would be supplied in 2 pieces of 175cm. We supply a joining pin that slots inside the pole so that when you join the poles together, the joint is hidden. This join will need to be supported by a bracket. We generally recommend a centre type bracket for this application.

Allow 10% of your window width measurement to be added to both sides of the pole as draw back which is the area to the sides of the window where the curtain hangs when not drawn.

For example, if your window width is 100cm, then your left and right drawbacks add up to 20cm so your pole length ordered will be 120cm.

Remember to take into consideration the little extra space for your choice of final..

Made by the Forge make bay curtain poles in 20mm solid. These curtain poles for bay windows are very strong and look really attractive. As they are made to measure they look as good as bay poles can look.

To help you with your project, we can send you a sample piece of curtain pole. This will help you decide on the finish (black or beeswax) and also let you feel the quality and visualise the pole in situ.

We charge £10 per sample pack (including postage and packing).

A typical sample pack might contain 2 sample poles (1 in each colour) and sometimes a bracket, finial or some rings. Please call us or send an email if you would like to have us send you one.

16mm, 20mm and 25mm sizes relate to the diameter of the curtain pole. When choosing holdbacks to match your curtain pole, they are all the same size and so available for all curtain poles - made from a curved or straight piece of sturdy 12mm metal, with a decorative end to match your curtain pole.

See the full range of holdbacks.

When you buy a curtain pole from Made by the Forge, it will be supplied with 1.5” black screws. These are general purpose screws and so suitable for many applications.

We do not supply rawlplugs or other fixings as it will be important for you to obtain the correct fixing for your wall type.

For advice on the suitable wall fixing we suggest you contact a professional installer who will be able to advise you.

To clean your ironwork we suggest using a furniture polish and a soft cotton cloth to lightly run over it - removing dust. We suggest you do not get ironwork wet or use harsh chemical or abrasives.

With the correct fixings, curtain poles and other pieces of ironwork can be fitted to any wall type.

There are a multitude of fixings available for virtually every application one could imagine and it is simply a case of researching what one needs.

Sometimes you can get this information from a local hardware store. If your application is tricky or you don’t have the tools or the ability to do it, then we strongly advise you to employ an installer who will be able to help.

Wrought iron is the term used for the form of iron used for forging. No two pieces of wrought iron are the same, due to the fact that it is hand shaped and worked by our blacksmiths. These raw pieces of metal undergo a bespoke process, turning them into our various items of home décor, such as our bespoke curtain poles and homeware.

Iron is used and can be re-used, re-purposed, re-made and recycled over and over again. An investment in this material is never wasted. For more information go to our blog article ‘How Environmentally friendly is Iron

Historically Beeswax has been used for thousands of years and has been found in the tombs of ancient Egypt, wrecked Viking ships and Roman ruins. It is still the best natural way of finishing iron because it covers the iron effortlessly with a shimmery film leaving the grain beautifully raw and intact. For more information on ‘Beeswax and how it is made’ read our blog article here.

It won’t surprise you to know that iron has no precise expiry date. At Made by the Forge, we buy the best quality iron we can which is generally solid and not thinned out in any way. We offer a lifetime guarantee because ironwork just lasts. It is incredibly environmentally friendly firstly because of its longevity but also because it can be recycled and reused again and again. So next time you are in London or in an old pub, just look around at the ancient lamps that have hung on the buildings for hundreds of years, their gates and railings, the pub's old latches, bolts and hinges. To read more about it go to our How Long Does Wrought Iron Last? Blog post.

 

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