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November 2023 by Peter Grant
If you have need of real expertise in anything related to qualified construction this is your source....
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January 2023 by Donald Scott
This has been around a while and it has always been a great store. The staff here is super knowledgeable and will help you with anything you need.
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May 2021 by Kim C.
I want to love Al Bar and have given them several chances, but unfortunately my recent customer service experience was the last straw. I will switch to Chicago Brass.
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May 2020 by TPHOTOGRAPHY312
Greg is the best! Don't go anywhere else!
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April 2020 by Tejas Patel
Greg is the best! For all your plating needs make sure to stop by the longtime Wilmette/Northshore establishment!
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November 2019 by Pamela A. Allen
Don’t get machine engraving. Initials were put on an obviously scratched area . Would have chosen hand engraving if I had known it would be so carelessly done.
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April 2019 by Jack Mann Chicago
I took a Sterling Quadruple Plated Antique Tea Service for Lee Bettenhausen to re-do. He did an amazing job and the service looked just like new. This place does amazing work!
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June 2018 by Candice K.
An absolute find! You have a treasured lamp? They make it functional, you're looking for just the right door knob, look no further. The most elite private clubs worldwide trust Al Bar with their fine sterling. I worked with Lee Bettenhausen many years ago...I would still return to Al Bar when I need their services and I recommend them to everyone I know.
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August 2016 by Judith M.
I had a small desk lamp from Bombay company and the wiring was shot. I took it in to see if I could get it repaired at a reasonable cost. The estimate was acceptable and I left it there after 12 PM on a Tuesday. They said they would call when ready. I was so surprised to get a call at 4:30 PM that same day and it was ready. The best thing was that they didn't just repair it to original condition. They made it better. Very pleased with the courteous and outstanding service. I highly recommend them and will use them again and tell my friends about them.
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April 2009 by Carol K.
Okay. This is not a business everyone is going to need. But if you own an old house (and I do)- and you are trying to restore the original hardware and metal fixtures, then Al Bar-Wilmette Platers is going to be a godsend. They do it all. They can restore old light fixtures, re-plate locks and door hardware so that the finish looks as good as the day your old house was built. They can even take new hardware and re- plate it to look like the original fixtures in your house. They also have salvage hardware to help you match those impossible things like switch plate covers, and have one of the largest collections of door hardware (including decorative knobs) that I have seen. Case in point. I have a butler's door on a pivot (you know the ones- they swing between the kitchen and the dining room or between the butlers pantry and the kitchen) The brass plates on the pivot mechanism had been painted over so many times over the past 80 years that I thought they were lost. I scoured antique stores and artifact resale shops, went to house tear downs, everything to try to find new brass plates for this mechanism. Just when I had given up- someone suggested Al Bar Wilmette Platers. I removed the plates from the door and took a road trip up to Wilmette. I also took some old doorknobs whose finish had failed as well as a kick plate for another door. I didn't hold out much hope and my back up plan was just to paint them black to blend in with the wood stain. They took them from me and told me to return in a couple of weeks. When I went back- they unwrapped the plates from their brown paper wrap and I was amazed. All the newly plated metal gleamed like it was new- I could see myself in them they were so shiny and bright! And once re-installed- they frame the door just like they did when the house was new! So before you decide to give up on something in your old house that needs to be re-plated- head up to Al Bar. The craftsmanship is second to none and if you're like me- you'll leave your old house just a little better than you found it!
