If you need cabinet hardware, you probably just drive to the nearest hardware store and buy it, right? That is what most people would do. However, if you want your cabinet hardware to be a little more unique than the standard stuff for sale in a hardware store, there are few other places to look. 

Metals Artist

A metals artist can create a custom mold for just about anything, including cabinet hardware. You can commission a metals artist to create some very beautiful metal drawer pulls and cabinet handles. As part of the commission, you can request several different drawings of designs from the metals artist. Then you can pick the designs you like most, and the artist will produce as many drawer pulls and cabinet handles as you want.

Ceramics Artist

Many knobs and pulls on antique and vintage cabinets are porcelain or some other type of ceramic material. A ceramics artist can easily make recreations of these knobs and pulls, or create variations of them for you. If you also want them hand-painted, the artist can do that for you, too.

Resale and Antique Shops

Resale and antique shops are treasure troves for finding cabinet hardware. Many of the bins holding recycled metal items have dozens of drawer pulls, cabinet handles, and knobs. You may be able to find a matched set, or you could mix and match for a unique, eclectic look in your kitchen. Old dressers, chests, buffet tables, and china hutches may also be a source of unique cabinet hardware.

Scrap Yards

Scrap yards receive metal scraps by the ton every day. This is one place you are sure to find a lot of metal hardware of all shapes and sizes, although you may have to dig through several piles and bins of smaller scrap. Some "found objects" may work nicely as handles and pulls too, if you are the crafty and artsy sort. Old car door handles and knobs could provide an interesting set of cabinet hardware as well. Just be sure to ask the scrap yard about their "small scraps" piles and then be careful about digging through them.

Restoration Shops

When you have not found anything that really speaks to you, try a cabinet and hutch restoration shop. These folks have access to a massive, global inventory of hardware, much of which may not be sold in the U.S. You can peruse their inventory or online catalogs for your "dream hardware" and then order and buy it through the shop.

For more places to find unique cabinet hardware, check out companies like REFCO.