Almost every cabinet hardware return starts the same way: the pull arrives, it looks exactly right, and the screw holes do not line up. One measurement decides that outcome, and it is not the one most people reach for.
Start here: two different problems
Before measuring anything, work out which situation you are in. They have different answers, and confusing them is the root of most sizing errors.
| Your situation | Is CTC your choice? |
|---|---|
| Cabinets already drilled — you are replacing existing hardware and reusing the holes | No. CTC is fixed. Your new pull must match the existing hole spacing. |
| New or undrilled cabinets — nothing is fixed yet | Yes. CTC is a design decision based on drawer width and the look you want. |
If you are replacing hardware, measure first and choose second. If you are starting fresh, choose first and drill to suit.
What CTC means
CTC stands for center-to-center — the distance from the middle of one screw hole to the middle of the other. It is not the overall length of the pull, and that distinction causes more wrong orders than anything else.
A pull listed as 3-3/4″ CTC (96 mm) is commonly around 4-1/2″ long end to end, though the overhang varies by design. The CTC figure is what has to match your drawer. Overall length only affects how the pull looks and how much room it needs.
Because knobs normally use a single mounting screw, there is no center-to-center spacing to match. For most standard cabinet installations an existing single hole can be reused — though screw length, door thickness and the condition of the existing hole can still matter, particularly on thicker or previously repaired drawer fronts.
Replacing existing pulls: your CTC must match
If your cabinet already has two drilled holes, your new pull needs the same CTC measurement. A 3-3/4″ (96 mm) pull will not fit existing 5-1/16″ (128 mm) holes without drilling new holes and filling the old ones.
The gap between those two common sizes is 1-1/4″ (32 mm). It is not something that can be pulled into line by flexing the hardware, and attempting it splits drawer fronts.
A note on 3″ (76 mm). Older American cabinetry very often uses 3″ centers, and it remains one of the most common spacings on kitchens fitted before metric hardware became standard. If that is what you measure, look for 3″ CTC (76 mm) in the size options — we carry it across a number of designs. Do not substitute a neighbouring size: 2-1/2″ (64 mm) and 3-3/4″ (96 mm) are the sizes either side of it, and both will leave you re-drilling.
If your existing spacing is unusual and you would rather not re-drill, no-drill cabinet pulls mount without new holes and are worth considering before you commit to filling and re-boring a set of doors.
How to measure holes you already have
- Put the end of a tape measure or ruler at the center of the left screw hole.
- Read to the center of the right screw hole.
- That is your CTC. Note it in both inches and millimeters if you can.
If the pulls are still mounted and you cannot see the hole centers, measure from the center of one post to the center of the other — the same figure. Easier still: take one pull off and measure the bare holes directly, which removes any guesswork about where the center of a post sits.
Measure a sample from each cabinet run rather than assuming the whole kitchen matches. Kitchens are often fitted in stages or repaired over the years, and mixed spacings within one room are common.
What one real kitchen actually needed
A recent trade order through this site covered a single kitchen. It came to 22 pulls in one design and one finish — but across three different center-to-center sizes: fifteen at 2-1/2″ (64 mm), five at 3-3/4″ (96 mm) and two at 5-1/16″ (128 mm).
One kitchen, three spacings, ordered together. That is the normal shape of a real hardware order, and it is why measuring a single drawer and applying that size to the whole room is the fastest way to end up with hardware that does not fit most of it.
Choosing a size for new cabinets
With undrilled doors you are choosing rather than matching. A useful starting point is to choose a pull roughly one-third the width of the drawer front — so a 24″ drawer suits a pull around 8″ long, and a 12″ drawer suits one around 4″.
Doors usually take smaller hardware than drawers. A 3-3/4″ (96 mm) or 5-1/16″ (128 mm) pull, or a knob, works on most standard cabinet doors.
These are proportional guides, not rules. Longer pulls read as more contemporary; shorter pulls and knobs read as more traditional.
Check our complete guide to brass cabinet hardware.
The CTC sizes we stock
Inches first, with the metric original in brackets — the same way sizes are labeled on every product page, so you can match this list straight to the size buttons when you order. Inch figures are approximate conversions of the metric originals.
Standard cabinet range: 2-1/2″ (64 mm) · 3″ (76 mm) · 3-3/4″ (96 mm) · 5-1/16″ (128 mm) · 6-5/16″ (160 mm) · 7-9/16″ (192 mm) · 8-13/16″ (224 mm) · 10-1/16″ (256 mm) · 12-5/8″ (320 mm)
Extra-long range: up to 39-3/8″ (1000 mm), for appliance panels, floor-to-ceiling pantry doors and full-height units where a standard pull looks undersized. Most hardware ranges stop at 12-5/8″ (320 mm) — see the extra-long brushed brass pulls.
A handful of designs also offer intermediate sizes such as 3-5/8″ (92 mm). 3-3/4″ (96 mm) and 5-1/16″ (128 mm) are by far the most widely available across our range, followed by 6-5/16″ (160 mm) and 8-13/16″ (224 mm).
Cabinet pull size starting guide
| Drawer / door width | Starting CTC |
|---|---|
| Up to 12″ (doors, small drawers) | Knob, or 2-1/2″ (64 mm) |
| 12″ – 18″ | 3″ (76 mm) or 3-3/4″ (96 mm) |
| 18″ – 24″ | 5-1/16″ (128 mm) |
| 24″ – 36″ | 6-5/16″ – 7-9/16″ (160 – 192 mm) |
| 36″ and wider | 8-13/16″ – 12-5/8″ (224 – 320 mm), or two pulls |
| Appliance panels, full-height pantry | Extra-long, up to 39-3/8″ (1000 mm) |
These are visual starting points, not drilling standards. If you are replacing existing hardware, your existing hole spacing always takes priority over anything in this table.
Wide drawers: one long pull or two shorter ones
On very wide drawers both approaches work, and the choice is aesthetic rather than technical. A single long pull generally gives a cleaner, more contemporary line. Two smaller pulls placed symmetrically read as more traditional, and can be easier to use on a deep, heavily loaded drawer because you can pull from either side.
What matters more than which you pick is applying the same logic consistently across the run.
Why the inch figures land on awkward fractions
Most modern cabinet hardware is manufactured to metric standards, including for cabinetry sold in the United States. 96 mm and 128 mm are the originals; 3-3/4″ and 5-1/16″ are approximate conversions of them, which is why they are not round numbers. 3″ (76 mm) is the exception — it is a genuine imperial size, which is why it reads as a round number and why it turns up on older American kitchens.
If your existing holes measure almost-but-not-quite 3-3/4″, they are very likely 96 mm. When the two readings disagree, trust the millimeter figure.
Three mistakes that cause most wrong-size orders
1. Measuring overall length instead of CTC. The most common error by a wide margin. If the number you measured is larger than the gap between your screw holes, you measured the wrong thing.
2. Measuring hole edge to hole edge. This gives a figure smaller than the true CTC by roughly one hole diameter. Always work center to center.
3. Measuring one drawer and ordering for twelve. Check a sample from each run before committing to quantity.
Ordering a larger quantity? Test one first
Cabinet knobs, pulls and handles are final sale, so we recommend confirming the CTC, finish and proportions before placing a larger order. For projects needing 10 or more pieces, ordering a single sample first is the safest option — it adds a few days to the project, but it lets you check the fit, the finish in your own light, and the proportions against your actual cabinetry before the rest is committed. Full terms are in our Refund Policy.
If you are unsure after measuring, email support@brasshomesupply.com with your measurements. Photographs of the drawer front with a tape measure in shot are ideal, and we will confirm the size before you buy.
Where to go next
Browse brass cabinet pulls by CTC size, or brass cabinet knobs if you want to avoid the measuring question altogether. Two ranges that cover most standard spacings: the Modern Nordic pull (3-3/4″ to 12-5/8″) and the Brushed Brass modern pull (2-1/2″ to 7-9/16″). For handleless designs, the hidden finger-tab pull covers 1-9/16″ to 5-1/16″.
Once sizing is settled, the next two decisions are quantity and finish: how many pulls and knobs a kitchen needs, and lacquered vs unlacquered brass. If you are comparing suppliers on price, solid brass vs brass-plated explains what the difference actually buys you.
