=117.= For many years hardware has been generally regarded as an indifferent detail that could be safely left to the carpenter contractor to select and supply. Even when specified, it has been usually described in a very loose and vague manner, doubtless owing to the technical character of the information required and the difficulty entailed on a busy architect in obtaining and formulating it for use. Where, therefore, the conditions are such that an exact and carefully detailed hardware specification cannot be prepared, the only satisfactory plan is to exclude the finishing hardware from the specifications prepared for the building and reserve it for selection by the architect and the owner. =118. Emblematic Hardware.=—Occasionally, it is found desirable to indicate the character or use of a building by introducing one or more appropriate emblems in the design or ornament of the hardware. This is especially true of structures for lodges, clubs, societies, and other organizations, in which case the emblems of regalia, badges, etc. are available for the motif of the design. In municipal, state, or government buildings, the coat of arms or public seal may be introduced in decorating the hardware, and in buildings for railroad companies, banks, etc., the monogram, seal, or name of the corporation is frequently reproduced. [Illustration: FIG. 157] In all instances, the device selected is usually introduced as the central ornament of the door knob. This ornament is also repeated on escutcheon and push plates, and generally on the larger pieces of metal work; and while it may constitute the sole feature of decoration, it usually has associated with it a border or other ornament. [Illustration: FIG. 158] The use of emblematic hardware involves the use of special designs and patterns, and thus entails a considerably greater cost than the use of standard patterns. In Fig. 157 are shown several standard ornamental designs, while in Fig. 158 are shown pieces of lock trim ornamented with heraldic, or emblematic, designs. HARDWARE SPECIFICATIONS =119.= The methods of specifying builders’ hardware differ considerably. Some architects generalize and use the same form of specification for buildings of all classes, while others are more specific, and itemize all the hardware for the entire operation, giving, besides the description, the catalog number and finish. The first method is not considered good practice, and, though it involves little work on the part of the architect, it rarely produces the best results. Thus, wherever possible, the specification should be complete and comprehensive, giving a full description of all the hardware in the building.