Stainless Handle

This is a stainless steel pull handle made from round bar bent into a U. Blue Alpine catalogs it as part F00102-00, and it costs $4.75. Nothing fancy about it. It’s a bar you can get your fingers around, in stainless, so it holds up in a damp room.

What you’re getting

• One U-shaped stainless steel pull handle
• Round bar, bent to shape
• Stainless steel
• Blue Alpine part number F00102-00
• $4.75

That’s everything the listing confirms. It doesn’t state dimensions or the fixing method, so plan on checking it against the handle you already have. If the handle you’re replacing carries the same part number, this is the one. If not, measure.

A stainless steel pull handle doesn’t rely on paint or plating to resist rust, so there’s no coating to chip or flake off after a few years of use.

Matching a stainless steel pull handle to your old one

Handles like this are usually described by a few numbers. Grab a ruler or, better, a set of calipers.

• Center-to-center. The distance from the middle of one mounting point to the middle of the other. Handles are normally sold by this figure, and it has to match your existing holes, or you’ll be drilling new ones.
• Bar diameter. Measure straight across the round bar.
• Projection. How far the grip stands off the surface. This sets how much room your fingers get, which matters if you’re wearing gloves.
• Fixing. Look closely at how the old one is held. Screws through the panel into the ends of the legs are common on pulls like this, but don’t assume yours is the same.

Old one already gone, or too mangled to measure? Send us a photo of the mounting holes with a ruler in the frame using our contact form, and we’ll compare it with this part before you spend anything.

Swapping the handle

The steps below assume screws, which is the usual setup; adapt them if yours is fixed some other way. Check the screw heads before you reach for a driver. Several fasteners in our catalogue use T20 Torx, and a Phillips bit jammed into a Torx recess will chew it up. Match the driver to the recess.

Support the old handle while you back the screws out so it doesn’t drop and scratch anything. Keep the screws if they’re in good shape. If they’re worn or you’re using new ones, match the thread and length to the originals.

Hold the new stainless steel pull handle in place and check that it lines up with the existing mounting points before anything goes in. Start each screw by hand for the first couple of turns. That’s the easiest way to avoid cross-threading. Then snug them up evenly, going back and forth between the two sides so the handle pulls down flat. Stop at firm. Overtightening can strip threads or bend the panel behind it.

When you’re done, give the stainless steel pull handle a firm tug. It shouldn’t rock or twist at all.

Keeping a stainless steel pull handle clean

Stainless steel resists corrosion in damp, condensing environments, which suits a part you’ll often grab with damp hands. It isn’t stain-proof, though. Fingerprints, food residue and hard-water spots all show up.

• Warm water, a drop of dish soap and a soft cloth take care of most of it.
• Dry it afterward. Water left to evaporate leaves spots.
• Keep steel wool away from it. It leaves behind tiny steel particles that rust and stain the surface.
• Rinse off any chlorine bleach quickly, or better, don’t use it. Chlorides can pit stainless.

The rust resistance comes from chromium in the alloy, which forms a thin oxide layer that heals itself when scratched. The stainless steel article explains the grades and how that layer works.

Ordering a spare stainless steel pull handle

At $4.75, it’s an easy spare to keep in the parts drawer. It’s in our body and door parts with the T handle latch. If you’d rather talk it through first, our number is +1 (443) 514-5708.