On a daily basis I meet with cabinet shop owners, large and small, some production oriented and some highly custom. Likewise, I am also involved in meetings with some of the largest cabinet and furniture manufacturers in the U.S. The attitude towards the selection of functional hardware varies but the common thread I see is a desire for quality.
There are different market sectors in our industry and each views the importance of quality hardware slightly differently depending on the product they manufacture and the client they are on serving.
If you look at the largest kitchen manufactures in the U.S. you will see very little off brand hardware used.
Although this is a sector where you might expect to see low cost hinges this is rarely the case. In general, the larger manufacturers are not willing to gamble on the possibility of hardware malfunction.
The use of low cost hardware is most evident with manufacturers who produce what I might call “disposable” cabinetry. This would include cabinetry for multi-family housing, kitchenettes for the hotel/motel industry and low cost office furniture. These are all market segments where the cabinetry is expected to be replaced every few years.
In general, I do not see much, if any bargain hardware used by custom cabinet makers. There are, of course some exceptions but the percentages are very low.
Here is a snapshot of the overall market as I see it. This is not a scientific study, only my own assessment based on personal observation.