Pity, since they are one of the most important pieces of hardware you have in your home. Without the right cabinet knobs, your doors are pretty hard to open. In the old days, cabinet makers simply created slots on the backside of the cabinet door so you could pull them open with your fingers. A seemingly good idea. But over time, the front of the cabinet began to wear and collect dirt and oil from everyone's hands. Not exactly a nice look for expensive cabinets.

Cabinet knobs solved this problem of wear and tear. With the right knobs, your fingers don't even have to touch the wood or wear down the lovely wood finish. The knob does all the work for you, protecting your cabinets while giving you easy access.

Of course, cabinet knobs do wear out now and again. Over time, the finish may dull or even chip. If you have wood cabinet knobs, they may chip, particularly if they are dainty designs. It's inevitable that a knob will eventually become damaged or old looking.

If you were forward thinking when you got the cabinets, you purchased a few extra cabinet knobs for this eventuality. Replacing a broken or worn knob is simple when you can just dip into your reserve supply.

But what if you didn't purchase extras and they don't make that particular cabinet knob any longer. Hard as it is to imagine, styles and fashions change, even in the knob world. And some models are discontinued now and then.

The only option is to replace all the cabinet knobs in the space. If you have an average kitchen, that can be more than 60 knobs, if you include the cabinets and drawers.

When selecting new cabinet knobs for your kitchen or bathroom, you want to consider the door's design, the ease of use and the make of the knobs. Be sure to try out a few styles before purchasing a set of cabinet knobs. Take your favorites home and install them on a few drawers of cabinets and live with them for a while.

They may look terrific in the hardware store, but how to do they look in you home? More important, perhaps, is how to they feel? Do you fingers have enough room to grab easily onto the knob? Or do they feel pinched? A stylish knob that is in fashion can be a real nightmare to use on an every day basis. That's why it's so important to try the cabinet knobs on for size before you plunk down a couple hundred bucks on knobs you'll end up hating.

Once you settle on the look and feel you want, be sure to lay in an extra supply of knobs. Two or three should do. That way you have a spare in the event one of your cabinet knobs lets you down in the years to come.