"You love making problems for yourself, don't you? Take a freaking
magnet with you. "

Will a magnet attract solid brass?

In so far as me making problems for myself. I actually reduce problems
for myself by using quality stuff when I make repairs, so I don't have
to do them over repeatedly. Just getting good quality repair parts for
houses is difficult because the mass marketers mostly stock cheap crap
and builders and contractors use only the cheapest quality available
(unless it effects it's appeareance) and most homeowners don't know any
better and just replace in kind.

Since I started using stainless steel hardware I don't have rust or
stripped heads, or heads the break off screws.