Door Knobs Guide

Door knobs are always necessary, in any home – sort of like walls, beds, a sink … and somebody nice to share the place with! Many people choose door knobs that are unobtrusive, and blend in with the rest of your furniture or walls. However, the door knobs that you get at a hardware shop nowadays are quite unlikely to blend in with the surroundings in your traditional style home. Not only this, but by getting door knobs with a bit of personality, you can give your whole house a lift. Everybody who comes in must use them, so everybody notices them – unusual ones make your entire décor stand out just that bit more.

In the 19th century door furniture was mainly made of cast iron and cast brass. Then at the end of the 19th century, chrome and nickle plating was introduced. –Other, less common materials sued for knobs included ceramics, crystal glass, wood or even precious stones. Today most of the door knobs are made of yellow brass, which has been chromed or nickeled. Many of the modern brass knobs are also lacquered. This operation makes the door knob much easier to keep clean, however, after some time the lacquer usually wears, making the knob look that bit duller. Also, the lacquered door furniture does not develop a patina, that rich mellow look that comes with age - this is why we do not recommend laquering  our period style door knobs.

 

We recommend the following knob styles to our customers:

 
• solid (cast) brass door knobs
• brass door knobs that have been plated nickel or chrome
• knobs made of hardwood with brass or plated back plates
• ceramic and  crystal door knob with brass or nickel-plated back plates

 

As mentioned earlier, some modern knobs incorporate a locking mechanism. Our period style door knobs are reproductions of the original ones, so for authenticity we don’t offer those with built-in locks. However, there are plenty of traditional locks for you to choose from! The traditional door knobs are mainly used with the long reach mortise locks and the rim locks. The mortise lock is mounted inside the door, and the rim lock is a surface mounted lock. When you are choosing lock types, consider your door knobs, as not all door knobs will work with the rim locks. The reason for this is that the surface mounted locks require a door knobs with a loose back plates, since one of the back plates (mounted on the lock side of the door) has to be removed. It is much easier with the mortise locks, as virtually all door knobs will work with these. mortise locks, however, it is very important to have a long reach mortise lock with a minimum depth of 11.5 cm (4.5 inches). If the lock is too short you will be unable to turn the door knob on the door, as there will not be enough space between the door knob and the frame – you’ll bang your knuckles whenever you try to open the door, and most often when you are in a hurry!.

 

If your door knobs are made of a solid brass, you will have to clean them every 2 months or so. The best way to clean brass is  to wipe it with a cloth. To keep the knobs new looking and shiny, you will also need a special brass polish which can be purchased on our website.

 

If you have a question about the door knobs in our range, or in general, feel free to contact us either via email or phone. We look forward to hearing from you!