Escutcheons

Definition:

According to the Wikipedia “an escutcheon (when we desist from its meaning of the coat of arms) is an architectural item that surrounds a keyhole or lock cylinder. Escutcheons are mainly decorative; they draw the eye to the keyhole, but some help to protect a lock cylinder from drilling, snapping etc.” Sometimes escutcheons are fitted with a cap or cover on a pivot.

It is details like this that makes restoration of a house worthwhile. With an appropriate escutcheon you will realise that your key is the key to your real kingdom.

The most popular designs of the door escutcheons:

Considering how many keyhole escutcheons have been found, it sometimes seems that every house had a different one on every door. Because of this quantity – and variety – these little door fittings are great fun to collect. Look for the early ones with side-by-side double keyholes and those that have faces or animals on the swing cover.

During the Regency style period escutcheons in cast iron or pewter were popular. Later on, Victorian style was famous for its brass finishes, then closer to the end of the 19th century we can see nice pieces made of nickel or cast iron in the Edwardian or Art Nouveau style. Sometimes these little likeable keyhole covers are combined with wood or crystal. You will find representatives of all these styles and materials in our offer of escutcheons.

Do not forget: it is impolite to look through a keyhole!

The Keys:

A key is a device which is used to open a lock. It usually consists of a specially-shaped piece of flat metal, with cut notches (forming teeth) and/or milled grooves which fit the shape of the lock and can open the correctly combinated lock by (usually) being turned in the lock housing. This portion of the key is referred to as the blade. The wider grip, referred to as the bow, is found at the top of the key to facilitate turning. Usually, there are only a small number of keys which can operate a certain lock. In some residential locks, all of the keys for a lock are given to the purchaser of the lock. Duplicates of the key can normally be made by anyone with the correct key blank and key machine. Some manufacturers assign an identification number to each lock and key combination. Knowing the identification number of such a lock allows a duplicate key to be made at certain places. Many residential keys are identified by the key cuts stamped on the key bow.

Most people in nowadays use keys on a daily basis, to secure their home, their vehicle, or to access their workplace, among other uses. Those that use a number of keys will usually place them on a ring or key chain, often with other items such as key fobs.

To know more about the escutcheons do not hesitate to e-mail or just call us!