See all items in this storeHave you selected to search with title and description? If you haven't, try to use this filter and might get more results.How to Install a Door Knob imageInstalling a door knob is a simple home repair task that no homeowner or handyman should shy away from. The process is quick, intuitive, and can be accomplished using a few common tools. Read More about How to Install a Door KnobAdd my Store to your Favorites and receive my email newsletters about new items and special promotions!Be the first to know about new productsCabinet Handle Buying Guide imageMany homes and apartments already have cabinet handles installed on all of the cabinet doors. However, these are easy to remove and change, so no one should ever feel stuck with a handle style that they...Read More about Cabinet Handle Buying Guide3 Pairs of Vintage Bakelite Door Knobs with Spindles and 3 Single BackplatesHandle MakeoverHandle UpgradeBritanys BathroomBathroom IdeasExisting SilverGlamorous ProjectToilet HandlesBronze Spray Paint Oil RubbedBathroom Oil Rubbed BronzeForwardA toilet handle makeover may not be the most glamorous project but it can make a difference when updating a bathroom.
Instead of buying a new handle upgrade your existing silver one by painting it with an oil-rubbed bronze finish.1500 Series Pocket Door Frame for Doors up to 30 in. x 80 in. 1500 Series Pocket Door Frame for Doors up to 36 in. x 80 in. 1500 Series Pocket Door Frame for Doors up to 32 in. x 80 in. 1500 Series Pocket Door Frame for Doors up to 24 in. x 80 in.Pocket Door Frame Set Satin Nickel Pocket Door Privacy Latch 2000 Series Pocket Door Frame for Doors up to 36 in. x 80 in. 200PD Series 96 in. Track and Hardware Set for Pocket Doors 1500 Series Pocket Door Frame for Doors up to 28 in. x 80 in. Satin-Nickel Pocket Door Pull HandleSatin Nickel Closet Pulls (2-Pack) 1560 Series Pocket Door Frame for Doors up to 36 in. x 80 in.Extruded Aluminum Pocket Door Track Kit 2060 Series Pocket Door Frame for Doors up to 30 in. x 96 in. Bypass Closet Door Track KitSatin Nickel Pocket Door Privacy Latch Sliding Wardrobe Door Nylon Bottom Guide (2-Pack)
2000 Series Pocket Door Frame for Doors up to 30 in. x 80 in. Bronze Pocket Door Privacy Latch with Pull Nylon Floor-Mounted Adjustable Bypass Bottom Guide for Wardrobe DoorsThroughout most of history, door knobs (also spelled as one word, “doorknobs”) weren’t knobs at all. If a door needed to be secured, wood or wrought-iron latches or crossbars, the precursor to the deadbolt, did the trick. A wooden peg in a loop of rope was good enough in most cases—if you could afford to get fancy, you might install a metal hook and eye. By the early 19th century, most people in the newly independent United States opened doors with their thumbs, which is to say, their doors were fitted with wrought-iron thumb latches. Some of the earliest brass door knobs in the U.S. also appeared around the same time—they were fixed to surface-mounted locks. Mortise locks gained prominence in the mid-1800s. This development appears to have spurred a renaissance in door knobs—from brass and bronze to clear glass and millefiori paperweights—as well as in the escutcheons that surrounded the knob and keyhole.
Most knobs were round, of course, but some had angled pavilion tops while others were shaped like drums. The artistry that was lavished on door knobs, escutcheons, hinges, and other types of home hardware mirrored the prevailing styles of the day. Gothic revival homes and buildings were fitted with Gothic revival doorknobs. The rosewood knobs installed on the doors of Greek revival structures sometimes featured the profile of a helmeted warrior, but more often this style manifested itself on bronze and brass hardware as repeated patterns and designs. Followers of the Aesthetic Movement, which ran roughly from the Civil War until the end of the century, fitted their doors with knobs and escutcheons that were festooned with floral as well as geometric shapes. Some of these plates were rectangular while others were outlined to follow various patterns. Plates with a second key hole usually came with a pivoting flap that covered the bottommost of the two openings since it was seldom used.
Later, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Arts and Crafts hardware seemed to herald a return to the thumb latches of 100 years before, although the hand-hammering was deliberate rather than a function of necessity. Art Nouveau pieces were less self conscious and more comfortable with being beautiful for beauty's sake. Of particular interest to door knob collectors are those pieces that bear the imprint of governmental and other organizations. Railroad-station hardware is prized by those who al... Then there are door knobs that are sought simply because their shapes and surfaces are so appealing. The Ercola or bear claw knob, as well as others that resemble scallop shells, are just two examples of these rare, shaped door knobs. Also in demand are porcelain knobs, which were mostly used in passageways and were either printed or painted with flowers and floral patterns. Manufacturers in 19th-century America to look for include Nashua Lock Company (1834-1889) and Russell & Erwin, which purchased the Metallic Compression Casting Company of Boston in the 1870s.
Corbin was a competitor of R&E, but the two firms merged in 1902 to form the American Hardware Corporation. Finally, one of the founders of Yale & Towne, Linus Yale, Jr., got his start making bank locks. He died in 1868 just two weeks after partnering with Henry Towne, which is probably why the name of their original company, The Yale Lock Manufacturing Company, was eventually changed to include Towne's last name, too.About our sources | Got something to add?000Cut glass doorknobs for sale at a salvage store. (Photo: Courtesy of Architectural Salvage of Greensboro)When you're trying to select doorknobs for your old house, the options—both antique and reproduction—can seem virtually endless. But spend a few afternoons browsing online or through your local salvage store, and you'll probably notice that the same types of knobs tend to show up again and again. Like most items that have been subjected to the test of time, certain doorknob styles have risen above the rest to become definitive classics.
If you're restoring a house built between the mid-18th and the mid-20th century, you can't go wrong with one of the knobs below.BrassWhile doors in the earliest American homes would have featured thumb latches instead of knobs, simple brass doorknobs began appearing in upscale homes in the 1700s. Though they never fell completely out of fashion, the popularity of brass doorknobs waned a bit in the Victorian era, when myriad other styles captured the attention of homeowners. With additional decoration (including molded and beaded rims), the style made a big comeback during the Colonial Revival. (Note: If you're worried about bright, shiny brass knobs stealing the show, look for antique versions, which generally have a more mellow patina.)White PorcelainWhen American pottery companies began making white porcelain doorknobs based on imported European examples in the mid-1800s, the style took off and stayed in vogue through the first part of the 20th century. Porcelain knobs could be found in a variety of house styles, including Italianates, Greek Revivals, early Victorians, and bungalows.
On many antique versions, you'll notice a web of hairline cracks (called "crazing") on the surface; crazing was a manufacturing side effect and is merely a patina, not damage. For the most accurate look, pair white porcelain knobs with black rim locks.Brown MineralA cousin of the white porcelain knob, brown mineral knobs are prized for their swirly, almost marble-like surface, which was created by mixing two colors of clay. They're commonly referred to as "Bennington knobs," after the Vermont potteries that helped to popularize the trend. The popularity of brown mineral knobs was relatively short-lived (roughly from the mid-1800s to the turn of the century), and they were most favored by owners of Greek Revival homes.Cut GlassAnother perennial favorite that spans styles and centuries, cut glass knobs transitioned from high-style homes to everyday ones in the early 19th century. They came in a variety of shapes and colors, but the faceted clear glass knob is undoubtedly the most enduring form of the style, widely available today in both antique and reproduction forms.
Owners of Italianate houses were especially fond of cut glass knobs; early 20th-century homeowners also relied on them to dress up their Colonial Revivals, bungalows, and Foursquares.WoodenNot quite as popular as metal, glass, and porcelain knobs, wooden versions nevertheless enjoyed their own boom in the mid-19th century. Wooden knobs were primarily plain—either smooth and round, or a squared-off shape with a series of incised lines decorating the edge—but some intricately carved examples did exist. Because they're relatively obscure, wooden knobs tend to be harder to find, particularly as reproductions—check salvage stores or eBay for antique versions, which will have a well-worn patina.Victorian BronzeAs with most decorative items during the Victorian era, doorknobs got their turn to be embellished in every conceivable way. After the Civil War, new methods of casting bronze made it possible to produce increasingly elaborate patterns on both knobs and escutcheons—everything from flora and fauna to exotic Asian and Middle Eastern motifs.