Now a vital part of a door, the doorknob was not patented until 1886 by Osbourne Dorsey. Prior to then, latches and locks with keys were all that kept valuables safe. The 64 years of the Victorian Era saw many decorative creations, and a surprising number of unique doorknobs were manufactured. The modern doorknob may be sleek, but it lacks the personality and bit of history that an antique doorknob brings into the home.
We carry the largest selection of antique Victorian doorknobs online, and we are currently uploading hundreds more of different varieties. To find a doorknob that fits in your home, you can begin by searching by style, finish, and composition on our website.
A few popular styles you can search for are Vernacular, Classic, Romanesque, Italian Renaissance, Greek, Rococo, Art Nouveau. Within each style, you can further specify the type of composition and finish that you’d like.
Doorknobs may also be searched by composition, majority of doorknobs we carry are made of bronze and brass, but we also have antique glass and porcelain mineral doorknobs available in large quantities.
Also available are mortise locks, both antique and modern. Our large selection of antique mortises are not all online yet, so please send a request specifying your needed size and quantity. We also have large rosettes that are paired with Kwiksets, so you can use an antique doorknob even in newer, modern doors.
Knob Design
The knob designs that we offer include: Representational, Asymmetrical, Odd Shaped, Field, Spirals & Swirls, Two-fold, Three-fold, Four-fold, Five-fold, Six-fold, Eight-fold, Radial, Concentric, Oval, & Emblematic/Fraternal.
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- Representational
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- Asymmetrical
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- Odd Shaped
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- Field
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- Spirals & Swirls
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- Two-fold
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- Three-fold
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- Four-fold
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- Five-fold
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- Six-fold
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- Eight-fold
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- Radial
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- Concentric
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- Oval
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- Emblematic
Once you find a design that suits you, you can search by a group number, which comes from Len Blumin’s system of classification, found at https://www.antiquedoorknobs.us, which is how we categorize all decorative knobs.
Or, you can search by manufacturer, some of our most popular ones are Russell & Erwin Manufacturing Company, Penn Hardware Company, Reading Hardware Company, Branford Lock Works, P & F Corbin Company, and Norwalk Lock Company.
