Door pull handles are ordered by fixing centres, the distance between the two fixing holes, not by overall length. A single pull uses bolt-through fixings; a back-to-back pair mounts one pull on each face through the same holes.

We sell the VELA pull as a single with bolt-through fixings or as a back-to-back pair, in three lengths. The two mistakes that send handles back to us are counting handles instead of door faces, and reading overall length instead of centres. This page settles both before anyone drills.

What are fixing centres on a pull handle?

Fixing centres are the distance, centre to centre, between the two legs that fix a pull to the door; they decide whether a handle fits existing holes. Overall length is the full bar, which runs past each leg, so a 300mm pull typically has centres of around 250mm. Three other terms matter.

Bolt-through fixing

A bolt-through pull is fixed with machine bolts that pass through the door and thread into the legs. The bolt heads sit on the opposite face under a small cover. It is the standard supply where the other face is plain.

Back-to-back pair

A back-to-back pair is two identical pulls, one on each face, connected through the door by threaded studs that pull the handles against each other. Nothing is screwed into the timber, so the fixing is far less prone to working loose.

Projection

Projection is how far the handle stands off the door face, measured to the outside of the bar. Projection less bar diameter is the finger clearance behind the grip. On the VELA solid brass pull door handle that is 52mm less 24.8mm, a little over 27mm. Whether that meets an accessibility requirement is a project-level check.

Single with bolt-through fixings or a back-to-back pair: which doors need which?

If the door is pulled from both faces, order a back-to-back pair; if only one face is gripped, order a single with bolt-through fixings.

Doors that need a pair

Front doors with no lever or knob inside, glazed garden room doors, pivot doors, internal doors on a roller catch or magnetic latch, and sliding doors gripped from both rooms. On a double door set, each leaf takes its own pair.

Doors that need a single

Wardrobe and cupboard doors, integrated appliance panels, pocket doors, and entrance doors with a lever, thumbturn or knob inside. A pair of wardrobe doors takes two singles: “pair” in back-to-back always means both faces of one door.

What do overall length, centres, projection and bar diameter mean in practice?

The figures below are the three VELA sizes. Other makers use different length-to-centres ratios, which is why overall length alone is not enough.

The leg sits 25mm to 33mm in from each end, so a replacement of the same overall length from another maker can still miss the holes by 20mm or more. Projection and bar diameter are constant across the three sizes, so only visual weight changes with length. Our hardware size and measuring guide applies the same logic to cabinet handles, where centres run 96, 128, 160, 192, 224 and 320mm across our ranges.

How do you measure for a replacement pull?

Measure the door, not the old handle’s box.

1. Find the fixing holes. Remove the existing pull; on a pair, one side comes away once the through-bolts are out.
2. Measure hole centre to hole centre. If the holes are ragged, measure left edge to left edge; on holes of equal diameter that equals centre to centre.
3. If you cannot see the holes, measure the old handle. Outside to outside across the legs less one leg diameter, or inside to inside plus one; both give the centres.
4. Measure the door thickness. The VELA pull comes with fixings for timber, glass and appliance doors; if the door is unusually thick, tell us the figure before ordering.
5. Record the position. Floor to the lower hole, and leading edge to the hole centreline, so another length can be set at the same grip height.
6. Check the other face. A pair needs matching holes on both faces. A single needs room on the far face for a bolt head and cover, clear of any lever rose.
7. Check clearance around the projection. Swing the door with a 52mm block at the fixing position: it must clear the frame stop, walls, tracks and neighbouring cabinet doors.
8. Look at the holes themselves. Face-fix screw holes need filling and redrilling for a through-bolt; an enlarged hole may need plugging so the pull sits square.

Which length pull for each type of door?

Choose length by door height and the job the pull does, then confirm the centres against your holes; on a fresh door, drill to the chosen length.

Entrance doors

On a standard UK door of 1981mm, a 450mm pull reads in proportion; on 2040mm, 2100mm and taller doors, or wide leaves over 900mm, 600mm holds its own. A common rule of thumb puts pull length at a quarter to a third of door height. Below about 400mm a front door pull begins to look like a cabinet handle.

Wardrobes and cupboards

The 300mm size is the wardrobe length. On a pair of doors, fit two singles mirrored, each the same distance from the meeting edge, commonly 40mm to 60mm to the hole centreline. Bi-fold doors take one pull on the leading leaf.

Sliding doors

Top-hung sliding doors on the face of a wall usually take a 450mm pull; the length gives leverage on a heavy leaf. Fit a pair only if the wall side clears the projection. Pocket doors take a single on the room face, often a flush pull. Where a sliding door must also lock, our SERA sliding door handles offer an integrated privacy lock.

Integrated fridges, freezers and dishwashers

Full-height larder and fridge doors take a 300mm or 450mm single, bolted through the panel with the appliance-door fixings supplied. On a run of base units, an appliance panel often looks better with the same cabinet handle as the drawers beside it, at the largest centres available, so the line reads as one. Many of our cabinet ranges are IKEA compatible.

Where should a pull sit on the door?

Set the middle of the grip around 1000mm to 1100mm above the finished floor on a household door. For accessible entrances, Approved Document M and BS 8300 give height ranges for door-opening furniture, broadly 800mm to 1050mm above floor level depending on building type and edition; check the current guidance for the project. Horizontally, keep the pull on the centre of the stile, typically 60mm to 75mm from the leading edge.

Work out hole heights from the centres. A 600mm VELA pull centred at 1050mm has holes at 783mm and 1317mm; a 450mm pull at the same height puts them at about 858mm and 1242mm. Check they clear the lock case before drilling.

How much clearance do sliding and pocket doors need?

A sliding door needs the pull’s projection plus running clearance on that face: with a 52mm projection, at least 55mm to 60mm between the door face and the wall, track or adjacent leaf. Face-of-wall systems usually give that on the room side and rarely on the wall side, hence a single on the room face. Bypass wardrobe doors take a flush pull on the rear leaf and a bar on the front only if the gap allows. Measure the gap, not just the door.

Can a pull share a door or scheme with a lever handle?

Yes; on entrance doors it is the norm. Two checks matter. The bolts must miss the lock case; with a multipoint lock the gearbox sits around handle height, so place the holes above and below it, or shift the pull until both clear. And the inside rose must not sit over a bolt head: the 52mm rose on the VELA lever covers 26mm either side of the spindle, so allow that radius plus the bolt cover, in practice around 40mm from spindle centre to either bolt.

Across a scheme, keep to one family and finish so the front door pull, internal levers and the wardrobe door pull handles read together. Every VELA and VERTO lever configuration is a complete set, a pair of levers with roses, fixings and the latch or lock, so count lever sets as doors. Our guide to selecting door hardware covers how passage, privacy and locking sets fit around a pull.

What should you check before you order?

• Centres, not length: confirm 250, 385 or 534mm against the holes.
• Faces, not handles: one face gripped, a single with bolt-through fixings; both faces, a back-to-back pair.
• Count leaves: two wardrobe doors means two singles; a double front door with no lever means two pairs.
• Door thickness measured: standard timber, glass and appliance fixings are supplied; anything unusual, ask first.
• 52mm projection clears stops, walls, tracks and neighbouring doors.
• Bolt positions clear the lock case and the inside rose.

If a door fits none of these patterns, ask through the trade programme or the contact page and we will check a drawing.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need two pull handles for a door?

Only if the door is pulled from both faces. An entrance door with a lever inside needs one bolt-through pull; a door with no other furniture needs a back-to-back pair. Two wardrobe doors need two singles, not a pair.

What length pull handle for a front door?

For a standard 1981mm door, 450mm overall (385mm centres) is the usual choice; for doors 2040mm and taller, or wide and pivot leaves, 600mm (534mm centres). Below 400mm a pull looks undersized on a full-height door.

What are fixing centres on a door pull?

The distance between the centres of the two fixing legs, which decides whether a pull fits existing holes. On the VELA pull they are 250, 385 and 534mm for the 300, 450 and 600mm lengths.

How do I know if my existing pull is bolt-through or face-fixed?

Look at the other face directly behind each leg. A bolt head, cap or small cover means bolt-through; a plain face means the pull is screwed in from the front, and the holes will need filling and redrilling for a through-bolt.

Can I fit a door pull on a sliding door?

Yes, provided the leaf has at least 55mm to 60mm of clearance on that face as it runs. Room-side faces normally do; wall-side faces and pocket doors normally do not, so those take a single on the room face or a flush pull.

Can I use a door pull on an integrated fridge or dishwasher?

Yes. Fit a single through the furniture panel; the VELA pull is supplied with fixings for appliance doors. On a run of base units, the matching cabinet handle at its largest centres often reads better than a full door pull.

Sources and standards

• Approved Document M, Access to and use of buildings (HM Government), guidance on the height of door-opening furniture at accessible entrances.
• BS 8300-2:2018, Design of an accessible and inclusive built environment. Buildings. Code of practice.
• BS EN 1906:2012, Building hardware. Lever handles and knob furniture. Requirements and test methods (pull handles fall outside its scope).
• BS EN 12209, Building hardware. Mechanically operated locks and striking plates (lock case positions on entrance doors).
• VELA solid brass pull door handle specification, meraki. spec card (dimensions quoted above).

A privacy snib is a separate thumbturn bolt with an outside emergency release, fitted above or below a passage handle. A rose-button privacy set builds the lock into the handle rose as a small push-pin. Both lock a bathroom door without a key.

We sell both on the same product page, one dropdown apart, and at thumbnail size they look the same. On the door they need different preparation and behave differently from the corridor side. Here is what each is, which door gets which, and how to fit a snib so the two roses line up.

What is a privacy snib?

A privacy snib (also called a bathroom thumbturn and release) is a small turn on the inside of the door, on its own rose, that throws a bolt. The outside face carries a matching rose with a coin slot for emergency release. The lever beside it is a plain passage handle: it only retracts the latch.

On the site this is the “privacy set (passage set + privacy snib)” configuration. On VELA and VERTO it is a passage lever pair with its tubular mortice latch, plus a separate privacy bolt: a small faceplate morticed into the door edge, a thumbturn inside on a rose matching the handle rose, and the coin release outside. Because the lock is a separate fitting, a snib also pairs with other handles: the RIVO and LUNO privacy snibs are sold on their own, in UK/EU and North American versions.

What is a rose-button privacy set?

A rose-button privacy set puts the lock inside the handle. A small push-pin sits through the inside rose beside the lever; pushing it locks the set. Nothing else is added to the door and no second mortice is cut.

On the site this is the “privacy set (rose button)” configuration. Visually it is a passage handle with one small detail inside, which is why designers who want the quietest door choose it. On our sets the outside rose is plain.

How does each one work from inside and from outside?

Inside, both work by hand, no key. Outside is where they part company.

Privacy snib: a bolt with a coin release

Turning the snib throws a small bolt into a keep in the frame; the slotted release on the outside rose winds it back. As a separate fitting, the bolt can be added to any passage set on the same door.

Rose button: a push-pin in the rose

Pushing the pin locks the set from inside; nothing is thrown into the frame, so no second keep is needed. Because the outside rose is plain, treat it as an inside-only lock. Good practice expects a domestic bathroom door to be releasable from outside so a child or someone taken ill can be reached; a sensible default, not a regulation for private homes. If that matters (family bathroom, children, guests, rentals), choose the snib set. If you need to know whether a particular push-pin set can be released from outside, ask us before ordering.

How do a privacy snib and a rose button compare?

Which one suits a family bathroom, an en suite, a downstairs WC or a rental?

Snib where the locked state should be obvious and outside release matters; rose button where you want the quietest door and only the occupant controls it.

Family bathroom

Snib. Children read a turned snib instantly and can operate it, and the outside release sits where an adult can find it at once.

En suite

Rose button. An en suite is locked by one person for a few minutes and is on show from the bedroom; one rose per face keeps it matching the wardrobe door beside it.

Downstairs WC or cloakroom

Either. A busy guest WC favours the snib, clearer for visitors who do not know the house; a cloakroom in a run of passage sets favours the rose button. Fit a door stop either way: cloakroom doors swing hard against tiles.

Rental or holiday let

Snib. It is self-explanatory to strangers, the release is easy to find, and a worn snib is replaced without touching the handle. See the door privacy snibs collection to match one to a handle range.

Where does a snib sit on the door, and how does it line up with the handle rose?

A snib sits on the vertical centreline through the spindle, above or below the handle rose. Above is the traditional UK position, because a bathroom mortice lock puts its turn follower 57mm above the lever follower and fixes the spacing for you. With a separate bolt like ours either works: our VELA and VERTO renders show the snib fitted below the handle. What matters is that both roses sit on the spindle centreline and line up on both faces.

Height is inherited from the handle. UK practice commonly puts the spindle at about 1000mm from finished floor, and Approved Document M and BS 8300 work within a band around that height. On a 57mm bathroom lock the snib centre then lands roughly 1050 to 1060mm up; a separate bolt lands at its own spacing. North American practice commonly bores tubular latches at about 36 inches (roughly 915mm).

Two rules save the door: mark the snib centre from the actual bolt you are fitting, not a diagram, and check both roses on both faces before drilling through. Drilling for the VELA lever (52mm rose, 8mm spindle) is one 25mm bore plus two 8mm holes at 38mm centres for the bolt-through fixings; VERTO shares the same configurations and preparations, with its drilling on its listing.

How do you fit a privacy snib? Latch first, handle, then snib

Fit in this order; each stage checks the last.

1. Confirm the preparation. UK/EU sets take a tubular mortice latch with a rectangular faceplate in the door edge; North America and Canada sets are supplied for a tubular latch to suit bored doors (industry practice: 54mm cross bore, 25mm edge bore, 60 or 70mm backset, ANSI/BHMA A156.2). Handle set and snib must match.
2. Mark the spindle height. Around 1000mm in the UK, or level with the other doors in the corridor. Square a line across the edge and both faces.
3. Fit the latch. Mortice the case, or bore for the tubular latch, and screw the faceplate flush.
4. Drill for the handle. Through both faces, to the listing’s drilling data.
5. Fit the handle as a passage set. Insert the spindle, offer up both roses, tighten the bolt-through fixings evenly and check the lever returns freely.
6. Mark the snib centre. At the bolt’s own spacing above or below the spindle, on the same centreline, checked on both faces.
7. Mortice for the bolt. Cut the small mortice for the bolt case and faceplate in the door edge, then bore for its spindle.
8. Fit the inside turn and the outside release. Align both roses with the handle roses before final tightening. The bolt should throw fully under light finger pressure.
9. Fit the keep and a door stop. Cut the keep so the bolt engages without slop; fit a door stop so the lever never strikes the wall.
10. Test from outside. Lock from inside, close the door and release with a coin from the corridor. If that needs force, the roses are misaligned or the bolt binds in the keep.

For a rose-button set: steps 1 to 5, a door stop, then test the pin from inside.

Which finish suits a humid bathroom?

Humidity and hand contact speed up change on any brass surface. Polished Chrome (PVD), Polished Brass (PVD) and Satin Nickel are the stable choices in a wet room: PVD is a hard vacuum-deposited coating that resists tarnish and fingerprints. Unlacquered Brass patinas faster in a bathroom than in a hallway, which some owners want and some do not. Matte Black hides water spotting but can show limescale drips beside a shower. Wipe with a soft dry cloth; keep bathroom cleaners off the metal. More in the finish care guide.

What are the common mistakes to avoid before ordering?

• Ordering “privacy” without checking which kind. The two sets are separate configurations on the same page. Decide from the table first.
• Miscounting. Every configuration is a complete set: a pair of levers, roses, fixings and the latch or bolt. Count one set per door, not levers.
• Buying a snib for a door that cannot be morticed again. The bolt needs its own mortice; if that is impossible, choose the rose button.
• Wrong preparation. UK/EU (mortice) and North America and Canada (tubular) sets are not interchangeable. Measure the existing latch first.
• No door stop. A lever projecting 67mm finds the plaster or tiles behind it very quickly.

If the door is unusual (pocket, bi-fold or fire-rated), ask us before ordering. For sliding doors, our SERA handles offer an optional integrated privacy lock instead.

Frequently asked questions

Can you open a bathroom snib from outside?

The snib set, yes: a slotted release on the outside rose that a coin or flat screwdriver turns. The rose-button set has a plain outside rose, so choose the snib where outside release matters.

How high should a bathroom snib be?

Set it by the handle. With the spindle at the usual UK height of about 1000mm, a 57mm bathroom lock puts the snib roughly 1050 to 1060mm up; a separate bolt sits at its own spacing above or below.

Does a rose-button privacy handle need a special latch?

No. It uses the same tubular mortice latch as a passage set, supplied in the box, because the pin locks the furniture rather than throwing a bolt.

Can I add a snib to existing passage handles?

Yes, if the door can take a separate privacy bolt above or below the latch and you can cut a second mortice; RIVO and LUNO snibs are sold on their own for this. If re-morticing is not an option, swap to a rose-button set.

Which lock does a privacy snib need on a UK door?

Our snib sets use a tubular mortice latch plus a separate privacy bolt, both supplied. The other UK route is a bathroom mortice lock with latch and bolt in one case, whose follower spacing (commonly 57mm) fixes the snib position.

Is a rose-button privacy set less secure than a snib?

Both are privacy locks, not security locks; neither secures a room. Choose on outside release, look and ease of use.

Do the VELA and VERTO levers come in both privacy types?

Yes. Both come as a privacy set (rose button) and a privacy set (passage set plus separate snib), alongside passage, dummy, mortice thumbturn and mortice key configurations, in UK/EU and North American preparations. Each is a complete set for one door.

Sources and standards

• BS EN 1906: Building hardware. Lever handles and knob furniture. Requirements and test methods.
• BS EN 12209: Building hardware. Mechanically operated locks and locking plates. Requirements and test methods.
• BS EN 1935: Building hardware. Single-axis hinges. Requirements and test methods (for the hinges the same door will carry).
• Approved Document M and BS 8300: accessibility guidance on door furniture heights.
• ANSI/BHMA A156.2: bored and preassembled locks and latches (North American door preparation).

A mortice latch sits in a slot cut into the door edge and is worked by an 8mm square spindle; a North American tubular latch sits in a large cross bore drilled through the door face. Each needs its own handle preparation, and the door, not the handle, decides which.

We sell the same lever in two preparations because the holes drilled in London, Amsterdam and Toronto are not the same, and longer screws do not bridge them. This page explains the two words, why we split them the way we do, and how to tell in five minutes which one a door has. The companion overview is the guide to selecting door hardware.

What is the difference between a mortice latch and a tubular latch?

A mortice latch is a latch case recessed (morticed) into the door edge, held by a rectangular faceplate, and turned by a separate square spindle passing through the door and both levers. Most UK internal latches have a tube-shaped case, so the trade calls them tubular mortice latches; that is the type in every UK/EU VELA and VERTO set.

A tubular latch in the North American sense slides into a 25mm hole in the door edge and meets a much larger hole, usually 54mm, drilled through the door face; the handle mechanism sits inside that hole and drives the latch directly. Same word, different door, and the root of most wrong orders. Our listings say “UK/EU (mortice latch/lock)” for the edge-slot preparation and “North America and Canada (tubular)” only for bored doors: read them as “slot in the edge” and “large hole through the face”.

Four terms to know:

• Backset: the distance from the door edge to the centre of the spindle hole (UK/EU) or of the cross bore (North America). UK 64mm latch cases give 44mm, 76mm cases give 57mm; the longer backset keeps knuckles off the architrave and is the usual trade choice for levers on roses.
• Bore: a round hole through the door face. On a mortice door it is a small clearance hole for the spindle (VELA specifies 25mm; a smaller hole still passes the spindle); on a bored door it is the large hole housing the mechanism.
• Spindle: the square steel bar linking the two levers through the latch. UK/EU spindles are normally 8mm square; BS EN 1906 is the European standard for lever furniture.
• Rose: the round or square plate the lever sits on. It hides the drilling and carries the fixings.

Why is the same handle sold in two preparations?

The lever and rose can be shared worldwide; what sits behind the rose has to engage the latch the door was prepared for. A UK/EU set drives an 8mm spindle through a mortice latch and bolts through small fixing holes. Our North America and Canada set is supplied for a tubular latch to suit bored doors, where industry practice (ANSI/BHMA A156.2) is a 54mm cross bore, a 25mm edge bore and a 60mm or 70mm backset.

Take the VELA lever door handle as the worked example. In UK/EU preparation it needs one 25mm bore for the spindle plus two 8mm holes at 38mm centres for the bolt-through fixings, all hidden by a 52mm round rose. A door already bored for a North American lockset has a 54mm hole there, wider than the rose, so the mortice set has nothing to fix to. The VERTO offers the same configurations and preparations; its drilling is on its listing.

Every configuration is a complete set: a pair of levers, roses, fixings and the latch or lock for that configuration (the dummy set is a fixed pair with no latch or spindle). Whole-house counts are simple: sets equal doors.

How do UK/EU mortice and North American tubular preparations compare?

One number matters most: a face hole of around 25mm or smaller means a mortice door; around 54mm means a bored door.

How do I tell which preparation my door has?

Five minutes on a hung door, latch left in place. Do it on every door in a project: refurbished houses mix eras and preparations.

1. Look at the door edge. A rectangular plate around 100mm long and 20 to 25mm wide, held by two screws, is a mortice latch or lock faceplate. A short plate about 25 x 57mm is a North American tubular latch.
2. Look at the door face with a lever off. Remove one lever (usually a grub screw under the lever or screws under the rose cover). A small hole with a square bar through it, with or without two smaller fixing holes, is a mortice preparation. A single hole roughly 54mm across is a bored preparation.
3. Measure the backset. From the door edge to the centre of the spindle or of the large bore. 44mm or 57mm points to a UK/EU latch; 60mm or 70mm to North American practice. In mortice preparation it does not change which set you buy, because the rose sits wherever the spindle is; note it anyway, because a replacement latch must match the hole already drilled.
4. Measure the spindle. On a mortice door, measure the square bar across its flats. 8mm is what the VELA and VERTO are built for. Older or lighter fittings, and some Continental ones, use 7mm; if yours is not 8mm, plan to change the latch or the spindle with the handle.
5. Measure the door thickness. Note it when ordering, especially if the door is under 35mm or over 44mm.

If steps 1 and 2 disagree, trust step 2: the face drilling is what the handle has to fit; the edge plate may be a later replacement.

What has to match when I fit a new lever to an existing latch?

Only three things: the preparation (mortice or bored), the spindle size (8mm on a mortice door), and, on a bored door, the cross bore and backset the tubular latch was made for. The old latch brand, finish, rose shape and lever length do not.

On a UK/EU door, a new VELA or VERTO set in mortice preparation will drive any sound latch with an 8mm follower, and the set includes its own latch if you would rather replace it; the VELA lever is sprung, so it returns level even on a tired old latch. If the old rose was larger than 52mm, or the old handle sat on a backplate, expect a paint shadow or screw holes outside the new rose: decorating, not hardware. On a North American door, choose the tubular preparation and check the backset from step 3 so the latch you keep or replace matches.

The internal door handles collection lists each lever with its configuration and preparation options.

How should I order for a mixed project?

Order by door, not by country. One lever specified across a Paris flat, a Toronto house and a refurbished terrace in Leeds is likely to need two preparations and three backsets. Only the preparation column changes.

• List every door with its thickness, edge plate type, face hole size and backset from the check above, then group by preparation.
• Assign the function per door: dummy (fixed) for cupboards, passage for rooms that never lock, privacy for bathrooms and bedrooms, entry (mortice key or thumbturn) where a lock is wanted.
• Count one set per door; each set already contains both levers and its latch or lock.

On the privacy choice: the rose-button set locks with a push-pin through the inside rose and its outside rose is plain, so where release from outside matters (family bathrooms, children, guests, rentals) choose the snib set, which adds a separate privacy bolt with a slotted release on the outer face. Separate privacy snibs exist for other levers.

Joiners, architects and designers can send a door list through the trade programme to have preparation and function checked line by line before ordering.

When should I replace the latch rather than adapt the handle?

Replace the latch when the spindle is not 8mm, when a worn follower lets the lever droop, when the backset puts your knuckles on the frame, or when you are changing function (adding a snib or a key lock to a passage door). A like-for-like swap is quick work for a joiner; packing a spindle with tape gives a lever that hangs, rattles or fails.

Do not convert between preparations: filling a 54mm hole to take a 52mm rose rarely survives, and opening a mortice door to a 54mm bore commits it permanently to bored hardware.

What should I check before ordering?

• Edge plate identified: long rectangular mortice faceplate, or short 25 x 57mm tubular plate.
• Face hole measured with a lever off: small (mortice) or about 54mm (bored).
• Backset measured: 44 or 57mm typical UK/EU; 60 or 70mm typical North America.
• Spindle confirmed 8mm square on a mortice door, or a latch change planned.
• Door thickness noted.
• Function chosen per door as well as preparation, and every door checked on a refurbishment.

If any of these is uncertain, send your notes through the contact page and we will confirm the preparation before you order.

Frequently asked questions

Can I fit a UK handle on an American door?

Not in the same preparation. A UK/EU mortice set expects a small spindle hole under a 52mm rose; an American door has a 54mm cross bore the rose cannot cover. Order the same lever in North America and Canada (tubular) preparation instead.

Is a tubular latch the same as a mortice latch?

Not as we use the words. In the UK the everyday internal latch is often called a tubular mortice latch because its tube-shaped case is morticed into the door edge; in North America a tubular latch is the bored-door type. We say “mortice” for UK/EU and “tubular” only for North America and Canada.

What size is a UK door handle spindle?

8mm square is the standard, and it is what the VELA and VERTO sets are made for. Measure across the flats of the existing bar; if it is smaller, replace the latch or spindle when you fit the new lever.

Does the rose size need to match my old handle?

No. The rose only needs to cover the drilling, and a 52mm rose covers the standard mortice preparation. A larger old rose or backplate may leave a paint line or screw holes to fill.

Do I get the latch with the handle?

Yes. Passage and privacy sets include the latch, entry sets include the mortice lock case (with keys for the key set), and the dummy set is a fixed pair with no latch or spindle.

Which preparation do I choose for a door in Ireland, the Netherlands or Germany?

Almost always UK/EU (mortice latch/lock). European doors use mortice latches and locks, generally with 8mm spindles, although some Continental fittings use 7mm and backsets vary, so run the five-minute check.

Sources and standards

• BS EN 1906: Building hardware. Lever handles and knob furniture. Requirements and test methods.
• BS EN 12209: Building hardware. Mechanically operated locks, latches and locking plates. Requirements and test methods.
• ANSI/BHMA A156.2: Bored and Preassembled Locks and Latches (North American bored-door practice).
• Approved Document M (England) and BS 8300-2: accessibility guidance covering lever handle selection and operation.
• meraki. product specifications and supplier configuration renders for the VELA and VERTO lever door handles (verified August 2026).

A door handle configuration is the latch and lock behaviour behind a lever: whether it retracts a latch, whether it locks, and how it locks (push-pin, snib, thumbturn or key). It decides which rooms a handle suits.

We sell the VELA and VERTO levers in six configurations and two preparations, and the dropdown gives you one short label per option to decide from. That is not enough to order a whole house on. This is the longer version: what each set contains, what it does when you turn it, and which door it belongs on.

Still choosing a lever style? Start with our guide to selecting door hardware.

What is a door handle configuration?

A configuration describes the working parts, not the lever. Passage turns a latch and nothing else. Privacy adds a lock operated from inside without a key. Entry adds a mortice lock with a key or thumbturn. Dummy does nothing mechanical: the lever is fixed to the door face as a pull.

Every configuration is a complete set: a pair of levers, roses, fixings, and the latch or lock it needs. Passage and both privacy sets include the latch; entry sets include the mortice lock case, and the key version its keys; the dummy set is a fixed pair with no latch and no spindle. One set equals one door.

The spindle is 8mm square on every operating configuration. The preparation sets the hole pattern: UK/EU sets take a tubular-case mortice latch or lock with a rectangular faceplate, morticed into the door edge; North America and Canada sets are supplied for a tubular latch to suit North American bored doors. Match it to your doors and keep it constant across the order.

Which six configurations do the VELA and VERTO levers offer?

The labels below are the exact ones in the configuration dropdown on the VELA lever and the VERTO lever.

What is a dummy door handle?

A dummy set is a fixed pair of levers with no spindle, no latch and no turning action: a pull. Use it where a catch or flush bolt keeps the door closed: wardrobes, cupboards, the inactive leaf of a pair of doors.

The classic mistake is a passage set on a wardrobe: the latch needs a mortice in the door edge and a strike in the frame, most wardrobe doors are too thin or already have a catch, and the lever ends up spinning loosely.

Double doors take a passage set on the active leaf and a dummy set on the inactive leaf, so the levers match while only one operates: two sets for two leaves.

What is a passage set, and which rooms never need a lock?

A passage set is a pair of levers, an 8mm spindle and a latch. Turning either lever retracts the latch; there is no lock on either side.

Passage covers most of a house: hallways, landings, living and dining rooms, kitchens, utility rooms and, in most households, bedrooms. If nobody would ever want to lock the door, passage is correct. The reverse mistake is passage on a bathroom door: the first guest finds no way to hold it shut.

Which privacy set: rose button, or passage set plus a separate snib?

Both lock from inside without a key. They differ in where the locking part sits and in whether the door releases from outside.

Privacy set (rose button)

The lock is a small push-pin that sits through the inside rose beside the lever; pushing it locks the set. The door carries only the two levers and looks like a passage set from either side; the outside rose is plain.

If release from outside matters, for a family bathroom, children, guests or a rental, choose the snib set. If you need to know whether a particular push-pin set can be released from outside, ask us before ordering.

Privacy set (passage set + privacy snib)

This is a passage lever pair plus a separate privacy bolt with its own small faceplate morticed into the door edge. Inside, a thumbturn on its own rose, matching the handle rose; outside, a coin or slot emergency release on the outer rose. The locked state is visible from the doorway.

Position is a choice. Above the handle is the traditional UK position when a bathroom mortice lock with 57mm follower centres is used; our renders show the separate bolt fitted below the handle. With our bolt either works, provided both roses sit on the spindle centreline and line up on both faces. Mark the positions from the actual bolt you are fitting.

The same separate snibs suit other levers: the RIVO and LUNO solid brass privacy snibs come as privacy or dummy (fixed) options in UK/EU and North American versions, in our door privacy snibs collection.

Entry sets: mortice key or mortice thumbturn, and where does each belong?

An entry set includes the lever pair and a mortice lock case that throws a deadbolt as well as operating the latch: for doors where being locked matters, not just being closed.

Entry set (mortice thumbturn lock)

The bolt is thrown from inside by a thumbturn, so no key is needed and none can be lost. It suits a study you secure while in it, a guest bedroom, or the door between house and garage. It cannot be locked from outside, so it does not secure an empty room.

Entry set (mortice key lock)

The bolt is thrown by a key, and the keys come with the set. Choose it where the door must be lockable when you leave: a study holding confidential files, a storeroom, a room let to a lodger. In a family home the key usually lives in the lock, and a thumbturn would have done the same job.

One caution. Internal entry sets are not front door hardware. External doors are normally specified with a lock tested to a recognised standard such as BS 3621, and many insurers require one.

Which handle configuration for each room? A room-by-room checklist

Walk the house and write one line per door.

1. Bedroom. Passage set by default. Entry set (mortice thumbturn) if the room doubles as a home office or you want it lockable from inside.
2. Bathroom and en suite. Always privacy. Snib set where outside release matters (children, guests, rentals); rose button where only adults use the room.
3. WC and cloakroom. Privacy, same rule as the bathroom. Never passage.
4. Study or home office. Entry set (mortice thumbturn) if you lock it while working; entry set (mortice key) if it must stay locked when empty.
5. Living, dining, kitchen, hallway. Passage set; double doors take passage plus dummy.
6. Utility, plant room, garage door into the house. Passage as a doorway; entry set (mortice thumbturn) to secure the house side.
7. Cupboards, wardrobes, airing cupboard, sliding and bifold doors. Dummy set. The catch or bolt does the holding.
8. Front door. Not an internal configuration. Specify a certified external lock separately.

How do I count and order for a whole house?

Take a three-bedroom house with a family bathroom, en suite, downstairs WC, study, living room with double doors, and four built-in wardrobes. Sets equal doors, so count doors.

1. Three bedrooms: three passage sets (swap one for a thumbturn entry set if a bedroom is also an office).
2. Family bathroom, en suite, downstairs WC: three privacy sets. Decide rose button or snib once and apply it to all three, so every bathroom door behaves the same from outside.
3. Study: one entry set (mortice thumbturn).
4. Double doors to the living room: one passage set for the active leaf and one dummy set for the inactive leaf.
5. Four wardrobes: four dummy sets, or fewer if some are sliding doors that take pulls instead. The VELA pull comes in 300, 450 and 600mm lengths (250, 385 and 534mm centres), single or as a back-to-back pair, with fixings for timber, glass and appliance doors.
6. Front door: excluded from this order.

That gives four passage sets, three privacy sets, one thumbturn entry set and five dummy sets: thirteen sets, one preparation, one finish. Add door stops and hinges to the same order so finishes match; our hardware is made to order, so one complete count beats several top-ups.

What are the common mistakes to avoid before ordering?

• Choosing rose button where outside release matters. The push-pin set has a plain outside rose. Family bathrooms, children’s rooms and rentals want the snib set.
• Mixing preparations. A UK/EU set will not fit a door bored for a tubular latch, and vice versa. Check one existing door edge and keep the order to one preparation.
• Forgetting the inactive leaf. Double doors take one operating set and one dummy set. Two operating sets leave you with a latch you cannot use.
• Sprung against unsprung. The VELA lever has a sprung return: the rose returns the lever to horizontal, not only the latch. An unsprung lever from elsewhere needs a heavy sprung latch or it will droop; do not mix the two on one door.
• Ordering before measuring the door. The VELA lever (52mm rose, 137mm lever, 67mm projection) needs one 25mm bore plus two 8mm holes at 38mm centres in the UK/EU preparation, and a door thick enough for the latch or lock case. VERTO shares the configurations and preparations; its drilling is on its listing. See the measuring guide.

For the full range, browse internal door handles. If a door fits none of the rules above, describe it to us and we will tell you which configuration to choose.

Frequently asked questions

What is a dummy door handle?

A fixed pair of levers with no latch or spindle, used as a pull on doors held closed by a catch or bolt: wardrobes, cupboards, sliding doors, the inactive leaf of double doors.

What is the difference between a passage and a privacy door handle?

Both latch. A privacy set adds a lock worked from inside without a key: a push-pin through the inside rose, or a separate snib bolt with a thumbturn. A passage set has no lock.

Can the privacy sets be opened from outside in an emergency?

The snib set can: it has a coin or slot release on the outside rose. The rose-button set has a plain outside rose, so if outside release matters, choose the snib set or ask us about the specific set before ordering.

Does the entry set include the lock?

Yes. Both entry sets include the mortice lock case, and the key version includes its keys. Passage and privacy sets include their latch, and the snib set includes the separate privacy bolt.

What is the difference between the UK/EU and North America preparations?

UK/EU sets take a mortice latch or lock let into the door edge; North America and Canada sets are supplied for a tubular latch to suit bored doors. The lever is the same, the hole pattern is not.

Can I use an entry set on my front door?

No. Internal entry sets are not tested as external security locks. A front door normally takes a lock to a recognised standard such as BS 3621, and your insurer may specify one.

Sources and standards

• BS EN 1906: Building hardware. Lever handles and knob furniture. Requirements and test methods.
• BS EN 12209: Building hardware. Mechanically operated locks and locking plates. Requirements and test methods.
• BS 3621: Thief resistant lock assembly. Key egress.
• Approved Document M (England) and BS 8300: accessibility guidance covering lever door furniture.

Centre to centre is the distance between the two fixing holes of a cabinet handle, measured hole centre to hole centre, not the overall length. Standard centres run 96, 128, 160, 192, 224 and 320mm.

Most of the handles that come back to us were ordered by overall length, or before anyone measured the holes already in the door. This is the measuring, sizing and retrofit logic we use ourselves, written down so you order once. Fitting steps and drilling templates live in our guide to choosing and fitting cabinet hardware.

What does centre to centre mean?

Centre to centre (written c/c or cc) is the spacing between the two threaded holes on the back of a bar handle, and therefore the spacing you drill in the front. A handle listed as “128mm overall, 96mm centres” is 128mm long end to end but fixes through holes 96mm apart. Order by centres, not overall length.

Centres is the only dimension the cabinet cares about: length, projection and bar diameter change how a handle looks; centres decide whether it fits. Knobs have no centres figure, which is why they suit odd holes.

Why are the standard sizes multiples of 32mm?

European cabinet-making works on a 32mm system (System 32): hinge plates, runners and shelf pins are bored on 32mm pitches, so handle centres followed. 96mm is 3 pitches, 128mm is 4, 160mm is 5, 192mm is 6, 224mm is 7 and 320mm is 10. That is why the same numbers recur across brands and 100mm or 150mm handles are the exception.

What are the standard cabinet handle centres and where does each size go?

Six centres cover almost every kitchen, wardrobe and bathroom job: the smaller three suit doors and narrow drawers, the larger three wide drawers, pan drawers and tall doors where a short handle looks lost.

Our VELA solid brass handle is a typical example of the ladder: it runs from 128mm overall on 96mm centres up to 358mm overall on 320mm centres, so the same profile can be repeated from a narrow door to a wide pan drawer.

The overall lengths are typical trade ranges, not a rule: how far the bar runs past each hole varies by profile, so read the listing before you drill. Our cabinet handles collection covers the full ladder from 96 to 320mm.

What is the proportion rule for cabinet handle length?

A handle should span roughly one-third to one-half of the drawer front width. Below one-third it looks like an afterthought on a wide drawer; above one-half it reads as a rail. Doors are taller than wide, so proportion is judged against door height, and shorter handles mounted vertically are the norm.

The one-third guide, applied

Judge proportion on overall length, since that is what the eye sees. A 128mm-centres handle at 160mm overall on a 400mm drawer sits at 40%; on an 800mm pan drawer it sits at 20%, which is where owners feel something is off.

On doors, keep the handle short and vertical: 96 or 128mm centres for base and wall doors, 160mm for tall larder or wardrobe doors. On framed shaker doors the handle must also sit within the flat of the frame.

Should I choose a knob or a handle, and why do long bar pulls snag?

Knobs suit doors, framed fronts and small drawers; bar handles suit wide drawers and anywhere you pull with a full hand. Long bar pulls catch clothing for two reasons, projection and end profile.

Projection is how far the handle stands off the front. Many bar handles project around 30 to 40mm; at the top of that range, on a wardrobe door or beside a walkway, that is exactly belt-loop height. Where snagging is a risk:

• Lower projection: the low end of the range, or a knob or cup pull in a tight galley.
• Closed ends: a D handle, or a bar whose ends return to the door, rather than an open bar stopping in mid-air.
• Higher mounting: drawer handles at the top edge of the front, above hip height.

Wall units are the other trouble spot: a 320mm bar mounted vertically on a wall door can end at eye level, so keep them short.

How do I measure existing handle holes correctly?

Measure centre to centre before ordering anything. A 96mm handle will not go into 100mm holes.

1. Remove the old handle and clean paint or filler out of the holes to expose the true bore.
2. Measure from the left edge of the left hole to the left edge of the right hole. If both holes are the same diameter, that equals centre to centre without finding either centre by eye.
3. Cross-check right edge to right edge. If the figures differ by more than 1mm the holes were hand-drilled or opened out; record both.
4. Measure the hole diameter. Standard handle screws are M4, so 4.5 to 5mm is normal; 6mm or larger was opened out previously and may need a washer behind the handle.
5. Note the front thickness. Bar handles are commonly supplied with 25mm screws to suit an 18mm front; a 22mm door or a 30mm framed door needs longer M4 screws, so check the length on the listing.
6. Repeat on at least three fronts. Kitchens fitted over years often carry two spacings.
7. Write the figure down as centres, in millimetres, next to the number of handles at that size. That list is your order.

A reading of 96, 128, 160, 192, 224 or 320mm means standard holes. A reading of 76, 100 or 150mm means the set was drilled outside the 32mm system and you need one of the routes below.

What are my options when the centres do not match?

Four routes: match the centres exactly, cover the old holes with a backplate, switch to a single-fixing knob, or fill and redrill. Which one depends on how far out the holes are and whether the finish can be touched up.

Route 1: same centres, different handle

The cleanest outcome. If the old holes are on a standard centre, buy the new handle at that centre; the overall length can differ, the fixings still line up.

Route 2: backplates over the old holes

A backplate sits between handle and door and hides what is underneath. It covers a pair of old holes if the plate is longer than the old centres plus one hole diameter, with a few millimetres spare, and the new fixings land within it. Backplates suit knobs particularly well: one central fixing in a fresh hole, both old holes hidden. Check plate length in our backplates collection against your old centres.

Route 3: single-fixing knobs

A knob needs one hole. Fit it through one existing hole and fill the other, or drill a fresh central hole and hide the old pair under a backplate. A central hole with two old holes showing either side is the version to avoid.

Route 4: fill and redrill

Glue a hardwood dowel or two-part filler into each old hole, sand flush, prime and touch up, then drill the new centres with a template so every front matches. On a factory-painted door the repair shows at close range unless the front is resprayed; on veneered or oiled timber a matching dowel can be near-invisible.

As a rule: a painted front you cannot respray takes a backplate; a timber front that wants a modern long bar takes fill and redrill.

What should I check on IKEA and flat-pack cabinets before ordering?

IKEA fronts are generally supplied undrilled, so any centres will fit; the checks that matter are front thickness, edge clearance and any push-to-open fitting behind the front.

Where flat-pack fronts are pre-drilled, 96, 128 or 160mm centres are most common. Confirm the spacing with the method above rather than trusting the box, and check that a long handle on a wall door clears the neighbouring unit when it swings. Our IKEA compatible collection groups the ranges that suit the common flat-pack centres, so one finish can run across the whole kitchen.

How do I mix handle sizes across a run without it looking accidental?

Use one profile and one finish, then let the centres change with front width. Mixed sizes look deliberate when handle length tracks drawer width consistently, and accidental when two same-width drawers carry different sizes or the profile changes.

Three habits keep it tidy: centre every handle on its front, or align all to the same offset from the top edge; keep stacked drawers on one vertical centreline; and when a wide drawer wants two handles, fit two of the same size symmetrically. Two 160mm handles on a 1000mm pan drawer read as considered; one 320mm handle offset to one side does not.

What should I check before I order?

• Measure: existing holes as centres, in millimetres, on at least three fronts.
• Decide the route: matching, covering, or filling and redrilling, and buy backplates in the same order if needed.
• Proportion: overall length against the one-third to one-half rule on your widest drawer, not just the doors.
• Projection and ends: anywhere the handle sits in a walkway or on a wardrobe.
• Front thickness: so screw length is right; standard fixings usually assume an 18mm front.
• One batch: every size in the same finish and profile in one order, so the run matches.

Kitchen fitters, joiners and designers specifying handles across whole projects can apply to the trade programme.

Frequently asked questions

Are 96mm handles standard in the UK?

Yes. 96mm centres is one of the most common sizes on UK kitchen doors and narrow drawers, with 128mm and 160mm next.

Is a 128mm handle better than a 96mm handle for kitchen drawers?

It depends on drawer width: on a 300 to 400mm drawer 96mm centres stays within the one-third to one-half range; on a 450 to 500mm drawer 128mm sits better.

What size handles do I need for kitchen drawers?

Match centres to width: 96mm up to about 400mm, 128mm for 400 to 500mm, 160mm for 500 to 600mm, 192 or 224mm for 600 to 900mm, and 320mm or two shorter handles for 900mm and wider.

Can I replace cabinet handles using the same holes?

Yes, if the new handle has the same centres. Standard readings (96 to 320mm) order directly; non-standard holes take a backplate or a fill and redrill.

How do I fill and redrill handle holes?

Dowel or two-part filler in each hole, sand flush, prime and touch up, then drill the new centres with a template. Expect the repair to show slightly on factory-painted doors unless resprayed.

Are meraki. handles IKEA compatible?

Many are, grouped in the IKEA compatible collection. IKEA fronts are generally undrilled so any centres will fit; pre-drilled fronts are usually 96, 128 or 160mm, so measure and order that size.

Do long bar handles snag clothing?

They can. A bar with open ends at hip height on a wardrobe or beside a walkway is the usual culprit; choose a lower projection, ends that return to the door, or a knob there.

How far should a cabinet handle stick out from the door?

Many bar handles project around 30 to 40mm, enough for a full-hand grip. Where clearance matters, look for the lower end of that range or a knob, and read the projection figure on the listing.

Sources and standards

• The 32mm system (System 32) cabinet-construction convention, on which 96, 128, 160, 192, 224 and 320mm centres are based.
• BS 3643 / ISO 261, ISO metric screw threads: the M4 thread used for standard cabinet handle fixings.
• meraki. hardware size measuring guide, /hardware-size-measuring-guide/, for measuring conventions across door and cabinet hardware.
• meraki. guide to choosing and fitting cabinet hardware, /how-to-choose-and-fit-cabinet-hardware/, for fitting steps and drilling templates.

Brass hardware is cabinet, door, and architectural ironmongery cast or machined from brass, a copper-zinc alloy. In hardware applications, brass is prized for its workability, antimicrobial copper content, dimensional stability, and the way it ages: quietly, beautifully, and entirely on its own.

Brass is the oldest functional alloy in the British home. Doorknobs, hinges, locks, picture rails, fire-irons: for three centuries it has been the metal we have reached for when something needs to be both useful and beautiful. And yet, ask most homeowners what brass actually is, and the answer trails off somewhere around “a yellow metal.”

This guide is the answer to that trailing-off. It walks through what brass is made of, how the finishes are produced, and what to expect from each over the next year, the next ten, and the next fifty. It also covers where the hardware industry routinely cuts corners. If you only read one piece on brass this year, make it this one.

What brass actually is

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. The copper-to-zinc ratio is what determines almost everything about how a piece of brass hardware behaves: how easily it can be cast, how it machines, how it polishes, how it ages, and (yes) how it looks the day you fit it.

Pure copper is too soft for most hardware applications. Pure zinc is too brittle. Brass, a mixture of the two plus small amounts of supporting elements like lead, tin, aluminium, or iron, gives you a metal that is hard enough to take a thread, soft enough to cast in detail, and stable enough not to corrode in the way iron and steel do.

The proportions vary. A typical hardware brass might be 60% copper, 39% zinc, and 1% supporting elements. Push the copper higher and you get a redder, warmer-toned brass that ages slowly and polishes to a deep, almost gold sheen, although it is harder to machine. Push the zinc higher and you get a paler brass that machines beautifully and casts easily, although it ages faster and polishes brighter.

The main brass alloys used in hardware

Three named brass alloys turn up most often in cabinet, door, and architectural hardware sold in the UK and Europe.

CZ108 / CW508L (Common Brass, 63/37 brass)

• Composition: roughly 63% copper, 37% zinc
• Dominant property: excellent cold-formability; takes machining well
• Use case: sheet metalwork, plates, escutcheons, machined components
• Age character: patinas evenly to a warm honey, eventually deep amber over decades
• Not used for: fine sand-casting (zinc content too high; this is a wrought alloy)

Note: CZ108 is the legacy British Standard designation. Under the EN system that replaced BS 2870 in 1998, the same alloy is now coded CW508L. Both names refer to the same material.

CZ121 / CW614N (Free-Cutting Brass, 60/40 brass)

• Composition: roughly 58% copper, 39% zinc, 2.5 to 3% lead (added for machinability)
• Dominant property: outstanding machining. The lead acts as a chip-breaker
• Use case: most cabinet pulls, knobs, threaded components, screws
• Age character: patinas a touch faster than CZ108; tends very slightly cooler
• Caveat: the lead content is something we will come back to under “Solid brass vs brass-plated”

CW724R (Lead-free silicon brass — often called eco-friendly brass)

• Composition: roughly 76% copper, 21% zinc, 3% silicon, trace phosphorus. No lead
• Dominant property: lead-free, biocompatible, food-safe
• Use case: mandatory in plumbing fittings touching drinking water (UK regulations and the EU Drinking Water Directive); increasingly used in kitchen hardware
• Cost: 15 to 20% more expensive than leaded equivalents

If a manufacturer does not disclose which alloy they use, that is a flag. Most won’t. We do.

Solid brass vs brass-plated: how to tell

This is the quietest part of the hardware industry. A “brass” cabinet pull at the lower end of the market is almost never solid brass. It is more typically:

• Zinc alloy (zamak) plated with brass
• Steel plated with brass
• Aluminium with a “brass-effect” coating

Why does this matter? Three reasons. First: weight. Solid brass is dense; a CZ121 cabinet pull will weigh roughly 2.5 to 3 times what a zamak-plated equivalent weighs. Second: feel. Solid brass warms to the hand quickly and stays warm. Plated alternatives feel cool and dead. Third, and most importantly, solid brass ages with you. A plated handle wears through to its base metal at the touch points, and once that happens the finish is gone. Solid brass simply patinas.

How to spot the difference at home, in four tests.

1. Weight test. Pick the handle up. If it feels lighter than expected, it is not solid brass.
2. Magnet test. A magnet that sticks to a “brass” handle means there is steel underneath the plating. Solid brass is non-magnetic.
3. Cut-edge inspection. If you can see a screw hole or cut edge, look at the colour. Solid brass is the same colour all the way through. Plating shows a different metal underneath.
4. Sound. Solid brass rings when you tap it gently against wood. Plated zinc thuds.

If a product page does not say “solid brass”, or worse, says “brass-effect” or “antique brass finish” with no material disclosure, assume it is plated. The marketing language is doing the work the material isn’t. If you’d like to test the difference in your own hand before committing, our finish sample kit ships small solid-brass swatches in every finish we make.

How brass is finished

Once a piece of brass has been cast or machined, it needs a surface treatment. This is where the vocabulary gets confusing.

Brass finishes fall into three broad categories:

1. Mechanical finishes, produced by physically working the surface (polishing wheels, sanding belts, brushing wires, hammers).
2. Chemical finishes, produced by applying a chemical patina solution that accelerates oxidation in a controlled way.
3. Coating finishes, produced by applying a clear coating (lacquer or wax) over a mechanical or chemical finish, locking the appearance in place.

The names you see on product pages combine these:

• Polished brass. Mechanical (mirror polish), often coated (lacquered) so it stays bright.
• Brushed brass or satin brass. Mechanical (linear brushing pattern); can be coated or uncoated.
• Antique brass. Chemical (artificial patination to a darker tone), usually coated.
• Aged brass or dark brass. Chemical (deeper artificial patination), usually coated.
• Raw brass or unlacquered brass. Mechanical finish, no coating; exposed to air and touch.
• Burnished brass. Mechanical (rubbed with a smoother); usually uncoated.
• Hammered brass. Mechanical (textural hammering before final finish).

The trade has a vocabulary problem. Different brands use different terms for the same finish, and identical terms for radically different ones. We will publish a separate finish glossary later in this series.

How each finish ages: Year 1, Year 5, Year 25

Year 1. Most coated finishes look unchanged. Lacquer is doing its job. Unlacquered brass has begun to develop touch-pattern patina: the bright spots on a doorknob where a hand grips it daily, contrasted against the gentle dulling of the rest. It is still bright; it is no longer new.

Year 5. Lacquered finishes are mostly intact, but in high-touch areas (kitchen drawer pulls, bathroom taps, door handles in heavy use) the lacquer is wearing through. Brass that has been protected from oxidation for five years is suddenly exposed and begins to age rapidly when it is. The result is uneven: bright lacquered patches next to darkening exposed patches. Unlacquered brass, by contrast, has reached its first stable state. A warm, even mid-amber tone with darker recesses and brighter touch points.

Year 25. Lacquered hardware almost always needs refinishing or replacement by this point. The lacquer has failed unevenly across the piece. Some areas are still bright, others are dull, others have developed uneven patches of patina. Unlacquered brass, by contrast, is at its peak. Deep, complex patina with the entire history of the household legible in its surface. The handles your grandparents used.

This is the case for unlacquered brass in three sentences: it costs the same, it ages better, and it never needs refinishing.

Lacquered or unlacquered: how to choose

A short decision framework.

Choose unlacquered brass if:

• You like the idea of a material that records the life lived around it
• You do not want to maintain or refinish hardware in the future
• You are fitting hardware in heritage homes, slow-design schemes, or kitchens where age is part of the look
• You are pairing with materials that themselves age well: oak, plaster, stone, leather, linen

Choose lacquered brass if:

• You want hardware that looks like it did the day you fitted it, indefinitely
• The hardware is in a low-touch area where wear is not a concern (cupboard doors that rarely open, decorative fittings)
• You are matching to a contemporary scheme where consistency matters more than character
• You strongly dislike the appearance of patina

Both are valid choices. Lacquered brass that survives 25 years intact is rare; unlacquered brass that ages badly is rarer still. Our solid-brass cabinet knobs and pulls are offered in both, so the decision rests entirely on the look you’re after, not on what we’ll sell you.

Caring for brass hardware

The single biggest thing you can do is less than you think.

For unlacquered brass:

• Wipe with a soft, dry cloth weekly. Do not use polishing compounds unless you specifically want to reset the patina.
• For accidental water marks, a microfibre with a drop of olive oil restores the surface without stripping the patina.
• If you want to re-polish to bright (most people do not, but some do), use a brass-specific cream sparingly. The patina will start over.

For lacquered brass:

• Wipe with a damp cloth as needed. Do not polish, ever. Polishing strips the lacquer.
• Once the lacquer fails in a given area, you have two choices: live with the new uneven look (which is fine, and many people prefer it), or have the piece professionally re-lacquered.

Things to avoid universally:

• Vinegar, lemon juice, ammonia, or any acidic cleaner. They will eat both lacquer and patina.
• Steel wool or scouring pads. They scratch the surface.
• Salt-water-soaked cloths (a problem in coastal homes). Wipe down weekly with a fresh-water-damp cloth instead.

Frequently asked questions

Is solid brass hardware worth the extra cost? Yes, if you plan to keep the hardware longer than five years. Solid brass costs roughly 2 to 3 times more than plated alternatives at purchase, but lasts 5 to 10 times longer in real-world use. Cost per year of ownership favours solid brass after roughly year four.

What is the difference between brass and bronze? Brass is copper plus zinc. Bronze is copper plus tin. Bronze is harder, more expensive, and used more often in sculptural and outdoor applications. In domestic hardware, brass is overwhelmingly the standard.

Can I clean brass hardware with vinegar? No. Vinegar is acidic and will damage both lacquer (on lacquered brass) and patina (on unlacquered brass). Use a damp cloth, or a brass-specific cream if you want to reset to bright.

Why does my brass hardware turn green? Green deposits, called verdigris, form when copper in the alloy reacts with moisture, salt, or acidic compounds. It is most common on hardware exposed to coastal air, salt-water cleaning, or high-humidity bathrooms. Wipe regularly with a fresh-water-damp cloth and it will not form. If it does, gentle buffing with a cloth removes it.

Is brass hardware safe in kitchens? Yes. Brass has antimicrobial properties; copper ions disrupt bacterial cells on contact. Many hospitals are reverting from stainless steel to brass on door handles for this reason. For drinking-water-contact applications such as taps, use a lead-free silicon brass (CW724R) — often referred to in the trade as eco-friendly brass.

How can I tell if my brass hardware is plated? Pick it up: if it feels lighter than expected, it is plated. Hold a magnet to it: any pull means there is steel underneath. Look at any cut edge: a colour change from yellow to silver means plating.

Will unlacquered brass match across pieces over time? Mostly. The major patina patterns are driven by use (hands, cleaning, sunlight) and as long as the pieces are in similar conditions, they patinate similarly. Slight variation is normal and is part of the appeal.

What is the most durable brass finish? For long-term durability without maintenance: raw unlacquered brass, because it has nothing to fail. For short-term unchanged appearance: lacquered polished brass — but accept that you may need to re-lacquer at year 10 to 15.

What to read next

If you are choosing brass hardware for a new project, this guide should have answered the foundational questions. If you have a specific question we did not cover, the contact link in our footer goes directly to the design team. You can also explore our full range of solid-brass cabinet, door and architectural hardware.

The rest of our brass series, including a detailed unlacquered-vs-lacquered comparison with side-by-side ageing photos, a finish glossary, and other deep dives, will publish over the next six months. Subscribe to the journal and we will send each piece as it goes live.

Further reading

• Cabinet handle sizes explained: 96, 128, 160mm centres, proportion and retrofitting
• Passage, privacy, dummy or entry: internal door handle configurations explained
• Mortice latch or tubular latch: UK/EU vs North American door preparation
• Privacy snib vs rose button: which bathroom door lock set
• Door pull handles: single or back-to-back, and how to measure fixing centres