Knockers....

[gizzymo]

.... victorian cast iron ones that is.....

Just bought a lovely ornate knocker and have managed to remove several old layers of paint to reveal its true beauty and detail.

Having looked at several sites selling reclaimed door knockers, it seems to be the thing these days to strip them back to the metal and sell them like this. However, I was wondering how they get that lovely dark gun metal finish and also whether this is sufficient protection for exterior use.

Or would I be better off repainting it?

Also, the fixing bolts are a bit rusted - do you think it is possible to replace these with new ones (i.e. will modern replacements fit?)

Any ideas would be welcome.

 

[middi]

PHEeww......!!, I expected to see a picture of Jordan, topless.

AS to how you deal with proper knockers ( the door kind), I cannot offer usefull advice. Not much experience on that type of knocker front.

 

[Lady_Mari]

I had a knocker made from an antique hammer & spanner, the man that made it told me to give it a wipe over with a Danish oiled rag now & again.
Keeps it looking great.

 

[Nemesis]

We have on our back door a knocker featuring a pair of knockers - the top half of a female. Those Victorians weren't the prudes they are often made out to be.

Wax or oil should keep the door furniture from rusting again, if regularly applied.

http://www.bernards.co.uk/black_antique_door_furniture_faq.htm

http://www.bernards.co.uk/rawnsley.htm

Re bolts - depends on the thread, but you should be able to replace with modern ones of the same thread.

 

[Penners]

This thread is a big disappointment.

However - you might want to try a grate polish (like our lost, lamented Zebo) on your knocker. Just be meticulous in letting the stuff dry and giving it a really good buffing to remove any surplus before anyone uses it.

Oh, and tell your friends to leave their white gloves at home.

 

[Anne]

I had a professional save a knocker I had found in the garden he used a wire brush attachment for a drill which ground off the rust and then used metal polish to polish it up it's an amazing difference looks fantastic and has that gun metal look you mentioned.

 

[Craig]

Japanning?
Parkersing?

 

[Penners]

Japanning is simply paint. Probably not what you're looking for. But Parkerizing is something to consider, if you know somewhere you could get it done. It's a phosphate treatment, that - provided you use the right phosphate for the effect you want - can leave a very pleasing finish.

For the gunmetally look that you're after, you possibly want manganese phosphating (medium-to-dark gunmetal look) or iron phosphating (a bit darker).

However, I still think that a grate polish will probably do what you want - and a lot cheaper!

 

[chuckey]

It is very likely that the threads are BSW (British Standard Whitworth). To get them in stainless steel is virtually impossible, brass is a possibilty. Phone up your local nut and bolt supplier, after measuring the outside diameter of the thread (1/4", 5/16"?), take along the offending article to match the thread incase its not BSW (never known it not to be- means its pre 1855 and therefore hand made)
Frank

 

[L1zzy]

Hi guys - I'm just doing thsi myself - so heres hwo to go about it.... locate a Blacksmith - its taken me awhile to find one who's got the experience and also likes to do this sort of stuff. He told me my 'Kennrick' door knocker (bought from a local reclaimation yard) would orginally have been bought from a Victorian catalogue and was made of some sort of iron that over time becomes quite brittle so I mustn't drop it (not great news as a door knocker!!). Anyway it also had two screw pins in the back (4" long) and these had the orginal nuts rusted stuck - so he has heated these up and he explained how this requires a temperature less than that which would melt the metal so doesn't damage the thread enabling one to re use the whole thing.

he's also made me an exact copy of one of my window fastners - after I had looked high and low at antiques fairs and fleamarkets and not seen another like it.

Cost? well I find oyut next weekend but my suggestion is go use your local artisans they need us PPUK peeps support and whast more you learn all about new things!! Good Luck.

 

[Nemesis]

Archibald Kenrick and Sons Ltd. Founded 1789, and the most important producer of 19th century door-knockers. They made other iron goods too.


http://www.kenricks.co.uk/contactus.html

http://www.oldcopper.org/kenrick_&_sons.htm



Other producers started, names such as Dale, Tipper Bros and WP Edmunds.

Early Kenrick knockers were not labelled, but when competiton started up the name began to be stamped on the back. Catalogues for Kenrick knockers do not exist before 1840.


I have repro copies of some pages of 19th century catalogues. Knockers were priced individually and per dozen, so it's possible they were for the trade.

The earliest knockers reflected classical designs, styles changed over time.

Letter plates began to be produced after the introduction of the penny post in 1840.

Knobs, centrally placed, became popular in the latter half of the 19th century - before that the knocker was usually used to swing the door closed.

See if there is a registration mark on yours - from 1842 to 1883 all objects in metal, wood, glass and ceramic had to carry one.

If the bolts are stuck, try a good soak in WD40 before anything else, it sometimes frees them.

 

[L1zzy]

Nemesis - how fascinating - thankyou for all this information - much appreciated - I will check for the number when I get it . Mine is teh shape of a castelleated tower - in fact its probably a bit 'grand' for my cottage - people probably just knocked on the door with their knuckles at my humble abode!