Rim lock

[vicky whitworth]

I'm after some advice about rim locks. The one on my front door is very tatty and modern. It's plain and inoffensive but I would like to replace it with something more traditional. We don't use it as our main lock (in fact I don't think we even have a key for it) but it serves as the door knob, which is another gripe in that the backplate on the knob is bigger than the rim lock so it sort of overhangs on one edge.

I've looked at repro locks on the old winternet, as well as a place selling antique ones. I don't want to spend a fortune, and I think something Victorian would look fine. I'd rather cast metal - black or grey coloured - than brass which might look a bit too grand.

Would I need to find one exactly the same size as the one already in place? Presumably the critical bit is the position of the hole where the knob spindles go through. What chance have I of finding one that would fit?

Does anyone know of any good places to buy this sort of thing? Thank you.

 

[Penners]

Vicky - I presume that what you have is something along the lines of this one:

If so, and if this is the kind of thing that you want to buy, then I'm not sure that you really mean it when you say that you want a "cast metal" one. Pretty well all such locks will have a pressed steel casing, probably black japanned (like this one).

In my view, this type of lock is pretty "repro" as it is. I don't think the design has changed much - if at all - since Victorian days. And it's unobtrusive, which is always a good thing when one is introducing technological gizmos into a period property.

 

[JoceAndChris]

I so agree with Penners about the unobtrusiveness of that design. These people were very helpful on the phone about what to buy:

https://www.tbks.co.uk/index.cgi?state=pre_show_category&toplevel_id=106&catid=106&session=1266416869YYYlIGwDy38wUO4g

I haven't bought from them yet but will, they have a good range of what look like quality products.

 

[vicky whitworth]

Thanks Penners. Mine is even more plain than this one. I think I'm going to give it a clean up and see whether I could live with it. The paint's pretty chipped but it might look OK after a good scrub, and it'll be behind the door curtain for much of the time. Not looking to spend money if I don't need to!!!

 

[Penners]

If you can't stand the chipped paint, a lick of black gloss enamel would do a treat.